Enhancing Veterinary Clinic Revenue: Communication Strategies for Effective Reminders

1. Client communication Strategies - Part 1 Effective Reminders

2. ? What’s the difference between a million-dollar clinic and THE average clinic?

3. TWO WORDS: REMINDER COMPLIANCE

4. CONSIDER THIS... According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), owners of adult dogs spend $107 each year for a preventive care exam for their pet. Those owners also spend about $300 on heartworm, flea and tick prevention for their dog ($25 per month on average). Dog owners spend $407 each year for preventive care. Cat owners spend even more—$440 per year.

5. ANNUAL VISIT SPEND Dogs Source: AAHA Reference 9th Edition Cats Source: AAHA Reference 9th Edition

6. What is your practice’s reminder compliance rate? ??? 38% 70% How many of your clients do not come in for that preventive exam, and how many purchase those preventive products outside your practice? Practices should aim for a preventive care compliance rate of 70% or higher. Besides protecting patients’ health, checkups safeguard your practice’s financial health. Preventive services and products generate 38% of a practice’s income. Source: Wendy Myers Source: Wendy Myers

7. HOW MANY PETS ARE COMING IN PER YEAR? According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), a typical small animal practice has 2 doctors who each see 1,800 pets—60% dogs and 40% cats—annually.

8. HOW MANY PETS ARE COMING IN PER YEAR? Source: American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) A 2-doctor practice should be seeing 2,160 dogs and 1,440 cats every year.

9. REVENUE IMPACT OF A 20% INCREASE IN COMPLIANCE AT A TYPICAL PRACTICE Source: Wendy Myers

10. REMINDERS + COMPLIANCE = REVENUE • 38% of your revenue is being generated based on the reminders you send.* Are you effectively reaching and engaging your customers? • Your practice should be aiming for a 70% compliance rate.* • Find out your what your current compliance rate is, and let us help you increase it. + = *Source: Wendy Myers

11. How do you communicatewith your clients?

12. CUSTOMER REMINDER TOUCHPOINTS Over 40% of practices surveyed report that they do not have a formal, written communication plan. Source: Vetstreet

13. Pet owners are no different than any other consumer. Pet owner internet habits ? Pet owners are no different than any other consumer. Are US veterinary practices reaching pet owners with consumer touchpointsin mind? Crucial questions apply: ? ? • Which devices do pet owners use most commonly to search the internet? • How do pet owners use devices throughout their day? • How are pet owners searching on the internet? • Where does mobile fit into the marketing approach for a US veterinary practice?

14. Device Preferences Throughout the Day: Most weekday tablet usage occurs between 8pm and 9pm. DEVICE USE Share of Device Page Traffic on a Typical Workday Mobiles brighten the commute PCs dominate working hours Tablets popular at night EARLY EVENING 5PM-8PM LATE NIGHT12AM– 7AM EARLY MORNING 7AM-10AM DAYTIME 10AM-5PM PRIME 8PM-12AM Source: Points de Vue

15. Search is the most common starting point for mobile research Almost half of all mobile internet research starts with a simple search. MOBILE SEARCH Source: HubSpot

16. THE ROLE OF SOCIAL REVIEWS Your reputation is on the line and online. 88% of consumers read online reviews to determine the quality of a local business. Do you read online customer reviews to determine whether a business is worthy of your patronage? NUMBER OF RESPONSES Source: Search Engine Land

17. effective Communication plan Your communication plan should be fully automated and include multi-media reminders: Direct Mail Email SMS “Text” Voice Calls

18. HOW EFFECTIVE ARE MANUAL postcard REMINDERS? Most practice owners think their current approach to marketing is effective—by running manual postcards and making phone calls in-house, they’re able to drive appointments and sales at a low cost. But they’re wrong. RESULTS? ONLY 20% Fewer client visits and poorly educated clients who choose to spend their money elsewhere. Of veterinaryclients respond to these traditional methods of communication. Source: CEB

19. What is the cost of manual postcards? An average 2.5 doctor practice spends 80 cents in staff time, printing, and postage per postcard sent. Sending 500 postcards per month costs $4,800 per year, and again, ONLY 20% of clients will respond. That cost is minimal when compared with the lost revenue that the 80% who don’t respond could be bringing in to the practice. 20% 80% Source: CEB

20. What is the cost of manual postcards? According to AAHA, the average revenue per visit is $140. The 80% of missed opportunities represent up to $64,000 per month, or $768,000 per year, in revenue left on the table. And don’t forget about the unreminded clients who are missed completely, plus the negative impact that the manual tasks have on staff morale. UP TO $64,000 PER MONTH OR $768,000 PER YEAR IN REVENUE LEFT ON THE TABLE

21. The good news Pet owners still want postcards. – AAHA State of the Industry 2015 Report But, you need to communicate with your clients effectively based on their preferred style.

