1. SURVIVOR - DVM Dr. Joanne M. Roesner, DVM DABVP

2. A Day in the Life of a New Grad Survivor - DVM Cartoon by: M. Pye

3. SURVIVOR - DVM • Picking A Practice • Managing Your Time and Anxiety • Bonding to Clients and Staff • Management Must-Knows • Promotion, Education and Sales • Difficult Clients • BE HAPPY! Survivor - DVM

4. Thank you to our sponsors Survivor - DVM

5. AAHAABVPGVMA, other state VMA’s Survivor - DVM

6. Picking A Practice Dr. Joanne M. Roesner, DVM DABVP

7. A well managed practice is NECESSARY to meet your financial, medical and ethical goals Survivor - DVM

8. Picking a Practice • Make a list of your needs, wants and desires and evaluate each practice in light of this. Prioritize • All practices will have positives and negatives • Consider corporate culture and ethics in evaluating fit Survivor - DVM

9. TIPS for Practice Selection • Call Specialists in the area and ask what clinics they like. • Plan on visiting hospitals you are interested in multiple times. Evaluate different days and shifts. • Consider utilizing a ‘secret’ shopper to gain insight (see Opperman Form) Survivor - DVM

10. EVALUATE MEDICAL RECORDS • Type of cases • Standard of care • Technological capabilities • Charting expectations • EVALUATE APPOINTMENT BOOK • Fill Rate • Complexity of case load • Preferential scheduling • Efficiency of scheduling Survivor - DVM

11. Cont. • Corporate culture new patient exam (10 minute vs. 40 minute) • Sanity of scheduling Survivor - DVM

12. EVALUATE STAFF TO DVM RATIO (If not tracked then ‘eyeball’ them during a visit) • EVALUATE STAFF • Are they Trained? • Happy? • Do they go to CE? • What do individuals get excited about in their jobs? Look at Customer Service and Animal Care staff, NOT just the nurses. Survivor - DVM

13. EVALUATE CLINIC MANAGEMENT TEAM • If possible, go to a staff meeting • How often do meetings occur? • What is management hierarchy? • Who manages DVM’s? Survivor - DVM

14. EVALUATE DRUG BOX • Does it contain what you need? • Are drugs handled legally? (See my lecture ‘Death Institutions’ or ‘Recovery’ at ABVP Booth) Survivor - DVM

15. EVALUATE TECHNOLOGY • What was the last piece of equipment purchased? • When was it purchased? • Compare practices based on existing not promised technology Survivor - DVM

16. EVALUATE MARKETING • Ask about a marketing plan • What is done internally to ethically promote products by staff? • What is done to attract new clients? • What is done to retain old clients? • What are practices expectations of you for marketing? Survivor - DVM

17. EVALUATE FEES and CHARGING POLICES • Are fees similar between to surrounding practices with same standard of care? • How do fees compare with income levels in the community • Is GAT 3.2 – 3.4 times exam fee? • How does a clinic discount (on invoice or just not charged for) Survivor - DVM

18. Cont. • How often does the clinic discount fees? • Are associates allowed/expected to do discounted services? Survivor - DVM

19. Ask about practice financials • confidentiality agreement • revenue of associates • GAT of associates • How do you know I can pay you • especially critical in percentage based compensation Survivor - DVM

20. Managing Your Time and Anxiety Dr. Joanne M. Roesner, DVM DABVP

21. Remember: • Basic human needs: to be heard, validated, in control of their pet, to feel important • Expectations - Set yourself up to exceed them • Poise • Detatch don’t personalize • Avoid power struggles • Manage time Survivor - DVM

22. Time Management • 3x5 card with drug doses • 3x5 card with anesthesia protocols • Protocols for 10 worst fear cases • Your reference volumes in your office or trunk • Turn over exam rooms • Day case (know book stores, coffee shops in the area! Consider “observation” time) Survivor - DVM

23. Cont. • Multiple problems - set recheck have client chart symptoms • POOPLOG Survivor - DVM

24. Managing Poise • Stethoscope trick • PE in back • Preview appointment book the night before • Breed related problems in 1st puppy visit • Breath • Say I don’t know with confidence and a game plan to find out Survivor - DVM

