CHIROPRACTIC EXCELLENCE

The Internet has now become one of the primary ways that practice members and prospective customers find out answers.

Do you help to direct them to congruent health related resources?

65% of people report access to the internet. A total of 74% of those with access use the Internet to find health information for themselves or family members. Disease-specific information is most frequently sought, followed by medication information, and then information about nutrition and exercise. Did you know that as a health care professional you can significantly build your relationship and loyalty with your customers by referring them to useful and helpful web sites?

Here are some short cuts to assist you to point your patients in the right direction…

1) Collect your patients email addresses and offer them a periodical email update service: Send out a periodical group newsletter with links to interesting health articles that align with your philosophy and services. Nowadays you can even remind some patients about their appointments via email.

Click Here To Find Out How To Send Powerful and Impacting Emails…

2) Get a web site: Not just an online business card - but one that has significant amounts of health related and even self-help information, which is regularly updated. There are chiropractic specific services that can help you with this.

3) Have a list of health sites that you regularly refer to yourself - link to these from your web-site, and try to set up reciprocal links from their site to yours.

Click Here To Visit My New Health Blog Suitable For Anyone To Read…

The Million Dollar Question

Many of us now call ourselves “Wellness DCs” or “Healthy Lifestyle Doctors” or some other impressive sounding title - I guess we are trying to differentiate our services from the other “garden variety” DCs? But these titles often are a reflection of us, and not a true reflection of how our customers really see us, or how they themselves behave. Maybe we exercise regularly, get adjusted every 1-2 weeks, keep a positive outlook, eat organic etc. But then we have 80% of our practice on monthly schedules, and have no discernable influence on their other healthy habits?

I suffered a daunting revelation when I upgraded my technique and scheduling systems to a more “wellness” driven focus. You see I used to spend ~15 minutes with each client, and they loved my soft-tissue techniques, and often complimented me on my ability to find the sore spots and to provide instantaneous relief from their musculoskeletal aches and pains. Not that there is anything wrong with this - but my mission is to improve the health and wellness of everyone that I can influence - not to be the natural alternative to Nurofen and Panadeine. And when I changed my technique to a neurological model, many left the practice before they could possibly experience the extra health benefits - why? “Because I didn’t rub their shoulders”!

So, what do YOUR clients really think of YOU? Here is the million dollar question to ask your practice members that will inform you of the truth…

“If you could come and have an adjustment whenever you wanted to, and it didn’t cost you anything, how often would you come?”

1) If the answer is, “Oh I’d come every single week, and sometimes even more”: Congratulations - you probably are truly a wellness DC - your clients truly comprehend the global benefits of an adjustment. They probably perceive the reduction in tension and stress, the improved sleep patterns, the maximised immunity, and the increases in energy after each adjustment.

2) “Oh, I’d come every 4-6 weeks”: Maybe you should replace the title “Wellness” with “Maintenance” DC. Your clients have probably discovered that if they go longer than 4-6 weeks, that their aches and pains start to increase in severity and regularity. Your periodical adjustments offer them effective and lasting pain relief.

3) “Oh, I’d come a 2-3 times a year”: I actually don’t quite understand this concept - maybe it’s because they get their car serviced twice a year, and go to the dentist twice a year, and floss their teeth twice a year, and make love twice a year? I’m not sure of what possible benefit two adjustments per year could have - maybe I underestimate the power of an adjustment?

4) “Oh, I’d come in whenever I had a problem”: Whoops, if you get a lot of this answer, then it is time to change your title to “garden variety DC”.

To take this question to the next level: If your practice members answer that they would like to come more often than they actually do - the next question to ask is - “What do we need to do to help you come as often as you would really like to?” - now its time to work out a strategy, schedule, fee, that makes their dream a reality…

Click Here To Find Out More About Practice Change Coaching…

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?

Click Here To Find Out About Practice Coaching…