Special Report
Affordable Stealth Marketing for Veterinary Practices:
Practice-Building Tips for the Real World
If you’re going to be successful in marketing your veterinary practice, you have to be client oriented, rather than product oriented. You’re in the customer service business and you have to do all things so that clients will want to do business with you and also to refer others to your practice. And you have to build and maintain a relationship with them.
Your practice has a great resource that allows you to target your marketing, and that’s your client records. If your clients only hear from you when they’re in your office, they’re in jeopardy of moving to another practice. Poor clients will chase discounts and redeem coupons, but good clients will stay with you as long as they feel valued.
How do you make them feel valued? Stay in touch with them.
Do you need to stay in touch with all of your clients? Yes, all your clients should hear from you, but your best clients should hear from you often. If you’re like almost every other practice (and business), 80% of your billing comes from about 20% of your clients. You really need to stay in touch with them frequently.
The average veterinarian has about 1,300 clients, which means that about 250 of them provide the bulk of the billing. It’s not hard to stay in touch with that number of clients.
So how do you stay in touch with them? Greeting cards and postcards are simple and affordable even for a small practice. And regular contact this way can brand your practice in ways that most other marketing methods can’t.
And how do you use those cards to build your practice? Here’s how.
Thank You Cards
The easiest way to stay in touch with your clients is by sending a thank you note when they become a client and when you perform an extraordinary service for them. Keep a stash of different cards on hand for various purposes, including blank notes, or have some messages custom printed with your own hospital name and logo. If you keep cards on hand and ready, then at the end of the day it’s easy to quickly add a few words, address the envelope, and drop them in the mail.
Our stock New Client card message:
And this is an example of a custom printed New Client card. When you think about what sort of thing to add to your message, think about what sets your practice apart from others in your community. Let's assume the client has noticed that the place is sparkling clean, the receptionists are friendly, the doctors have a great rapport with pets and people. What do you need to tell this new client about your practice that she didn't notice while she was there?
New Pet Cards welcome a new pet into the home of an existing client. This is especially nice if the family is taking on a new pet after a particularly difficult loss. This message also lends itself to customizing, like the new client card, to showcase certain services. You can also handwrite little messages about other services for individual pets, like grooming for the new poodle puppy.
Referral Thank You Cards
Over 50% of veterinary practice clients are referrals, so it makes sense to cultivate them. The best way to get referrals is to have a close personal relationship with your clients, so that when there’s an opportunity, they’ll recommend you to a friend or coworker. How do you develop that kind of connection? Stay in touch with them and thank them when they give you that recommendation. You might want to add a coupon for a free service or product on their next visit.
Followup card for a successful case:
We are all used to the idea that we send sympathy cards when a pet can't be saved. What about celebrating our successes? My friend David's little Shih-tzu just had an ACL surgery by an orthopedic specialist. Pebbles is the apple of David's eye, so he was pretty anxious about the surgery, and his general practice vet knows this. When the surgery was over and it was clear that her recovery was going to be fine, the vet could have sent a card such as: "We are so happy to have helped with Pebbles' knee, and we look forward to seeing her bounding in here again!" This card does several things:
a. It reinforces the fact that the treatment was successful and Pebbles is going to be fine. And this would happen about when David is getting his credit card bill for the whole thing, so this is a great time to emphasize the positive!
b. It points out subtly that his vet knew what to do, made a good diagnosis, and in this case that he knew when to refer to a specialist.
c. It points out that his vet really does care about David and Pebbles; they are not just a revenue source. I am always impressed at the emotional energy that my vets invest in their cases.
Sympathy Cards
The loss of a pet can be extremely traumatic, and it’s something that almost every pet owner will experience. A sympathy card should be sent immediately and should be at least hand signed. Generally, the message should be simple, reminding your client to remember the good times they had with their pet and conveying compassion with dignity. If you know the client at all, a simple note is a nice touch: "Emma was a great cat, and she sure had a wonderful life with you." Your words don't have to be long and elaborate, just something that shows you gave some thought to it.
Sometimes, a more elaborate message may be used for those who deeply grieve over the loss of a cherished pet. We especially recommend this one for people who are so distraught over the death of a pet (frequently a euthanasia) that they tell you they'll never have another one.
Reminder Postcards
If your practice is like most others, about 60% of your patients are overdue for vaccinations or have an incomplete series of vaccinations. Always ask new clients for vaccination information, even if they have to guess. This, combined with your records, should let you put an efficient reminder system in place. Your software will give you several message choices for first reminders; if you use a manual reminder system you might use something like this:
Second Reminders should go out the next month for your no-shows. The following text encourages your client to let you know one way or the other if they will be coming in or not.
Postcards can also be used for inexpensive promotions, especially if you can query your pet database for certain conditions such as age and breed. Schedule these promotions at times when you anticipate a slump in regular business, like the middle of winter. Ask your database for:
Older animals, for arthritis screenings in the fall;
Middle-aged and older animals, for dental exams and cleanings;
Intact animals, for spay/neuter reminders;
Extra furry breeds (Chows, collies, Persian cats) for spring trims by your groomer.
Event Invitations
Seminars are an excellent way to target specific markets within your practice and to build credibility. Sharing knowledge and experience is one of the best ways to connect with clients. It’s appreciated and it’s a good way to add clients. For instance, you can schedule a seminar on the aging pet, invite your clients who have pets in the appropriate age range and ask them to feel free to bring a friend. They’ll get good information that allows them to better understand how to care for their companion and you’ll get goodwill and increased business.
Postcards are a great way to promote seminars and any other events you may plan, such as those done with local shelters.