Building the Business from the Inside
Yours, Theirs, Ours

Establishing a relationship with your customers is one of the most notable accomplishments that you can achieve as a telephone representative. The relationship is built on trust. Once that trust has been established, your company goals then become attainable. To build trust, knowing what your customer needs is imperative. Understanding what is happening at the clinic level is the first step in creating a lasting loyalty between you and the clinics that you serve.

This article is the first in a series that will help you develop the skills to identify your customer’s individual needs. You will also learn to master several ways to create conversations that position you as the expert, as well as their partner. The goal is to expand your ability to service your customer’s needs without becoming that pesky salesperson.

Seasons of purchasing
There are certain focuses that are universal across veterinary segments. Small animal clinics focus on dental procedures in February, and focus on flea, tick, and heartworm through the summer months. Spring means vaccinations, endectocides, and implants for large animal vets.

Take the time to do some homework on what the customers use during this time of year. Review their histories and look at categories of products, brands of products, and how they are buying. If you see a few large purchases in key categories, you can assume that they are interested in deals or promotions. If you see more frequent, smaller purchases in a key category, you can assume that they are more interested in “just in time” inventory methods. The buying pattern that each clinic displays will help you to engage them in conversation. Knowing how they typically buy is as important as knowing what they buy.

Knowing what your customers use is different from educating them on what they need. Once you understand what products are used at each time of the year, and why they are used, you can proceed to offering consultation on what a customer should buy and when.

Identifying needs
Using your customer’s needs as the road map for conversations will create an atmosphere of trust. Proving that you have done your homework at the individual customer level causes a reciprocal reaction from the customers that you are servicing. When you can show that you have invested time in learning about them, they will invest more time in listening to your recommendations. Relevant recommendations of products or product categories are the first of many building blocks to create a strong relationship. This does not mean recommending products based on an incentive or a manufacturer’s promotion. The customer’s needs are the driving force for the recommendations. Once the customer’s needs have been identified, then and only then can you confidently suggest key products.

How do you do this? Many of the veterinary clinics that you service have chosen a primary source for product acquisition. This may be brand specific or distributor specific. You should start by focusing on the customers that have made you their primary choice. Their transaction history will give you a good point of reference as to what they may need.

Finding time
By now you are thinking things like, “I don’t have the time to do this kind of research.” “I can’t get that kind of information by myself.” “I don’t really know what to look for.” These thoughts are very common and they allow you to remain comfortably wrapped in day-to-day job functions. Take the time at the end of the week when the phones are less busy to review some of your top customers. Start with products that are most relevant for the current time of year. Know what is going on in the industry for the types of practices that you serve. There are many publications and manufacturer-produced literature on the typical focus periods for the different types of veterinary practices.

The next article will focus on these types of conversations. Once you know what products customers need, what products they are buying, and how they are buying them, you can have some very informed conversations that will lead to more sales. This process will position you as the customer’s partner, as well as the educated industry expert that they can rely on. Having a partner who understands their needs and is someone that they can trust becomes far more important than making multiple phone calls to save a penny or two. Be their trusted source and do your homework. The deposits that you make into the relationship will show up in your bank account!