CHIROPRACTIC EXCELLENCE

The number and type of clients you see and draw to your practice are a SYMPTOM of your own attitude towards chiropractic!

1) If your attitude is that chiropractic is great for the relief of any number of aches and pains - then you will have a pain relief and crisis care practice.

No matter how many visits you try to extract from your customers, they will tend to use you only for the relief of aches and pains - you may have a PVA of 20, but this will be 20 visits of crisis care. And because you will see primarily pain relief occurring, you will justify your attitude. In other words, you will either not initiate larger state of wellbeing and general health changes, or even if they are occurring you will be oblivious; because you won’t even ask the questions that might detect that something else is going on. And your patient’s won’t think to mention any other changes that are happening in their lives, because you are the “Back Doctor”, and the other stuff has nothing to do with you.

2) If your attitude is that chiropractic is good for fixing back problems, or straightening abnormal spinal angles - then you will have a corrective care practice.

You could have a huge practice, with people seeing you for a bunch of visits in a relatively short space of time. People will be convinced and even impressed by your level of professionalism, equipment and affluent appearance. But here’s the question: How many families are you seeing, how many of your clients have been seeing you for 5 and even 10 years, how dependent are you on the next bunch of new patients to refill the appointment book and balance sheet?

3) If your attitude is that regular chiropractic helps to prevent spinal problems from progressing to be serious, acute and painful - then you will have a maintenance practice.

How quickly do your patients get to four to six week intervals in their care? Often they get to monthly visits and you haven’t even reassessed them. A couple of times a week for a couple of weeks, then once a week for a couple more weeks, and then before you know what’s happened they are booked in, in 4-6 weeks. They may be out of pain, and they may have experienced some initial health improvements, but have YOU really made any signifiant physiological and functional changes to their global state of wellbeing? Will they live longer and better as a result of an adjustment every 30-60 days, while in between they undo all your good work?

4) If your attitude is that chiropractic is an integral part of a person’s health program, having an effect on their nervous system and releasing the work of the body’s innate intelligence - then you will have a broad scope health and wellness practice.

Their symptoms, state of disease, financial position are even totally irrelevant to your belief that a regular adjustment will do them good… It’s this simple - PEOPLE WHO GET ADJUSTED DO BETTER! And they usually feel and function better too. But you don’t take responsibility for your practice members’ state of health - You didn’t get them into the state they are currently in, and you can but assist them and even coach them towards a more optimal lifestyle… You understand that each adjustment is a positive healing step forwards, and you utilise all your clinical and technical skills to determine how many steps they take backwards in between adjustments to determine the optimal schedule for their care. And this attitude is contagious, because the type of new patient that appears at your door seems to intuitively understand this philosophy, and they seem to be surrounded by a family and peer group that wants to join them at your rooms on a regular basis.

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In order to go through the step by step process of building your dream practice, it is necessary to start at the beginning: That is; WHOM DO YOU WANT TO SERVE?

There are three main reasons why you need to define your “ideal patient“.

1) To make you aware of the people presently using your services, that you enjoy serving. By identifying who they are you can better understand how to best serve, reward and encourage these people.

2) So that you know how to attract these people to your practice by better understanding their needs and values.

3) To help you determine what systems and procedures you need to put in place to help the rest of your patients to grow into being an ‘ideal patient’.

DESIGNING THE IDEAL PATIENT:

Think of the patients you presently enjoy serving in the practice; the ones you look forward to seeing and when you see their name on the appointment book it brings a smile to your face. Why do you like them?

Some of the characteristics we might need to consider include: Age, gender, occupation, socioeconomic group, culture, health status, attitude, sense of humor, marriage status, hobbies, interests, values, understanding of health care and chiropractic, with or without kids, appearance etc…

AN EXAMPLE: MY ‘IDEAL PATIENT’:

• Communicative.
• Obedient.
• Positive attitude and outlook.
• Inquisitive.
• Health conscious.
• Believe in chiropractic.
• Value chiropractic care.
• Honest.
• Any age, gender, culture etc.
• Families.
• Pays for care.
• Refers others.
• Gives recognition for the care they receive.
• Smile!
• Doers.
• Reliable.
• Enthusiastic.
• Responsible.

Sit down with your TEAM and brainstorm the different attributes of your practice’s ‘ideal patient’ and come up with your own description…

I was recently cleaning up a shelf in my store-room when I found an old post-pack - not sure what was inside, I blew off the dust and opened the cover and found dozens of Polaroid photos of all the kid’s that had arrived as new patients at our practice through the nineties. I called in my CA and we spent a few joyful minutes recalling all the memorable moments and miracles. Then we noticed that there was a whole bunch of kids (some now teens) that were still regularly seeing us - and as you can imagine they are now all a lot taller and bigger, some 10-15 years later. So, our new project has been to recreate their photos when they come in for their tune-ups. The funniest is two small giggling boys squeezed closely together in an arm chair - they used to keep the whole reception room laughing because they used to be so ticklish that they would laugh uncontrollably through their adjustments - now one is nearly 6 foot and the other nearly 100kgs - and they still both giggle when I adjust their necks! We are going to produce a “where are they now” display with the title - “Want your kids to grow up healthy and straight? Then get them adjusted regularly.”

Our kid’s room walls used to be covered with photos of kid’s and all their colouring sheets and drawings of their chiropractor, and this was without a doubt the biggest referral tool for us when attracting families and kids. Why?..

1) People love to be where people are - when parents are in your practice and see all the kids that see you, they will ask you about chiropractic for kids… On the other hand if all they see is trendy prints and the latest edition of WHO weekly and the Bulletin - then they will not give a single thought about whether or not their kids need chiropractic care - they’ll probably read the last advert for kiddy pain killers instead.

2) You can tell the success stories. If someone asks you about chiropractic for asthma, or bedwetting etc - it’s great to be able to quote the latest research, but what really works is when you can point to a number of kids on your photo wall who you have treated for that very same condition.

3) Kid’s see the photos and ask what they have to do to get included on the wall of fame - say no more…

4) When you see a kid new patient there is a reduced fear factor because they can see so many other kids smiling and being adjusted in the photos (make sure you take lots of photos with you adjusting, laughing, and interacting with the kids - but no photos that show images of the kids in twisted positions).

5) Dedicating a room or area to kids shows that you are family and child-centred - if your practice looks like a kid has never stepped inside - then they probably won’t?

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