The VetPractice Playbook

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast!

Opening a veterinary practice is exciting, but without the right marketing strategy, even a great clinic can struggle to attract new clients.

In this episode of the VetPractice Playbook, Dr. King is joined by Harrison King, Richie King, and Cayla Bittles to break down the marketing strategies every veterinarian should consider before opening their doors.

From building a high-converting website and launching Google Ads to optimizing your Google Business Profile and generating client reviews, the team discusses four essential marketing strategies that can help new veterinary practices establish themselves, attract pet owners, and build momentum from day one.

Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:43 The Biggest Launch Mistake: No Marketing Budget
05:19 Why Marketing Becomes an Afterthought, and Why Competition Has Changed
06:32 Website and Pre-Booking Landing Page
08:49 Why to Be Wary of Big Corporate Web Developers
10:10 Google Ads
13:21 Making Sure Marketing Actually Drives Revenue
15:50 Optimizing Your Google Business Profile
16:30 Getting Client Reviews (and How to Respond to Bad Ones)
18:45 Where Social Media Fits
20:43 The $5 Clinic-Opening Checklist
22:10 “Fail on Paper, Not in Real Life”
24:00 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast!

What if one simple change to your veterinary clinic's scheduling process could improve patient care, increase client retention, and create more predictable revenue?

In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, Dr. King, Richie, and Cayla discuss one of the most overlooked strategies in veterinary practice management: forward booking appointments.

While dentists, physicians, and other healthcare professionals routinely schedule their patients' next visits before they leave, many veterinary clinics still struggle to implement this simple practice.

The team breaks down why forward booking is so valuable, the common obstacles preventing veterinary teams from adopting it, and practical strategies to make it a seamless part of your clinic's daily operations.

Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro

Timestamps
00:00 Inro
00:50 Forward Booking
02:18 The Clients View
05:23 Why Vet Clinics Struggle To Implement It
06:02 What Forward Booking Does For The Business
07:25 What It Does For The Patient
08:32 Why Staff Feel Uncomfortable
10:24 Common Objections
12:37 How To Handle Pushback
15:59 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast!

In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we’re tackling one of the most common, and costly, habits in veterinary medicine: discounting.

From Dental Month promotions to filling gaps in the schedule, discounts can feel like an easy way to drive appointments and provide more accessible care. But are they actually helping your practice?

We break down why busy doesn’t always mean profitable, how routine discounting can unintentionally lower the perceived value of your services, and why discounts often treat the symptom instead of addressing the underlying problem. We also discuss the guilt veterinary professionals can feel around pricing, the fairness issues discounts can create, and why your expertise deserves to be valued appropriately.

Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:51 Why Do Practices Discount?
04:31 Dental Month, Filling the Schedule, and Guilt Around Price
07:30 Busy vs. Profitable
10:02 Giving Away Your Expertise
11:48 Why Routine Discounting Rarely Makes Sense
15:23 Perceived Value and the Dental Month Breaking Point
16:35 Discounts Treat the System, Not the Cause
20:16 Fairness Issues
22:10 Outro 

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast!

Are veterinarians doing too much themselves?

In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, Dr. King and Cayla break down one of the biggest opportunities for improving efficiency inside a veterinary practice: better staff utilization.

From empowering veterinary technicians to use their full skill set to properly training assistants, kennel attendants, and receptionists, they explore how delegating the right responsibilities can save doctors time, develop stronger team members, improve the client experience, and help the entire practice operate more efficiently.

Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:05 Empowering Technicians and Building Job Satisfaction
02:18 Procedure Delegation and "Multiplying Your Time"
05:02 Overcoming Vet Trust Issues and Scope of Practice
08:08 Moving Veterinary Assistants into Exam Rooms
09:03 Pre-Exam Workflow
11:15 Role Optimizations
13:06 Measuring Staff Utilization
14:13 Outro 

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast!

Hiring a great veterinary professional is only the beginning... how you train them can determine whether they thrive, struggle, or eventually leave.

In this episode, we break down the 3-5-7-9 training framework and how veterinary practice owners and managers can use repetition, role-playing, clear expectations, and hands-on learning to build stronger, more confident teams.

From onboarding new employees to improving front desk phone skills, we discuss why simply showing someone how to do something once isn’t enough. You’ll learn practical ways to reinforce training, reduce cognitive overload, improve client communication, create accountability, and help your team reach true mastery.

If you’re a veterinary practice owner, hospital manager, medical director, or team leader looking to improve employee training, onboarding, retention, and practice culture, this episode is packed with strategies you can start implementing in your clinic.

Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/
Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:17 Introducing the 3-5-7-9 Rule
04:28 Rule 3: Preventing Cognitive Overload & Chunking Information
06:01 Rule 5: Repetition Across Different Learning Contexts
07:31 Rule 7: Multi-Touchpoint Blended Learning
08:33 Rule 9: Reaching Habitual Mastery & Total Internalization
10:23 Call Reviews, Reward Systems & Peer Accountability
13:13 Outro  

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast!

Your veterinary clinic’s client experience starts long before a pet ever walks through the door... it starts with the first phone call.

In this episode of The Vet Practice Playbook, Dr. King and Cayla Bittles discuss what they’ve discovered from mystery-calling veterinary practices across the country and why the bar for great phone service may be much lower than you think.

They break down how tone of voice, clear expectations, phone rubrics, role-playing, and consistent team training can dramatically improve the client experience. They also explore why poor employee performance isn’t always a motivation problem and how veterinary leaders can better define what success actually looks like for their teams.

If you’re a veterinary practice owner, manager, or leader looking to improve customer service, strengthen your front desk team, and create a better experience for both clients and employees, this episode offers practical strategies you can start implementing right away.

Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/
Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:49 Market Analysis and Clinic Phone Standards
02:13 Low Service Standards and Workplace Factors
04:00 Lessons from "Crucial Influence"
06:02 Defining Success Using a Phone Rubric
08:08 Mastering Phone Skills Through Role-Playing
09:20 Let Us Call Your Clinic
10:19 Summary and Outro 

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast!

Access to veterinary care is a growing challenge... but improving access isn’t as simple as lowering prices or squeezing another appointment into an already packed schedule.

In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we break down the veterinary access to care dilemma and explore how practices can balance affordability, quality of care, capacity, and the wellbeing of their teams. From emergency and after-hours fees to handling urgent client requests, we discuss how better communication, systems, and processes can help practices serve clients without creating unsustainable expectations.

We also explore the other side of the equation: retention. How can veterinary practices prevent client attrition while protecting their teams from burnout and staff turnover?

Whether you’re a practice owner, practice manager, veterinarian, or veterinary professional, this conversation offers practical insights for building a healthier, more sustainable veterinary practice.

Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/
Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:24 Facebook Post: Access to Care Dilemma
02:50 Balancing Access, Quality, and Affordability
06:29 Emergency Fees, After-Hours Care, and Capacity
11:07 Client Communication and Handling Urgent Issues
13:23 Systems, Processes, and Avoiding Client Attrition
17:16 Tools to Prevent Staff Attrition 

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast!

With veterinary technician shortages affecting clinics across the country, many practices are asking the same question: Can veterinary assistants safely fill the gap?

In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we tackle one of the most debated topics in veterinary medicine. We discuss why veterinary technician programs aren't producing enough graduates, the differences between on-the-job training and formal education, state-by-state scope of practice laws, title protection, compensation, and how assistants can build long-term careers in veterinary medicine.

Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/
Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:16 Veterinary Technician Shortages and Education Capacity Issues
03:15 On-the-Job Training vs. Textbook Medical Knowledge
04:26 Scope of Practice, State Regulations, and Title Protection
06:25 Compensation Differences
08:07 Clinic Culture Friction
10:16 Long-Term Earning Power
12:17 Online Education and Career Advancement Paths
14:00 Defining Role Scopes
15:47 Outro 

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast!

Should veterinary clinics raise their prices? In this episode, we tackle one of the most controversial topics in veterinary medicine: pricing. We discuss price elasticity, why so many practice owners struggle to pay themselves, the dangers of excessive discounting, and how competing on exceptional service (not lower prices) creates a stronger, more sustainable business. 

Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/
Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro

Timestamps
 00:00 Intro
01:34 Understanding the Price Elasticity Rule
03:16 Clinic Owner Pay and Caregiver Syndrome
05:22 Prioritizing Financial Bottom Lines
06:59 Overcoming Fear and Competing on Service
11:51 Debating Care Affordability
15:36 Human Healthcare vs. Veterinary Business Models
19:17 Pitfalls of Excessive Discounting
22:01 Outro 

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast!

Are you a veterinary practice owner struggling to pay yourself what you're worth? You're not alone... and it may not be an expense problem.

In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we break down one of the most overlooked topics in veterinary practice ownership: owner compensation. We discuss why underpaying yourself hurts both your clinic's cash flow and its long-term value, how pricing strategy impacts profitability, why competing on price is a losing game, and the key financial metrics every veterinary leader should monitor.

Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/
Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
02:37 Organizational Charts & Pitfalls
03:33 What is an Organizational Chart?
05:04 Communication Flow and Pecking Orders
08:26 Staffing, Hiring, and Managing Gaps
12:34 Career Paths, Leadership, and Small Clinic Scaling
19:43 Where to Start in Putting Your Own Org Chart Together
25:58 Outro