Practice Tip 24 – External Marketing for your Christmas Open House

External Marketing and Your Christmas Open House…

With Christmas just around the corner comes an opportunity to widely promote your practice. In addition to this yearly occurrence the recession may have people watching their pennies but everyone is tired of clamping down and ready to have some fun! The tool to use to capitalize on this opportunity is your practice Christmas Open House.

This 4 hour event, held usually on the first Sunday afternoon of December is your No. 1 external marketing tool to promote your practice into your community and give thanks for their support over the last year as well and introduce yourself to potential new clients.

Here are some basic rules:

1. Book well in advance. 6 weeks is best. The first Sunday afternoon from 1 – 4pm in December is often a good time as it is ahead of all the other parties.
2. Get your staff involved. Assign the event to your Director of Public Relations and Marketing. Let him or her have at least 6 hours a week to plan
3. Let your clients know. Get out postcards, emails, ads in the paper etc…
4. Tie it in with a good cause such as proceeds from pictures with Santa going to the local shelter (many in big trouble financially with the flood of unwanted pets given up during the recession)
5. Make it fun. Have pictures with Santa and the no 1. activity – bobbing for Turkey wieners!
6. Call the press – they are always looking for great stories
7. Serve nice refreshments like hot apple cider and eggnog.
8. Make sure ALL (no exception) pets are on leashes.
9. Have all your clients bring a friend.
10. Offer a discounted Christmas service such as dental cleanings and grooming discounts over the next 3 weeks.

Sounds simple? It is. Try it out and watch what happens.

“‘Formulas for Business Success’ was an awesome course. It really lays out how to apply the formulas to our conditions and utilize them to make the statistics improve. I got a bit more comfortable with interpreting our statistics and changes in them over time. I feel confident I can apply the formulas in my business and in my life!”

Gayle Roberts, DVM; Practice Owner

Northwood Animal Hospital; Irvine, CA

Formulas for Business Success Course

“This course really started to gel with me the fact that the statistics and evaluating conditions are vital to running a business. No wonder I used to feel like I was spinning my wheels trying to accomplish things based on what I though was going on. It brings peace of mind knowing that having factual statistics and applying conditions and their formulas will in the end simplify the process and truly create growth in the business.”

Ed Womack, DVM; Practice Owner

Cascade Veterinary Clinic; Wenatchee, WA

Formulas For Business Success Course

“The Client Compliance Course was interesting, fun and useful! This was very practical. It allowed me to practice selling techniques that work. It allowed me to understand the theory behind selling, all while putting it into practice. This definitely will help me in the future! I was able to see the mistakes I was making previously, so I am now very excited to go back home and apply these new proven techniques. This was a good course!!”

Diane Grede, DVM; Practice Owner

Animal Hospital Of Oshkosh; Oshkosh, WI

Client Compliance Builder Course

“Wow! Wow! Wow! (Did I mention “Wow!”?) :)

I truly feel more equipped than I ever have before! I am confident that our goal of creating a more efficient and successful practice is an attainable goal! Thanks to “Formulas for Business Success”, I now have the tools to maintain up statistics and can work through down statistics. Additionally, I feel that I can more closely manage my staff and equip them with the same knowledge that they are in fact in control of reaching success. I suddenly can’t imagine managing the business any other way. I can hardly wait to get back to the practice to implement this valuable knowledge.”

Julie Camberg, OM

Northwood Animal Hospital; Irvine, CA

Formulas For Business Success Course

“Are you ever totally finished with the Management Basics Implementation Program? This is a program that continues to build and refine the things learned in class at VPS. It is a way to put mass to what you’ve learned as you continue to practice and do the things you’ve read about. And it is not over-whelming. Rather, as you are doing each week, the process makes more and more sense to you and your staff. Your business improves; your organization improves.”

