Their Goal: Healthier Pets and a Healthy Bottom Line

Distributor reps provide value for their vet customers by helping them invest in their practice.

Veterinarians are doctors, not business people. Yet, providing high-quality animal care that sets a clinic apart from others calls for smart planning and proactive decision-making. Today more than ever before, distributor reps should help their veterinary customers invest in their practices to provide value-added service and move ahead, no matter how sluggish the economy.

“Being a doctor is the easy part,” says Flynn Nance, DVM, Honey Creek Veterinary Hospital (Conyers. Ga.). “But, we are a small business and must be run as such if we want to continue to be in business in five years.” That doesn’t necessarily come naturally to animal doctors, he adds.

“It can be a vicious cycle,” says Cassandra Allbritton, CVPM, Tampa Bay Veterinary Medical Group, (Tampa, Fla.). “Many veterinary owners aren’t able or willing to [pay for] an office manager.” Without the know-how to properly manage their accounts payable, smaller clinics sometimes can’t succeed, she points out. “They may be saving $40,000 or $80,000 a year, but hurt themselves in the long run and may have to sell their practice or consolidate. And, their practice [rarely] is worth as much as they expect it to be.” Veterinary owners must invest in their staff, she adds. “They must ask themselves, are we able to respond to our clients’ needs and compete with other practices?”

“[Doctors at] some clinics try to do everything themselves,” says Nance. At Honey Creek, veterinarians rely on para-professionals for such services as drawing blood, taking x-rays or placing catheters. In addition, they would like to add a full-time practice management individual in the near future.

While most veterinarians understand the importance of providing value-added service, given today’s economy, it can be difficult to get clients to follow through on recommendations. “Our philosophy is to offer the best possible care for pets,” says Nance. “It’s up to the clients to follow through.” Many people today seek the same level of care for their animals as they would for humans, he adds. But, in a slow economy, clients increasingly hold off on vaccinations and elective surgeries for their animals. “If people can hold off, they do,” he says. “Often, they opt out for euthanasia, [which may be a less expensive option].” notes Nance.

Indeed, Nance has seen a definite leveling off of business in the last year or so at Honey Creek Veterinary Hospital. That’s not to say the practice doesn’t stay busy. With 10 full-time and two part-time vets, 16 assistant technicians and one full-time receptionist, it often schedules 40 patients in a day for check-ups and procedures/surgeries, and fills prescriptions for as many as 24 more. On a slow day, the clinics may see 15 scheduled patients, six walk-ins and perform only two surgeries.

At the same time, clients expect more service for their money. “Our clients expect more from us than their human physicians,” says Shannon Miller, DVM, Honey Creek Veterinary Hospital.

Leslie Latham, DVM, Honey Creek Veterinary Hospital, agrees. “Clients expect immediate test results, with follow-up calls and lots of phone time with veterinarians who can answer their questions,” she points out.

The value of new technology
In spite of the tight economy, veterinarians understand the value of new technology, and they continue to purchase new equipment, even if they are somewhat more conservative in their spending these days. “Medicine is getting better and better as technology improves,” says Nance.

Last year, Nance, Latham and Miller added ultrasound and ECG. ECG tracings are sent to a technician in New York City via a cardiopath service, where a cardiologist interprets them. In addition, they upgraded to a “full blown” lab and a more advanced software system, which generates concise, single-form lab reports. One of their biggest investments, however, was adding digital dental radiography, reflecting the industry’s recent increased emphasis on animal teeth care. “We are always showing clients [issues with] their pets’ teeth and stressing the importance of [consistent] teeth care,” says Nance.

Honey Creek Veterinary Hospital is not alone in its push to remain technologically advanced, despite the state of the economy. At West Mountain Animal Hospital (Bennington, Vt.,), Anna Worth, DVM, and her colleagues have made similar upgrades in recent years. The practice includes five veterinarians, four full-time employees, four assistant techs and five front office staff people, and its average daily patient load is between 45 and 60 patients. In the last several years, it has invested in ultrasound, digital radiography, dental digital radiography, and an expanded in-house lab. Future plans include taking the office paperless, adding Pet Health Network and improving its nutrition and weight program.