22. POSTCARD REMINDER BEST PRACTICES • Automate your postcard reminders to save time for your staff. • Send reminders weekly. • Customize the reminders to your practice. “Weekly reminders will generate a steady stream of exams, even cash flow, and cause less stress on staff and doctors.” – Wendy Myers

23. POSTCARD REMINDER BEST PRACTICES • Ensure your postcards are branded for your practice. • Customize the messaging to your practice’s tone of voice. • Review the timing and customize your reminders based on your communication plan.

24. THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF DIGITAL AND PRINT MARKETING Email and postal reminder cards are proven to increase compliance up to 31%. Better compliance means more client visits. Reminders boost compliance and revenue! COMPLIANCE (%) Standard Postal Reminder Cards Only Vetstreet Postal Reminder Cards & Vetstreet E-mail Reminders Source: Vetstreet Reminder Compliance Study

25. Are your messages being read? Text and mobile 5 On average, texts are read 5 seconds after being received. 8X SMS produces engagement rates 6-8x higher than email. 90% of customers who participate in mobile loyalty programs say that they’ve gained value from them. 90% 150 The average person looks at his or her phone 150 times a day. Source: CityGro

26. Email & Text Reminder BEST PRACTICES • Send email and text reminders earlier and more often to increase effectiveness. • Use registration and drop-off forms to obtain client permission to send emails. • Ask for a mobile number instead of a home number. • Verify email every time a client comes to the office. • If a client has a bounced email address, remove it from your system so you’re reminded to request a new email address when they come in next. • Look for duplications in your system that could be causing issues with reminders and reporting in your practice.

27. WHY do MOST REMINDERS FALL SHORT? • Most traditional programs focus on appointment reminders and overdue procedure alerts for specific services, such as vaccinations, heartworm checks and dental. • Messages are typically matter-of-fact and impersonal. • To some clients, such reminders may be considered a nuisance, insensitive or commercialistic. • Most reminders don’t focus on client status—typically, they are sent only to active clients who have visited the practice within the previous 12 months, NOT inactive clients who can help drive growth if they return to the practice. • Active clients who fail to respond to service-specific reminders may not receive a follow-up reminder. Not sending a follow-up places these clients at risk for becoming inactive.

28. Reminder Best Practices Do not use the reminder default settings in your practice management software. Instead, follow the preventive care guidelines offered by national veterinary organizations. American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) offers preventive guidelines available at www.catvets.com. AAHA and AVMA have a set of preventive care guidelines available at www.aaha.org.

29. GET AHEAD OF YOUR REMINDERS Predict upcoming visits for your practice: • Use your software to run a report of the number of upcoming reminders in Q2 of 2016, followed by a report of the number of upcoming reminders in Q2 of 2017, AND THEN run a report of the number of upcoming reminders in Q2 of 2017. • If 2016 is higher than 2017, you're already looking at a decrease in revenue. • Predict upcoming revenue to know where your practice stands.

30. ELEVATE YOUR CLIENT EXPERIENCE Prepare medical records Send Thank You Emails and Smart Surveys to gain feedback from your clients Review schedule in advance Have all staff on the same page regarding recommendations

31. IN-CLINIC Purchases If you're recommending a product, have it ready, know whether you have a manufacturer offer for a rebate, and discuss with the client all the key points about the product. This brings revenue back to your practice!

32. APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING If a client calls to schedule an appointment for one pet, ask about any other pets belonging to that client. Offer to schedule appointments for all pets that are overdue.

33. Questions?

34. practiceperformance@henryscheinvet.com 855-980-9099 3800 Horizon Blvd., Suite 201, Trevose, PA 19053 E practiceperformance@henryscheinvet.com P 855-980-9099get.hsrapport.com