“I explained the treatment plan three times. They nodded every time. Two days later, they came back furious.”

If you’ve worked in practice long enough, you’ve lived some version of this.

You explained it clearly. You covered everything. They said they understood. And yet - the plan fell apart.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Advice isn’t enough.

What clients need isn’t more information. They need clarity.

And clarity doesn’t come from explaining more. It comes from asking better questions.

 

Explaining Isn’t the Same as Enabling

Training makes us excellent explainers.

But real life reminds us that explaining is not the same as enabling.

Clients often leave with:

• Good intentions
• Partial understanding
• Hidden barriers
• Unspoken doubts

They don’t fail because they don’t care.

They fail because the plan didn’t fit their lives.

We often measure success by “compliance.” A better question is:

Do they have clarity?

Clarity means:

• They understand the plan
• They believe in it
• They can realistically carry it out

That shift alone changes the tone of the entire consult.

From Advice to Insight

When we lead with advice, we control the conversation.

When we lead with questions, we share it.

Questions:

• Reveal what actually matters to the client
• Surface barriers before they sabotage the plan
• Increase ownership and follow-through

The goal isn’t to talk less. It’s to understand more - earlier.

A Simple Framework: Explore, Expose, Elicit

You don’t need a script. But you do need structure.

Here’s a simple rhythm that works.

1. Explore What Matters

Before outlining options, ask:

• “What change would you most like to see over the next few weeks?”
• “What would tell you this is working?”

This does two powerful things:

• It gives the plan a target.
• It communicates respect.

You’re not imposing a solution. You’re building one together.

 

2. Expose Barriers Early

Barriers exist whether we ask about them or not.

Better to surface them before the plan is fixed.

• “What might make any of these options difficult?”
• “What does a normal day look like at the yard?”
• “When are things usually calmer?”

Time. Facilities. Confidence. Cost. Routine.

If we don’t ask, we design plans for ideal lives - not real ones.

 

3. Elicit Commitment in Their Words

Instead of ending with, “Does that sound okay?” try:

• “Of the safe options we discussed, which feels most realistic for you right now?”
• “What would help you feel confident following through?”

Then reflect it back:

“So evenings are calmer, and you’ll soak the hay overnight. That’s the plan you feel you can keep?”

When clients say the plan out loud, ownership increases dramatically.

When Questions Change Outcomes

Laminitis & Equine Metabolic Syndrome

Advice-heavy version:
Soak hay 12 hours. Restrict pasture. Medicate twice daily.

The owner nods.
Mornings are chaotic.
The mare flares again.

Question-led version:
“When are things calmer?”

Evenings.

The plan shifts:

• Soak overnight
• Medicate in the evening
• Create a simple dry-lot routine

Same medicine.
Different outcome.

The difference wasn’t knowledge.
It was fit.

 

Hoof Abscess Management

Directive:
Soak and poultice twice daily for ten days.

Reality:
Impossible.

Question-led:
“When are you reliably at the yard?”

Evenings only.

The plan adapts to once-nightly care.
Healing happens because the plan matches life.

Teaching Without Overwhelming

Working memory is limited.

If we give ten instructions at once, the first and last might stick. The rest disappear.

Small shifts make a big difference:

• Chunk information into stages
• Invite teach-back: “Just so I know I explained it clearly, how will you do this tonight?”
• Use client language alongside clinical terms
• Schedule the first recheck before they leave
• Agree on the next small step - not the entire mountain

Clarity isn’t about saying more.
It’s about reducing cognitive load.

Everyone Has a Role in Question-Led Care

This isn’t just the vet’s responsibility.

Reception:
“Which day makes it easiest to keep momentum?”
(Not: “Do you want to book a recheck?”)

Technicians:
Normalise worry. Offer hands-on practice. Build confidence.

Veterinarians:
Offer two safe, realistic pathways. Decide with, not at.

Managers:
Ask in meetings, “Which question helped most this week?”

When curiosity becomes cultural, clarity becomes consistent.

Working With “Dr. Google”

Clients arrive informed.

Treat that information as a threat and you create defensiveness.
Treat it as a starting point and you create alliance.

Ask:

• “What did you find?”
• “What made sense to you?”
• “What concerns did it raise?”

Correct inaccuracies calmly. Explain what you see in practice and why.

Adult tone preserves dignity - and keeps the relationship intact.

Questions as Tools of Equity

Questions uncover barriers we can’t see:

• Shift work that makes dosing times unrealistic
• Distance that complicates rechecks
• Facilities that limit turnout or soaking
• Financial constraints that affect long-term sustainability

Asking allows tailoring.

Tailoring makes adherence humane and possible.

The goal isn’t to provide everything for everyone.
It’s to adapt safely where adaptation matters.

Measuring Clarity

If you want a simple experiment this month:

Ask every client receiving home-care instructions to rate their confidence from 1 to 5 before leaving.

If they say 3 or below, ask:

“What would raise it by one point?”

The answers will be specific.
Actionable.
Revealing.

Over time, you’ll see:

• Fewer “I didn’t know” calls
• Better follow-through
• A calmer team

Confidence predicts compliance far better than instruction does.

 

What Changes When Questions Lead

Moving from advice to insight doesn’t require more minutes.

It requires different minutes.

When clients help build the plan, they defend it - even to themselves.

When teams lead with questions:

• Consults feel lighter
• Conflict reduces
• Satisfaction rises

Advice informs.
Questions transform.

 

Final Reflection

In your next consult, ask yourself:

• What question could reveal a barrier before it derails the plan?
• Where could you pause to check understanding while help is still present?
• How will you notice when a single question turns a difficult consult into a shared plan?

Because the most powerful tool in a vet consult isn’t the explanation.

It’s the question that changes everything.

 

Use the Power of Questions with The Lost Vet 

At The Lost Vet, we help you find your passion and purpose again. 

 

You’ll have: 

• The job you always dreamed of 
• More time for you and your friends and family, hobbies and interests 
• Increased profit and growth with less stress 
• An empowered team 
• Clients that truly value the service and advice you provide 

 

Don’t take our word for it, contact us today to find your passion and purpose again.

 

This blog has been written in relation to The Lost Vet book. Read the full book for more amazing tips.

Read the Full Book