building your practice with imaging
that they know what a good job your staff did and how your
investment in technology has made radiography an even
better tool to diagnose their pet. Don't just jump straight to
that liver mass! Orient the owner (most have no idea where
the head or heart is or should be). Point out the fine details,
and give the pet owner a chance to see how much information
you really get from that image. Manipulate the contrast in front
of them, and explain that you could not do that with film.
In some cases, such as in a practice brochure, space is at a
premium, and you need to communicate how your radiology
services can help your patients, and bring your clients peace of
mind, in a short paragraph or list, alongside an easy-to-understand
image with a clear caption.
It may seem silly to think of marketing a service after you've
sold it, but what you are really doing is preselling your services
for the next time you recommend radiographs. You are also
building your own credibility at the same time, making it easier
for clients to accept other recommendations.
and lets you highlight your digital radiography and its
advantages without sounding "salesy."
Send the right message
From Marketing 101 (you remember, one of the classes we
didn’t have in vet school): it's not about you. Realize that your
clients don’t really care about your extended tube life, or how
it makes your life easier to lose the darkroom. They care about
how it benefits them and their pets – about less radiation and
how better images lead to better, faster diagnoses.
In other venues, such as your website, newsletter or Facebook
posts, telling a short story to go with an image will be much more
effective. This engages your reader – everyone loves a story –
As I said, we’ll cover brochures, websites, Facebook pages,
newsletters, and even basic image manipulation (cropping,
resizing, adding text) in upcoming issues. For now, make sure
your staff is really on board, and start talking to your clients!
Dr. LoSasso is a 20-year veteran of the veterinary trenches.
In addition to his role as Chief of Staff of a busy emergency
practice, he helps his colleagues market their services
through an e-newsletter service. To learn more, visit
http://newslettersforvets.com.
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