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We’ve all been there - standing in front of a client, explaining the treatment their pet, horse, or livestock needs, while inwardly hoping they’ll “see the value” and agree. But value is tricky. It’s not an objective fact; it’s a perception, shaped by emotions, context, and the way information is presented.

That’s why communicating value effectively isn’t just about listing benefits or discussing costs - it’s about understanding the psychology that drives how clients perceive value. When veterinary teams can connect with clients’ instincts, emotions, and motivations, they’re far more likely to guide them toward making the best decisions for their animals.

For many veterinary teams, talking about price and value can feel uncomfortable. So how do we build confidence and help teams convey value in a really powerful way? Let’s dig into the psychology behind value perception and explore practical ways to apply it in veterinary practice.

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What is value, really?

Value doesn’t exist on its own. It’s not just the price of something or the “objective worth” of a service. We can’t even tell clients what value is. Value is a feeling - clients perceive it when they believe the benefits outweigh the cost, risk, or effort involved. And critically, that perception of value is highly subjective and influenced by psychology.

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For veterinary clients, their perception of value is shaped by things like:

• Their emotional connection to their animal.
• Their trust in you or your team.
• How the cost is presented and framed.
• The clarity and ease of understanding explanations.

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If we ignore these factors and focus solely on price or technical details, value can feel unclear or invisible to clients. But when we understand and address the psychology of value, we make it easier for clients to see why recommendations are in their best interests.

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The “Why” effect: People need reasons to believe

Clients are far more likely to see value when they understand why a service or treatment matters. Without a clear “why,” it’s easy for recommendations to feel optional, confusing, or even unnecessary.

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How teams can use this:

• Always explain the “why” behind recommendations. For example:
      “This blood test is important because it helps us spot any hidden issues early, which could prevent more serious problems later.”
• Use metaphors or analogies to make the “why” relatable:
      “Think of this vaccine like an umbrella. It protects your herd when they need it most.”

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When clients understand the reasoning and purpose behind advice, they’ll see the value more clearly.

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Emotions drive decisions‍

Despite our best intentions, humans rarely make decisions based purely on logic. Emotions drive our choices, and the same is true for veterinary clients. Their love for their animal, their worries about cost, and their desire to “do the right thing”, amongst many other emotional drivers, all play a role.

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How teams can use this:

• Focus on the emotional benefits for the client and their animal. For example:
      “This treatment will mean she can enjoy more walks and pain-free days with you and your family.”
• Use genuine stories and anecdotes to make the value more tangible. For example:
  “Last month we treated a dog with the same issue, and his owner was so relieved to see him back to his old self. That’s exactly what we want for your pet too.”

By tapping into the positive emotions that come with making the best decisions for their animals, rather than focusing solely on the transaction, can help clients feel the value more readily.

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Clarity is king‍

If something feels complicated, it feels less valuable. The harder it is for clients to process what you’re saying, the less likely they are to follow your advice.

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How to use it:

• Be clear, simple, and concise in your communication. Use plain language, not medical jargon. For example, clients (and in fact veterinary professionals too!) will find it faster and easier to decipher “X-ray” rather than “radiograph”, even if the latter is technically more correct.
• Break recommendations into manageable steps. For example:
  “The first step is an X-ray, so we can pinpoint exactly what’s going on. Then once we know what that shows, we’ll discuss the next steps together.”

Clarity makes value easy to see, easy to understand, and easy to act on.

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Why this matters‍

Communicating value is about much more than listing services or explaining prices. It’s about understanding how clients process information, what drives their decisions, and how they feel about the care they’re investing in.

When clients see value, they don’t just “accept” recommendations - they embrace them. They feel confident, reassured, and empowered to make the best choices for their animals. And when clients see value consistently, it strengthens trust and loyalty to your practice.

Value isn’t something clients discover on their own. It’s something we communicate -through clarity, empathy, and an understanding of what truly matters to them.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about price. It’s about helping clients see the difference your team makes for their animals - and for them.

Would you like to help your team communicate value more confidently? Contact us to find out how we can help.

Transparency is a hot topic in the veterinary industry. Recent scrutiny, such as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into the sector, has brought this issue firmly into the spotlight. Understandably, clients expect openness about costs and services, and regulatory attention has made addressing this expectation even more pressing.

