How to improve your therapeutic diet recommendations

Q. How do I get my team to help encourage client compliance with nutrition recommendations?

The first thing you need to do is create focus for your team by selecting no more than one or two brands to recommend, says Brian Conrad, CVPM, practice manager for Meadow Hills Veterinary Center in Kennewick, Wash.

Then you need to train your staff on the products you've selected, says Conrad. Once the staff is educated on the superiority and details of the diets, they will exude confidence when making the recommendation.

"Use the reps from these companies and have them meet with your staff in small groups," Conrad says. "The staff will feel more important and stay attentive in small groups. Then role-play what they will say to clients."

Conrad says it's more important to practice practical conversations in training. Clients don't care about protein levels or moisture content. What clients do want is bullet points or short summaries on why and how this recommended food is going to help their pet live a healthy life for years to come.

Then make sure you carry the products, Conrad says. Don't send them to a megastore to search out a specific product. Also, make sure you have samples in the exam rooms. Clients want to be able to see, feel and touch products. There's nothing worse than making a recommendation and then expecting the client to leave your clinic and find it.

Lastly, give clients a 100-percent guarantee on the products, Conrad says. Let them bring it back, no questions asked, for a full refund. Make sure you work with companies that take back products easily and efficiently, without a lot of restrictions or questions asked.