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30 Days to a Busier
Practice
by William D. EstebPatient Media, Inc.
One of the things that most annoys chiropractors is long gaps between patients. Not only do these rhythm-breaking openings take them away from the healing consciousness, it permits a host of distracting, off-purpose activities that take the practitioner out of the headspace most optimal for serving patients.
Let’s change that.
On the pages that follow is a 30-day plan to fill the gaps and help you help more people. When you’re not working in your practice, serving patients, you’ll want to be working on your practice laying the groundwork for greater productivity.
The payoff for many of these suggestions can be months away; however, it’s essential to get started now. You’ve probably already picked the low-hanging fruit that produces almost instant results. Now, it’s time to think long term.
Perhaps the most important suggestion is found on Day 30 with the creation of an annual marketing plan. This helps avoid the roller coaster practice in which you attend to marketing activities only when you need new patients.
Some of these suggestions will require dealing with issues within the four walls of your practice. Others are outside activities to introduce you and chiropractic to strangers. Virtually all of them include some level of risk, be it the investment of your time or money or the emotional risk of making a mistake or revealing your beliefs.
Starting today, let’s promote your practice and let the world know that you have the capacity and interest in helping more people become truly healthy.
Before You Get StartedTake a few moments to record some key indicators before you plunge into this 30-day program.
Quantitative Statistics
Total patient visits last week
Total new patients last week
Qualitative Statistics
Physical Energy - Rate yourself on a scale between 1 for “Near Death” and 10 if you’re in the “Olympic Athlete” category when it comes to your physical health
Emotional Vitality - Rate yourself on a scale between 1 for “Burned Out” and 10 if you’re “Spizzed Up” when it comes to your emotional temperature
Future Outlook - Rate yourself on a scale between 1 for “Hopeless” and 10 for “Hopeful” as you contemplate the future of your practice today
William D. [email protected]
Determine your drawing areaWhere do the majority of your patients currently come from?
Inexperienced marketers will often waste valuable resources going after territory they have failed to penetrate, versus amplifying their efforts in areas that are already proven to deliver pay dirt.
Virtually every community has certain natural and unnatural traffic patterns. People don’t cross the bridge. Because of the highway, it’s easier to go north rather than east. New housing developments have shifted the population center. Based on the location of your practice and your particular jurisdiction, every practice is different.
Before conducting any type of direct mail or advertising campaign using postcards or newsletters, map the home (or work) location of your last 100 patients.
Secure a sufficiently large enough map of a three- to five-mile radius of your practice and apply different colored pushpins or adhesive sticker “dots” on the home or work addresses of your patients. Look for patterns. Are there boundaries caused by highways, rivers or some other factor? Superimpose a postal code map over the results. Target your marketing overtures to areas around your practice that have a proven record of producing new patients. Put your energies there.
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Conduct focus groups Any marketing expert will tell you that focus groups have limitations. But for a practitioner trying to better understand how to grow their practice, they can be invaluable.
Essentially what you want to do is take a handful of patients to lunch and find out what they like or dislike about your practice.
Your patients see your practice entirely differently than you do. Many have great ideas that could streamline your procedures, reduce needless friction and enhance the positive word of mouth about your practice.
They’ll feel more confident in doing so if they are in a low-stress social situation surrounded by their peers, rather than you grilling them in the hallway after they receive their adjustment. Lunch at a corner table in a local restaurant can be ideal.
Learn how to set up your focus group, who to invite and what to ask by studying these extensive resources.
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DeclutterSimply put, success doesn’t flow into chaos.
Clutter is usually a sign of indecisiveness and lack of prioritization. It invites complexity and perpetuates a lack of resolve. It’s a form of opportunity chasing that prevents us from being truly present. It serves as success repellant and creates a subtle drag on the aerodynamics of your practice.
If you’re a great starter, but poor finisher, you are probably surrounded by the mess of uncompleted projects. Besides a constant reminder of your short attention span, clutter is a reminder to others of your own lack of discipline and that your recommendations are not to be taken seriously.