I was recently involved in a panel discussion on transparency at a veterinary conference. During the session, three key questions emerged which lie at the heart of both the challenges and opportunities surrounding transparency in the profession, so let’s explore them further:
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What does transparency within the veterinary sector mean?

Discussions about transparency often focus on price, with for example, talk of the need for wider use of price lists on websites. But while pricing transparency is vital, it’s only part of the equation. Hand in hand with transparency on price must come transparency on value. Clients need to understand not just what they are paying, but why it’s worth it.

Transparency is more than simply making information available. It’s about making that information useful to clients. This means presenting it in a format that’s easy to understand and easy to apply when making decisions about their animals’ care. For example, jargon-free explanations and visual aids can make complex information more digestible. Highlighting the benefits - both short and long term - of the service helps clients see prices in context. And being clear about what is and isn’t included helps clients make more appropriate comparisons.

Ultimately, transparency is about helping clients feel informed, supported, and confident—not just aware of the numbers.
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What’s stopping vet practices from communicating transparently?

Every veterinary team that I’ve worked with genuinely wants to be transparent with their clients. They take pride in building trust and delivering clear communication about care and treatment options. But discussing prices with unguarded transparency can feel daunting for many.

This may be because price and value transparency can feel uncomfortably close to selling—and “selling” is a word many people in the veterinary profession instinctively avoid. Team members may worry that openly discussing costs and the benefits of certain choices could be misinterpreted by clients as prioritizing profit over care. Some even reflect on past experiences where a client bristled at the mention of price, and that memory lingers, feeding hesitation.

But transparency about price, when paired with the same care and empathy already used in clinical conversations, doesn’t alienate clients—it reassures them. Clients don’t resent openness; they resent feeling uninformed or surprised. And while the word “selling” may sound uncomfortable, in reality, veterinary professionals sell every day - ideas, recommendations, and, ultimately, the best solutions for patients’ needs.

At its heart, selling in a veterinary context is simply about helping. It’s about understanding the needs of the client and the animal, and guiding them to make the best decisions for their unique situation.

The key is to build on the team’s strengths, providing tailored training which helps them communicate both value and price confidently and competently in a way which also feels comfortable. To do this well, teams must understand how clients perceive value and price at an instinctive level, and therefore how to present them in the most effective way.
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Do subscription models reduce transparency?

This question was raised alongside a concern that boiling some aspects of veterinary care into a single monthly payment could reduce transparency. Some clients will consume fewer services than others, and therefore the amount paid may not accurately reflect the volume of services and products used. Whilst you could argue that this may reduce ‘fairness’, I would argue that a well-executed subscription model doesn’t reduce transparency.

On the contrary, subscriptions provide clients with a clear, predictable way to budget for their pet’s care. Instead of being surprised by a large, one-off bill, clients know exactly what they’re paying each month and what’s included in their plan. This level of clarity not only removes the stress of unexpected costs but also builds trust by demonstrating that the practice is upfront and consistent. I would argue that when done well, subscription models actually increase transparency.

For example:

• A pet health plan that includes (often amongst other things) consult fees and routine vaccinations makes preventive care straightforward and affordable and helps reduce the barriers to early diagnosis. Clients can budget effectively for their pet’s routine care and can bring them in whenever they have a concern, with less worry about unplanned costs.
• In equine and farm practices, subscription models such as herd health plans, routine worm count or dental care packages allow clients to plan, knowing exactly what they’re investing in and why.

Ultimately clients are free to choose whether they value predictable monthly costs more or less than paying as they go and therefore paying only for the services which they use. The success of a subscription model will depend on how well it is communicated, and transparency is key here too. Clients need to be clear on what’s included, what isn’t, and why it’s of value to them…and both regular and ongoing value communication is key.
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Transparency builds trust

Transparency in veterinary practice is more than a box-ticking exercise; it’s about building trust and helping clients feel confident in their decisions. Ultimately it gives us all a great opportunity to strengthen relationships, create better clinical outcomes and enhance both client satisfaction and loyalty.

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Do you need help building your team's skills for transparent and effective discussions around value and price? Contact us to find out how we can help.