Although Worth believes these upgrades will depend on the state of the economy, she also realizes the importance of being able to provide patients with best possible care. Tight economy or not, “good clients are still responsible and want to do what is best for their pets,” she says. “Communication continues to be the foundation for educating clients about the best care for their pets. Clients will comply with our recommendations if we take time to explain what is needed.” Particularly with regard to dental care, she has seen increased interest on the part of clients. “We have revamped our dental program [and now] have a dental team comprised of two vets, two techs and two front office staff people,” she notes. “A strong dental program, together with the use of dental digital radiography, [has enabled us to] significantly increase our dental services.

“Everybody on the practice’s team has to deliver the same message and have the same desire to offer our patients the best care,” she continues. Taking time to thoroughly train staff members is equally worthwhile, she adds. In fact, next to paying the mortgage, Worth and her colleagues are most concerned with “taking care of our staff.”

At Tampa Bay Veterinary Medical Group, Allbritton agrees.  “One of our biggest concerns [with regard to running our practice] is to continually provide the resources and tools our team needs to ensure high [patient/client] compliance with their recommendations,” she says. The four-hospital group staffs between one and three doctors and two and six techs at each of its facilities. Three of its hospitals see up to 30 patients each day, and the fourth sees about half as many. Recent additions have included digital radiography, dental digital radiography, local blocks, single unit/multiple parameter monitors, warming systems and individualized healthcare packages.

Allbritton’s experience has been that while some clients have cut back on pet care for early detection and wellness visits, they have not done so for sick visits. Nevertheless, the sluggish economy does make her and her colleagues think twice about future purchases, including the underwater treadmill they have been looking to add. And, to aid budget-conscious clients whose pets and animals require procedures for life-threatening situations, her practice offers financing services, such as MedChoice, and a hold-checks service (e.g., the client pays 50 percent up front, and leaves consecutive checks with the practice to be cashed over a period of time).

What vets want from their reps
The best things distributor reps can bring to their veterinary customers are knowledge and sincerity. “If a rep comes to us who doesn’t understand the ins and outs of his products, it feels like he’s pushing them because he has been [told to do so],” says Nance.

Indeed, reps’ experience can go a long way with veterinarians. “When a distributor rep has worked alongside a technician at a veterinary practice, he brings experience, which makes a big difference,” says Latham. Along those same lines, it helps if the distributor rep brings along a manufacturer rep to explain new technology, she adds.

Nance agrees. “One of our reps previously was a veterinary technician,” he says. “He can come in and help out when a machine is not working right.”

“It’s also helpful when distributor reps follow up with phone calls or look into [problems] for us,” says Miller. “”Our reps know us well. They look through our cabinets and see exactly what we have and what we need.”

“Honesty and integrity are very big,” adds Nance, noting the importance to vets of being able to trust their reps.

Worth values all of the above and more in her reps, including their ideas on efficient practice management, information on new products and procedures, excellent service, fair pricing and revenue-producing tips. “[We look for] reps who are knowledgeable, concise and straightforward,” she says.

For Allbritton, flexibility goes a long way. She also prefers working with distributor reps who are “well-studied in human resources and go above and beyond, always looking to help meet our needs.” In addition, she would like to see her reps help the staff at Tampa Bay Veterinary Medical Group sell their clients on pet-care products.

“Sales reps are the best people to teach our staff sales techniques,” she says. For instance, “flea and tick control is imperative in Florida, so we must get these products into the clients’ hands. We do a great job of educating clients about the products available, but we need sales tips from our reps for overcoming clients’ objections and closing our sales.”

True, veterinarians may set a high bar for their distributor reps, but in return, reps who meet those standards inevitably earn a long-lasting, respectful relationship with their customers. “I try to show everyone who comes into my clinic the same respect,” says Nance. That means, “respect for the reps who have a job to do, and getting my clients and patients in for quick, reliable service.”