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Amanda Donnelly

Amanda Donnelly

DVM, MBA

About the Author

Talk the Talk columnist Dr. Amanda L. Donnelly is a speaker, business consultant and second-generation veterinarian. She combines her practice experience and business expertise to help veterinarians communicate better with their teams and clients. She is the author of “Leading and Managing Veterinary Teams: The Definitive Guide to Veterinary Practice Management.” Learn more at amandadonnellydvm.com

Written By This Author

Client Communication

Soothing the Angry Pet Owner

You’re more likely to defuse a situation if you understand why clients become irritated.

Practice Management

When Team Members Resist Change

You can train your staff to be more positive during client interaction. Unfortunately, with some, it might take extra work.

Client Communication

Make a Beeline for Felines

Cats and their owners often don’t get the attention they merit.

Client Communication

As Prices Rise, Compliance Can Fall

Practice leaders should identify the shortcomings and work with the entire team to turn things around.

Client Communication

How to Temper Your Voice and the Client’s

Managing difficult conversations gets easier if you substitute defensive responses with empathy and nonjudgmental statements.

Client Communication

Poor Communication Can Bite You

To get more clients on board with year-round flea and tick preventives, capture their attention in meaningful ways.

Client Communication

The Power of a Question

A client’s simple “yes” and “no” responses often won’t get the job done if you aim to improve loyalty and compliance.

Client Communication

Trust the Process

To improve client communications, start by spotting the holes in your practice, training everyone properly and practicing the skills.

Client Communication

Get the Word Out

Your use of language that resonates with clients can help more pets get the care they deserve.

Client Communication

Gen M

Millennials want to feel connected to a business and be at the center of the service experience more than older generations do.

Client Communication

Just Say No? No!

When faced with situations that call for a “no” or “not now,” state early in the conversation that you want to help and will try to do whatever you can to assist the pet owner.

Client Communication

The Unspoken Truth

Pet owners can signal their thoughts and feelings through nonverbal communication.

Client Communication

The Gift of Gab

Practice leaders don’t always fully appreciate the link between efficiency and providing the training that CSRs need to excel.

Client Communication

It’s About Time

An easy way to fix inefficient client communications is team training.

Client Communication

Words Matter

Changing communication habits takes dedication, but team members who put in time and effort will be rewarded.

Client Communication

The Client’s Perspective

Five specific communication skills can help the veterinary team maintain a strong connection with pet owners, especially during difficult times. 

Client Communication

Advice That Pays for Itself

Cash-strapped clients want to provide appropriate veterinary care for their pets, and many of them are open to frank discussions about money. Be ready to propose a few financial options.

Practice Management

Improve the Client Experience

Do you need to change your hospital’s systems or the people you employ? Evaluating standards, protocols and training programs will get you started.

Client Communication

Be a Guiding Light

Communicating resilience, hope, compassion and empathy during a crisis builds strong bonds between a veterinary hospital and its employees and clients.

Client Communication

Don’t Confuse the Issue

Shared decision-making between the veterinary team and pet owner promotes better patient outcomes.

Staff Training

Oral Agreements

Improve your staff training and enhance your marketing to persuade more clients to follow your dental care recommendations.

Client Communication

A group effort

Improving client education and compliance requires proper training of the entire veterinary team. Accurate and consistent messaging is key.

Client Communication

The Value of Empathy

Actively listening and focusing on feelings are keys to building stronger client relationships in veterinary practice and reducing the risk of compassion fatigue in yourself.

Client Communication

Buy the Dozen

Persuading clients to purchase a 12-month supply of preventives in your veterinary practice gets easier if you explain the benefits well and price your products competitively.

Client Communication

Choose your words carefully

Clients don’t respond well to lectures. Strive to partner with them for the good of the patient, and remember to ask open-ended questions to jump-start conversations.

Client Communication

Raise your standards

Authentic, personalized client service will differentiate your practice.

Client Communication

Communicate Value

Confident financial conversations are a veterinary team effort and serve to prioritize the pet.

Client Communication

What’s in a story?

Any client who seeks out medical information should be praised for being dedicated to the pet.

Practice Management

Care repair

Feelings of anger, frustration, impatience, sadness, nervousness and fear will almost always be evident in a person’s facial expressions and body language.

Client Communication

How to communicate value

Veterinary hospitals can communicate value by using technologies that help pet owners stay connected to the practice, receive customized service and save time.

Client Communication

Why embrace Generation Y?

Given the increase in the number of millennial pet owners, practice teams need to adopt communication strategies that engage this generation of clients.

Client Communication

It’s your call

Bear in mind that training programs aren’t just for new hires. Your team assessment may reveal that experienced employees aren’t using the desired skills to engage and educate callers.

Staff Training

Critical Points of Contact Build Pet Owner Loyalty

Customer service representatives trained to respond with kind and reassuring words can create lasting impressions.

Client Communication

Hear, See and Feel

Accommodating a client’s preferred learning style can lead to a more educated pet owner and better compliance.

Client Communication

The Calm After the Storm

Soothe angry pet owners and raise the level of service by training the team to listen carefully and respond the right way.

Client Communication

Ask the Right Questions at the Right Time

Getting to know a pet owner on a more personal level can build trust.

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