Have you ever read a scientific article but found yourself re-reading chunks because you struggled to take the detail in? In animal health, scientific literature plays an important role in staying up to date, but it’s not always easy. Compare that to a Netflix documentary. How often do you have to rewatch that to take in the details? Probably not at all. So, what’s the difference between scientific articles and Netflix documentaries?

Really, it’s the difference between information sharing and great communication. But how does Netflix turn information sharing into great communication?

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The answer is in storytelling.

We all love a good story. They capture our attention, make us feel connected, and often move us to act. We’ve evolved to pass knowledge down generations through stories and our brains are simply hard-wired to engage with them.

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How can veterinary businesses use storytelling?

Storytelling is incredibly powerful for dialling up the effectiveness of knowledge transfer, but more than that, it’s a superpower when it comes to communicating your brand to your clients. Brand storytelling helps veterinary practices create stronger client relationships, build trust, and develop loyal clients. But not just any story will do.

One of the problems with client communications, is that they can be very focused on the veterinary practice. ‘Our services’, ‘our facilities’, ‘our team’…sound familiar? The sad truth is though, that clients aren’t really interested in hearing about those things. At least, that is, until they can see that your business understands them, connects with them, and can help them overcome their challenges.

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What makes a good brand story?

The secret sauce lies in understanding that the stories we find most engaging are the stories about us. Nobody enjoys feeling like a passive observer. People naturally engage more when they see themselves in a central role, overcoming challenges and achieving a positive outcome. For veterinary clients, making them the super-hero of your brand story is the key to standing out and creating a meaningful connection between them and your brand.

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What is brand storytelling?

Brand storytelling is the art of using narratives to engage, communicate your values, and show how your services can make a real difference in clients’ lives. It’s more than just saying, “We’re a great vet practice.” It’s about showing your clients how you understand the challenges that they face, and how you are uniquely placed to help them and guide them as they overcome those challenges.

Think of it like this: in any good story, the hero embarks on a journey, faces challenges, and with the help of a trusted guide or mentor, they come out stronger and more successful. In your brand’s story, the client is the hero, and your veterinary practice is the trusted guide helping them along the way.

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Why your client is the super-hero

When you position your client as the hero, you shift the focus away from your practice (which is boring to them) and onto what they can achieve with your support (much more interesting!). Creating a story like this can help you achieve great things:
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1. Increase engagement and loyalty
   When you frame your communication so that the client feels like the star of the show, they are more likely to stay engaged, trust your guidance, and feel loyal to your practice.
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2. Build trust
   Casting the client as the hero shows that you recognise their unique challenges and that you are there to support them every step of the way, not to take centre stage.
3. Motivate action
   When clients see themselves as the hero of the story, they are more motivated to act - whether it’s booking a check-up, following a treatment plan, or making lifestyle changes for their animals. The focus is on them making the best decision, with your practice simply helping them succeed.

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It really works

Brand storytelling makes your veterinary practice more relatable. Every client wants to feel like they’re making the best decisions for their animals. By positioning them as the hero of their own journey, you’re reinforcing that they have the power to create positive outcomes, with your team as their trusted partner.

It’s not about downplaying your expertise; it’s about elevating your clients’ role. And in the process, you can build deeper connections with your clients, build trust and loyalty and inspire action. That’s a story worth telling.

Would you like help creating your brand story? Simply contact us to find out more.

While on holiday recently, my family and I found ourselves in a buffet restaurant. I don’t know about you, but I often feel uneasy about the number of hands that use the serving spoons in a buffet. Let’s face it, when you’re on holiday, the last thing you want is to get ill! This restaurant took a clever approach to reducing the risk. Instead of the usual “please wash your hands” sign that many (most!) people ignore, this restaurant had thought about how to make the behaviour happen, and importantly, how to make customers feel good about it too.

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So what did they do?

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As we entered, we were greeted by a cheerful team member who welcomed everyone and gently funnelled us through a hand-washing area. There were multiple wash basins, cheerful staff keeping an eye on things, and a catchy tune playing in the background. The team were singing and dancing about washing hands, making the experience not just mandatory but also fun and social, especially for the children.

