You’re not listening to me.” Your customer is actually saying you aren’t taking them seriously and it is probably because you didn’t acknowledge their concern before you offered a solution. Source: Vet-Advantage Magazine, June 2016. Link. By responding to the other person, you are telling her that she has the power in the conversation. Remember, they are the … [Read more...]
Search Results for: listening
Mentoring women is not about trying to rescue them
W. Brad Johnson, PhD, and David G. Smith, PhD, discuss cross-gender mentorships toward high-value reciprocal mentoring. These are essentially partnerships in which men and women play complementary roles leading to career and personal development for both parties, and ultimately, greater gender equality in the workplace. Source: HBR Ascend, June 23, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
How to talk to clients about CBD (video)
Offering clients advice about the use of CBD as a treatment can be like walking a tightrope. Molly McAllister, DVM, offers practical examples and tips on how to navigate this tricky topic with clients. In addition to McAllister’s suggestions, the topics of second-hand smoke and various edibles beg for attention during the discussion. Source: NAVC Spark. Link. We don’t … [Read more...]
Digitization affects our happiness, health, and wisdom
Food for thought Technologies fueling our media consumption are outpacing the rate of scientific inquiry, making real or verifiable effects hard to understand and perhaps harder study appropriately, share these authors. They express concerns and assert a call to action to establish new disciplines about media. American adults now spend over 11 hours per day listening to, … [Read more...]
NOT knowing it all
One of the skills veterinary team members possess is the ability to listen to their animal patients. They do it with their ears, their eyes, hands and even noses. These senses are critical to identifying both health and illness in critters. But when that attention is turned to an animal owner, the senses often turn off. Salespeople have similar problems and so do personnel at … [Read more...]
Five words for this decade
Watching or listening to the news can be depressing. However, if you want to watch it and be inspired by innovative ideas, get excited by new policies and be encouraged by our collective progress, then here are five words to remember. Maybe even to live by. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, February 17, 2020. Link. More importantly, we must listen well to others and thoughtfully … [Read more...]
How great listeners actually act
Most people describe a great listener as someone who is like a sponge and accurately absorbs what you are saying, Instead, the authors have found that good listeners are like trampolines. They are someone you can bounce ideas off of. Rather than absorbing your ideas and energy, they amplify, energize and clarify your thinking. Source: Harvard Business Review, July 2016. Link … [Read more...]
Facing veterinarians’ loss of mindshare
Veterinarians created Dr. Google by its restricting access to veterinary expertise at clients’ times of need, shares Ed Blach, DVM. If you bristle at these words, you are likely on a veterinary team. Blach’s article speaks to the declining influence veterinarians possess and how this occurred. An admonishment? Yes. But, not without a situation analysis and actionable … [Read more...]
Opinion: A new decade begins
Our industry has experienced innumerable changes since the turn of the century. Some worth noting include: Resizing of major pharmaceutical companies and distributors through mergers and acquisitions Veterinary school graduates are now predominately female Expansion of corporate ownership of veterinary clinics Massive growth in the companion animal sectors … [Read more...]
Habits that push friends away
Genuine relationships require intentional effort and maintenance. Christine Carter, PhD, shares ways we drive wedges between ourselves and friends: You overdo it on social media You try to fix a friend’s problems instead of simply listening You’re “too busy” You don’t offer any new stimulation You make presumptions about your friend’s feelings You don’t show … [Read more...]
Popular cat podcast goes into second season
Let’s Talk About Cats podcast < link > hosted by Mary Phillips-Sandy and produced by Lizzie Jacobs is entering its second season. Described as a fun educational program, it covers everything from kitty lifestyle issues to the enormous power of the human-feline bond. Veterinary and retail teams may wish to monitor the global discussion, topics and solutions. Source: … [Read more...]
Pet owners still still clueless about heartworm prevention
A small, Florida-based questionnaire exposes the relatively poor understanding owners may have of the biology and risks for heartworm transmission. Claiming veterinarians as their primary source for information about heartworm, respondents did not realize that yard vessels capable of holding water also serve as mosquito-breeding sites. . . . only 61% of dog-owning and 18% of … [Read more...]
Don’t sweat the small talk
There are two kinds of people in this world, writes Dr. Pat Aitcheson. The first go by the Irish principle of strangers being friends they haven’t met yet. And the second live by Sartre’s principle that hell is other people. Unfortunately for the latter, they also have to socialise at least occasionally. Aitcheson offers tips for making conversation better: Assume … [Read more...]
Opinion – Get truly curious about the customer
Customers recognize selective listening and when we aren’t asking the right questions or probing to understand what’s really happening and learning what it means to them personally or professionally, according to David Brock. They’re often looking look for our help but find us unwilling to take the time to understand their markets, their business, their strategies . . . their … [Read more...]
Opinion – Adjust clinic visits to appeal to millennials
Architect Paul Gladyz offers thought-provoking ideas about how to adjust the veterinary visit to meet the experience-desiring millennials. As a father of millennials, his perspective is personal, as well as professional. Millennials want their experiences to work toward an enjoyable life. Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, April 2019. Link. The fact remains millenials are … [Read more...]
