Delivering Normal

Your veterinary practice customers could use a dose of stability during these uncertain times.

What is the new normal? Do we even have an idea of what that really is? Many people in the United States are living in a state of flux, uncertain of what the future holds. Political views have never been more polarizing. There seems to be motivation for a huge divide among our nation everywhere you turn.

What does that mean for the animal health industry and your role in it? Let’s look at current trends and statistics that have recently been reported.

According to multiple sources, veterinary visits are down and may have been declining even before the pandemic. Interestingly, declining veterinary visits are at opposing juxtaposition with reports that pet (dog and cat specifically) ownership is increasing, suggesting that many folks took the time while sheltering in place to make the investment in a new family companion. We know that people are not making visits to any place of business as frequently as they did prior to COVID-19. A reduction in patient visits during the pandemic seems obvious, but the trend was reported prior to implementing the COVID-19 procedures that many practices have adopted. Veterinarians are being forced to make changes in order to remain relevant and accessible.

Additionally, we’ve seen many reports identifying the millennial generation as the leading age group for pet ownership, which is a shift away from Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. Millennials are also known to be very tech-savvy, and it appears that they may do more of their own diagnosis via the web before engaging with the local veterinarian. I believe that the majority of the veterinary community understands these changes and is implementing ways to communicate outside of the clinic setting, as an extension of the practice.

Providing stability

We are living during a time that the authors of history books will have a lot to write about. And while the overall climate with the United States is one of uncertainty and a bit of discord, we need to keep in mind that this is a blip in the overall timeline that we call life. People seem to be craving some sense of grounding and foundation. We all have a desire for quality, consistency, and reliability. Whether it is buying a car, researching a new TV, choosing a restaurant, or looking for veterinary care, we typically look for these elements specifically.

It’s our job to provide those same attributes to our customers as they manage their way through these times. According to almost every industry survey over the last 20 years, the veterinarian has been selected as the number one choice for information when it comes to animal health. This level of consistency can be adapted and expanded through the use of technology to get in front of the new generations of the pet-owning public. Just because we choose to use additional tools and tactics to connect with the pet-owning public, it does not mean that the message needs to change. The same applies to your relationship with your veterinary customers. You may have to apply different tactics to communicate with your customers these days. Inside sales reps have taken a lead role in many scenarios due to the reduction in office visits from some of the outside sales reps. Your ability to deliver quality, consistency, and reliability are now more important than ever.

I’ve always been a vocal advocate for a mutually beneficial relationship between the outside sales rep and the inside sales reps. Trust and communication with the customer at the center is a winning combination in our industry.

The roles of engagement with the customer may be a bit altered based on the accessibility of the customer and the frequency of communication. What are you doing to maximize this experience for your customer, your colleagues, and yourself? You can be that shining beacon of “normal” for your customers. They need to know that not everything is different and weird. Apply your focus to providing the best quality customer service, consistently good information, and be there when they need you. Your customers and colleagues are navigating the same uncertain landscape as you. Imagine having someone that you could rely on to be there when you needed them, provide an answer when necessary, and delivering it all with quality and integrity. That is what you can provide for your customers.

Emphasize the tools that you can offer to your customers to help them communicate with the pet-owning public. Know what each of your customers uses and when they use it. Inside reps are now the primary conduit for communication between the practice and the companies that service them.

If you can focus your interactions on delivering quality, consistency, and reliability, you will become a welcome part of your customer’s sense of normalcy. That will earn you more respect and recognition than having the best price, a unique promotion, or leading-edge products. Those are all great differentiators, but they are all time-sensitive and typically not lasting. The core focus has to be the customer.

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