No marketing plan, no profits

Have you ever craved ice cream after watching a late-night fast food commercial? Or bought a new shirt after noticing the great price in the store's weekly ad? That's marketing at work. On a similar note, you have to give clients a reason to come to your practice for their pets' medical needs.

 Unfortunately, too few practices develop a comprehensive marketing plan. In fact, just 8 percent of the practices we surveyed have a written plan for the year. “Many practices have no idea how to do it,” says Karen Gavzer, MBA, CVPM, a practice management consultant in Springboro, Ohio. They don't see the value in it and they don't know how. Here's how failing to do so can hurt your practice, especially in today's economy:

1. Your clients won't care. Developing a bond with clients is the most important thing you can do to build your practice, Gavzer says. The right marketing creates empathy and a positive emotional connection. The wrong marketing does the opposite. For example, don't have all team members sign cards to send to clients whose who had surgery. “How do you think they're going to feel when they receive a generic card covered in signatures?” Gavzer says. “This type of mindless marketing is a disaster.” Instead, have a team member call the client to see how the patient is doing.

2. You'll throw away money. Some practices gladly pay companies to develop a Web site or a TV commercial for their practice. Despite their well-intentioned efforts, these practice owners often lack follow-through. “They never track the results or search for a return on investment,” Gavzer says. If you don't monitor the outcome of your marketing, you might be wasting valuable resources on ineffective efforts.

3. Expensive equipment could go to waste. You just bought a great laser system, and you have grand plans for how you'll help your patients. Guess what? If your clients aren't aware of your new capabilities, all that money will go to waste. “Ask yourself, ‘How does this equipment fit in with where we're going as a practice?'” Gavzer says. “The number one tool you have is marketing. How will you build it into your business so the equipment will pay for itself?”

Here are three strategies for developing a smart marketing plan:

1. Figure out who you are. Look at your mission statement. This should reflect your “spirit” as well as your service concept. Ask team members what the words in the mission statement mean to them and how they think the practice brings those words to life. Also, determine your practice's “personality.” Are you cutting-edge? All about pets? An affordable healthcare option? In other words, what makes you stand out from other practices?

2. Put clients' minds at ease. One major aspect of marketing is making sure you look and sound as good as the medicine you practice. How prominent is your location and signage? How does the building look-both inside and out? What about the landscaping? Make sure your phones are adequately manned-no one likes to be put on hold. Give team members the training they need to communicate well with clients and care for pets. Finally, make sure your Web site is up-to-date and contains current contact information.

3. Build your brand. All of your marketing components-your logo, sign, stationery, handouts, Web site, newsletter, and business cards-should have a consistent look and feel so that when people see them, they think of your practice. And branding extends to your people. Team members should communicate well and convey a sense of teamwork. Finally, consider investing in coordinating uniforms embroidered with your practice's logo.