Today, begin the process of cleaning and purging. Discard, recycle, give away, eliminate and throw out as much unused, unneeded “stuff” as possible. Streamline. Simplify. This may take several weeks or longer, but get started today.
That means closets, cupboards, drawers and places that have become the burial grounds for stuff you haven’t used during the last year or longer, and probably never will. You may be fooling others because they can’t see it, but your mind is keenly aware of the disorganization and lack of mental clarity that it causes.
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Hire a mystery shopperYou’ve probably been in your practice location for so long, you no longer see things that an apprehensive or wary new patient would see. You’ve lost what they call “beginner’s mind.”
You probably know someone who should be receiving chiropractic care, but isn’t. Maybe a golfing buddy. A friend from church. Or even an account executive at a local advertising agency. Hire him or her to be a “mystery shopper.”
Ask them to pose as a new patient and give them a list of things to evaluate and questions to ask your staff over the telephone. Have them come to your practice, tour the office, and complete the paperwork just like any other new patient. You’re looking for first impressions, contradictions and reactions to procedures you probably take for granted.
Then, during what would be your report of findings, have them give you a report of their impressions of your office, staff and procedures. Pay them a nominal fee and thank them for their help.
Avoid the temptation to ask them to begin care.
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Get your heart rightWhy do you want to see more new patients? Your motives can be detected by those you encounter. Before you embark on any new patient overture, you’ll want to resolve this spiritual dimension first.
There are two general categories for wanting new patients.
The first category includes wanting to be busier. Making more money. Filling in the gaps of your appointment book. Reaching a statistical goal. Feeling better about yourself when you’re busy.
These are “me” reasons that objectify patients.
The other category is “them” reasons. Saving patients from needless suffering. Helping them avoid surgery. Providing a pathway to get off their medications. Offering hope. Telling the truth to empower people to make better decisions. Preventing the problems resulting from their neglect or ignorance.
“Me” reasons selfishly serve you. “Them” reasons serve patients. Patients can tell where your heart is and will respond accordingly. Since new patients manifest spiritually before appearing physically, start here.
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Improve your self-talkThe way we talk to ourselves can be quite revealing. In fact, some of us say some rather unkind things to ourselves that we would never tolerate from anyone else. The tone and even the word choices we make when composing this internal banter can offer valuable clues about our circumstances and our beliefs about them. It’s time to become more mindful of your internal dialogue.
A common refrain among chiropractors who would like to be busier is the unhelpful mantra, “I need more new patients.”
By focusing on the problem, we fail to engage our creative mind for solutions. And, because what we give our attention to grows, we are rewarded with a “need for more new patients.”
A far more resourceful way to talk to yourself might be something along the lines of, “Who else can I serve?” Or even, “How else can I serve?”
Repeating these questions to yourself produces a far different effect. Not only do they engage our problem-solving skills, it sensitizes us to see opportunities rather than fuel our own pity party.
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Identify your ideal patientIf you’re human, and if you’ve read this far it’s highly likely that you are, then there are certain people that you resonate with and others that you find it difficult or impossible to connect with.
Can you and your staff recognize the types of patients you especially enjoy serving? Do they know the types of cases you enjoy helping? Do you know where your ideal patients live? How they think? What kinds of cars they drive? Whether they have children? What’s their income? Do they have insurance? What kind?
If you’re just thankful for anyone who shows up warmer than room temperature with a spine, your image of a prospective new patient is too vague. The way you first get, then keep patients on a long-term basis, is to attract a “tribe” that resonates with you and your values.
It may seem counter intuitive, especially if you have gaping holes in your schedule, but one way to grow your practice is by narrowing its focus. The notion that you can attract everyone simply isn’t true. It forces you to dumb down your message, show up beige and unremarkable.
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Alert current patients you’re accepting new patientsRegardless of how busy you think you are, most patients show up in your practice completely unaware of the mid-morning lulls or the disquieting lack of patients at 3:30 p.m. Instead, if they show up during the popular hours of the day, they see what appears to be a busy chiropractic practice. They’re clueless that you have the capacity or interest in helping more people.
