You joined the pet services industry because of your passion for pets. Stop a moment and think about the pet knowledge you had when you first opened your pet center compared to what you know today. It’s amazing how much the pets in our care teach us, and you should view this knowledge as a gold mine that’s easy to share with clients.

One of my pet peeves with peers is when they talk about “stupid pet owners.” Keep in mind that sometimes “you don’t know what you don’t know.” We forget how many times we’ve seen blood in the stool, so we don’t relate to the first-time dog owner who panics when hearing This report from us. Their initial reaction is fear, and we have a moment to educate, which will build trust with our clients. We never want to be perceived as providing a veterinary diagnosis, but you can talk about your own experiences and encourage them to discuss with their vet. You can say, “If it were my dog, I would…” Replace frustration with compassion, and create a client loyalty building moment.

As daycare providers, we are often the most trusted pet care partner to the client. The frequency of our interactions and knowledge gained about their dog are wonderful advantages for creating that trusted pet care partnership. Since we know these dogs so well, we are often the first to notice when something is not quite right with the dog.

You provide client education informally on a regular basis. Using a pet observation form to share areas of concern is a tool that supports the professionalism of care you provide. Encourage your staff to use this form to report anything out of the ordinary. You build confidence in their knowledge and reinforce their role in a pet care career. This is a win for the pet, owner, employee, and you.

You should expand sharing your knowledge beyond the informal one-on-one pet reports. Formalize client education as part of your marketing plan each year. Today’s world of technology makes it easy to share information in a variety of mediums. In fact, it can be overwhelming, so set your information apart and make it POP! Your information should reflect your passion and be ordinary (easy for your clients to use) with a positive delivery.

Educating clients does take your time. You will enjoy the role when your message comes from your own passion. With pet care, there are many topics available, so narrow down your list to your top three messages. To help you get started is a mini-brainstorm topic list:

• Wellness
  • Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Exercise
  • Holistic care
• Behavior
  • Dog language
  • Basic manners
  • Problem resolution
• Puppies
• Senior dogs
• Kids and dogs
• Bite prevention
• Dog sports

Keep your focus on sharing ordinary information that your clients can use every day. Your content should make everyday living with their pet easier. Remember that what is basic to us as pet professionals is new information to many pet owners. These basics will increase understanding of their pet and improve their ordinary, daily life together.

Deliver a positive message to stand out in the current media world of scandal, fear, and information overload. Make your educational approach subtle. This is where you may need to rein in your own passion to ensure your message delivery is not perceived as a lecture. Keep your client’s interest and leave them wanting more by delivering one key point at a time.

You can write your own messages on your top three topics or get professional help. If writing is not something you enjoy, don’t let that stop you from sharing your knowledge. Hire someone to write for you. Ask your marketing professional or use an online service like Elance. Consider composing a series of articles on your topic as one project to build a content library cost effectively.

With this library, you can easily repurpose the content into multiple formats. You have short articles for your newsletter or client handouts. Capture tips and fun facts for social media posts on Facebook or Twitter. Follow blog posts of pet professionals you respect and share their links with your clients when they post messages related to your core topics. These formats are subtle ways to educate your client and establish you as a true pet professional.

Also consider converting your message into a workshop or class for pet owners. Your knowledge and experience is valuable, and you can charge a fee for presenting well-organized information. You know your client base and community, so identify the topics and formats that can create a new revenue stream for your business.

Educating pet owners can be rewarding and profitable for your business. Set your business apart by including an educational component to this year’s marketing plan. Share your passion with “pop” to build loyal clientele and be recognized as the local pet expert you are.

Susan Briggs is co-founder of Urban Tails, a large multiservice pet care center in Houston, Texas. One of the first cage-free sleepover and dog daycare centers in the country, Urban Tails evolved into a training resource for pet professionals on safe daycare operations. Staff training is a passion for Susan, resulting in the development of tools available to pet care professionals through Crystal Canine, a training and consulting resource for the pet industry (crystalcanine.com). In 2008, her first book, Off-Leash Dog Play: A Complete Guide to Safety & Fun, co-authored with Robin Bennett, was published. This successful book inspired a dog body language poster set and pocket guide tools for pet professionals using the traffic signal safety colors. It was also the resource for Knowing Dogs Staff Training, a two-volume “staff training in a box” program on dog body language and group play produced in 2012. All resources are available from dreamdogproductions.com. Her newest venture combines educating dog owners with safe off-leash play resources for the pet industry. Go to safeoffleashdogplay.com for more information.

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