Animal Health Solutions

Q3 2019 | Animal Health Solutions | 31 More at: northamerica.covetrus.com/publications Let your imagination run wild: The opportunities are virtually limitless! Here are a few ideas to get you started toward an open house that will be inviting, educational, and fun. • Photos of you and/or your pet. Have a professional photographer take the photos and offer a free digital print onsite. As an alternative, hire a caricature artist. As a twist on this idea, have a pet (and owner) costume contest, take pictures of the costumes and give everyone who participated a digital print. The contest winner could also receive a bigger prize, such as a free weekend of boarding. • Dog agility exhibitions. Local dog clubs or owner groups are a good resource for putting on these shows. • Adoption days. Work with your local animal welfare group or shelter to find new homes for stray and abandoned animals. They just might become your newest patients. • Free or discounted services. For adopted pets, offer lower spay, and neuter fees. You could also offer a free microchip check. • Guided tours. Create a passport for visitors to see each area of your practice—such as an exam room, lab, surgery, and boarding. Stamp the passport as they visit each area, entitling them to enter a prize drawing. The chance to win a six-month supply of treats or a similar prize could encourage a lot of pet owners to take the tour. • New patient kits. Reward visitors who schedule an appointment with a kit that could include such things as a tote bag, toy, service coupon, food, or treat sample and more information about your practice. Once you've planned your activities and set the date, it's time to get the word out. Your current customers are your best word-of-mouth advertising, so you'll want to be sure they know about your open house and that everyone is invited (including non- customers). Hanging banners in your facility, including a flyer with every purchase and even printing a reminder on invoices can help. You can also email your customers and include a story in your newsletter, if you have one. Social media will also be a big help to spread the word further, so remember to post information on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. (If you don't have these accounts set up yet, see the Q2 2019 edition of Covetrus, Animal Health Solutions for details, or ask your Covetrus representative for assistance.) You can also send a news release to local media, such as your community newspaper, radio, and TV stations. And don't forget to invite local businesses who also serve pet owners and aren't competitors. It would be a great way for them to promote their businesses, as well as further establish your practice as the destination for pet care. Who should you invite? Consider pet trainers, agility experts, groomers, pet massage therapists, pet walkers, and the staff of pet therapy programs at local senior care facilities and children's hospitals. Promote your open house. What activities can you include?

• Cover