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Review your client database
by Steve Kornfeld and Peter Weinstein DsVM
Once you have a strong marketing message, it's time to find the right crowd. Let's
now divide
and dissect your entire client base into three categories. To make this much more
convincing and easy to grasp, we recommend you draw a large triangle on a blank sheet
of paper.
Next divide the triangle into three parts by drawing two horizontal lines across
it. The first line should cover about 60% of the base of the triangle. The second
horizontal line should create a small triangle at the top of the large triangle.
Now write inside the top, small triangle- 10%. In the middle segment write 20% and
in the bottom and largest segment, write 70%. Let's now name these segments. The top
one is called: "Tell me and I'll buy". The middle segment is, "Convince me and I'll
buy". The third segment is called: "How much is it?" Let's now interpret your triangle.
The top segment means: "Dear doctor, I'll do anything you want me to, just tell me. If
you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know what I need? All I want is to do whatever
is necessary to make sure my pet lives a happy long life".
Can you imagine what the other two segments mean? Think about them for a few days
and try to get a sense of what they are.
If you are rearing to find out, all you have to do is visit our website, shoot us an
email and tell us
you are totally interested to take advantage of direct marketing and have a
custom-made program build for you in your practice.
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UK Small Animal Practice for the period to April 2009
data adapted from MAI consolidated data report
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Create a plan for employee discipline
by Nan Boss DVM
Several years ago I attended a seminar entitled "Employee Discipline and Performance
Mistakes." Afterwards, I wrote up a simple, step-by-step plan for dealing with
common employee discipline problems, like tardiness, not following the dress code
or standards of conduct, failing to compete tasks or checklists.
It's simple and straightforward, and best of all it puts the responsibility for
improvement onto the employee, not the supervisor.
I like it because it is easy to follow, and it ensures that employees understand
what their mistakes are so that they can remedy them. It is not fair to expect your
staff to be mindreaders. You need to tell them what they are doing wrong and give
them a chance to fix it. This plan assumes you have an office policy manual for
your employees that clearly states your rules and procedures.
Discipline shall be dispensed in the following seven-step manner:
- All employees shall be required to read the office policy manual in its entirety,
and sign and date the last page. A copy of this last page should be given to the
doctor or practice manager to be placed in the employee's file. Infractions will
be described in the manual and those pages reread, resigned and dated by the
employee when infractions occur.
- The second altercation shall be addressed by a supervisor with an oral
reminder. The day, date and nature of the infraction will be documented in the
employee's file. The time and place of the oral reminder, the employee's explanation
or excuse, and response to the reminder about the infraction will also be
documented. The Employee must sign the documentation. If he or she refuses to sign,
the documentation must be witnessed by a third party. Oral reminders may be
repeated as necessary.
- Any further altercations may lead to a counseling session with a supervisor, who
will document the session, and the decision reached by the supervisor and the
employee to solve the problem.
- The employee must sign the document. If the employee disagrees with the
supervisor's write up, he or she may write his or her own. If neither supervisor
nor employee will sign the other's document, a witness must validate and sign both
papers.
- Further infraction will result in a paid decision-making leave. Employee has
the choice of whether he or she wishes to remain employed by the veterinary hospital,
and if he or she decides to stay must write a written plan to solve the problem.
- Meeting with supervisor to discuss the written plan. The plan must contain: The
decision, How and why they made that decision, An action plan to fix the problem,The
employee's understanding that one more unacceptable but similar infraction
within a reasonable time frame will result in self-termination. The time frame will
be set by the employer, not the employee.The plan should be signed by both
supervisor and employee. Failure to complete a plan is insubordination. The next
infraction will result in dismissal.
- Upon a further infraction within the previously set time frame the employee has
made the decision to self-terminate.
Again, the nice thing about this is that if the employee doesn't follow his or her
own action plan they have decided to resign, rather than being fired. It treats
employees like adults who are responsible for their own job performance. I hope
it works for you, too!
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The London Vet Show, November 6th and 7th 2009
The London Vet Show is a new breed of event focused on the clinical and commercial challenges
facing today's small and companion animal vets.
The event is centred on a major conference featuring clinical sessions programmed by
the Royal Veterinary College plus a veterinary business conference stream covers commercial
issues for vets in the current climate. Including marketing, strategy, practice performance, human
resources and team motivation, health and safety and regulatory issues.
Overall a compelling two day programme providing an intensive and very cost effective learning
opportunity, a major exhibition allowing you to meet selected leading suppliers who can help
deliver better clinical solutions to your customers and develop business plus a series of
networking and social events to help you catch up with peers and make new contacts.
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Lunch-Break Webinars - Summer Break
The regular Veterinary Business Briefing Lunch-Break Webinars will enjoy a summer
break in July and August.
The next Webinar will be held at 1pm (1300 BST) on Thursday September 3rd.We are
planning a topical and exciting topic and I will inform all the Veterinary Business
Briefing subscribers and members by e.mail as soon as the details are to hand.
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Practice Management Software from Canada
Originally designed, developed and tested by veterinarians, HVMS (Hospital and
Veterinary Management System) from Business Infusions has emerged as the benchmark
software platform for veterinarian and animal care professionals around the world.
Successfully implemented at some of the most respected veterinary hospitals and
clinics in North America and elsewhere, HVMS veterinary practice management software
has provided improved efficiencies, increased revenues and higher profits to its
user practices.
HVMS combines scheduling, accounting, medical records, invoicing, digital image
file management, partner and commission-based tracking, and complete inventory
control - all with one common user-friendly interface. HVMS is an enterprise
solution, completely customized to each practice and specific needs. HVMS software
is available in a number of specialized versions, including HVMS Equine,
HVMS Small Animal, HVMS Repro, HVMS Racetrack, and HVMS Barn Management.
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The Simplest Business Plan Ever
by Caroline Jordan, MBA
If you're a self employed professional like I am, you know how tough it is to
find any
time at all to do any business planning. Doing a full business plan is a must if
you're
planning to seek financing or investors, but most solo professionals don't need
anything that complicated.
Don't get me wrong, business planning is one of the most important things you need
to do to succeed in your one man or woman show. Without planning you'll drift
aimlessly from one crisis to the next and one idea to the next, never really getting
anything done.
So, what's a solo pro to do? Here's what I do in my own business:
My business plan consists of one page with very little on it. It simply lists the three
goals that I must achieve this year. Then, I list a statement for each goal: To achieve
Goal #1 I need to….This is followed by two to five activities or action items I need to
do to make that happen.
That's it. That's the whole plan. The beauty is the simplicity. I simply cannot handle
more than that. I don't have a staff. I don't have "people". Everything has to be
structured so that I can get it done simply and systematically.
So, let's say one of my goals is to increase sales by a certain number, like $25,000. I
then ask myself, "What do you need to do to make that happen?" Maybe I want to
develop an ebook or add a new service. How many potential or current customers
will I need to reach? How much time will I need to develop the book or service? How
will I market it?
From those answers, I develop my schedule. What do I need to do monthly, weekly,
daily? I break it up into small pieces that take an hour or less. For example, if I
decide I need to send out 100 marketing postcards in a month, I break it into 25
cards a week. Then, I put it on my schedule each week, just as I do my
appointments with clients.
To keep myself on track, I place my mini plan in front of my keyboard so every
morning it's the first thing I see. I also include a note to myself. It reminds me that
"Nothing Else Matters." I follow it with my company slogan: Get Knowledge. Get
Focus. Get Results.
Complex plans take tons of time to develop and many (if not most) end up gathering
dust on a shelf. Using a simple plan improves your focus and helps you to achieve
great results.
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