 The 411
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Unfortunately, you can't read clients' minds and predict the information, products, and services they want. But you can take
a good guess through a revolutionary process called listening.
Nancy Allen, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and the practice manager at Olathe Animal Hospital in Olathe, Kan., says most clients will
give you clues about what they want. Sometimes, it's the team members who mix up the message because they're so focused on
their education agenda that they forget to listen.
The solution: Start focusing your attention during these important conversations. If you feel like clients speak a different
language, rehearse listening exercises at team meetings, says Sharon DeNayer, a Firstline board member and the practice manager at Windsor Veterinary Clinic in Windsor, Colo. "Practice asking direct, pointed questions
to elicit the information you need," DeNayer says.
Office visits are simply conversations between people who love animals. When you really listen, you're able to provide better
client and patient care.