Let patients know that “...we’re still in the growth phase of our practice, so if you know someone you think we could help, I hope you’ll send them our way.”
No need to pin them down for names and phone numbers. A simple announcement may be all that it takes. If patients think you’re already too busy, because there are frequently long waits, this strategy may not pay off. (More new patients means even longer waits!)
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Rehearse their referral dialogueIf you don’t get as many referrals as you think you deserve, it may be because patients are unable to describe what you do in a compelling way.
I learned this in a patient focus group I conducted in Philadelphia. I asked one of the participants how they tell their friends about what the chiropractor does. Without batting an eye he said, “I just tell ‘em he cracks my back and gives me shock treatments.”
Yikes!
Do you know how your patients describe you and your procedures? Find out. Many patients who claim to “tell everyone I know about you” often use unhelpful language that actually dooms their efforts.
“I’m just wondering, when you tell others about what we do here, how do you explain it?”
Be prepared for blank stares or some less-than-optimal word choices. If you don’t like what you hear, provide some gentle coaching.
“When I’m asked the same question, what I usually say is...” and use the kind of language you’d like to see them use.
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Handout brochuresPractices that use a lot of brochures seem to get a lot of new patients. Far too many practices diminish this number by installing a brochure rack, filling it with great brochures and then waiting for patients to self-serve.
While brochures may help your patients, most brochures are designed for the people your patients know. Think of your patients as a media channel and your brochures contain the message you want broadcast to your community.
Standing next to your brochure rack you simply say, “This week we’re trying to help as many people with [symptom] as we can. If you know someone who suffers from [symptom], I hope you’ll send him or her our way. And if they live in another town, we’ll consult our referral directory to make sure they get a good chiropractor.”
And then hand them a brochure. Remember, it’s a numbers game. It’s not exploitive. And it’s not self-serving. You’re equipping patients to help those they love.
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Send birthday cardsThere are two days each year that people are most likely to think about their health. The first is our birthday, especially as we get older. New Year’s resolution time is the other.
It’s a great reason to send a greeting each year. Plus, as we get older, the number of birthday greetings we receive tends to decline. Sending a birthday greeting by mail or email can have a high impact and it’s a natural way to reactivate dormant patients who may simply be waiting for such an invitation to return.
Another strategy is to send a birthday card to patients on your birthday, explaining your own resolution to attend to your health, getting adjusted regularly and renewing your own commitment to better health. You might even use your birthday greeting to dispute the common misconception that spinal problems are merely the result of aging.
And don’t neglect the energetic implications of delegating the writing of a stock message to a staff member. It practically negates the effect and reduces this to a “technique” or insincere gimmick. The amount of energy you put into this determines the amount of energy you’ll get back.
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Send thank you notesVirtually all success literature suggests the importance of gratitude. Do you generously express your gratitude?
Purchase some appropriate thank you cards. Something significant. Maybe engraved. Heavy paper. Something bordering on wedding invitation quality.
Spend some time at the beginning or end of each week sending thank you notes to patients, vendors, mentors and others. Express your appreciation for their contribution and acknowledge them for the ways they add to your life.
It doesn’t have to be a long message. A thoughtful sentence or two will do. Notice how it stirs your heart and returns ten-fold in the form of more new patients, better follow through and a more enjoyable practice.
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Educate patientsEducated patients remain under care longer, get well faster, enjoy greater satisfaction with their care and are more effective referral ambassadors. Yet, what passes for patient education (inside out) is merely teaching (outside in).
Standing at the X-ray view box, yakking at a patient isn’t patient education. Nor is force-feeding patients the table talk topic of the day. Most patients can nod their way through your monologue to trick you into thinking your assertions are being embraced and accepted.
Instead, ask better questions. Stimulate a conversation. Uncover what patients believe. Engage in a volley. If you find yourself doing most of the talking, get back on track by asking a question.
