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
How to Deliver Bad News to Clients
Empathy and transparency are paramount in any conversation about troubling matters involving a patient.
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.