Evelyn Bock, DVM; Practice Owner

Southwick Veterinary Hospital; St. Louis, MO

Management Basics Implementation Program

Practice Tip 23 – Client Service and the Standing Ovation Practice™

Client Service and the Standing Ovation Practice™

Despite the “economy” and all the doom and gloom there is no question that some people still have money to spend on their pets. However, often there exists a certain fear and restraint about picking up the phone and calling a veterinarian. The result? Uncontrolled floods of clients and patients into our offices when, out of desperation, they finally decide to call in and use our services. This lack of control (Remember the definition of control as your ability to proactively speed something up or slow it down, change it’s direction etc…) results in unplanned high CPMs (Clients Per Minute) that can drop our efficiency, increase our staff over-time costs, and ultimately douse the flames on a Standing Ovation Practice™. What’s a Standing Ovation Practice™? This is the highly efficient practice that runs like a Swiss watch, that delivers the highest quality care in a fun and genuine manner, that results in clients that are happy to hear from us, happy to return, and give us the ultimate applause (acknowledgment) – the referral of their friends, family and neighbors. The problem with the floods of unplanned clients is that our normal friendly efficient staff can get overwhelmed, started making needless goofy mistakes (I.e. wrong meds, not giving estimates...) and be not quite as friendly as they normally are. Your good clients may tolerate this BUT they won’t necessarily give you the standing ovation compliment of a referral.

Fact: You need to exert better control on the arrival of clients and patients to build a Standing Ovation Practice™. Obviously you can’t predict when an emergency will occur BUT here are some simple things you can do for the everyday things:

1. Book every departing client with their next visit in your calendar – this gives you some prediction of client and patient flows in the future…
2. Book ample time for appointments – 30 mins is a good place to start…
3. Don’t book BIG elective surgeries on typical high traffic days (I.e. Mondays…)…
4. Always call 12 hours before to remind them of their appointment…
5. In busy times protect the friendliness and good client communication by getting the incoming phone calls off the front desk by having someone in the back take calls. This will allow uninterrupted communication with your client that will have them leaving happy and likely to refer friends and family…

Sounds simple? It is. Try it out and watch what happens.

Interested in more information?

Attend the “SECRET TO THE STANDING OVATION PRACTICE” Free Webinar

This course was exciting to me...

“The ‘How to Make Planning Become an Actuality’ was a really good course. It pointed out the fundamentals of Planning through the use of programs. This course reflected a bit on leadership and how good leadership allows a business to prosper and grow.

Overall this course provided the “know-how” to get programs into place, how to execute them and how to do it “right” with success. This course was exciting to me, and I feel will be useful at my practice.”

Jen Beaulieu, DVM, Practice Owner

Lakeside Animal Hospital; Tilton, NH

How To Make Planning Become an Actuality Course

A great tool to make things run smoothly in our organization...

“How to write effective company policy is a great tool to make things run smoothly in our organization and people are not waiting for the orders for every situation and jamming my lines.

Policies would be in place for all aspects of the business. The staff would know it that they exist and they need to be followed strictly. This prevents staff from setting their own policies and taking wrong decisions which are counter productive and causing chaos.

It prevents my lines from being jammed all the time. Staff does not have to run to me for approval of every decision out there.”

Manjit Jammu, DVM; Practice Owner

Clearwater Animal Hospital; Windsor, ON

Planning & Policy Course

One of the major forces in the transformation of our practice.

“This MBS course and its implementation have given me hands-on control of so many areas of my practice. It has shown me, through the application of the condition formulas, that there is always something that can be done to turn around a slump or to reinforce a positive trend. For years, before contacting VPS, I would get to year end, look at my plateaued statistic (VSD) and think that if I would just work harder next year I could get out of this stalemate. But it never happened until VPS showed me how to take control and analyze each week’s statistics, allowing for immediate control of any down statistic. Management by Statistics has been one of the major forces in the transformation of our practice.”

Tom Wiles, DVM; Practice Owner

Pittsburgh Spay & Vaccination Clinic; Verona, PA

Management By Statistics Addendum

I can have a positive effect on the staff or with the staff...

“Through this course I think I can successfully handle any communication problem that may arise either with clients or with staff. It will also help me in communicating with my children and anyone in my personal life. I have always thought that I was pretty good with my communication skills but with this course it gave me some additional techniques and also made me feel like I can have a positive effect on the staff or with the staff at the clinic.”

Colleen Davis, Practice Manager

Emery Animal Health; Castle Dale, UT

Improving Business Through Communication Course

I’ll be using all of this material every day...

“Communication is an essential tool in the creation, development and maintenance of most endeavors. These aspects of this communication course; what communication is made up of, what one can do to enhance communication and practicing use of tools to enhance communication, are as useful in handling clients and staff, as they are in communicating with family members. I am sure I’ll be using all of this material every day.”

