Merchandising Strategies that Drive Sales and Protect Pets
September 6, 2016
Prompt pet owners to use flea and tick products. 1 Try these merchandising strategies, which can drive sales and get more pets the protection they need.
By Wendy Myers, President, Communication Solutions for Veterinarians
At check-in, ask every client whether she needs medication or food refills. Check your practice-management software to identify other pets at home. Although the client may be visiting with her dog today, her cat at home needs a refill on its therapeutic diet and/or preventatives. Besides saving the client a return trip to your clinic, this technique improves compliance.
Say, “Good morning, <client name>. I will let the doctor and technician know that you’ve arrived for your preventive care exam. I see that <pet’s name> needs a refill on his Heartgard® Plus today. Because <pet’s name> loves Heartgard® Plus, we have a new prescription beefy chew for flea and tick protection called NexGardTM.The doctor and technician will explain it during your exam.”
Promote the dollar value of free doses and rebates. Free equals zero unless you explain the value. Assign a dollar value such as, “When you buy a six pack of FRONTLINE® Plus, you’ll get two doses free—a value of $40” or “When you buy 12 doses of Heartgard® Plus, you’ll get $12 back from a mail-in rebate. That lowers your dog’s medication from $90 to $78.” These statements promote the benefits of buying medications from your in-clinic pharmacy.
Bring products into exam rooms. When you offer products in exam rooms, clients perceive them as medicine. When products are sold at the front desk, they’re assumed to be retail. Enter charges in clients’ records when you fill medications in your pharmacy. After the doctor has finished his exam, the technician can return to the exam room with medications. Say, “<Client name>, here are your refills of Heartgard® Plus and FRONTLINE® Plus. I’ve put a label on each so you’ll remember when and how to give the medications. What questions can I answer about the flea/tick and heartworm preventatives?”
Because a dental diet may be part of ongoing therapy, bring the therapeutic diet into the exam room when discharging dental patients. Tell the client, “Because your pet was treated for dental disease today, he needs to eat this therapeutic diet to maintain his oral health. Let me explain how to transition to the new food and also tell you how much to feed.” Put a prescription label on the diet, which has the pet’s name, how much to feed and where to get refills.
Put labels on every prescription and over-the-counter product. Labels include the patient name, dosing instructions and where to buy refills (from your hospital, of course!). Include your hospital’s phone number and website on the prescription label.
Promote the value of manufacturers’ coupons and rebates. Did you know 95% of Americans use coupons when shopping?2 When clients buy 12 months of Heartgard® Plus and six months of FRONTLINE® Plus, they can qualify for a $50 rebate. Let clients know about the rebate at check-in.
Educate clients about the cost of treatment vs. prevention. Create a counter display and then take a photo to share on social media. Many clients don’t know the significant expense of heartworm treatment. In addition to client conversations, share this information on bulletin boards, your practice’s website, Facebook and message on hold. Post a sign that says, “You could buy 11 years of heartworm prevention and pay less than treating your dog one time for deadly heartworms” and glue 11 empty boxes of heartworm preventatives together for a counter display.
Remember, your team isn’t just selling products. You’re selling protection from expensive and potentially deadly diseases. Have a staff meeting to discuss how you’ll take a proactive approach to protect more pets.
1 Ticks, other parasites encroaching on new territories, CAPC says. Accessed 04-21-14 at http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Parasitology+Center/Ticks-other-parasites-encroaching-on-new-territori/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/839727?contextCategoryId=46659.
2 Coupon Use Still Prevalent Among American Consumers, Linkable Networks, April 3, 2013. Accessed on 03-25-14 at http://linkablenetworks.com/2013/04/08/coupon-use-still-prevalent-among-american-consumers/.
About the Author
Wendy S. Myers owns Communication Solutions for Veterinarians and is a partner in Animal Hospital Specialty Center, a 10-doctor AAHA-accredited referral practice in Highlands Ranch, Colo. Her new book is 101 Communication Skills for Veterinary Teams. She helps teams improve compliance and client service through consulting, seminars and webinars. Wendy is an instruction in the AAHA Veterinary Management School. You can reach her at [email protected] or www.csvets.com.
