Every Moment Counts

Veterinarians are busy, and inside sales reps can help with the right tools, tips, and advice.

When I started writing this month’s column, my intention was to discuss the product needs and challenges of specialty and emergency clinics and how, as an inside sales representative, you can help ensure those practices are always stocked and prepared for the variety of cases they see. It quickly became obvious that it was going to be almost impossible to schedule time to talk to the clinic staff I’d hoped to interview.

Like so many practices around the country, they were facing major staffing issues. Already down six veterinarians from their formerly large staff, the emergency clinic was about to lose a seventh doctor and was already short of technicians, receptionists, and support staff. A metropolitan practice that once saw emergencies 24/7/365, they’ve been forced to cut their hours to four nights a week, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Clearly, no one had the time to spare to talk to me.

Unfortunately, this has become the reality across most of the country and will only get worse before it gets better. Research conducted by Mars Veterinary Health last year found that based on projected needs, we’ll require about 41,000 more veterinarians in the U.S. workforce by 2030 but will have a shortage of about 15,000 veterinarians. I waited over six weeks for an appointment for my dog to see a board-certified specialist this year. How much longer could that wait be a few years from now?

Value their time

With so many practices short on staff and short on time, it’s easy to think that interactions with their sales rep are something that can be cut back or eliminated. On the contrary, you have the ability to save your customers time and stress with your knowledge of their business and inventory needs. By understanding what your clients value most, you can provide it for them at every opportunity.

Obviously, in today’s environment, simply valuing their time may be the most important thing you can do to give your buyers great customer service. Discuss how you can make their ordering process more convenient. What day (or days) of the week and what time of day is best to place their order, or for you to contact them? What’s the best way to stay in touch – by phone, text or email? If they’re placing orders on your website, do they have questions or issues you can solve to streamline the process?

The purchase history you have for each customer is invaluable for learning their product preferences, buying trends, and adding value to every conversation. Checking your clinics’ websites and social media pages can give you further insight into their business and how you might add to their success. And of course, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the challenges and issues they’re facing today and how you can best help them, whether it’s a practice you’ve worked with for years or your first conversation with a new buyer. By taking the time to learn what’s most important to their business, you’ll always be prepared with information that will be of benefit and make their ordering process as quick and simple as possible.

Many clinics don’t take into account the time it takes to place multiple orders – often from multiple vendors – along with the added time it takes to unpack and inventory those products and then pay multiple invoices each month. What items are they obviously ordering elsewhere that they can easily source from you? Are they taking advantage of promotions and savings opportunities? Are they placing regular repeat orders that you can set up to ship automatically? If so, let them know those options: “Doctor, I noticed you’ve purchased 28 bottles of ‘X’ in the past two months. Would you like me to set up a weekly automatic shipment, so you don’t have to worry about running out of product?”

Expand their reach

Access to care is an economic issue for many, but the shortage of veterinarians will make it even more difficult for pet owners to simply schedule an appointment for their animal. The telemedicine trend that started with the pandemic will become even more essential, since the shortage of veterinarians projected for 2030 could mean 75 million pets in the U.S. could otherwise be without veterinary care. Clinics offering telemedicine options can help bridge the gaps in care caused by workplace shortages.

Without the ability to send pet owners home with medications or treatment after an office visit, offering online ordering becomes even more important for your customers utilizing telemedicine. I’m amazed by the number of clinics (including the one where I take my pets) that are still signing prescription forms and allowing the big e-commerce sites to take a huge chunk of their medication dollars. Now is the time to remind your clients of the time savings, efficiency, and convenience to both their customers and their staff that having their own online store can offer. Not to mention increased owner compliance and increased profits! Placing an order for the pharmaceuticals or other products recommended and discussed during the virtual visit can become an integral part of every telemedicine appointment. When they’re needed, automatic refills can be set up for even better convenience and compliance.

You may work with clinics of similar size and client types, or a diverse customer base across the country, but today there’s a good chance they all have two things in common – not enough staff and not enough time. Taking an active interest in each practice, understanding their challenges, and knowing their inventory needs saves them valuable time and money. It can help you project usage, so they don’t overspend on too much product, buy too little and miss out on a savings opportunity, and help to regain lost revenue from e-commerce sites. Providing value and a willingness to help during each interaction makes it easy for clinics to do business with you, and in today’s world, that may be the best customer service.

Image credit: istockphoto.com/halfbottle