25. Cont. • Sit even if only for 30 seconds • Shake hands • Give estimates Survivor - DVM

26. Exam Room Strategies • 3x5 history card • “Humor me” for info screeners or divergent talkers • Recap Hx and ask if accurate • Respectfully ask client not to edit (humor me, looking for multiple problems) • Pet back to owner ASAP Survivor - DVM

27. Cont. • Exit startegies • Staff rescue if you are being held hostage • Pleasant diversions while waiting over estimate time Survivor - DVM

28. TURN OVER EXAM ROOMS! Survivor - DVM

29. Strategies for ‘day casing’ • Give clients handouts to read in the waiting room on the problem if they insist on waiting • Give them a kitten to play with • Give reasonable to long estimate on time and then exceed the clients expectations by returning pet sooner Survivor - DVM

30. Misc. • Never give date ranges • Prepare client for staff call backs • Schedule compensated recheck when ever possible to go over labs (e.g. Bx results and suture removal at post surgical recheck appointment) Survivor - DVM

31. Cont. • Leverage staff including customer service and kennel (introduce by first and last name) • Show clients abnormalities on PE. Give copies of lab work Survivor - DVM

32. Bonding to Clients and Staff Dr. Joanne M. Roesner, DVM DABVP

33. Bonding • Bonding to staff and clients is YOUR responsibility. It will not happen with out effort. • The benefits of bonding are many: compliance loyalty warm fuzzies referrals increased education and awareness Survivor - DVM

34. Manage and EXCEED expectations • LISTEN • RESPECT • BUILD TRUST • BOND TO TEAM Survivor - DVM

35. Staff hate new associates; rite of passage • Treat staff as human beings and valued team members • Listen • Introduce all staff (First AND last name) • Defer when assisting • Do not hover • Listen to ideas (Celebrate & Praise) (e.g. ham to CHF from dog ward attendant) Survivor - DVM

36. BUY PIZZA – Remember Front Office and Kennel staff • Give time for adjustment and change (acceptance) • Pick your confrontations carefully Survivor - DVM

37. NO INVISIBLE STAFF !! Survivor - DVM

38. Client Bonding Dr. Joanne M. Roesner, DVM DABVP

39. Greet and love the pet • Convey trustworthiness – eye contact, decent handshake • Bonded clients are more compliant • Express interest in their lives (Notes on Computer) • Convey concern for emotional as well as physical well being of pet and owner (PE in lap) • Include children Survivor - DVM

40. Honor Client concerns and fears LISTEN, VERBALIZE • Honor questions • Notebooks • Fax backs • Give a forum • Leverage/intro staff member Survivor - DVM

41. Removing Pet from Owner • Honor Fears – verbalize • Overestimate time (then EXCEED expectations!) • Assure client you will stop if pet is stressed • Assure client they are in control and you won’t do anything without permission • Have staff member check back with client • If their pet vocalizes, have staff member go back in and tell client (also if not their pet) Survivor - DVM

42. WORK THE WAITING ROOM TO BOND WITH NEW CLIENTS Survivor - DVM

43. Management Must Knows Dr. Joanne M. Roesner, DVM DABVP

44. Don’t distain Management! Good Practice Management = stable human and financial resources Good Management Knowledge = better ability to evaluate potential practices and negotiate better packages Survivor - DVM

45. Pre-Tax vs. Post Tax Income • Revenue Produced to justify salary expense • Bench marketing – WTA, AAHA, Vet Econ and others (See my lecture ‘Compensation and Employment’ at ABVP Booth!) Survivor - DVM

46. Gross Revenue per Provider • Gross Average Transaction • What are they? • How are they used? • What do they mean to you as an associate? Survivor - DVM

47. Staff Leveraging • How to make it palatable to clients and staff • Why it is important Survivor - DVM

48. Misc. Client retention New client numbers DVM:STAFF ratio Accounts receivable Survivor - DVM

49. Promotion, Education and Effective Sales Dr. Joanne M. Roesner, DVM DABVP

50. “Selling” • Effectively convincing clients to purchase goods or services in the best interest of pets! • Education! • Not cheesy or about getting over on clients • Approach lifetime of pet, educate clients on what to expect, how to prevent or recognize Survivor - DVM