Measure social brand equity to know what clients are saying
You have worked to establish a social media presence, but how do you count its value? An article in Social Media Today suggests you monitor your brand equity and your brand’s perception among consumers using the ADPR measurement framework: Awareness: How powerful is your brand? Is the brand seen and generating awareness on social media? Desirability: Is your brand … [Read more...]
Generational management challenging, but can be done right
Right now, the U.S. workforce is made up of five different generations, (Link) all of which have their own opinions and expectations — about colleague camaraderie, about power dynamics, about work-life balance, and about office culture. And, that’s a good thing. Source: Medium Leadership, February 5, 2019. Link. For a younger employee, being dropped into a directorial role … [Read more...]
Learn from Herb Kelleher’s leadership legacy
The world lost a great leader when Southwest Airlines co-founder and longtime CEO Herb Kelleher passed away January 3. His legacy is one every leader should aspire to emulate. I experienced how his leadership impacted people even after he was no longer involved in the daily operations of the company. Source: Purpose Unlimited, January 17, 2019. Link. As evidence of the … [Read more...]
Farm animal welfare, a growing trend
Consumers care. Packaged Facts survey data from February through March 2017 shows that 58 percent of U.S. consumers are more concerned about food animal welfare than they were just a few years ago. The demand for transparency around where their food comes from has most consumer packaged-goods companies listening. For those partners already a part of the Global Animal … [Read more...]
Go from good to great
There are a lot of bad bosses out there—that's no surprise. In fact, 65% of Americans (link) would choose to fire their boss over getting a pay raise. But what gets lost amid trying to stop an awful lot of bad behaviors is the fact that there are a fair number of good bosses out there as well. Source: Forbes, October 18, 2018. Link. Great bosses take it a step further - … [Read more...]
Keep customers coming back
Lots of money, effort and time go into acquiring customers. But, not nearly enough thought goes into keeping them coming back. Sure, there’s the occasional offer or the “We’ve missed you” discount. All too frequently, we don’t pay attention unless they’re unhappy or turn up missing. Then, we get busy and try to get them back. Source: Hampton Roads Business Journal, June 21, … [Read more...]
Lead with medicine, not money
Naomi Strollo, RVT, addresses money in the veterinary hospital. She says it is important to lead with medicine and then empower your client service representative to manage some cost conversations. She offers some tips for these conversations, including emergencies: Explain what you want to do. Don’t assume price is the problem. Focus on consent, not cost. Offer … [Read more...]
Change is hard. Leading it is harder.
Change is hard. It is especially hard on the person leading the change. Compound this by being new to the organization you are leading through the change and the task can seem insurmountable. These thoughts will help. Source: LinkedIn, July 10, 2017. (Link) Change is exhausting, especially if you have a big vision, so you need to break it down into manageable pieces and … [Read more...]
Why we fall for false expertise and how to stop
One of the more important assets a group can have is the expertise of its members. But, research indicates that even when everyone within a group recognizes who the subject matter expert is, they defer to that member just 62 percent of the time. When they don’t, they listen to the most extroverted person. People are not naturally skilled at figuring out who they should be … [Read more...]
Stop talking and listen
The best way to sway others is not to tell them your answer, but to arrive at an answer — together. Listening is the key pathway to go from your idea to our idea. Listening reshapes the idea as needed, and ultimately creates the kind of shared ownership that is needed for any idea to become a new reality. Source: Harvard Business Review, February 6, 2018. To listen is to … [Read more...]
I almost listened in your meeting, but didn’t
If we all plan better meetings, we’ll dread them less, says Jenni Maier. She put together a list of all the reasons people don’t listen in meetings, as well as a few quick fixes. Animal health pros in management, sales and marketing, as well as those setting one-on-one meetings for reviews or issue resolution can apply these tips. Here’s why people don’t listen: You didn’t … [Read more...]
How to disagree with a client
We’ve all been in this scenario—you try to talk to a customer about using a certain management system or therapy and they insist on doing something different. The challenge here is to guide the customer to understand your recommendation without further offending them. Working through this requires taking three steps: Active listening Explanation while getting feedback … [Read more...]
Leaders ask the right questions
One skill that every effective leader has mastered is asking the right questions. Obviously, this is very helpful when you need information to make a well-informed decision. It is also helpful to check your assumptions when you think you have all the information before deciding. A simple acronym can insure you ask the right questions. Source: Evan Carmichael, September … [Read more...]
Working with bad listeners
It’s a challenge to work with people — peers, junior colleagues, customers, or even bosses — who just don’t listen. Rebecca Knight offers some dos and don’ts in this discussion of distracted and distracting communications. Source: Harvard Business Review, August 24, 2017. Here are some strategies for working with colleagues who never seem to be listening: Consider work … [Read more...]
Put down the phone
Wendy Myers suggests ways to get clients and staff members to hang up their phones and listen. Addictive cellphone use is a growing problem and contributes to declining listening and retention skills. Try a collaborative rather than confrontational approach when dealing with smartphone use. Source: Veterinary Practice News, August 23, 2017. Distracted clients may be … [Read more...]