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Embracing and Talking Change

By Kelly Baltzell

Google.com

"In the last six months alone, we've probably experienced 10 years' worth of change."

Veterinarian using a tablet to show diagnosis to client

Recently, I was researching information on change on the internet and came upon that quote from Google. They have a section called Think With Google, which is a research arm for the company. You can read their findings about the changes we are undergoing here. Considering Google changed its algorithm an average of 10 times a day in 2019, that statement is pretty impactful when thinking about 10 years’ worth of changes in six months.

We have all changed as a society because of COVID-19. When we are buried deep in day-to-day survival, it is hard to take a deep breath, raise our heads above the sea we are swimming in, and take stock. Just because the world is coping with a pandemic does not mean life has been put on hold. Innovation still occurs, perhaps even at a faster clip because many outside distractions have been eliminated.

The veterinary space is starting to see new concepts emerge and some of them could be ground-shaking to our daily life patterns. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that change can be rapid, intense, and uncomfortable. Some changes with emerging technology will influence pet owners’ perceptions and also bring pressure to bear on the veterinary hospital.

How we handle those changes will leave an imprint on pet owners and staff. Taking a moment to think about next steps can help smooth out potential bumps down the road.

There are two forces of change at work.


1. Pet owners are the influencers driving the change with wearable devices.

“...the use of pet wearables offers benefits, such as connecting humans to their pets, in order to track their daily activities and monitor their health using these devices. This monitoring generates data for food intake, heart, and respiratory rate and patterns, and calories burnt by pets during the day. The data generated by these devices is used for analyzing the health of pets. The aforementioned factors are boosting the adoption of pet wearables, which in turn, is propelling the growth of the market studied.“

Read more ›

 

2. And, innovation is driving point-of-care diagnostics.

“The growth of veterinary point-of-care diagnostics is estimated to be driven by the increasing adoption of rapid diagnostic tools by veterinary doctors. Additionally, the increasing awareness regarding the health of pets and livestock are projected to fuel the market of veterinary point-of-care diagnostics. Certain advantages of veterinary point-of-care diagnostics like cost-effectiveness, the flexibility of quantitative and qualitative technology, simplicity of use, and rapidity among others are anticipated to drive the growth of the global veterinary point-of-care diagnostics market. Relaxed regulatory protocols are also among the factors that are expected to propel the growth of the global veterinary point-of-care diagnostics market.”

Read more ›

 

How will you react to this new tidal wave of change coming to your practice? If the practice gets its hackles up over change, pet owners will remember the resistance. Some things to mull over:

  1. First, look within to see how you feel about these upcoming changes. If you are the owner of the veterinary hospital, will your feelings about new areas hamper your practice? Or, are you excited to embrace them and the future they usher through your door?
  2. Do you want to be riding the wave of change or catching up to it? During this time, people have less patience—not more. Plus, pet owners will take some of their cues from your team's new technology. If there is excitement around a new device and way of using it, customers will see it positively.
  3. Do you want to own the narrative e of these new changes or do you want your clients to control it? If you accept that change is coming through your door, that it will influence how you practice, and that pet parents are already using and buying devices, then create your marketing messages around this philosophy. You can navigate and be at the helm of this. If you back away and let consumer demand drive how you innovate, you lose the chance to set the tone of how your practice embraces new innovations. 

If you want help navigating these new waters, give us a call. Beyond Indigo is here to help you and your business through these changing times. Our full-service marketing packages make it easy for you to maintain a relationship with your current clients and reach out to new clients so you can grow. They adjust as your goals shift, which allows you to see results and not to-do lists. We are here to help whether you are open, reopening, or adjusting to the new normal. Call 877.244.9322 ext. 100, or go to https://www.beyondindigopets.com/contact/

Plus, I have a daily Facebook Live show at noon Central for 15 minutes. We already have 100+ shows for you to view. Featured, are hospitals, industry experts, and Beyond Indigo team members. The focus is content that applies to hospitals at the moment to help them adapt to the changes occurring. To see the current week's schedule, go to https://www.beyondindigopets.com/ and look halfway down.


About The Author

Kelly Baltzell
President and CEO
Beyond Indigo
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