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A recent spate of blog posts with claims of veterinary ‘scalping’ and an excellent post from Seth Godin about the importance of trust (The most important question) has got me thinking about trust and what it means to pet owners. And I think it’s a question you need to ask yourself about your clients.
Trust: The firm belief in the reliability, truth or ability of someone or something
Do they trust you to diagnose their pet’s condition correctly?
Do they trust your advice on maintaining optimal health for their pet?
Do they trust your treatment advice when their pet does require treatment?
Unfortunately, the days when a piece of paper on the wall automatically meant your clients viewed your knowledge as absolute are gone (if they ever did exist). This is partly due to the internet (Hello Dr Google) and partly due to cultural change, and it’s not just the veterinary profession; human doctors face similar issues.
For a client to trust you now, you need to build up a solid relationship, and this doesn’t develop overnight. It’s also almost impossible to develop such a relationship through face-to-face conversations alone, as you may only see clients a handful of times yearly.
To develop a strong relationship with your clients built on trust, you need to communicate with them regularly and offer timely and useful information. If they have a question (no matter how minor) about their pet, YOU should be the first person they turn to. Before you panic and imagine phone calls at all hours, when most people are after an answer to a question, picking up the phone is not the first thing they do…. Hello Dr Google!
If a client has a question (no matter how minor), the first place they should go online to look is to you via your….
E.g. “I’ve just heard there’s a big storm coming & my dog freaks out – what can I do to keep him calm?”
If they trust you, they may have even chosen to file them, otherwise they should all have a home somewhere on your website.
For those clients who don’t go online, it’s tougher & more expensive to communicate with them between visits. Reminder cards are still important, as is developing your relationship with the wider community via your community outreach program (Community Outreach: Why it should be an essential part of your veterinary practice)
Whether online, face-to-face or via community outreach programs, developing a strong relationship with your clients built on a solid base of trust also involves sharing a bit of ‘you’ – it’s hard to feel you trust someone if you’re not sure who they really are. So don’t be afraid to talk about your pets and family (you don’t have to go into specifics).
No matter how strong your relationship is with your clients, they’re probably still going to make use of Dr Google as well as ask their friends and family for their opinions, but if they trust you enough, then it will be you they turn to for the big decisions and you that they’ll ultimately listen to.
Father's Day is coming – celebrate with your veterinary clients Father's Day offers another fantastic opportunity to connect with your clients and wish them a Happy Father's Day – whether their children have 2 or 4 legs! Here are some images you can share with your...