True patient education occurs when you ask a question so as to prompt patients to engage in something quite rare these days: critical thinking. Turns out, the changes you’d like to make in their cerebral cortex come from forming the answer to a question, not in making a declaration or stating your beliefs, regardless of how eloquently you do it.
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Send weekly health tipsBecause sending emails these days is so easy and inexpensive, you’re probably already sending regular patient emails to teach, educate and inspire your patients.
You’re not?
Okay, then you’ve probably harnessed the power of social media, becoming an expert in planting your flag and attracting followers who appreciate your particular take on health and healing?
You haven’t?
Then you have some catching up to do. Start by making a list of 52 subjects or health tips that can enhance the lives of readers.
Turn them into short, 100-150-word blurbs about what to do to optimize one’s health. Provide a link to your website if you need to supply more detail. Share ways busy people can enhance their health and well-being. Keep it short so recipients will open and read it. Go light on self-promotion in favor of showing up as a generous expert.
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Record your patient communicationsChiropractors commit a variety of communication sins behind the closed doors of a consultation or report of findings room. Everything from minimizing a patient’s problem (a “little problem”) to annoying tics (like seeking approval by asking “Okay?” between just about every sentence!)
“May I record our conversation so I can consult it in the future?” or “May I record your report so I send you home with a copy?”
Either way, recording your reports (and forcing yourself to listen to them) will practically ensure that you’ll give a better one each time. You’ll be flabbergasted by what you say, providing painful feedback that will dramatically shorten and improve your presentations. Even better, by providing patients with a CD of your report that they can share with a spouse or family member, you enhance their ability to win over a spouse and enhance the referral process.
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Sell your talent not your timeEnhance the referral process and avoid patient disappointments by managing a critical patient perception: they are not buying a certain amount of face time with you.
Particularly if patients have been to other chiropractors, it’s tempting for them to gauge their satisfaction by how much time they spend with you. This puts an automatic cap on how many people you can help.
“Because I’ve been at this for XX years, and have delivered thousands of adjustments, it’s going to take me just three or four minutes to evaluate your spine and get you adjusted. Now, I could make your visits longer, but if I do, I won’t be able to help as many people as I’d like. Plus, you probably have better things to do than hang around here. So with your permission, I’d prefer to give you 100% of my focused attention and experience, and then send you on your way so you can go enjoy your new health.”
If you want to become busier, start using an adjusting technique that doesn’t require a lot of time. And the notion that you can’t adequately deliver great care in less than 10, 15 or 20 minutes is an expensive self-limiting belief. Countless chiropractors spend less than a minute with each patient, adjust only one bone and produce legendary results.
After all, patients don’t live to get adjusted. They get adjusted so they can go live!
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Reward referralsThis is a deeper example of the Day 12 suggestion of saying thank you. It’s based on the principle that you want to reward the behavior that you want to see more of. It works when raising children, training animals and increasing patient referrals.
Brainstorm the movie passes, car wash gift certificates, flower and balloon bouquets, sporting event tickets, books and other items that you can present as a gesture of your appreciation. Be sure to avoid contravening any regulation that Medicare may have about the monetary value of patient gifts.
Even more important is to be fastidious about identifying any current or past patient who may have contributed to a new patient being in your practice. Be sure to say “Thank you!” quickly, profusely and in the most heartfelt way you can.
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Redesign your business cardIt’s a little thing. However, your business card is a proxy for the quality of care you deliver. It’s one of many ways prospective new patients determine in advance whether you’re a good chiropractor.
Is your business card contemporary? Old fashioned? Tired? Boring? Does it resonate with your ideal patient? Does it make a visual statement that reflects your philosophy, attention to detail and precision?
You wouldn’t see a physical therapist for an adjustment, so hire a professional who can visualize your practice properly. Get a referral for a graphic designer or conduct an online search.
Besides a contemporary layout and design on the front, use the back to share something special about you or your practice. Create a short message (less than 100 words) that explains your patient care philosophy, a new patient’s first visit experience, your own experience with chiropractic, or some other clue so you can attract patients who will be a good fit.
