The World Small Animal Veterinary Association guideline changes reflect the growing attitude that a one-size-fits-all approach is impractical. The guidelines redefine core vaccines from a global perspective and supports an adjustment to boosters based on scientific evidence, such as maternal anti-bodies. Source: Veterinary Practice News, January 12, 2016. . Compared with … [Read more...]
Defusing emotional conversations
Opinion differences are inevitable when working together. Ron Friedman, Ph.D. shares a strategy for times when conversations become so emotionally charged they have nothing to do with the issues at hand. Source: Harvard Business Review, January 12, 2016. What do you do when a conversation is spiraling out of control? When you’ve tried all the patient listening you can … [Read more...]
Editorial – The bright side of sleep
The infographic caught my attention in this blog. It reminds me of a video once presented by a health insurer during a company meeting. If you have not discussed the importance of sleep with your hospital team or your representatives, consider this as a reminder. (No commercial intention in this post.) Source: Nuyu Blog, 12/22/15. Sleep is a natural part of life and … [Read more...]
Holding people accountable
Peter Bregman hones in on five areas of clarity that foster accountability in those around us. Whether you’re the president or dog walker, these help. Source: Harvard Business Review, January 11, 2016. Accountability is not simply taking the blame when something goes wrong. It’s not a confession. Accountability is about delivering on a commitment. It’s responsibility to an … [Read more...]
Curling lips mean what?
Sent by a subscriber, this is a serious, yet comical look at lip curling. The links are fun, too. Veterinary team members will enjoy sharing this with clients via websites or blogs. Enjoy! Source: Slate, January 12, 2016. The flehmen response is a scent-sucking mechanism employed by many mammalian species. It’s easy to mistake the behavior for aggression, since the animal … [Read more...]
Coupon use trending to digital
Goodbye cut-out and print coupons. Welcome digital point-of-choice incentives. This article follows our recent references to millennials and their mobile-based preferences. More concerning than a change in point-of-sale promotions is the reference to no planning and the “get-it-now” mentality. Clearly changes are underway. Animal health retailers, dispensing DVMs and … [Read more...]
Bad, costly phone calls
Lifetime value is the theme in this article by Dr. Wendy Myers. She outlines sound information, including economics, that support training and skills reinforcement for veterinary clinic employees who talk to clients on the phone. Source: Animal Health Solutions, January 2016, page 24. A bad phone call can cost your clinic as much as $13,000. When interested pet owners … [Read more...]
Top 5 Topical dermatologic therapies
What goes around comes around. This peer-reviewed article discusses a renaissance for topical therapies. Veterinarians and sales personnel will appreciate its content. Source: Clinician’s Brief, December 2015. Topical therapy is of renewed interest in veterinary dermatology, both as primary short-term treatment and as an intervention that can prevent or reduce the frequency … [Read more...]
Marketing annual wellness plans
Most veterinary hospitals offer wellness plans or pet insurance brochures. A takeaway from this article is to support one or two of them and present them to clients from all points of contact in the practice. The article outlines strategic and tactical elements to consider. Remember that wellness plans positively impact compliance to veterinary recommendations and remove some … [Read more...]
Handling euthanasia in practice
Veterinarians are the only medical professionals licensed to euthanize. While a professional privilege, euthanasia also comes with significant responsibility to handle it properly, according to the authors. This article reads like a training manual for establishing and managing euthanasia in a veterinary hospital. Mary Gardner, DVM and Dani McVety, DVM, offer a five-stage … [Read more...]
Clearing up VFD confusion
Learn what is critical in the short term and what’s to come in 2016 from this review. Source: Beef Magazine, January 2016, page 36. Keep in mind that veterinarians will only be able to authorize label uses of the VFD antibiotics. Currently, any use of a feed drug other than according to the label is illegal. INSIGHTS: The noise about VFD slowed during the holidays. In … [Read more...]
Revamping your social media sites for 2016
Managing social media is not a priority to many of us. Learn key practices to update your personal or professional information to refresh your social media presence in this article. Source: Forbes, December 28, 2015. A lot can happen in a year, and there’s a decent chance that some of the information on your social media accounts is out of date. Take a look at your location … [Read more...]
Electric locks, windows pose threat for traveling pets
Simple things are often easy to forget. This story reminds us that pets can be injured if electric windows and locks in automobiles are not locked out. This is good information for veterinary teams to share with clients. Source: Whole Dog Journal, December 23, 2015. How many of you have electric windows in your car? If you do, and your dog can reach the window, you should … [Read more...]
Back to Basics: The importance of fundamentals
Whether we create product SKUs or provide a service, the basics matter. Becky Morgan, president of Fulcrum Consulting Works Inc., reminds us of the importance of focusing on the basics in this post. Source: Industry Week, December 24, 2015. Customer loyalty rely on “the experience,” which includes receiving an accurate invoice and the what/when/how many ordered being … [Read more...]
How Apple’s Trojan horse will eat the credit card industry
Lower fees, better service, and faster transactions. We won’t need to carry paper money and credit cards any more – just our cellphones. Can it be real? More secure? Can we trust it? All this and more is presented in this intriguing story relevant to anyone who carries credit cards or accepts them at their businesses. Source: Washington Post, December 21, 2015. Apple Pay … [Read more...]
