Veterinary Marketing and Client Outreach: How to Keep the Warm Fuzzies in Your Vet Clinic
The veterinary industry is changing rapidly, and one of the biggest challenges facing pet health marketing today is veterinary corporatization. Traditionally, veterinary clinics have been privately owned, either by an individual doctor or a group of doctors, but increasingly, there is a trend toward veterinary clinic acquisition and consolidation by large corporations. Clinics that were known as small, hometown vet clinics are being purchased and restructured, a practice that continues to transform the veterinary industry.
For large corporations, it is appealing to acquire and consolidate privately owned practices because it offers the opportunity to diversify while making a profit. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), there are now more than 60 veterinary consolidators, and most CEOs of those consolidators are not veterinarians. What does this mean? It means that even though vet clinics may be being purchased by corporations, the executives behind the purchases aren’t the ones that clients will see when they walk through the doors of the clinic. Instead, when clients arrive, they’ll still see the same friendly, professional, capable faces they’ve been used to seeing when they bring their pets in for care.
The question is now, How do veterinary practitioners continue to provide the private-style care clients are used to now that they are working under a corporate umbrella?
The Rules Have Changed, The People Haven’t
Going corporate means new rules and regulations. Processes are going to be different. If your veterinary clinic is corporately owned, you’ve probably already felt many changes, both the good ones and the more challenging ones. The trick is to never miss a beat when it comes to your clients. One of the biggest worries veterinary professionals have is that clients will feel detached or held at arm’s length because of new processes or communication systems that are put in place. Another concern is that there might be a lack of responsiveness or flexibility due to increased task loads, or even that the clinic might lose its family feeling after going corporate.
At Hallmark Business Connections, we love our pets to the dog park and back! And we’re full of fun and creative ideas that will help you with your vet clinic marketing and client outreach to make sure every fur baby and pet parent feels the love. Whether you’re a small, privately owned vet clinic or a corporate dynamo, you can benefit from these animal hospital marketing ideas that will help you connect with your clients and let them know how much you care:
Remember Fido’s Birthday. Or Fifi’s adoption day. Whatever their pet’s special day is, we’ve got a Pet Birthday Card that’s perfect for wishing them a day filled with many treats and tennis balls. And don’t forget pet parents—we’ve got human Birthday Cards, too! When you plan ahead and order in bulk, you can be prepared for the entire year.
Make welcome-new-kid posters. Every client is proud of their brand-new pet, so show them off front and center and welcome them with that hometown feeling. Gather photos of all the cute new faces that have joined the furry family each month and celebrate them by creating a fun welcome poster you can display near the clinic’s entrance for everyone to see.
Be there for the hard days. Pets are an important part of our lives, so when it’s time to say goodbye, be sure to send a heartfelt Pet Sympathy card to share your memories and caring thoughts. You might even consider sending a fresh cut floral bouquet from Hallmark after an especially lengthy illness or difficult loss to let clients know you’re thinking of them.
Offer a coupon or discount. Veterinary care prices are skyrocketing, so show your appreciation for clients with a free service or discount. Consider a free nail clip with their pet’s next on-time immunization to encourage regular vet visits. Or offer a free treat when they purchase their next flea and tick treatment. There are lots of ways to show you care that don’t break the bank, and you can even create coupons or coupon codes to include in your personalized greeting cards from Hallmark Business Connections.
Remember them at the “howl”-idays. Everyone is in hustle and bustle mode during the holiday season, so slow down a bit and remember your clients and their pets with season’s greetings in their mailbox. A Happy Holidays puppy card is sure to be a sweet surprise during the busy holiday season, and it will remind them that your vet clinic always offers the personal touch.
Don’t forget to say thank you. After well-check visits, new patient visits and major procedures, it’s a good idea to reach out to pet parents to let them know how much you appreciate them choosing your veterinary practice. They have a lot of choices, so let them know you’re appreciative of their business with a professional Thank You Card.
Corporatization can seem scary, especially if your veterinary clinic is looking at brand-new ways of doing things and working with clients, but there are ways to streamline processes, get a healthier bottom line AND ensure your clients are loved like never before. Your professional veterinarians, technicians and in-house specialists are your client-facing professionals, and they have what it takes to get past the paperwork and place themselves squarely in front of the those who matter. Veterinarian marketing is key when it comes to combatting what may seem like detached corporate practices and getting in front of clients with warm and consistent communication. By consistently reaching out and staying in touch, you’ll remind clients that you care about them and their pets’ well-being.
Clients will want to return to you again and again when they see how much you care, so take every opportunity you can to personalize their experience when they are in the clinic, before they arrive and after they go home. To learn more about personalized campaigns that can connect you with your customers, read Measuring Statistical Significance in Marketing.