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This simple, yet hugely effective, approach is a brilliant example of good behaviour change techniques in action. But, what makes it so successful?

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To unpick that, we’ll use the EAST framework, which was developed by the Behavioural Insights Team. The acronym outlines four principles for effective behaviour change: Easy, Attractive, Social, and Timely. Whatever the behaviour change required - whether you’re trying to guide customers to wash their hands in a restaurant or seeking to guide clients to take the best care of their animals – these principles are relevant and useful. Let’s take a closer look:

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Making it Easy

The first principle, Easy, is all about removing barriers. Humans tend to give up on behaviours quickly if any effort is required. At the restaurant, the layout made it almost impossible to avoid washing your hands—no need to remember, no effort required. The action was made easy by design. Even more than that, the ‘wrong’ behaviour was made difficult, since it meant jumping over a barrier or walking straight past the wash basins, all under the gaze of the staff.

How can this be applied in veterinary practice? Here are just two ideas:

1. Streamlined online booking: If you make an online booking system available to your clients (which arguably every practice should!) then look at it through your clients’ eyes. Is it user friendly and intuitive? Have you minimised the data entry and number of clicks required? Even just removing one step can make a huge difference to how easy something is to do.
2. Clear treatment plans: Providing clients with simple, easy-to-understand treatment plans helps to increase the chances that they’ll follow them. Using infographics or step-by-step guides can help outline what they need to do next in an easy-to-consume way.

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Making it Attractive

Next is Attractive. For behaviours to happen, we need to catch attention and create engagement. The restaurant did this by making hand washing fun. The singing, the dancing, the vibrant atmosphere—it all made the action more appealing. Other ways to make behaviours attractive include incentives (such as discounts, gifts, rewards, points) and personalisation.

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Here’s a couple of ideas how this can be put into practice in our veterinary context:

1. Engaging appointment reminders: Sending personalised appointment reminders (e.g. that are addressed to the animal) will help make the reminder more appealing and harder to ignore.

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Making it Social

The third principle, Social, taps into our natural tendency to follow the crowd. At the restaurant, everyone was washing their hands, and the staff’s enthusiastic participation reinforced this social norm.

In a veterinary practice, creating a social environment where positive behaviours are the norm can be powerful. For example:

1. Community challenges: Organising animal health-related challenges for clients, where they can participate and share their progress on social media. This will encourage others to join in and help clients maintain healthy habits for their animals.
2. Peer Learning: Encouraging peer learning among staff by setting up regular “Lunch and Learn” sessions where team members share and discuss success stories and best practices, fostering a collaborative environment focused on continuous improvement.

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Making it Timely

Finally, Timely refers to prompting people to act at the right moment. The restaurant’s setup ensured that hand washing happened immediately on arrival, right when it was most needed.

In veterinary practice, timing can be everything. For example:

1. Reminder time: Reminders only really work when they arrive at a time when the client is motivated to act. So, think about when and ow frequently your reminders are sent – are they timely?
2. Seasonal Campaigns: Timely campaigns, such as anxiety management ahead of firework times, tick prevention at the height of the tick season or heatstroke prevention tips in the summer, help to prompt action at the time when it’s most needed.

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EAST for the win!

The lesson from my holiday experience is clear: whilst changing behaviour can sometimes be hard, it doesn’t have to be. Whenever you want to drive any behaviour change, take a moment to check whether you’re making it easy, attractive, social and timely. Just that one simple step might lead to big behavioural changes.

Do you need help driving behaviour change? Contact Us to find out how we can help.

Imagine this: You’re at your doctor’s, feeling anxious about which treatment option to choose. The doctor shares clinical data with you, which leans you towards one option. But then they share a heartfelt story about their last patient with the same diagnosis who had a great outcome using the other treatment.  Which do you choose?

Well, studies have shown that people will be swayed by the anecdote more often than the data.

Not what you expected?! That’s the power of anecdotes.

In veterinary medicine, we often focus on conveying facts and data. However, anecdotes are another powerful tool we can use to complement data.

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Why are anecdotes so influential?

