Patient Acceleration

During a recent radio interview the host asked me why so many chiropractors suffer and make such little income? It reminded me of a famous line from one of my favorite novels A Tale of Two Cities – “It was the best of times it was the worst of times”.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, “Median annual wages of salaried chiropractors were $66,490 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $45,540 and $96,700 a year.” There is a reason why some succeed and others don’t.

What was not taught in Chiropractic School? The notion that chiropractors offer alternative healthcare is true. However the reason why some subsist in small practice with less than 60 patient visits per month is because chiropractors have not been taught the art of business development.

This begs the question, “How can the practice be successful if there is little knowledge about growing the practice?”

Chiropractors need to readjust their thinking to a marketing mindset. Many chiropractors will react negatively to the notion that they are in the marketing business. The fact is they are indeed marketers but some better than others.

My findings are that poor marketing is the leading cause of business failure. I know droves of chiropractors that are barely surviving and others that are building bigger practices because of investments in marketing. Today it is vital to conduct numerous marketing activities to earn a decent living and attract patients to the practice and the chiropractors talents.

According to bylaws approved by the American Marketing Association, Marketing is the activity, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for stakeholders. Chiropractic is a relationship business and prospective patients are loath to enter agreements with strangers. It is prevalent that chiropractors use a myriad of methods to help build those relationships and attract individuals to your community.

In addition, building these relationships today is difficult since patients are distracted in a busy world, there is intense competition and chiropractors simply lack time. To help provide some semblance of attraction here are some tips that will provide “sales legs” for your practice.

1.     Busyness – Some chiropractors do not have a healthy business routine. It is necessary to develop a series of activities that one will do each week to help build business. Write down in a planner the five to seven activities you will conduct each week to help build attraction.

2.     Think with the end in mind – To grow the practice it is vital to have a daily, weekly or month goal. Develop a spreadsheet to determine the numbers you need for a healthy practice. But, ensure your numbers are not too lofty it is helpful to list attainable goals.

3.     Network Aggressively – Attend networking groups and functions do not be a wallflower but become actively engaged in meeting as many people as possible.

4.     Referrals – Ask any chiropractor and they do not seek referrals from their existing patient base. Patients that love you want to tell others to love you too.

5.     Connect with Patients – The intense levels of technology make it very easy to maintain patient relationships. Examples include newsletters, blogs, patient information and gratuity cards. Remain in constant contact to remain top of mind.

6.     Seminars – Hold monthly seminars in the office or use a patient’s office to hold a 30 minute “Health Briefing”. These intimate settings establish value and help you build quicker relationships to a smaller crowd.

7.     Intellectual Capital – Chiropractors are very well researched and should share their knowledge with the world. Newspapers, industry trade publications and regional periodicals continually seek content. Look around in your local community to see where you capital can be published.

If you are sitting in a small office currently, the phones are not ringing and you are concerned about your next bill perhaps it is time to change your thinking. As Einstein stated sometimes insanity is doing the same thing continuously yet expecting a different result.

What are some of your best marketing practices? Use the comment box below to offer your tips and techniques that have aided your practice.

Got all the clients you desire? I don’t think you do? Find out how!

Copyright 2011. Drew J. Stevens Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Drew Stevens works with chiropractors that constantly struggle to produce income. Dr. Drew teaches you how to dramatically accelerate relationships to drive new patients and new revenue. Call him today at 877-391-6821.