{"id":4364,"date":"2018-12-01T00:00:34","date_gmt":"2018-12-01T08:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=4364"},"modified":"2022-03-07T18:51:43","modified_gmt":"2022-03-07T18:51:43","slug":"whats-in-a-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/whats-in-a-story\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s in a story?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine an older gentleman visits your practice for the first time with his newly adopted gray kitten, Gunny, who is due for a second set of vaccines. The veterinary team asks about the cat\u2019s age, which vaccines were given previously and whether he was neutered. The veterinarian examines Gunny and brings up preventive care. She asks the pet owner if he has any questions and he responds, \u201cNo, everything is great with Gunny.\u201d<\/p>\n

What happened in this scenario? The team members were cordial and efficient. They provided excellent medical care and client education. That\u2019s great, you might say. But wait, let\u2019s look at the missed opportunity to connect with this gentleman.<\/p>\n

The visit described is made up, but the pet owner is real. The gentleman is my father, Dr. E.J. Donnelly, who goes by the name Gene. Before retiring as a veterinarian, he had a military career, first as a Marine navigator and later as a Navy pilot.<\/p>\n

If the fictional team had invited Gene to share a story, he would have said his 14-year-old cocker spaniel recently died and his wife is in memory care. This made for a lonely household, so Gene is happy to spend time with his new affectionate companion. The team members also would discover that Gene knew he needed to adopt this shelter kitten because of its name. The cat\u2019s foster family called him Gunny at the suggestion of their son, who was going into the Marine Corps. The name Gunny is short for gunnery sergeant. When Gene\u2019s friend, the shelter director, suggested changing the kitten\u2019s name, Gene replied, \u201cHeavens no, that\u2019s one of the reasons I got him!\u201d<\/p>\n

You might have heard about the value of storytelling as a marketing strategy. Businesses can attract customers and create brand loyalty through good storytelling \u2014 why they should buy a service or product. Likewise, encouraging a client\u2019s storytelling can increase loyalty, too. Let\u2019s explore why.<\/p>\n

Listen to Their Story<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, veterinary practices that fail to engage pet owners in storytelling<\/a> can miss out on opportunities to build trust and gain relevant information. Practice teams demonstrate compassion and learn more about a pet when they invite people to share a story. Clients might not volunteer a story when they are distracted or trying to be respectful of your time.<\/p>\n

Using the story of Gunny and Gene as an example, here are questions that help to elicit pet owner stories:<\/p>\n