Anecdotes are personal stories that can make information more relatable and memorable. Research shows that people often rely on anecdotes when making decisions, and often even more so than data. This phenomenon is rooted in the psychology of decision-making. When faced with complex information, our brains latch onto simple, relatable stories.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings explored how people make healthcare decisions. It found that people tend to weigh anecdotal information more heavily than data, especially when the anecdote is clear and emotionally charged.

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The influence of anecdotes

In the study, participants were more likely to choose a 30% effective treatment when paired with a positive anecdote over a 50% effective treatment paired with an anecdote that was ambiguous regarding the outcome. When anecdotes were ambiguous, then participants relied more heavily on data to reach their decision.

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Confidence in decisions

Participants exposed to positive anecdotes reported higher confidence in their treatment decisions compared to those exposed to ambiguous anecdotes. And interestingly, those exposed to negative anecdotes about the more effective treatment chose the less effective treatment more often but didn’t report significantly lower confidence in their decisions.

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Integrating anecdotes with facts

So, how can veterinary teams use anecdotes effectively without compromising the need for factual information?

1. Start with the story, support with facts:
   • Begin your communication with a relevant anecdote that supports your recommendation. For example, share a story about a pet that successfully recovered following a similar procedure.
   • Follow up with the facts and data that support your recommendation. This combination can help clients relate personally to the situation while still understanding the scientific basis for your advice.
2. Choose anecdotes wisely:‍
   • Use anecdotes that are clear, concise, and emotionally engaging. Ensure they are relevant to the client's situation and illustrate the point you want to make. Be mindful that when not used mindfully, anecdotes may inadvertently influence your clients towards a poor choice for your patient.
3. Tailor your approach:‍
   • Different clients may respond differently to anecdotes and data. Pay attention to their reactions and adjust your communication style accordingly. Some clients may need more facts, while others might benefit more from relatable stories.

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So, to summarise...

We can't escape the need for facts and data in veterinary medicine, they're critical to choosing the right course of action for any patient. But understanding the impact of anecdotes can unlock better client understanding, trust and confidence in your recommendations. By using relatable anecdotes, you can help clients feel confident in their decisions and more engaged with your practice.

So, next time you're discussing treatment options, remember the power of a good story!

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Want to start building your behavioural science superpowers right now? Visit our online courses to find out how.

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Reference:

Freymuth, A. K., & Ronan, G. F. (2004). Modelling patient decision-making: the role of base-rate and anecdotal information. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 11, 211-216.

Bananarama famously sang, “It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it.” (Apologies if you’re under 45 years old, you may need to Google that reference…). Admittedly, they weren’t referring specifically to client interactions or marketing communications, but veterinary marketers and clinic teams would still be wise to heed their advice!

Of course, the messages that we convey are important, but it’s not the whole story. How those messages are presented will directly affect whether they (and your recommendations) are listened to, believed, and liked.

But why?

Surely the quality of the evidence and the information is the most critical thing?

Well, not exactly.
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Perceptual fluency describes how easy our brains find it to process information.

Studies have shown that if we find something easy to process, then our subconscious mind mistakes that ease for something quite different and much more meaningful. Our brain mistakes the pleasant sensation of processing ease for things that might surprise you. Just because something is easy to process, our brains will decide that it’s more trustworthy, credible, and correct (Okuhara et al., 2017).
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So, if perceptual fluency is a good thing, how can we achieve it?

We can influence how easily our communications are processed in so many ways. From keeping in-person communications brief and simple, through to how we lay out written communications so they are uncluttered.
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Practical tips for written communications:

1. Keep it simple
   Use clear and straightforward language. Avoid jargon and complex sentences.
2. Use readable fonts
   Choose fonts that are easy on the eyes, such as Arial or Helvetica. Avoid overly decorative fonts that can be hard to read.
3. Contrast and Colour
   Use high contrast between text and background. Dark text on a light background is usually best. Be cautious with colour combinations that might strain the eyes.
4. White Space
   Don’t clutter your content. Use white space effectively to separate sections and make the layout more inviting.
5. Chunk information down
   Break information into bullet points or numbered lists. This makes content easier to scan and digest.

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Test your communications:

Once you’ve crafted your communication, test it. Gather feedback from colleagues or a small audience to see what they take from the information. Are they finding it easy to read and understand? Use their insights to make any necessary adjustments.