Perhaps something like...
“Our patients choose our office because they want a natural approach to better health. On your first visit you’ll meet the doctor to discuss your current health situation and to see if you’re a good candidate for chiropractic care. If we think we can help, we’ll conduct a thorough examination. This helps us identify the likely cause(s) of your problem. We’ll tell you what we found, what we can do to help, how long it may take and how much it will cost. Our office enjoys high levels of patient satisfaction because we explain everything in advance. Find out for yourself!”
Or
“Our mission is to serve those in our community who appreciate the value of good health and want to be their best. Our job is to deliver the very best chiropractic care possible. Your job is to determine how much of it you want.”
Or
“Chiropractic care is a partnership. Part of your recovery comes from what we do, the other part from what you do. Once you get well, we’ll show you ways to stay well.”
Or
“By reducing nervous system interference along the vital nerve pathways of your spine, we help unleash your body’s ability to control and regulate every cell, tissue, organ and system of your body. As proper function returns, symptoms usually subside as health returns. Naturally. Without drugs or surgery.”
Once you have a business card you’re proud of, hand them out at every opportunity. Set a goal to hand out a certain number each day.
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Guarantee patient satisfactionWhenever a buyer and seller come together, one party generally takes on more risk than the other. Typically it’s the buyer, which begs the admonition, “buyer beware.” This fear produces abandoned shopping carts in online stores, buyer’s remorse and prospective new patients who are reluctant to consult your practice.
In other words, chiropractic is new, it’s different, it’s unlike anything they’ve ever tried and they have to pay a large deductible before it works—and even if it doesn’t. Reduce this financial barrier by offering a satisfaction guarantee. Not a promise of a cure. A promise of satisfaction about their decision to consult your practice. You might use language like this:
“Our practice is based on the simple truth that if we satisfy and delight our patients, they will get well faster and are more likely to tell others. This avoids costly advertising and helps keep our fees reasonable.
“Since patient results vary, we can’t guarantee results, but we can guarantee your satisfaction. If at any time within your first three office visits you’re not completely delighted with your decision to consult our office, we’ll happily refund the money you’ve paid us and make other care recommendations.
“While more visits will be necessary to complete the healing and retraining of your spine, during this introductory period, most patients enjoy enough progress to know that consulting our office was a wise decision.”
Keep the trial period short, such as three visits or one week. The purpose is NOT to produce a resolution of their symptoms. Instead, your mission is to share a new model of health and healing and offer enough hope to encourage patients to continue. All this without financial risk.
Besides enhancing referrals, it keeps everyone focused on delighting patients and managing each patient’s expectations.
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Have a robust Internet presenceYou probably wouldn’t use the Internet to find a doctor, but each year millions do. And if you don’t have a website, you’re missing out on a huge number of prospective new patients who buy practically everything online.
Lacking a patient-relevant website, you’re not only invisible, but without your URL on your business card, patients figure you’re not keeping up, you’re out of date and you should be avoided.
These days, even those referred by an enthusiastic patient will go to the Web to check you out before making the call.
If you don’t have an interest in technology, no problem. Delegate it to a team member or secure the website service from our sister company, Perfect Patients.
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Encourage positive reviewsAccording to a Nielson report, 70% of consumers trust the recommendations of online reviews. So, rather than collecting testimonials and hiding them in the “Our Patients Speak” binder in the reception room, encourage patients to write a review on Yelp or Google.
Start by claiming your business listing with both services. After the second or third visit, or when patients mention their delight with your care, send an email asking for a positive review and a call to “help us help others.” Provide a link to your listing and encourage patients to sign in and leave a positive sentence or two about their experience.
Social proof affirms your current patients and inspires new ones to begin care.
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Be a referral sourceIt’s based on the Law of Reciprocity: if you want to get more referrals, you must give more referrals. Far too many chiropractors wait until they receive a referral before ever thinking to give one. Big mistake.