How to show clients sincere empathy
Actively listening is critical to effective person-to-person communications. The level of empathy needed when talking with clients is often determined by how much emotion is present. This is a good article for veterinary hospital teams to discuss during staff meetings. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, November/December 2015. Providing clients with sincere and genuine empathy … [Read more...]
Are confident people more productive?
Stephen Covey said, “The first choice we make each and every day is, ‘Will we act upon life, or will we merely be acted upon?’” Most of us at struggle with acting confidently. Carol Tate, founder of Working Simply, discusses confidence and its relationship to productivity in this thought-filled read. She says, “Confident people are productive and it’s a self-catalyzing … [Read more...]
How to figure out your most productive time of day based on your sleep habits
We’ve all heard and said things like, “There’ll be time to sleep when I die,” or “My mind decides to run when normal people sleep.” In Lessons Learned by Stephanie Vozza we learn from Teofilo Lee-Chiong, that “optimal sleep requires proper duration, quality, consolidation and timing. Disruption to any of these four essential elements of sleep causes a person to wake up feeling … [Read more...]
Improving and measuring compliance in your practice
It seems our industry has been beating the compliance drums for at least two decades. Still, with all this effort, it boils down to managing action. In this series installment, respected, well-known financial experts in the veterinary business share expertise and experiences focused on pharmacy, nutrition and data. Source: Animal Health Solutions, December 2015, page 11. Is … [Read more...]
Setting your prices
Price-based costing, activity-based costing, cost-based pricing, fixed costs and turnkey costs are all terms that perplex most practitioners and practice managers. It might be said that pricing is a major cause of follicle stress and pattern baldness in veterinary hospital managers. Jokes aside, forming a strategy is critical to pricing for competitiveness and reasonable … [Read more...]
Are you trying to solve the wrong problem?
We are all in the people business. That means we have challenges. Peter Bregman offers a refreshing look at problem management using an example from home. He says, “If you are caught in a problem that seems unsolvable, ask this simple question: If the problem you’re trying to solve weren’t the problem, what else might be?” Source: Harvard Business Review, December 7, … [Read more...]
What you need to know about Parvo
Canine parvo virus has been with us since the mid-1970s. Still considered a relatively new disease, it continues to be a risk for pets whose vaccinations were given too early or not finished. This article is a solid review of risk, treatment and prevention, including hygiene for owners, personnel and premises. Source: Veterinary Practice News, November 2015. Because parvo … [Read more...]
Thinking about going mobile?
For equine and livestock practitioners, mobile practice is a reality. It is also an option for a segment of small animal veterinarians. David Ramey, DVM, discusses some of the nuances and challenges of ambulatory practice. Source: Veterinary Practice News, December 2015, page 1, continued on page 38. Mobile practices allow DVMs to practice high-quality medicine and surgery … [Read more...]
Ups and downs of DIY wellness plans
When considering adding wellness plans to expand practice products and services, do-it-yourself (DIY) plans are frequently discussed by veterinarians and practice managers. While a DIY plans feel like an extension of independent practices, Don Jergler exposes pros and cons in this read. Source: Veterinary Practice News, December 2015, page 28. The popularity and upside of … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Seven Reasons Why Direct Mail is Still King
Most of us enjoy receiving mail. It may not be treated as urgently as it once was, but it can still be effective and actionable. This quick read offers food for thought as 2016 strategies and plans take form. Source: MWI Messenger, December 2015, page 16. Even with all the buzz surrounding social media and website optimization, traditional direct mail marketing is still … [Read more...]
Customer experience is key to B2B success: Study
Customer experiences and the capacity to deliver are the focus of this blog post relating to select findings from Accenture’s new B2B Customer Experience Report. While focused on large companies, the report has meaning for anyone servicing customers and resellers. Source: Marketing Dive Daily Newsletter, December 2, 2015 One impediment to success is only 32 percent of … [Read more...]
How to handle and store livestock vaccines
Tracey Erickson, South Dakota State University Extension's Dairy Field Specialist, provides a solid reference document for handling and storing vaccines in this quick read. While valid vet-client-patient relationships help in establishing the vaccine of choice, Erickson offers tips for how to keep and store animal vaccines and provides an overview of the types of livestock … [Read more...]
Welcome to the “antibiotic-free” fear factory
The debate continues regarding antibiotic residues. The video accompanying this article in Drovers CattleNetwork Daily is not the marketing hype of large, branded fast-food chains, rather it is an excellent resource to utilize in support of safe, meat protein production. Regardless of your role, as an animal health professional please take time to consider the value of … [Read more...]
Soothe those irritated ears
Craig Griffin, DVM, DACVD, shares fundamentals on how to achieve an optimal outcome in veterinary patients with ear infections or allergic conditions. Products and treatments are discussed in this article that could be used in a checklist fashion or as educational background for clinic staff and channel sales reps. Source: Veterinary Medicine, November 2015, page 288. It is … [Read more...]
The power of pet insurance
Numbers are the compelling story in this quick read highlighting data provided by Nationwide pet insurance. For example: 1.92 annual veterinary visits by clients with pet insurance, compared with 1.18 without. $542 annual spending on dogs by clients with pet insurance, compared with $376 without. Source: Veterinary Economics, November 2015, page 8. The real challenge … [Read more...]