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Practical tips for in-person communications:‍

1. Keep it simple
   Use clear and straightforward language. Avoid jargon and complex sentences.
2. Make it visual
   When explaining complex information, use visual aids like diagrams or models. This helps make abstract concepts more concrete and easier to understand.
3. Repeat key messages
   Repeat key points to reinforce the message. More memorable things are perceived as being more perceptually fluent, and repetition helps create memories.
4. Summarise:
   Summarising the main ideas that you’ve discussed helps to reinforce messages.
5. Structure information
   Present information in a logical and structured manner. Start with the most important points and follow with supporting details (not too much detail though!).

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Present information in a logical and structured manner. Start with the most important points and follow with supporting details (not too much detail though!).

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In Summary:

Next time you’re finalising a communication, make sure you reflect not just on what you’re going to say, but also spend time reviewing how you will present it. Be clear, be concise, and make it pleasing to the eye! Remember, it’s not just about the message itself, but the way it’s delivered that can make all the difference.

By embracing perceptual fluency, you can build trust, credibility, and a positive reputation with your clients. So, as Bananarama wisely hinted, it truly is about the way that you do it!

Do you wish you could equip your team with more behavioural science superpowers? Visit our Workshop page to find out how.

Before we dive into whether veterinary practice clients like your clinic (and why you should care!), let us pose you a question.

Do you see your friends more often because you like them?

Or…could it be…

That you like your friends because you see them more?
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The latter is probably not a perspective that feels too comfortable. But the concept that familiarity breeds liking is well-established in behavioural science.

Think of a Netflix series that you've watched recently. Did you start off feeling indifferent about the characters, but by the end really like them?

Or how about if we do your grocery shopping this week but buy different brands of your favourite foods. What will you think of the new brands? Most people won’t like ‘different’ brands as much as their usual brand… until they have them more often and they become familiar.

Behavioural scientists call this the mere exposure effect.

And you might well be thinking, "So what?".

Well, whether we like something, or someone affects other judgments which we make about it/them. So, because I like you, my subconscious mind will associate all sorts of other positive judgments with you. For example, I might believe that you're trustworthy, honest, correct, and credible.

It's not rational.

But it is how our minds work, and how clients’ minds work.

And that means it’s important for any veterinary team to understand.
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Get better patient outcomes and higher client satisfaction
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1. Maximise client contact
   Ensure that your clients have as much contact as possible with your clinic brand, your team, and your messages. We’re talking lots of different touchpoints. A slow drip, drip of contact over time. Avoid them only interacting with you once a year.
   Not only will this help them become familiar with your business and your team, but it will also help your messages feel familiar too. It takes a coordinated effort across many channels, such as social media, your website, email, SMS, and WhatsApp, to name just a few.
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2. Consistent, repeated messaging
   Repeating key points, such as the recommendations your team make, is another way to increase their familiarity.
   Ensuring that your team makes consistent recommendations and that information shared on social media and through your website is also consistent with the verbal recommendations will help achieve this.
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3. Ease of Understanding
   You can also increase the perception of familiarity simply by making it easier for your clients to process, read, or understand information…..Is that a surprise too?

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We’ll fill you in on that one next month.

Creating a sense of familiarity is just one way that behavioural science can help your team and business be liked more by your clients. And being liked more is just one way that behavioural science can help your veterinary business:

• Create better patient outcomes
• Increase client satisfaction
• Build happier teams
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Do you wish you could equip your team with more of the power of behavioural science? Visit our Workshop page to find out how.

Last week, we were working with an independent veterinary practice whose team was encountering a very familiar problem: money.
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It’s often thought of as the most difficult topic to discuss with clients. And because most teams are having conversations about fees with every client that walks through the door, the frequency of those difficult conversations takes its toll.

Like many teams that we work with, they believed at the start of the day that there was little that could be done to help. They knew their fees had been set fairly and communicated transparently.

Yet, these conversations still proved difficult. They knew they couldn’t drop their fees without endangering the business, and they thought that was the only thing that would make their clients feel more comfortable with their fees.

This is a very common misconception. And it’s logical. If a client is unhappy with a price, the natural response is to lower it to make them feel better.

