Let's say you attended some terrific sessions at CVC Central at the end of August. And you learned about a terrific new
product or service. You're excited about offering this great option to your clients. You couldn't wait to get back to the
practice and share what you learned with your team. But when you got back, no one else was interested. And now the product
sits on the shelf or the service never gets offered. Sound familiar?
Well, chances are the problem isn't with the product or service, but with your approach. Take these steps anytime you decide
to incorporate a new product or service to ensure success.
Research your addition
The first step: Learn all you can about the product or service and how it works. Compare the product with similar products
on the market. Is this the best? Will it fit well with other products and services that you're providing? Does the company
you're purchasing from provide professional, reliable service and stand behind its product? When possible, talk to other practices that purchased the product or offered the new service about how well it works. And
don't forget to ask whether they've been pleased with the quality and timeliness of the support services the company provided.
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It's also important to determine whether adding the new product or service will add another profit center to your practice.
For example, if you're adding a new line of diets, are you duplicating ones that you already offer? If so, are you just increasing
your inventory? Or will the change add a new dimension to your nutritional offerings? Educate your team and build buy-in
Once you've decided on a new product or service, hold a team meeting. You might invite the company representative to present
his or her product and do an in-clinic seminar. The representative can teach doctors and team members how to use the product
or service. Some companies may also offer advice from veterinarians or specially trained individuals that are experts at using
the product or service.
Also consider hands-on demonstrations that let team members see the product used. You might even ask employees to bring their
pets to the hospital for the meeting so they can try the new product or service.
At one practice, several team members brought their pets in to try a new dental product. The team members saw first-hand how
wonderful this product was so they supported it immediately. As a side benefit, I believe these team members will also recommend
the product to clients with confidence. After all, they can say, "I've used this product on my pet and it's great!"
You could also invite someone who's successfully using the product or service in his or her practice to visit yours. Testimonials
pack a lot of power.
I know of one practice owner who wanted to introduce some alternative medical procedures. Most of the team was skeptical.
The doctor invited a veterinarian from another practice to visit and perform the procedure on an employee's pet, with her
permission, of course. The pet responded to the procedure better than expected, and guess what? This experience turned the
skeptics into believers.
As an alternative, you might send some of your team members to another practice that's using the product or service. Seeing
a successful implementation can help to ensure success in your practice. The bottom line: Your team must believe in the product
or service you're introducing.
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