As big box veterinary medicine— conveniently located inside large retail pet stores — continues to take over the veterinary landscape, many vets are wondering how they can compete as a small, local, many times single-physician clinics or hospitals.
Of course, being small and independent we also lack the deep pockets of investors backing our success — or failure — and must hire, market, and do pet medicine differently.
But “differently” is actually our advantage. “Differently” is actually our key to freedom and prosperity in our business. So, how exactly must we be different in order to compete — and win — against big box, patient-as-number, veterinary medicine options?
We must start with a term that is over-used and too often misunderstood. We must brand and niche our practice as something unique. This isn’t about logos and colors and tag-lines. It’s not about cutesy campaigns. We must BE the niche, including how we market, how we schedule, how we welcome new patients, our bedside manner, and more.
To begin, think about the following:
- Which procedures / modalities do you LOVE to do?
- Which procedures / modalities are most profitable for you?
- Which procedures / modalities seem to be most appreciated by your current base of clients?
Once you answer all of those questions, highlight the procedures / modalities that show up in all three lists and consider building a center, a marketing plan and appointment protocols that cater to this most profitable, most enjoyable profit center.
You don’t have to “sell out” right away, turn away clients and starve while this new profit center grows. I teach veterinarians from all over the country how to do this comfortably. But, you must decide your niche if you are to compete with the big box veterinary medicine options. Your market must know why they should choose you over any other option they have.
Next, you must market using education.
Pet parents want to be educated so that they can make wise choices for their pets. The BEST pet parents demand education and do not appreciate the cookie cutter, “milestone” based approach taken by most big veterinary medicine chains. Blogging, doing live Q&A sessions on facebook, seeking out opportunities (in and out of your market) to be quoted as an expert and contribute to articles that go viral are all great ways to generate demand for your particular niche of veterinary medicine.
Finally, consider what pet parents detest about going into these veterinary medicine conglomerates.
They hate their pet being treated like a number. They hate the receptionist with a bad attitude. They hate not being included in the exam room, or being pressured to make a decision they don’t feel good about. They hate not having options, feeling rushed. So, starting today in your own clinic, look at your business as a boutique option for the most committed and discerning of pet parents. Starting today, lengthen your appointment time by even ten minutes. Talk to the pet owners, listen to them. Let them know that their pet isn’t just appointment number 16 for the day, but “Molly,” a fun, spunky Boston Terrier who loves to play fetch and chew furniture.
Do these three things and — for the TOP pet owners in your area -the Big box options won’t be able to compete with you.
I did a live training, diving deeper into this topic, in our free Facebook group at 1 PM EST today and if you’re a veterinarian in private practice, or considering moving in that direction, I’d love for you to watch it here: