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Are you experiencing a quieter-than-usual period? There’s a lot going on that could be contributing, including cost-of-living pressures, the approaching end-of-financial-year, unpredictable fuel prices, and general uncertainty about the broader economy.
There are, however, a number of practical steps you could consider. Some involve making better use of the systems and client relationships you already have in place, while others may involve reviewing your marketing and client communication strategies.
You might have already put considerable effort into attracting new clients, but are you making full use of the information already available within your practice management system?
You could review:
Recalls, reminders and follow-up communications can play an important role alongside your other marketing activities. If you haven’t reviewed them recently, you may be surprised by what you find.
If you send out emails or text reminders, have you considered a follow-up phone call? This is a personal one, as I often forget to make the appointment, but I’ll do it on the spot if someone calls me.
Not every client who declined diagnostics, dental treatment or surgery said “no” permanently.
Sometimes finances were tight. Sometimes the timing wasn’t right. Sometimes they may have just needed more time to think.
Reviewing your previously declined recommendations can identify patients who may still benefit from treatment and owners who may now ready to move forward.
Most practices have clients who haven’t visited for several years.
Some have moved away. Some have changed clinics. Others may have lost track of time (like me!), and a friendly reminder email or phone call can sometimes be enough to encourage a return visit.
Take a few minutes to look at your practice from a client’s perspective.
Can they easily:
Small barriers can sometimes result in delayed bookings.
How often do you communicate with clients outside of appointments?
Email newsletters, preventive healthcare reminders, educational content and automated communications can help keep your practice at the front of your client’s mind and also provide value to pet owners.
You may already have access to the necessary tools through your practice management system, website provider, online booking platform or veterinary marketing partners. If you need any suggestions, I’m always happy to help.
Your website is usually one of the first impressions a prospective client will have of your practice.
Ask yourself:
If you haven’t reviewed or updated your website in several years, now is a good time to discuss ideas for improvement with your website provider or marketing team.
You don’t need to post every day.
However, regular educational content can help keep your practice front of mind with both existing and prospective clients (and I know I’ve been going on about this for years!).
Common questions, seasonal reminders and preventative healthcare messages will generally provide more value than constant promotional posts.
This is an easy one, as for many pet owners, Google is the starting point when searching for a veterinary clinic. What does your Google Business Profile look like?
Are your opening hours accurate?
Have you added recent photos?
Are reviews being monitored and responded to?
Keeping your Google Business Profile up to date can help to improve your visibility and make it easier for pet owners to find and ultimately choose your practice.
Marketing isn’t just about attracting new clients when things are quiet.
The most effective marketing strategies are often the ones that run consistently throughout the year, helping your practice to remain visible, building trust and strengthening relationships with both your existing and prospective clients.
Depending on your goals, this can include:
Building awareness and trust takes time and consistency.
Practices that consistently communicate with clients, maintain a strong online presence and make it easy for pet owners to engage with them are often better positioned to navigate quieter periods when they occur.
There is no one single solution when your appointment numbers drop.
The most successful practices tend to combine excellent patient care, strong client relationships, effective communication and ongoing marketing to remain visible and accessible to their clients.
If you’re concerned that your clinic is quieter than usual, you could start by reviewing the opportunities already available within your practice. Then consider whether there are additional client communication, marketing or business development strategies that could help support long-term growth.
Small improvements across several areas often deliver better results than relying on any one solution alone.
If you’ve read this and thought “that all sounds great, but where do I start?”, you’ll find plenty of related content on the Vetanswers blog covering everything from client communication and social media through to websites, SEO and online booking systems. And if you have any questions, I’m always happy to help.
After a career in HR working in a range of service industries and teaching at TAFE for several years, I then (somewhat accidentally) found myself in the veterinary industry and here I’ve stayed because I love the people and what they do. I created the Vetanswers Community to provide the support, resources and solutions to help our members build happy, successful, profitable businesses and careers.
Connect with Judy:
The dream of owning your own veterinary clinic hasn't disappeared. The path to getting there has changed. There’s a conversation we hear constantly in this industry. It happens in the car park after a long shift, or over a wine at a conference. Someone sighs: “Ah, one...
