Beyond brochures
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Those of you who are old enough to remember, think back to the early 1990s—when Seinfeld's TV ratings were soaring and President Bill Clinton was settling into the White House. While not as glamorous, that's also
when most of us in the veterinary healthcare world started using the occult heartworm test instead of the Knott's filter test.
At about that same time, a multitude of heartworm preventives and flea control products hit the market, changing the way we
practice medicine.
Because of this product influx, our practice felt the need to educate our clients, explain the heartworm life cycle, discuss
the two heartworm tests, and point out the differences among the heartworm and flea products available. In order to educate
our clients effectively over the last 13 years, our clinic has expanded on the typical reminder card and put special emphasis
on annual heartworm and flea reminders. During that time, we've come a long way in the design and overall look of our reminders.
Instead of the typical 3-by-5 postcard from the dark ages, we create brochures to mail to clients. These brochures let us
thoroughly explain the technical aspects of parasite-related diseases, the tests to detect them, and the products to control
them. Maybe some of our ideas could work for you too.
Getting started
Hey, Mr. Postman: Brochures like this one double as a mailer to help you stay in touch with clients.
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Let's take heartworm disease, for example. In our brochure, we list each preventive individually with bullet points explaining
its benefits. We include information such as how it's administered (chewable, tablet, topical, etc.), which intestinal parasites
it controls, how often it's given, and so on. We also list the prices for each product and what the client can expect to pay
for a year's worth of preventive. At the end of the brochure, we include a call to action, encouraging the client to visit
the practice for an appointment and purchase the product of his or her choice. This way, the doctor and the educated client
make a decision together—which we've found increases client buy-in and compliance. When deciding on a product, we take into
account the client's individual circumstances: other pets, geographical location, and financial limitations.
After we sent the brochure out to our client base the first time, we immediately noticed an increase in our clients' heartworm
IQ. They came in for an appointment, had the test of their choice performed, and requested the product they wanted based on
the information in the brochure. The brochure gives the client a chance to evaluate the benefits of each product—and weigh
the benefits against the cost—in the comfort of his or her home. Too often we ask clients to make split decisions in the exam
room, so mailing this brochure saves us a lot of time. And we always keep extra brochures on hand so we can educate new clients.
Our whole team understands that most clients can prioritize each product's benefits based on their concerns.
This is just like ordering a pizza—really. I decide what topping I want on my pizza, but if the sausage is really spicy, I
appreciate it if the waiter lets me know. Clients are the same way; they may hate administering pills but are OK with a topical
medication. Based on our discussion, the client and the doctor agree on what fits the client's concerns and needs. Clients
love this approach. After they make a decision, we validate it.
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