The secret lives of vet techsOctober 6, 2017Veterinary technicians are dedicated professionals that possess very special sets of skills. However, in honor of National Technician Week, Oct. 15-21, I wanted to highlight several technicians who have developed skills well beyond those they display daily at their small animal practices. Veterinary technicians' work and personal lives run the gamut: some work in the pharmaceutical industry, for associations, and in the army. Others work at human hospitals, in journalism, and in startup businesses. Some are avid collectors or are obsessed with popular culture, and others have culinary skills impressive enough to compete on national television. Here, though, I chose to focus on a few veterinary techs who enjoy more physical hobbies. One would never guess at their passions upon first meeting them—they are humble in spite of their surprising and extreme skills. Here are their fascinating stories. Kerri "I'm very active outside of work. I gained interest in weight training about three years ago, initially as a means to get in better shape. But the more I did it, the more I enjoyed it. Eventually, it turned into a passion. I don't see it as a chore—I looked forward to it. "I've learned a lot along the way, not …
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Could your practice use a CWO?September 11, 2017Until recently, there were: The CEO, or chief executive officer; The CFO, or chief financial officer; The CIO, or chief information officer; The CTO, or chief technology officer; And a few others (CSO, CCO, and CKO anybody*?) I recently heard of the CWO, aka Chief WOW Officer, aka Director of WOW, as Nido Qubein calls it. The businessman and motivational speaker is currently the President of High Point University, an amazing private liberal arts university in High Point, North Carolina. Of course, there is a CWO at High Point. His job is to identify the un-WOW on campus, and turn it into WOW to improve the students' experience. Here are a few of the services provided. Each one honors an important value: • There is an ice cream truck on campus, and a bubble-gum machine at the entrance of the Dean's door (value: generosity). • Students can have a free car wash on week-ends to forget the dust caused by an extensive construction project (value: respect for others' property). • Valet parking for students after 9 pm (value: safety). • Live music at the cafeteria (value: rock 'n' roll forever?). Similar creative …
Follow the 8 secret ingredients to successSeptember 8, 2017In an extremely popular TED talk, Richard St. John, a former marketing and communication expert turned speaker, and author in Toronto, shared his secrets to reaching sustained success.
How call tracking barks up business for veterinariansSeptember 8, 2017There's no denying that veterinarians are dedicated to their craft. Animal care is complex and leaves little time for marketing—after all, a veterinarian belongs in the field, not at a desk. Regardless of the difficulties of veterinary work, owners will accept nothing less than the best for their pets. Ninety percent of pet owners regard their pets as family and have the same health care experience expectations as they would for a child or spouse. Confusing or inconsistent advertising can dissuade pet owners from a choosing a veterinarian—there's no kidding around with animal health. Some veterinarians are prioritizing better companion care through partnership with third-party providers. While outsourcing the business side of a practice alleviates major marketing responsibilities, as well as other routine tasks like accounting and human resources, it does not solve the entire problem for vets. If these campaigns are still based on gut decisions rather than data, there's little opportunity for vets to improve their marketing efforts over time. Call-tracking and analytics solutions remove the guesswork from attribution, even between online and offline efforts. As vets begin to understand which marketing channels are actually driving leads, they can adapt their advertising …
How veterinary teams can unleash their full potentialAugust 24, 2017Did you know you are supported in reaching your fullest potential in veterinary medicine? Veterinary team members are encouraged to design, create and find support for their careers so that each may reach new heights in job satisfaction, fulfillment and prosperity.
Get clients off their phones and in the momentAugust 24, 2017How many times have you experienced this: While you explain your exam findings, a client’s fingers are pounding out text messages. Plenty? Well, prepare for more of the same.
Why standing tall in the veterinary profession safeguards you against vulnerabilityAugust 9, 2017All of us have a story to tell about what led us to become veterinarians. For me, the thought “I want to be a veterinarian” first entered my mind about 55 years ago, when I was a 7-year-old boy living on a small farm in rural Southern Idaho.
The one vet student story you need to read todayJuly 5, 2017Here at Veterinary Practice News, we know animals eat weird stuff sometimes. You just have to look at our annual “They Ate What?!” contest to get an idea of the whole range of weird stuff animals can eat.
Conversation starters for the shy and introverted vet, vet techJune 14, 2017According to various personality tests, most vets (and techs) are introverts. After all, most vets (and techs) secretly prefer animals to people (shocking). Little did we know that we would have to interact with clients, colleagues, coworkers, receptionists and vendors far more than with animals.
One vet's view of this year's conferencesMay 19, 2017Every spring I put pen to paper on the issue of veterinary conferencing. Whether my annual exertions delight, confound or dismay (I’ve heard it all), no more entertaining veterinary writing opportunities exist beyond the thoroughly engrossing topic of veterinary exceptionalism as epitomized by our profession’s largest national conferences (NAVC and WVC).
