Elevate Your Communication: Effective Client Communication, Challenging Conversations and Conscious Conversations in an Emergency

Evidence-Based Techniques for Effective Client Communication
 

Recording Duration: 50 minutes
Interactive Course Duration: Approximately 75-90 minutes
 

Session Description: If difficult and emotionally charged conversations with pet owners raise your blood pressure, you are not alone. Challenging client discussions can frustrate even seasoned veterinarians. Not only do they interfere with the building of client rapport and trust, they can grind the day to a halt, delay the care of other patients, and promote dissatisfaction and burnout for the practitioner. Veterinarians aim to provide medical information concisely and in an understandable way. However, stressed clients worried about their pet’s illness can struggle to process complex information and may react emotionally instead of rationally when discussing difficult topics. In these situations, it is essential to use effective communication strategies in order to support client decision making and facilitate the provision of quality patient care. This presentation will discuss the factors that hinder the ability of veterinarians to lead productive discussions with clients during stressful moments. It will provide evidence-based strategies from the veterinary and human medical literature to help veterinarians rapidly build rapport, convey difficult information, and engage in efficient and productive discussions with pet owners. We will discuss a variety of scenarios, including financial constraints, complex medical discussions, anxious clients and end-of-life situations, while referencing effective published approaches to address these difficult communication challenges.

Managing Challenging Conversations

Recording Duration: 50 minutes
Interactive Course Duration: Approximately 75-90 minutes
 
 

Session Description: Speaking with pet owners is something veterinarians and technicians do constantly; as such, it is the most common "procedure" performed in veterinary medicine. Yet guidance in this critical area during school or after is limited. Being a good communicator is not just a personality trait; there are specific tools that can help navigate challenging situations. Dealing with indecisive, angry, or non-communicative clients will be discussed, as will essential tips for setting boundaries.

Conscious Conversations in an Emergency- Speaking the Right Words to Diffuse Conflict

Recording Duration: 50 minutes
Interactive Course Duration: Approximately 75-90 minutes

Session Description: This program invites attendees to explore their triggers, impulses and mindset when reacting to conflict. It helps attendees identify their role in a conflict and how they can control those triggers, impulses and mindset to serve them better.

The program explores what has worked, what hasn't worked and how the attendees may want to show up. Simple shifts in their verbal choice and/or body language can make a huge difference in another's perception and outcome. A suggested standardized go to process will be provided that empowers attendees to take steps that are less reactive/defensive and more thoughtful/collaborative.