Except there is another way.
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Paying is Painful

Quite literally. Functional MRI studies have shown that the insular cortex fires up when we make payments or think about making payments. One of the roles of the insular cortex is pain perception. So, paying creates a physiological pain response.

But we can make the same price (for the same service) feel significantly more (or less) painful through, for example:

• The way that we present the price
• How the client is asked to pay (e.g., cash, card, phone, watch, or direct debit)
• he timing of the payment
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When should clients be asked to pay?

The most memorable parts of an experience tend to be the most emotionally intense moment (the peak) and the end of it. This is what’s known as the ‘peak-end rule’.

It's very common for veterinary practices to ask for payment just before the client leaves the building—the very last part of their experience in the clinic. That means that we're making the payment more memorable, and therefore a more painful part of the experience.

Put simply, if we ask clients to pay at the end of each interaction with a veterinary practice, we're likely to not only make the payment feel more painful but also damage their overall perception of the experience. The knock-on effect is reduced satisfaction and a lower perception of value versus cost.

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So, what can we do?

1. Take payment earlier
   ‍ Taking any opportunities to take payment earlier in the experience (e.g., when booking online) will create a much better client experience.
2. Take part-payment or payment details on booking
   Of course, we can’t always know what the final fees will be this early in the process. But taking part-payment at booking or collecting payment details to be used with the client’s permission once the full cost is known may help to reduce some of the pain of paying. Both of these approaches will make the payment less salient to the client, either because the payment they’re making at the end is smaller, or because they don’t need to hand their card over at the end of the experience at all.
3. Set up a membership option
   Direct debit payments are the least painful of all, so membership arrangements can be a real win-win-win for client, patient, and clinic.
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Direct debit payments are the least painful of all, so membership arrangements can be a real win-win-win for client, patient, and clinic.

The timing of payment is just one of many ways that behavioural science enabled us to help our customer’s team improve their clients’ perceptions of fees and create a better client experience. And their feedback?

That this new knowledge is a game-changer.

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Take your veterinary customer experience to the next level with behavioural science power.

Visit our CX and Marketing Communications page to find out how.

On a warm, bright summer evening, my husband and I headed out for a special celebration. We’d chosen a restaurant we’d heard was special, and we were excited to try it out.

We weren’t disappointed.
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The food was amazing, the ambiance just perfect, but the thing I’ve told all my friends about?

The service.

I’ve never experienced anything like it before or since. It was like the team was inside my head, anticipating my wants and questions before I’d even thought of them myself.

That evening was several years ago, but I can still relive it vividly today. I’ll likely remember the special details for my whole life.

Since that time, I’ve reflected and dissected the experience many times. What was it that made it such a great experience?

It ultimately boils down to one thing:

The restaurant created a feeling that the world revolved around us.

We were at the centre of everything. It was true customer-focused service.

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Customer-centricity: more than a buzzword

Customer-centricity. Well, there’s a business buzz-term if ever we heard one! But everyone’s already doing it, aren’t they?

Are they?

True customer-centricity (or in the veterinary world – client-centricity) means looking beyond the things clients might say they want or need and delving into the things they can’t put into words.

The reality is that we assess our experiences, make decisions, and decide how to behave based largely (there's an argument to say almost exclusively) on instinctive feelings.

Things like a smile to greet them, short waiting times (or at least transparent, regular communication about waiting times), and clear communications are all obvious ways to improve the client experience.

But exploring what makes clients feel subconsciously and instinctively that their experience has been great - the things that they can’t put their finger on – those are the things that raise your service to the next level.

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How do we achieve true client-centricity?

The specifics will vary depending on who your clients are and which part of their journey you’re focusing on.

As a general principle, it starts with experiencing things from their perspective. We need to reflect on their emotional state when the experience happens (including their hopes and fears) as well as the feeling we’d ideally like to create.

Then we can tap into behavioural science to understand how we can lay out information, craft language, and create an experience that taps into the subconscious drivers of those instinctive feelings.

Behavioural science provides the ingredients for an incredible client experience.
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Visit our CX and Marketing Communications page to find out how we can help you harness behavioural science to create an incredible client experience.

Last month, I needed to upgrade my mobile, so I headed into town to get some advice. My first stop was the closest phone shop to the car park.