Paul Hunter, DVM; Practice Owner

Columbia Summit Veterinary Hospital; Kamloops, BC

Improving Business Through Communication

Practice Tip 23 – Client Service and the Standing Ovation Practice™

Client Service and the Standing Ovation Practice™

Despite the “economy” and all the doom and gloom there is no question that some people still have money to spend on their pets. However, often there exists a certain fear and restraint about picking up the phone and calling a veterinarian. The result? Uncontrolled floods of clients and patients into our offices when, out of desperation, they finally decide to call in and use our services. This lack of control (Remember the definition of control as your ability to proactively speed something up or slow it down, change it’s direction etc…) results in unplanned high CPMs (Clients Per Minute) that can drop our efficiency, increase our staff over-time costs, and ultimately douse the flames on a Standing Ovation Practice™. What’s a Standing Ovation Practice™? This is the highly efficient practice that runs like a Swiss watch, that delivers the highest quality care in a fun and genuine manner, that results in clients that are happy to hear from us, happy to return, and give us the ultimate applause (acknowledgment) – the referral of their friends, family and neighbors. The problem with the floods of unplanned clients is that our normal friendly efficient staff can get overwhelmed, started making needless goofy mistakes (I.e. wrong meds, not giving estimates...) and be not quite as friendly as they normally are. Your good clients may tolerate this BUT they won’t necessarily give you the standing ovation compliment of a referral.

Fact: You need to exert better control on the arrival of clients and patients to build a Standing Ovation Practice™. Obviously you can’t predict when an emergency will occur BUT here are some simple things you can do for the everyday things:

1. Book every departing client with their next visit in your calendar – this gives you some prediction of client and patient flows in the future…
2. Book ample time for appointments – 30 mins is a good place to start…
3. Don’t book BIG elective surgeries on typical high traffic days (I.e. Mondays…)…
4. Always call 12 hours before to remind them of their appointment…
5. In busy times protect the friendliness and good client communication by getting the incoming phone calls off the front desk by having someone in the back take calls. This will allow uninterrupted communication with your client that will have them leaving happy and likely to refer friends and family…

Sounds simple? It is. Try it out and watch what happens.

This will direct a company toward expansion...

“This was a great course. By implementing an effective company policy based on experience and success, it outlines how this will direct a company toward expansion, eliminating chaos and confusion due to improperly directed orders. It makes it obvious that without effective company policy you cannot expect staff to be correctly guided toward a common goal.”

Mike Doe, DVM, Practice Owner
Good Samaritan Veterinary Hospital; San Leandro, CA
How To Write Effective Company Policy Course

We can begin to attain our production goals...

“This gave me the tools to begin the process of writing effective programs, properly targeted. We need to get more of these written programs in place so we can begin to attain our production goals.”

Shelagh Morrison, DVM
Queensway West Animal Hospital; Kanata, ON
How To Expand Your Company By Making Planning Become Actuality Course

There is so much extremely reliable information in this course...

“This is a fantastic course. There is so much extremely reliable information in this course. Using the tools learned in this course are no doubt going to be extremely well received by my staff; because their course will be much clearer for them. They will also immediately see the fruits of their work.”

Ruth Doe, DVM; Practice Owner
Nob Hill Cat Clinic and Hospital; San Francisco, CA
Management By Statistics Course

I can successfully handle any communication problem that may arise...

“Through this course I think I can successfully handle any communication problem that may arise either with clients or with staff. It will also help me in communicating with my children and anyone in my personal life. I have always thought that I was pretty good with my communication skills but with this course it gave me some additional techniques and also made me feel like I can have a positive effect on the staff or with the staff at the clinic.”

Colleen Davis, Practice Manager
Emery Animal Health; Castle Dale, UT
Improving Business Through Communication Course

You are being given the tools to organize, evaluate and correct...

“Basic Hat is exciting because as it goes along you see that you are being given the tools to organize, evaluate and correct the basic structure of the business.There is a lot to learn but as these tools are refined, operating the clinic should be possible.”

Paul Hunter, DVM; Practice Owner
Columbia Summit Veterinary Hospital; Kamloops, BC
Basic Hat For Employees Course

“The Ethics for Business Survival Course was a reaffirmation of how things should be handled in a business.
If applied properly it should create growth & expansion.
It also applies to life equally as important.”

Colin Mikkelsen, DVM
Ethics For Business Survival Course

“What an amazing course! What I thought I knew and when I was finishes, what I learned was incredible.
Will use this information at work but also as an individual.
I love statistics!”

