Seize the Moment with Effective Sales Strategies
Why it’s more important than ever to make the most out of the time you get with your veterinary practice customers.
It’s no secret that it has become more challenging to secure time with the key decision-makers in the practices you call on, given the obstacles they continue to face with increased patient visits, staffing issues, continuing curbside service, and more.
We all appreciate the heroic job veterinary practices have done during the pandemic, and many of you were right there at their side, even if it was remote at times, helping them provide a high level of care during a crisis point. The past two years have taken a toll on the practice staff though, and burnout and fatigue are common today, and certainly a factor when a distributor sales rep, inside or out, asks for their time.
Given these dynamics, many DSRs will need to consider new ways of securing time with key decision-makers, but perhaps more importantly when that time is secured, it cannot be wasted. Be prepared, concise, respectful, and armed with information and opportunities that solve their problems and improve the quality of care they provide, as well as the financial health of the practice.
Given the season, parasiticides are a great place to start. While the growth in the category was significant in 2021 at 15% for veterinary practices according to VetWatch (visit vetwatch.com for details) there are further opportunities, especially in heartworm prevention. Most veterinarians understand the need to increase compliance with heartworm medication, which has become easier today than ever before with many different convenient options.
If you want to refresh your knowledge on heartworm prevention and where things stand today, see Graham Garrison’s story “Partners in Prevention” on page 46. One of the key takeaways is prevention still requires educating the pet owner, and you can help.
Consider putting together a succinct synopsis of the problem, the opportunity, and gather the resources needed to help your practices educate pet owners. The article mentions the American Heartworm Society’s (AHS) Think 12 Resources. These are available to veterinary professionals at no charge and are designed to help pet owners understand the need to administer heartworm preventives 12 months a year and test pets for heartworm every 12 months. While the problem may vary by region, heartworm continues to show up in non-traditional areas.
Order a set of these materials to show your practices. Help them think through what resources make the most sense for their practice, and then build them into the office visit, their client communications, and social platforms. The result will be better care, less heartworm disease, and a bump to the practice’s bottom line. And the next time you ask for their time, I bet they nod their heads yes.
Image credit: istockphoto.com/sturti
