Animal Health Solutions

29 Q4 2023 | Animal Health Solutions What's the secret to get more clients to accept your nutrition recommendations? H AV E A S T R AT E G Y: Bring therapeutic diets into exam rooms. When a product is sold in the exam room, it is medicine. When food is sold at the front desk, it is retail. (Yes, it's OK to get refills at the front desk, just not newly recommended products.) Explain the science behind the therapeutic formulation and why feeding this diet is the cornerstone of treatment. Place the bag or cans of food on the exam table. When clients touch products, they are more likely to buy. 2 Put prescription labels on therapeutic diets. This creates client perceptions that the diet is "medicine." The label tells clients which pet the food belongs to, how much to feed, and where to get refills. On your label template, include all the ways clients may request refills: Call, text, email, or online form. Provide verbal and written instructions. The Learning Pyramid developed by the National Training Laboratory shows people remember 10% of what they read but retain 50% when discussed. 3 Another family member may be responsible for feeding the pet and is not present for today's discussion. When demonstrating any home-care instructions, from giving a pill to cleaning ears, invite clients to record your discussion on their smartphones so they and other caregivers can watch again later for reference. Print or email step-by-step instructions as reinforcement. Follow up at Day 3 and Day 30 with calls, texts, or emails. During today's discussion in the exam room, let clients know that a technician or assistant will follow up in three days to see how the food transition is going. Ask the client's preferred communication method of call, text, or email. Millennials are the largest pet-owning segment, and 75% prefer texting over talking. 4,5 Many clients will choose texting, which turns a 15-minute callback into a 2-minute "textback." Say this, "Our medical team will support you in successfully feeding your pet the new therapeutic diet. We will contact you in three days to see how the food transition is going. Would you prefer a call, text, or email?" Create scripts for calls and templates for texts and emails. In addition to saving time, your team will have consistent client messages no matter who follows up. Here's a script for follow-up calls, "This is with . Dr. asked me to call to confirm you're successfully making the transition from 's previous food to the new therapeutic diet, , for kidney disease. When switching foods, you should mix the two foods, gradually increasing the proportion of new food over one week and reducing the amount of the previous food. Have you begun the transition to get eating the kidney diet? (Client responds.) Is your pet eating it? (Client responds.) Eating this diet is the cornerstone of Dr. 's treatment plan and will help us better manage 's kidney disease. We will give you a courtesy reminder to refill 's food, which should be in X weeks. If you have questions before then, please contact us." Using the doctor's name brings authority to the call. Remind the client that the cat has kidney disease, a serious condition that requires ongoing treatment and assessment. Explaining that the therapeutic diet is a cornerstone of the veterinarian's treatment plan communicates the need for change. If the client prefers a text, send this message: "We are following up to confirm you are transitioning from 's previous food to the new therapeutic diet, , for kidney disease. When switching foods, mix the two foods, gradually increasing the proportion of new food over one week and reducing the amount of the previous food. Eating this food is the cornerstone of Dr. 's treatment plan and will help us better manage 's kidney disease. Please reply with questions. Is successfully eating the new diet?" Send refill reminders. Based on feeding guides from pet food manufacturers, determine how long the food will last and set up refill reminders. Clients will get a series of up to four refill reminders. If they purchase through your online pharmacy or pick up at your hospital, the reminder will be satisfied and will reset for when the next purchase will be due. Sending a series of reminders 21, 14, and 7 days in advance allows for shipping through your online pharmacy with timely delivery or pickup at your hospital. Only 19% of dogs and 18% of cats are eating therapeutic diets as advised by their veterinarians. 1

• Cover
• Online Pharmacy Maximze