Instead be more generous. Become the go-to person in your community, a concierge of sorts who knows the best coffee shop, the best house painter, the best dentist and the best anything. Become a matchmaker and eventually the favor will be returned. As Chicken Soup for the Soul co-author Mark Victor Hansen observes, “Your net worth is based upon your network.” Translation: become familiar to as many other influencers in your area as possible.
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Send patient newslettersNewsletters are a proven way to grow your practice, educate patients, share your philosophy, and keep in touch with patients. With the increasing reliance on email or instant messaging, a printed newsletter might seem “old school,” but that’s why they can be so effective.
Some practices send themed issues on a single topic. While generally easier to create, if the topic doesn’t interest the reader, the entire issue is ignored. You might as well put a brochure in the mail.
A more effective strategy is to include a mix of different topics, giving each one a vitalistic, natural editorial slant. The key is to do it consistently. Sending one issue and expecting it to open the floodgates of inactives and referrals is as unrealistic as patients expecting a single adjustment to reverse a lifetime of neglect.
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Conduct periodic patient appreciation daysA patient appreciation event is a great way to thank current patients for their loyalty and to encourage them to bring along a friend, someone who may be interested in learning more about chiropractic care.
Some practices offer concessions for those who bring a canned food item to help restock the community pantry. Create a festive mood in the practice with balloons, serve some healthy treats, and award certificates to the youngest patient, the oldest patient, the patient who traveled the greatest distance to the practice, the patient receiving care in the practice the longest, etc.
But don’t do more than two patient-centered events in a year. Having to rely on a steady diet of concessions may be a sign of a deeper, more serious problem.
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Enhance your public speakingPublic speaking is a social skill. As is making small talk. Listening. And eating soup without slurping. Like all social skills, being able to express yourself in front of others is a learned behavior. The more you do it, the better you get. Since so few are willing to tackle their fear of public speaking, your willingness to acquire this vital skill gives you an advantage that will propel you and your practice forward.
Start by joining a Toastmasters group and perfecting your presentation skills. These small group settings give everyone a chance to practice speaking. As your experience and confidence grows, you’ll have greater poise and authority in your one-to-one communications.
First stop? Contact some local elementary schools and offer to be a “guest lecturer” in classes that teach basic health, anatomy, systems of the body, etc. The teacher gets a much-appreciated break. The students get to look at a new face and learn a new way of looking at their bodies and the primacy of the nervous system. These are friendly audiences, which will be attentive and appreciative. Your mission is to get some experience under your belt, not to get new patients.
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Conduct lectures, seminars and talksChiropractic doesn’t have to be sold. Merely told. Telling the truth about the nature of health and healing will attract those who resonate with the chiropractic principles, attracting a higher caliber of patient—someone who wants health rather than merely pain relief.
Start inside your practice by conducting lectures, workshops and seminars. Whether weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, your mission is to put in your “10,000 hours” so you can communicate with confidence.
Then, let your patients know that you’re available for speaking at companies, civic clubs and service organizations. These are not sales sessions, but merely ways to share your philosophy, offer some practical tips and show up as a contributor. Not only are direct overtures to become new patients rarely successful, word gets around and invitations to speak become increasingly rare.
Finally, consider renting a local hotel meeting room and hosting your own community seminars. Charge admission. Invite guest speakers such as nutritionists, acupuncturists, birthing coaches and others with a more vitalistic bent. In the process, you become known as the natural health expert in your community.
Pace yourself. This is a long-term strategy that will pay off handsomely in the years ahead.
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Become familiarAll things being equal, we’d rather do business with someone we know rather than with someone we don’t know. Your mission is to become known in your community or the drawing area of your practice. If you tend to be on the introverted side of things, this may require courage, but it will be worth it.
Many practitioners live in a social cocoon, rarely encountering strangers, skeptics or naysayers. In the process, the new patients and the resulting referral network is diminished. It may be time to become reinvested in your community.
This may mean joining civic groups and participating in service organizations, donating your time at the soup kitchen, or any one of a dozen other ways to contribute. Resolve today to increase your visibility in your community.