It looked a bit rough around the edges. The paint on the walls was peeling a bit, and there was a faint and not entirely pleasant smell.

I was greeted with a smile from a very friendly but slightly scruffy-looking assistant who happily (and very easily) answered all my questions.

He understood exactly what I needed and gave me a recommendation.

Was I decided? Maybe. I thought I’d check one more shop before reaching a decision.
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As I wandered into the second shop, I noticed that this one was modern. It smelt fresh and clean. The lighting was lovely, and there was some gentle music playing in the background. I waited to speak with the assistant, who had clearly taken great care to look smart and presentable. They hesitated a bit when handling my questions, but eventually, I walked away with their recommendation.
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Whose recommendation did I take?

The rational answer would be to listen to the first shop assistant; after all, they clearly knew their apples from their androids. They were definitely more knowledgeable.

But like most people, I didn’t make the rational choice...

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The halo effect

The halo effect is a cognitive bias which means that positive impressions about one aspect of an experience can have a profound impact, causing us to create positive judgements about other (unrelated) parts of the experience. Even when the evidence doesn't support those judgements.

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The horn effect

The opposite is also true, where negative impressions of one aspect cause negative judgements to be made about other unrelated things.

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The subconscious drivers of my decision

So, although the first assistant was much more knowledgeable, the fact that he looked scruffy and the shop looked (and smelt) a bit grotty likely led me to subconsciously discount his recommendation.

On the other hand, the second shop was smart and modern, and the assistant looked professional. As a result, despite being less knowledgeable, I was likely to view his recommendation much more positively.

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So, what does this mean for veterinary businesses?

If we want clients to be guided by our professional advice, then we need to make sure they form positive impressions, so their instinct is telling them to trust and believe us.

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Try this:

• Walk through each step of your clients’ journey and view things through their eyes.
• What do you see (or smell!) that would create good feelings and enhance their perceptions of your services? Keep (or enhance) these things.
• What do you see that could be negatively (and unfairly) affecting your clients’ perceptions of your services? Address these things.
• How does their experience compare to the service level they're used to from other industries? How could it be improved?

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Visit our CX and Marketing Communications page to find out how we can help you harness behavioural science to create an incredible client experience.

Last night, I meandered around the supermarket on autopilot, mindlessly picking the items I needed (and, if I’m being honest, some that I didn’t). I didn’t stop to have even the most fleeting thought about why I buy this jam, but not that jam.

On the return journey home – one which I’ve driven time and time again over the last 12 years since I moved to this area – I listened to a podcast. I arrived home able to recount the podcast that I’d listened to, but not really able to recall any other part of the journey that I’d just made.
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Does this sound familiar?

This mindless, automatic approach to decisions and actions isn’t unusual. In fact, it’s human nature.
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The power of the subconscious mind

Our subconscious mind offers us decisions and behaviours instinctively. It’s fast and automatic, operating on intuition. Our conscious mind, on the other hand, takes time to weigh things up and is slow, involving significant effort.
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Think about a decision you need a client to make, and ask yourself what things will influence their choice.

Did you think of facts and evidence?

Or something else?

Most people, when asked this question, will think of the facts and evidence to consider.
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Most decisions are made subconsciously first

The truth is that we overestimate the control our conscious mind has over us. The vast majority of the time (90-95%), our subconscious mind will reach an instinctive decision, and then our conscious mind will post-rationalise why we reached that decision.
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What does this mean for veterinary businesses?

Clients make decisions in their subconscious, and then post-rationalise their thoughts afterwards. This means that when clinic teams are seeking to guide clients’ decisions, they need to be equipped with the tools to communicate with clients in a way that works with (and not against) their subconscious.

That means understanding what the key drivers of subconscious decision-making are, and knowing how to tap into them.
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The key drivers of the subconscious are:

• Emotions
• Mental shortcuts (heuristics)
• Cognitive biases
• Habits
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By equipping teams to speak not just in facts and evidence, but also to tap into the feeling that their communications make, we are able to create better clinical outcomes, happier teams, and better business results.

IF you would like to find out how we can help equip your team with the power of behavioural science, visit our Workshops page.