How Do I Say...?: Building clients’ trust in a new doctor

Q. Our hospital is adding a new veterinarian. I worry that some clients with loyalties to the doctor who owns the practice will be hesitant to see our new associate. How can we build clients’ trust in her?

A. Congratulations on welcoming a new doctor! Start a marketing plan right away. Having strategies to promote your new associate to clients and the community will make her feel part of your practice from day 1.

Before your new doctor arrives

Design and print business cards. On the front of the card, include the doctor’s name, title, hospital logo, address, phone number, website, and email. On the back, have an appointment reminder and a QR code for online booking. Place doctors’ business cards in exam rooms and on the reception counter, where clients are likely to take them at check-in or checkout.

Order plenty of business cards; your new associate will hand them out to clients the first time she sees them. The American Veterinary Medical Association reports an average of 1499 active clients per veterinarian per year.¹ Run a report in your practice information management software (PIMS) to see how many clients your doctors average annually, which will help you determine how many cards to print.

Order scrubs and lab coats embroidered with the doctor’s name. You want your new doctor to look like part of the team on the first day. Name tags are an alternative, but you risk them getting lost or laundered.

Get professional headshots. Have the new doctor photographed in uniform with her pets. You’ll use headshots for internal and external marketing, including your website, slideshow in the lobby, press release to local media, social media posts, and more.

Add the new doctor to your website. When writing their bio, follow the structure of professional details, education, clinical interests, care philosophy, personal life, and a closing highlight. A picture with personal pets will make your new doctor feel approachable. A strong bio will build trust, credibility, and a personal connection with clients.

Professional credentials should include degrees, certifications, and specialties. Share areas of special interest such as internal medicine, dentistry, preventive care, dermatology, or exotics. List professional memberships. Help clients understand the new doctor’s care philosophy and what they enjoy most about veterinary medicine.

Add personal touches that will help make connections, such as favorite activities, community involvement, and personal pets. Close with a warm note or fun fact, such as “She enjoys hiking with her Australian shepherd, Snickers, and has completed 3 marathons.”

Send an email to clients. One to 2 weeks before the doctor starts, send a short email with the new doctor’s photo and a link to their full bio on your website. For a personal touch, have the email written and signed by the practice owner, bringing credibility to the conversation. Use client benefit statements about increased appointment availability or new services, such as acupuncture. Close with a clear call to action, such as “Book online with Dr New, or call us at 555-555-5555 to schedule.”

Create a team script. Staff will need a consistent message about the new doctor. The practice manager or owner can provide a script that summarizes the doctor’s education, clinical interests, and care philosophy. If the new doctor did group interviews or shadowing before accepting the job offer, your team may already have made personal connections.

Scripting for client service representatives (CSRs) will be especially important; they will need to “sell” the new doctor when clients call to make appointments. If clients don’t have a doctor preference or are new to your practice, book them with the new veterinarian.

CSRs can also gently steer clients toward the new doctor, especially as they will have more openings. Explain the new associate’s expertise and use the yes-or-yes technique to lead the client to book. Say, “Thanks for requesting an appointment with Dr Favorite. His next opening is [date, time]. If you want [pet name] to be seen sooner, Dr New has availability and would be an excellent fit. She has a special interest in feline medicine and is wonderful with senior cats like [pet name]. You and [pet name] will love her gentle, calming approach. Dr New has appointments on [date, time 1] or [date, time 2]. Which works best for you?”

Post on social media. Photos and videos can share your new doctor’s education, areas of special interest, and what excites them about veterinary medicine and your hospital.

When your new doctor starts

Greet the new doctor personally when she arrives. The practice owner or manager should be the first to say hello.

Give a quick tour. Show the new associate where to park, the exam rooms, the lobby, surgery, the treatment area, the pharmacy, the in-house laboratory, imaging, supplies, the bathroom, and the break room.

Introduce them to the team intentionally. Go beyond names by explaining each teammate’s role, expertise, and how the new doctor can leverage their skills and support. Schedule meetings with the key individuals they will rely on most: the lead technician, the inventory manager, the practice manager, and the CSR team. CSRs can explain scheduling protocols and learn the new doctor’s preferences. Developing a collaborative relationship with CSRs will be key to the new doctor’s success, as they control the schedule and serve as the bridge between clients and the medical team.

Put a framed photo and bio on your check-in counter. Display this announcement for the first 90 days of employment. Put the new doctor’s business cards next to their picture.

Consider roadside signage. Depending on local sign ordinances, you may be able to put up a temporary banner or sign announcing, “Welcome Dr New, Now Accepting New Patients.” Drive-by traffic can generate new business.

Plan a welcoming first day with a simplified schedule. Put a bouquet of flowers or a plant on the new doctor’s desk, along with a card signed by the entire staff. Fill the morning with a tour, orientation, and meetings with key staff. Walk through systems and procedures, including PIMS, prescription approval process, client communication platform, reference lab requisitions, and who to ask for help. Explain who does what: standard-of-care questions, scheduling issues, client conflicts, and equipment problems.

Block off time in the schedule for the hospital owner and manager to treat the new associate to lunch. Pick a local upscale restaurant to make the new doctor feel special. Another option would be to have lunch at the hospital with the entire team and play a fun game to get to know each other.

Schedule just a few client appointments on the first day, pairing the new associate with a go-to technician who can help them navigate workflows. Consider a mix of shadowing another doctor with an urgent care appointment and doing their own wellness visits. Set a meeting with the practice owner or medical director to review standards of care they will often use: vaccines, pain management, drug monitoring tests, dentistry, anesthesia, and hospitalization flow. Provide written information along with discussions so they can take notes and keep documents for reference later.

When you have a plan before the first day and an onboarding process, you’ll integrate your new associate into your practice faster and help establish positive relationships with the team and clients.

Need a script for a client conversation? Submit your scenario to [email protected] for consideration in future columns.

Reference

Larkin M. Benchmarking data plus evaluating efficiency equals practice productivity. American Veterinary Medical Association. October 15, 2025. Accessed February 25, 2026. https://www.avma.org/news/benchmarking-data-plus-elevating-efficiency-equals-practice-productivity#