SALES IS NOT A DIRTY WORD

2017 CANADIAN ANIMAL HEALTH INSTITUTE ANNUAL MEETING

Senani Ratnayake BSc RVT Motivatum Consulting

imotivatum.com senani@imotivatum.com

Who Are We Attracting in Vet Med?

• Pet owners +/- grew up on a farm • Previous involvement in shelter, 4H, rescue,

breeding, pet store, practice • Interested in animals so follow what is “new”

via media and word of mouth • They want to make a difference… finances are

secondary motivation for most

Veterinarians & RVTs, VTs, OJTs, VAs, VMRs, others

Pre-conceived Notions…

• Veterinary costs • Roles and responsibilities • Trustworthy resources • High quality medicine • Good customer service • Practice versus Business • Professional versus Friendly • Standards of care, Ethics • Team work

Maximize Opportunities…

WHY DO PEOPLE GET INTO VETERINARY

MEDICINE?

ARE THEY FULFILLING THEIR GOALS??

Is there potential for trouble? Who is responsible??

Is there really a difference? WE are the advocates!

Don’t want to “sell”

Client is on a budget

We are too busy

Don’t want to pressure the client

Don’t want to “sell” Client is on a budget

We are too busy Don’t want to pressure the client

EXCUSES

To do nothing is the ultimate insult.

To do nothing is to leave it in the hands of somebody less qualified.

To do nothing is to turn our back on

the patient.

Rejection is just part of the recommendation process.

Do not be afraid of it…

Instead, be afraid of avoiding a

recommendation to the detriment of the pets’ health later on.

Consequences

• Clients believe they are paying for our recommendations and knowledge

• If we do not inform clients when something is wrong, they assume nothing is wrong

• Early detection and preventative treatment are key

• We are the only TRUE advocates

It’s not selling.

If the pet needs it or will benefit from it, If the client needs it or will benefit from it, If the pet and client’s relationship will be

better for it…

Then it’s advocating!

The question isn’t are you selling at every opportunity,

it’s are you advocating at every opportunity?

Perspective is Everything.

Compliance… 2 noteworthy types of compliance Medical Compliance

– A clients’ adherence to a recommended process, protocol or course of treatment for their pet

Regulatory Compliance – The team’s adherence to standards, protocols,

regulations and other requirements

Practice Success

• A successful practice increases compliance by focusing on both client medical compliance and team regulatory compliance

• Most practices focus on client compliance without first evaluating team compliance (and even more specifically, understanding/consistency)

• This lapse in process can dramatically affect your overall client compliance

Common Client Compliance Struggles

• Finances • Perception of value • Perception of necessity • Understanding of circumstance/consequences • Timing • Personal beliefs

It is important to be aware of their mindset, and

even more important to pre-emptively address potential road blocks

State of the Industry

• Great News… clinics “are up!”

• “On average,” clinics are growing!

• Reports indicate pet owners go to the vet once or fewer times a year

• Thank goodness Avril Lavigne got Lyme Disease…

• If it weren’t for dentistry we wouldn’t be doing any surgery at all!!!

The Problem with Benchmarking Industry “averages” are routinely reported, but an

average is meaningless without the range and shape of the distribution (all below represent the same mean)

There is huge variability, every practice is different. The only comparison that matters is the one that compares you to yourself…

Economics: Demand Side

Within the next 20 years Canada’s population of seniors aged 65 and over will double, growing from 14% of the population to 25% (it was 8% 40 years ago)

Canadian Pet market Outlook, 2014

State of the Industry

• Client demographic – baby boomers • Veterinarian demographic – new graduates,

foreign trained, retirement age • Practice demographic - multiple models • Access to information – clients and vet team • External influences – media, marketing • Technology – social media, internet • Medical Advancement • Niche medicine

• Increased number of vets • Increased number of practices • Increased access to services – chip trucks,

spay/neuter clinics (snyp truck), rabies clinics etc.

• Increased hours of operation

Economics: Supply Side

Vs.

Who are the people

& What is this

practice all about

Who are your people

& What is

your company all about

What are the commonalities?

Commonality

• Relatability • Comfort • Trust • Stronger relationship • Honesty • Openness • Forgiveness • Buy-in/Pride …they are more likely to perceive value

Successful Educators are: • confident

• engaging • articulate • relationship driven • knowledgeable (experts in their field) • strong communicators (good listening skills) • able to adjust their style to the styles of

others • aware of best resources • able to set, and stick to, a clear objective

Reps and Veterinarians

What is “Value?”

• Value can be the monetary worth of something

• The fixed cost of something is only part of the

“Value” • Value can have a non-monetary association,

especially in the veterinary world where emotional connections are common

What is “Value” as a Client

• The “value” of a veterinary service – based on the perceived importance of that service

to a pet (life-threatening surgery versus heartworm test)

• The “value” of a veterinary charge

– based on the perceived usefulness of a chargeable item with respect to a particular purpose (a pharmaceutical for an itchy, stinky ear versus a pharmaceutical for parasite prevention)

Is Your Product “Valuable”?

Perception by the Team

• If the team believes in the value (both monetary and non-monetary) of the product, they can confidently convey value

• Any one team member has the ability to put a red flag into a client’s mind with as much as a comment or as little as a facial movement

Consistency

• Key ingredient in a good compliance recipe

• How can we increase team or client compliance if we are all recommending different things?!

