Make a Connection – Building Relationships
- People don’t care how much you know…
- Halo effect: when we see a positive trait in a person, we automatically assume that they have other positive traits
- First impressions matter, think about the halo effect when you walk into the exam room for the first time
- Commonality means we naturally trust someone that thinks like us, so anything you can say or do that you have in common builds trust
- If there is nothing in common, remember that you care about their pet and so do they
- The more that people believe in us, the more we can help their pet
Tools for connection making
- Authenticity (practice what you preach)
- Professional presentation – competence & halo
- Social Proof – Normalizing your standard of care
- Consistency
- Similarity
- Confidence
- Commonality
- Mutual interest in the pet
- Training & repetition
Discussion:
Think about a time that you connected instantly with a pet owner. How were you able to do that?
What are your favorite ways to make a connection with pet owners at the front desk or in the exam room?