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Befriend medical doctorsWhen he was finally caught, Willie Sutton, the famous U.S. bank robber from a century ago, was asked why he robbed banks. He replied, “Because that’s where the money is.” Similarly, if you want a constant stream of new patients, then enhance your relationships with medical doctors in your community.
Relax. Most medical doctors aren’t anti-chiropractic. They simply don’t know what chiropractors do or they have serious misconceptions. Your mission is to become familiar with and educate those in your community who are available. It might mean a breakfast or lunch meeting. It might result from an introduction from a mutual friend or patient.
You could be a real life saver for medics with troublesome cases or those who need a trusted resource for patients with spinal problems.
As you are trusted with referrals, return the favor as appropriate. And keep your new colleagues in the loop by providing reports and updates on each patient’s progress.
You might introduce yourself with a snail mail letter:
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Dear (Pediatrician),
There are occasions when I need to refer my patients to a specialist. I’m sometimes at a loss when my patients ask for a recommendation. I’d like to change that.
Do you have an opening for lunch in the next week or so?
I’d like to meet you, tour your office and explore your approach to patient care. I’d like to discuss the types of cases you enjoy and how I can include you as a resource for my patients.
May I call you or your staff to arrange a time and date?
Warmest regards,
Inactive contact planThe people most likely to see you are the people who already have. Keeping in touch with patients who are in the dormant stage of their care is essential. Create and implement a system that will keep you periodically in touch with your favorite inactive patients.
Start by refining your mailing list and email database. Most practice software programs give you a sortable field in which you can code each patient. Here’s a simple coding:
“A” patients. These are those great inactive patients you’d most like to have back under active care. Your plan is to eventually have your entire practice filled with folks like these!
“B” patients. These are your “borderline” patients. Maybe they came in because of a car accident or a work-related injury, and they didn’t understand the potential of chiropractic care.
“C” patients. These are those rare patients you hope never to “see” again. They didn’t pay their bills or follow your recommendations, or they displayed personality traits that made them less than ideal to serve.
Then set an annual budget to stay in touch with each of your A’s (maybe $15.00 a year) and B’s (perhaps $10.00 per year). And spend it on postcards, letters, birthday cards and newsletters to keep in touch with the most desirable inactives.
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Create an annual marketing planIf you market your practice only when you need new patients, you will never escape the feast or famine “roller coaster” practice so common in chiropractic. Avoid this by creating and implementing an annual marketing plan that details the events, promotions, offers and community outreach programs you intend to support each year.
Your mission is to have at least one thing you do each month to promote your practice and get the word out.
You should know what you will be doing each month to introduce more people to you and your practice. Track their effectiveness. Fine-tune your plan by adding or deleting events based on their impact. As you hone your schedule with each passing year, it becomes easier and easier.
Begun
In Process
Completed
Deferred
Day
30
30 Days LaterSo that you can compare where you are, with where you were, take a few moments to record some key indicators after participating in this 30-day program.
Quantitative Statistics
Total patient visits last week
Total new patients last week
Qualitative Statistics
Physical Energy - Rate yourself on a scale between 1 for “Near Death” and 10 if you’re in the “Olympic Athlete” category when it comes to your physical health
Emotional Vitality - Rate yourself on a scale between 1 for “Burned Out” and 10 if you’re “Spizzed Up” when it comes to your emotional temperature
Future Outlook - Rate yourself on a scale between 1 for “Hopeless” and 10 for “Hopeful” as you contemplate the future of your practice today
ConclusionHope these suggestions help you get back on track.
But remember, being busy really isn’t the goal. Instead, your goal is to meaningfully contribute to the lives of the people who consult with you.
Here are some additional resources you may find helpful:
Chiropractic Consulting For Grownups - Got a vexing problem or an important decision to make? Buy a one-hour consultation with William Esteb and get unstuck.
Monday Morning Motivation – Subscribe to this weekly email with a 150-word practice tip, communication idea or headspace insight.
William D. Esteb© Patient Media, Inc.
(719) 488-6663
