Animal Health Solutions

23 Q4 2020 | Animal Health Solutions Consider your pricing and payment options Decide how you'll collect payments, how often, and how much each plan will cost. You might require a slightly larger initial payment, such as a membership fee, to open a plan, then bill smaller payments for the rest of the year. You can also offer the option of paying the entire amount up front, which some of your clients may prefer to do. Will you offer discounted services? Many practices do, but this isn't necessary—after all, having a payment plan is already relieving the financial burden on pet owners, and you don't want to discount your services so much that you negatively impact your revenue. Practice management software that supports wellness plans, as well as integrated payment processing software, helps make your payment plans and schedules easier to set up and then maintain. Your software can take over much of the administrative work of payment management and collection, including automatically recurring monthly credit card payments that are secure and compliant with all regulations. Train your entire team As with most new initiatives, your team's buy-in is critical for the success of your wellness plans. Everyone in the practice, from veterinarians to technicians, practice managers and front desk personnel will need to be involved. In fact, everyone should be involved right from the start, and at every point along the way. The more involved your team is, the more invested in your programs they will be. Also, everyone will have been part of the decision-making process, so your entire staff will be on the same page and able to convey the same message to pet owners. This will increase everyone's confidence and comfort with the program overall. It's crucial for everyone to understand and believe in the importance of preventive care as a service. Your team should be trained to understand and discuss the basics of preventive care and how this proactive approach to patient care ensures the best possible health for pets. That way, staff can offer the plans to pet owners with confidence that the plans are in the best interest of the pet and the owner. This will also make it much easier for them to respond to any objections a pet owner might raise. Bring your clients on board Now that you've got your plans and staff ready, it's time to get your customers involved. Begin by educating them about the importance of preventive care. Then, you can introduce the plans. Remember, education comes first—you can't expect people to sign up for something unless they understand the benefits. Spread the word and educate pet owners about your new wellness plans with posters and flyers in your reception area, a new wellness section on your website, in social media posts and by looking for opportunities for face-to-face conversations during appointments. The client communication tools included in practice software provide the perfect way to convey information and messages about preventive care and wellness plans to pet owners through email and postcards. Remember, first educate and raise awareness, then offer the plans. "Wellness plans are a great way for clients to manage affordability for pet care and treatment. They also help practices secure a more regular income flow and even take back some lost ground on price increases." — Dr. Karen E. Felsted, CPA, MS, CVPM, CVA

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