By Marino Passero, DC

You became a chiropractor because you believe in the profession and you want to help patients. Both are admirable objectives, but are they enough? Desire and intent alone can’t build a practice. To make a living as doctor of chiropractic, you need to attract patients who seek the services you have to offer.

Word-of-mouth is effective advertising, but it can’t be your only means of building your practice. Whether you’re opening a start-up practice, joining a group of health professionals or purchasing an existing clinic, you need to let the community know you and your services are available. You need to market yourself to show prospective patients just what you can do.
Think back to elementary school. Were you ever the “new kid?” If so, your parents probably advised you to make the first move – to join a group or a team rather than wait for an invitation. You’re operating on a larger scale now, but the premise is the same. You can’t sit in your office and wait for the line to form. It’s up to you to take the initiative.

Here are a few ideas to help get you started:
• Take a deep breath and get ready to face the world. If you’re not a naturally outgoing person, the prospect of integrating yourself into a new community can be a daunting one. However, you have an important task ahead of you. Remember: No one is as interested in your career as you are, and no one can work as diligently to promote you as you can. Drawing the blinds and waiting for appointments to make themselves is a mistake you can’t afford to make. By contrast, though, keep in mind your comfort level. Give yourself a chance to stretch your wings, but if something ends up feeling too strange or wrong, simply don’t do it.

• If you’re joining a practice, request a meeting with the other health professionals in your office to ask their help in promoting you. Ask them how they routinely introduce and attract patients to new practitioners. Chances are, they have a strategy in place. If so, ask what you can do to help supplement their efforts. If not, ask for their help in creating a strategy to put you on the map. Frequently, practices host an open house to introduce a new doctor. Existing patients attend, often bringing a friend or family member. Be prepared to shake a lot of hands as you provide information about you and your profession. If the practice you’ve joined is a busy one, it’s likely patients will welcome an appointment with a doctor whose waiting list isn’t weeks long.

• Consider contacting your weekly paper and offering to write a column. Tell the editor he or she won’t have to pay you, but you would like your photo, byline and office information to be prominently displayed. If the paper agrees, you can write weekly or bimonthly about chiropractic issues, making sure to remain upbeat, positive and uncritical of other disciplines while promoting the chiropractic profession.

• Extend similar offers to a local radio or television station. Pay attention to demographics here: Call each station manager and request information on the audience the station attracts. Talk-radio stations are good choices, and programming managers are often on the lookout for good one-minute “filler” spots to take up time between a newscast and other programming. Consider writing some minute-long “Chiropractic Tip of the Day” spots and pitching them to the station you’ve chosen. You should only pitch one station at a time; if one doesn’t work out, move to your next choice on the list. Again, forego payment in return for prominent mention of your name and office information.

• Become a regular at community events, even if they have nothing to do with health or chiropractic. Does your community hold an annual Founders’ Day Parade or “Back to School Bash?” Visit the local Chamber of Commerce and request a calendar of events, then show up. Prepare some promotional hand-outs, booklets or brochures touting the many advantages of your practice and chiropractic in general. Bring a stack of business cards, and consider some type of inexpensive giveaway such as pens, key rings, puzzles, etc., with your practice name imprinted on them.

• Contact your school district’s community and adult-education departments or the local Red Cross chapter and volunteer to teach a class about chiropractic and wellness. Again, forego payment in exchange for promotion. Such organizations put out catalogs to advertise upcoming classes; ask that yours – with your photo, if possible – be displayed as prominently as possible. Again, avoid controversy: Tout the benefits of chiropractic without criticizing or downplaying the roles of other health professionals.

• While you’re talking with the school district, volunteer to be a “Career Day” volunteer. Most elementary schools host these events once a year and invite parents and others in the community to speak about their professions. Have your child-friendly “freebies” ready, such as a puzzle attached to a brochure about your practice. The kids will probably take the puzzles home to show their parents, who might very well end up calling your practice to find out more about the services you offer.

• Health fairs at local shopping centers and other gathering places are another good opportunity. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce for details.
If you take some simple steps to reach out to your community when you’re “the new kid in town,” your efforts will be returned many times over in the form of more new patients and more referrals.

Dr. Passero is chief operating officer of TRIAD Healthcare, Inc., the managed-care subsidiary of NCMIC Group, Inc. TRIAD has made available for new providers in its managed-care network a start-up marketing kit including signs, brochures and sample advertisements. For more information, call 800-550-0540.