Know Who You Are -

Know who you are.  These “words to live by” in your personal life are also important in your professional life. You cannot be all things to all people. It’s only when you and your hospital know who you are and what you stand for that you can communicate that message clearly and effectively to your clients. 

 To be successful, every hospital should “brand” itself by choosing the 3 to 4 words you want clients to associate with your hospital. The choice is up to you, but words like “professional”, “caring”, and “thorough” will get you started. Make this choice a hospital-wide exercise and involve everyone on the team in the process. It’s critical that they all buy in and understand this “brand” or they won’t be effective in communicating it between themselves and to your clients.

 Once you’ve decided on your “brand”(your three words), make sure it’s reflected in everything a client sees or reads about you. It may be something you want to incorporate into your logo, you’ll definitely want to include these words in any advertising you place and make sure you place the message on your hand-outs and mailers, on your packaging and in your reception area. Your exam rooms should be designed and laid out with your brand in mind. Even your receipts should carry the theme.

 Everyone on the health care team must know how to put this message into action and understand how the message impacts client interactions. If the team is in on the choice, they’ll be more likely to follow through on the execution. Staff meetings are the place to work with everyone to understand how the words give life to the team’s workplace performance. Have each team member brainstorm about how they will demonstrate these attributes. For example, “If I’m a caring receptionist, what would I do?” or “Being a thorough technician, means I make sure _________ and _________ are done …”

 As you create and implement your marketing programs, make sure they reinforce the message that you are (for example) a “caring, compassionate” hospital. Think about the services in your marketing plan and communicate the connection between the medical reason for the service and the “care and compassion” it shows for the client and their pet. Consider how the products you offer tie into your brand.

 You may develop new services and products that can strengthen the clients’ perception of you as “caring and compassionate”. One program example is “Dental Disease Management” – where clients learn that caring for their pet’s teeth makes the pet more comfortable, reduces the chance for disease, and can add years to a pet’s life. Another example would be “Senior Longevity Programs” – where clients are educated about healthy aging, which keeps people and their pets together longer.

 Developing programs is another great area for brainstorming and team involvement. “If we’re a caring hospital, what other services should we be offering?” A health care team member might offer the idea, “We could create a program for micro-chipping so a pet would never be lost and homeless.”

 Everyone on your health care team who interacts with clients on a regular basis can offer ideas of how to demonstrate those three key words, so take advantage of your team’s interaction and energy! During meetings, find new ways to energize your hospital and look for new ways to create and inspire client loyalty.

 Write it, print it, say it, brand it! Carry through with every action, and remind each other daily of the importance of those words to the success of your hospital and its ability to provide quality medical care for every pet that comes through your door.