• The messaging must be aligned

Always Exceptions to Every Rule

There should still be some predictability in… - How wellness care is selected - How treatment plans are laid out - How medications and food are selected and

prescribed

This allows for general banter, if nothing else, that is in alignment with the recommendations that have been made

Your Role in a Team Meeting

• Have the entire team present

• Teach them what the word “objections” actually refers to… make it a positive that we can identify them and pro-actively discuss them

• Discuss openly what their concerns are with “selling” – have field representatives that are quick on their feet and can support the team through their fears and reservations

Your Role in Providing Support

• As they begin recommending encourage the team to reach out, ask questions, report concerns – always follow up

• If they are only contacted when “numbers” aren’t showing positive outcomes they will be negatively reinforced…

• They see themselves as working hard for you – often they perceive you have “no idea” what it’s like. A thank you and some moral support goes a long way…

Your Role in Their Marketing

• How do they normally connect with their clients?

• What can you do to make your product a part of that process, in their language?

Your Role in Their Marketing • What can you do?

– Ideas for a post on facebook or a blog entry related

to your product/disease condition?

– Is their signage, wording for an email/letter, content that you can provide?

– Do you have a company facebook page that the clinic could “like” and follow for ideas and support?

Support with client-facing key messaging that

THEY can deliver…

Educate Your People

• Do your field team truly understand what being in a practice is like?

• Have they got an appreciation for how much time can realistically be devoted to your product? With this accurate knowledge, can they then – be more pro-active in their approach, – reasonable in their expectations and – supportive in their processes

Change • When changes are implemented, people need

to understand WHY so there is buy-in

• Always enable the team to appreciate changes in the context of a bigger picture whether it be patient care or business health

• Business is not a “dirty” word – a healthy business is what enables us to do right by the animals we want to help care for – find ways to prove this

Allow for Chaos

Habits take time to overcome

Allow for an adjustment period

Then allow for a measurement period

Track any unforeseen circumstances so they do not affect your results

How Do People Learn?

Compliance is based on somebody understanding something is important, and then following through. Their understanding will be based on pre-existing knowledge and experience combined with our explanations… SO… How we teach or explain something to somebody will greatly affect their understanding and thereby their compliance later on.

Learning Styles • Visual - 29% of learners

• Auditory - 34% of learners

• Kinesthetic – 37% of learners

Approximately 20% of learners have a difficult time learning anything that is not presented in their preferred modality.

*Statistics via Learn2 Solutions

“It’s not just a coincidence that the initials KO stand for ‘knockout.’ These kids are ‘knocked out’ of the education system. In every study I have seen regarding ‘kids at risk,’ kinesthetics make up the vast majority of the 26% dropout rate.”

- Michael Grinder

Author of Righting the Educational Conveyor Belt

*Source: Learn2 Solutions Accelerated Learning Program

Visual Auditory Kinesthetic

Enjoys: Reading, watching tv/movies, crosswords…

Listening to the radio, music, plays, debates…

Active pursuits, social and sporting …

Remembers: People/words by sight. Good at spelling but cannot remember order of alphabet unless recited.

People’s names. Good at recalling facts. Likes to talk.

Events.

Directions: Uses a map. Gives verbal directions. Would prefer to lead the way.

Reveals Emotion Through:

Facial expression. Tone of voice. Body language.

Handling Projects: Detail oriented, plans ahead, makes lists, likes to see the big picture.

Talks things through, debates problems, verbal solutions.

Step-by-step, likes to be physically involved.

In Quiet Time: Doodles or stares into space.

Hums or talks quietly to themselves.

Fidgets relentlessly, can’t sit still.

Conducts Business:

On a face-to-face basis. Over the telephone. While doing something else.

Recall: Visual, pictures, reading. Memorizes spoken word. 3-D aids.

Responds Better: Show rather than tell. Hearing vs. Reading. Manipulating objects.

*Adapted from Learn2 Solutions Accelerated Learning Program

Knowing That…

• Try to incorporate all three elements into your process when working with the vets/teams

• Remember this applies to the clients as well

• Having a more focused and engaged client means an increased understanding of conversations and recommendations

Resources…

• Show them HOW to use your tools

• Role playing aside, ensure everybody has an understanding of the key pieces and have been given some language that they can use with clients

• Ask them what they like about the piece… ask them what else they might need. Bridge that gap for them!

Layering

• Information should always be layered

• People remember things better when they are interconnected with other things they already know

• Layering by different people, with different mediums only increases compliance

What Have You Got?!

• Consider helping to create tool kits

• Organize what they have and where they have it, by category

• Enable the team to customize their approach without distraction or reliance on memory in the moment

Oral Health Location Visual/Auditory/Kinesthetic

Poster showing before and after for prophylaxis

Exam room 1 V

Poster showing before and after with food alone

Exam room 2 V

Senani’s Nutrition brochure regarding dental diet

Pharmacy Reception

V and A (read out loud to them) K – put in their hand

Actual kibble for dental food Reception Kitchen

V and K

Sample option for food Reception Exam rooms

K (allow them to give it)

Video on brushing Website www.abc.com V and A

VOHC website www.vohc.org V

Dental light Exam rooms V and K (put it in their hands)

Jaw model Exam rooms V and K (put it in their hands)

Pre-anesthetic bloodwork brochure

Pharmacy V and A (read out loud to them) K – put it in their hand

Stories Help To Advocate

• Personal anecdotes (which team members have what stories)

• Testimonial Albums

• Feature products “Blockbuster” style!

Brainstorm with the team to build their momentum and get them thinking!

What do they need to hear?

Our company recognizes that we can only do well if you do well and can get compliance with your clients so… what can we do together to accomplish that?

What do they need to hear?

What do you think the stumbling blocks will be? What are you excited about? Your success and our success means more animals

got what they deserve – ultimately that’s our mutual goal.

Let’s SELL Together!

Dedication Responsibility Education Attitude Motivation

Senani Ratnayake BSc RVT Motivatum Consulting senani@imotivatum.com imotivatum.com