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If you think about it, what do you want a buying group to do for your practice?
Like all employees they should:
The best way to assess this would be to use your hiring process to choose the group that best fits your needs.
So let’s go through the process:
What do you want your group to do for you?
What tasks would you like to do but just don’t have the necessary time, staff or resources?
For example:
The ‘Buying Group’ job description created will be unique for every practice but will more than likely have some or all of the above tasks included.
In this instance, you certainly don’t have to put out an ad as all groups are sending you their unsolicited resumes anyway. But rather than just tossing them aside, review them to see if they have the basic attributes to fulfill the job.
Once you have your short list, you can continue your research as you would with any new employee.
First up, have a look at their online profile. Do they have any embarrassing pictures, or other “red flags” that they might not be the group that you want to associate with? Are they providing you with the information that you need or that you can identify with?
The areas you might want to research online include their:
Based on your job description what questions should you ask the potential group? For example:
Once you have all the facts and you have had a face to face meeting, you can now make an informed decision.
The analogy of who should be on your bus and what seat should they have, also rings true when it comes to buying groups. So when was the last itme you looked at your bus?
Admittedly, not every bus needs a buying group on it, however, I would ask you to look at your bus and see if there is a seat that you would like to fill and if a buying group may be the best way to fill it?
Feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments or just add them into the ‘Comments’ section below.
Click here to read Part 1 in the series: Do you need to be in a veterinary “Group” to be competitive?
Tracy has over 25 years of experience in the veterinary industry, having worked as a nurse, practice manager, practice owner, industry rep and several buying groups. She is passionate about finding ways to help businesses improve and grow. Mentoring staff to achieve their potential along with customer service and marketing are some of the key areas she enjoys. If you would like to get in contact feel free to email Tracy.
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