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Morgan J. McArthur for The
Veterinarian
If you haven’t had any new business
ideas lately I suggest that you go out and steal some.
Sorry, I meant to say find some that
intrigue you and then adapt them to your business.
If we look only within the veterinary
profession for ideas on how to get new customers, retain the ones we
already have or provide them with better service we’ll only get an
inbred look at what’s possible. Even if we look at other
professions - accountants, lawyers and physicians - to see what
they’re doing we’ll still miss the best that the world has to
offer.
I marvel at the creativity found in
advertising campaigns. I saw a billboard the other day promoting pet
population control. It showed a photo of a friendly cat looking back
toward the camera, a yellow Post-it note affixed beneath its tail.
The note said simply, “Tom called at 1:30 AM.” I howled! At the
bottom, in small letters, it read: “de-sex your pet before it’s
too late.” Message received, enjoyed, and remembered.
I don’t know for sure who paid for
that sign. Is there a way that you could take advantage of this
clever campaign? Could you offer to partner with the organisation
that created it? Could you find out where and when the ads might run
in publications and have one of your own within convenient reading
distance? Is it worth investigating? Probably.
Why not look to unrelated industries
for ideas? The frequent flyer program used with great success by the
airlines is fantastic. Adapt it for yourself as a means of
incentivizing customer loyalty. Oh sure, anybody can see what you’re
trying to do. So what? It works. I know at least one clinic that is
implementing their own in-house version with redemption options for
merchandise and services. Done the right way, with the customer in
mind, and marketed well it can work.
Good ideas are everywhere. If you don’t
believe me, look for yourself. Write seven of them down every week.
Encourage your staff to look for innovations in customer capture,
retention, or service and to write them down. Then, in the forum of
your regular staff meeting, encourage people to share their
observations. Brainstorm how some of those ideas can be adapted and
implemented. You and your business will be stimulated and you’ll
find that stealing was never so easy. Or fun.
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