When it comes to having financial conversations with pet owners, many of us want to run and hide. But, having that conversation is necessary for our business to thrive.

Here are a few tips for making financial conversations go a little smoother:

Know the value of your services

Yes this means in dollars, but more importantly the value of the service to the pet. When working with financial limits, its important to know the diagnostic value of each test or diagnostic tool you want to utilize.

Will the test rule out anything for certain or is it another grey area? You want to know which diagnostics will bring you closer to a diagnosis that allows you to alleviate the pet’s suffering without draining your client’s wallet.

Understand the situation

Even though its uncomfortable, it is so important to establish what the financials are early on so that future frustration is avoided later, after you’ve already done the tests. It can be an embarrassing or touchy subject for some, but if you have the right tools in your pocket, a middle ground can be achieved, and the pet can receive adequate care.

New payment plan options such as the four equal payments with no interest are starting to be offered in veterinary clinics such as ScratchPay, the same way they are popping up for online purchasing. There are also healthcare credit cards like CareCredit that allow 6 months interest free payments – and payments can go on longer but then interest applies. There are also crowdfunding websites like Waggle available if your client so chooses, for family and friends to donate to their pet’s medical expenses.

Communication

We are taught in school to create these expansive diagnostic work up plans for each patient – and rightly so. It is important though, to be able to communicate why different procedures or diagnostics would be helpful and be able to pair down a plan in order to meet the client’s needs.

Sitting eye to eye, making eye contact, and smiling, are forms of body language that create a sense of teamwork and family between you and the client. Building a solid foundation of trust and understanding through multiple visits can have a huge impact when it’s time to make bigger money decisions.