Althea Caveney, Practice Manager
Formulas for Business Success Course

“1) I learned a simple way to do financial planning – spend less than you make!
2) Very importantly – I used to be the evil ‘hatchman’ always wanting to economize and cut. Now I realize income planning is much more important than trying to economize on everything!
3) I learned how to make equipment be cared for better by assigning each piece to an individual by name, which will save on replacing and/or repairs of equipment.
4) I learned how every purchase can be evaluated by its value to grow the business.
Awesome!”

Brad Gehrt
Financial Planning Course

“This course covered areas that are often hard for me. While it still may not come natural, I do understand how to make it easier and successful. I will continue to work on them and make it more a part of who I am.”

Glen Jensen, DVM
Hiring & Handling Personnel Course

“I can now more comfortably approach staff with orders, knowing I have their respect and enthusiasm and be able to expect follow through. I also know that the survival of those staff and the organization depends on me seeing all that through.”

Ed Womack, DVM
Effective Leadership Course

Practice Tip 18 – 4th Quarter Slide

Warning! The “4th-Quarter-Slide” is almost upon you!
Don’t get caught...

Fact: Whether you want to confront or just pretend it’s not going to happen again this year, 80% of practices will experience a drastic drop-off in business starting on the September long weekend. How long does this drop last? Left to its own devices, this slide typically lasts a good 3-4 months, finally picking up again in early to mid-spring. The result: Untold lost thousands of dollars of income and a practice that may have to dig into reserves and credit lines to pay suppliers and make payroll. Stressful? You bet.

What can be done about it? Lots!
1. Take a positive pro-active approach to promoting high standards of pet care to your community. You will need to take on a professional marketing approach to your practice and reach out to clients where you may not have in the past. Unprofessional? Sure, if done unprofessional, but don’t do that! Your marketing reflects who and what you are. So everything that goes out to your community must be as professional as you are. Hire a professional marketing firm if you need to.

2. Start promoting NOW. It typically can take up to 6-weeks to see a response to your marketing. Don’t expect instantaneous increase in clients coming in.

3. Make a marketing plan. The old business adage “If you fail to plan - you plan to fail” is never more true than in the next coming months. Make a marketing plan that includes promotions to both new and existing clients and something that focuses on your profitable back-end services such as dental exams and cleaning, geriatric pet wellness work ups, etc…

4. Activate your existing clients by scanning your data base for any client who has not been in within the last 12 months, create a script, and call them up!

It has been one of the major forces in the transformation of our practice.

“This MBS course and its implementation have given me hands-on control of so many areas of my practice. It has shown me, through the application of the condition formulas, that there is always something that can be done to turn around a slump or to reinforce a positive trend. For years, before contacting VPS, I would get to year end, look at my plateaued statistic (VSD) and think that if I would just work harder next year I could get out of this stalemate. But it never happened until VPS showed me how to take control and analyze each week’s statistics, allowing for immediate control of any down statistic. Management by Statistics has been one of the major forces in the transformation of our practice.”

Tom Wiles, DVM; Practice Owner
Pittsburgh Spay & Vaccination Clinic; Verona, PA
Management By Statistics Addendum

With this course it gave me some additional techniques...

“Through this course I think I can successfully handle any communication problem that may arise either with clients or with staff. It will also help me in communicating with my children and anyone in my personal life. I have always thought that I was pretty good with my communication skills but with this course it gave me some additional techniques and also made me feel like I can have a positive effect on the staff or with the staff at the clinic.”

Colleen Davis, Practice Manager
Emery Animal Health; Castle Dale, UT
Improving Business Through Communication Course

This allowed things to become more clear...

“This course was enabling for me. I have viewed myself as a good leader but it was trying to lead by example and hope that everyone followed. Not the case. This allowed things to become more clear that I must not only show but make sure they follow by effective administration.”

Ed Womack, DVM, Practice Owner
Cascade Veterinary Clinic; Wenatchee, WA
Effective Leadership Course

This was a very good course...

“This was a very good course. It was enlightening to see why so many plans just don’t happen. And now – hopefully that will not continue top happen in my practice.

I especially liked understanding how to get a special project going. This has been a mistake in our clinic and now I can correct it to get things going.”

Candy Stables, DVM; Practice Owner
Bow Valley Veterinary Clinic; Brooks, AB
Planning & Policy Course

A very informative course...

“Basic Org was a great course. It shows you how to organize your business as well as your own personal life. It teaches you of the importance of properly training your personnel and making sure that the posts are filled are operating properly to attain your final product. A very informative course.”

Cindee Burns, AHT
Bow Valley Veterinary Clinic; Brooks, AB
Basic Organization Course