Don't become a commodity

A few weeks ago, I was on a dairy farm discussing herd performance and nutrition with the owner.

I inquired about fresh cow health, and he told me it had been quite good. He then added, "I have Dr. Jones coming to treat a milk fever this morning, but she is the first cow to have any problems in quite a while". I know Dr. Jones, and commented that I thought he was an excellent practitioner.

"Yes, I think highly of him. When he first came out of vet school, he joined the practice we were using at that time. He left them after a couple of years, and moved out of the area for a while. Then when he returned and started his own practice, I started using him right away. In fact, he recently told me that I was his very first client!"

As I left the farm, I reflected on the events that must have transpired 20 some years earlier. Dr. Jones had graduated from veterinary college at about the same time as I, and had joined a practice near the one where I began. The practices were far enough apart that we did not "compete" for clients, but were close enough for us to occasionally visit and communicate back and forth.

I had forgotten that Dr. Jones had moved away, but did recall him launching his own practice back in the seventies. A non-compete clause with his original employer had probably necessitated his leaving the area for a while. When he returned, something caused this dairyman to begin calling him instead of his former practice. What would cause the client to do that?

The answer could be any number of factors, ranging from the client's perception of his technical skills, to his personality, to some negative experience with the other practice, or to a difference in fees. The important point is that producers do have a preference in veterinarians, and will switch to get the type of service they desire. The same concept applies to nutritionists and all other service providers.

I am raising this point because I think it is important to practice growth and prosperity. We need to guard against becoming a commodity.

A commodity is defined as "a product or service for which substitutes are readily available". If we simply go to the farm and perform the requested technical services, then another veterinarian or a trained lay person that can provide the same service easily replaces us.

The alternative to being a commodity is to provide value above and beyond the requested task. This occurs when we look at each client as an individual with special needs and concerns. If we consciously strive to learn those needs and concerns, and then respond to them, the client associates us with a greater value. This breeds loyalty.

Suppose you are at a farm for the usual monthly herd exams. You do the palpations, and the producer asks you to examine a cow off feed. You do so, make a diagnosis, and administer the appropriate treatment. As you begin to clean up at the completion of the visit, the client says "My somatic cell count has gone up quite a bit this summer. Do you think that is mostly do to the heat and humidity?"

Your answer to this question will do a lot to define you as a commodity, easily replaced, or as an "extra value", worth retaining. You may simply say, "Yes, high heat and humidity make an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply. Many dairymen have seen higher cell counts this summer. Yours will probably come down now that things have cooled off." That reply will get you on the road to your next call quickly. If that is your desire, then it is the right choice.

An alternative is to proceed in this manner. "Yes, high heat and humidity make an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply. Many dairymen have seen elevated somatic cell counts this summer. However, there are some things you can do to lessen the impact of the heat."

From there, you can review stall maintenance, bedding choices, udder preparation, vaccination possibilities, calving facilities and other herd management protocols that impact udder health. You might offer to make a milking time visit to evaluate the mastitis control program on this farm.

The time you spend discussing mastitis control is all billable time. I never had a client object to paying for advice, when it was delivered in the manner listed above. A vital part of the scenario is that the producer raised the concern, thus indicating it was important to him. If we deliver a spontaneous lecture on a subject in which the client has no interest, do not expect him or her to readily pay for that advice.

Besides the value of providing useful information, there is a second, perhaps more important reason to use the alternative response. In doing so, you demonsrate that you care about this person. When any of us visit a physician, or attorney, or accountant, we like to feel that we are important to that person. If they take time to respond to us in a manner that shows they care, we are far more likely to retain them for future service. If we perceive that they are brushing off our concerns, then we may shop around, even if our immediate needs were met.

Take a minute and reflect on your typical farm calls. Could someone with equivalent technical skills easily replace you? Or do you provide some "extras" that add value and make you special?