By Wendy Myers, President, Communication Solutions for Veterinarians
At check-in, ask every client whether she needs medication or food refills. Check your practice-management software to identify other pets at home. Although the client may be visiting with her dog today, her cat at home needs a refill on its therapeutic diet and/or preventatives. Besides saving the client a return trip to your clinic, this technique improves compliance.
Say, “Good morning, <client name>. I will let the doctor and technician know that you’ve arrived for your preventive care exam. I see that <pet’s name> needs a refill on his Heartgard® Plus today. Because <pet’s name> loves Heartgard® Plus, we have a new prescription beefy chew for flea and tick protection called NexGardTM.The doctor and technician will explain it during your exam.”
Promote the dollar value of free doses and rebates. Free equals zero unless you explain the value. Assign a dollar value such as, “When you buy a six pack of FRONTLINE® Plus, you’ll get two doses free—a value of $40” or “When you buy 12 doses of Heartgard® Plus, you’ll get $12 back from a mail-in rebate. That lowers your dog’s medication from $90 to $78.” These statements promote the benefits of buying medications from your in-clinic pharmacy.
Bring products into exam rooms. When you offer products in exam rooms, clients perceive them as medicine. When products are sold at the front desk, they’re assumed to be retail. Enter charges in clients’ records when you fill medications in your pharmacy. After the doctor has finished his exam, the technician can return to the exam room with medications. Say, “<Client name>, here are your refills of Heartgard® Plus and FRONTLINE® Plus. I’ve put a label on each so you’ll remember when and how to give the medications. What questions can I answer about the flea/tick and heartworm preventatives?”
Because a dental diet may be part of ongoing therapy, bring the therapeutic diet into the exam room when discharging dental patients. Tell the client, “Because your pet was treated for dental disease today, he needs to eat this therapeutic diet to maintain his oral health. Let me explain how to transition to the new food and also tell you how much to feed.” Put a prescription label on the diet, which has the pet’s name, how much to feed and where to get refills.
Put labels on every prescription and over-the-counter product. Labels include the patient name, dosing instructions and where to buy refills (from your hospital, of course!). Include your hospital’s phone number and website on the prescription label.
Promote the value of manufacturers’ coupons and rebates. Did you know 95% of Americans use coupons when shopping?2 When clients buy 12 months of Heartgard® Plus and six months of FRONTLINE® Plus, they can qualify for a $50 rebate. Let clients know about the rebate at check-in.
Educate clients about the cost of treatment vs. prevention. Create a counter display and then take a photo to share on social media. Many clients don’t know the significant expense of heartworm treatment. In addition to client conversations, share this information on bulletin boards, your practice’s website, Facebook and message on hold. Post a sign that says, “You could buy 11 years of heartworm prevention and pay less than treating your dog one time for deadly heartworms” and glue 11 empty boxes of heartworm preventatives together for a counter display.
Remember, your team isn’t just selling products. You’re selling protection from expensive and potentially deadly diseases. Have a staff meeting to discuss how you’ll take a proactive approach to protect more pets.
1 Ticks, other parasites encroaching on new territories, CAPC says. Accessed 04-21-14 at http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Parasitology+Center/Ticks-other-parasites-encroaching-on-new-territori/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/839727?contextCategoryId=46659.
2 Coupon Use Still Prevalent Among American Consumers, Linkable Networks, April 3, 2013. Accessed on 03-25-14 at http://linkablenetworks.com/2013/04/08/coupon-use-still-prevalent-among-american-consumers/.
About the Author
Wendy S. Myers owns Communication Solutions for Veterinarians and is a partner in Animal Hospital Specialty Center, a 10-doctor AAHA-accredited referral practice in Highlands Ranch, Colo. Her new book is 101 Communication Skills for Veterinary Teams. She helps teams improve compliance and client service through consulting, seminars and webinars. Wendy is an instruction in the AAHA Veterinary Management School. You can reach her at [email protected] or www.csvets.com.
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