Customize your veterinary clientele through marketingand soul searching

Think of your favorite clients-the ones who love it when you practice the best way you know how. Now imagine an entire client base populated with pet owners whose ideas of service are aligned precisely with what you have to offer.

That's exactly what Fetch dvm360 conference speaker Kathryn Primm, DVM, did when she opened Applebrook Animal Hospital. She consciously selected for her customers-even against the advice of her own business-minded parents:

"They wanted me to just see anybody that came in the door. My dad said, ‘If they have a dollar, let's do it-let's get 'em in.' But that was not commensurate with what I felt like I was building as my practice culture,” she says.

Love your clients? Make sure they love you back

Dr. Primm goes old school with thank you cards.

Would your clients be amazed to receive a text from their pet? Listen to Mark Opperman, CVPM.

Here's another great techie pic tip from Dr. Shawn Finch.

So how did she do it? Her first step was to realize that, regardless of the underlying medicine, “client handling” is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Then it became a matter of reflecting on what she found most rewarding.

“[It] was really almost like a self-exploration of what I like to do and what makes me feel good at the end of the day,” she says.

Then it was a matter of messaging. Dr. Primm says she shapes her marketing to reflect her style of care: thorough, passionate, in-depth.

Watch the video to hear more.