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Dreams do come true

I remember thinking, back when I was just starting out in practice, how great it would be if I could have a big-name celebrity do commercials for my practice. Then, as now, drug companies use celebrity endorsements to sell everything from acne cream to Viagra (can you believe Bob Dole as the Viagra poster boy?).

I reasoned that seeing a familiar and respected person talk about the benefits of chiropractic would convince so many people to visit a D.C. Of course, I hoped they would visit my office but I was so filled with passion for chiropractic that I just wanted them to try it (some things haven't changed).

I dreamed of how great it would be to have Bruce Jenner, or those guys from "Starsky & Hutch," do a patient education video I could use to promote my practice. I know I'm dating myself, but these were the big names then!

Well, it never happened. In the mid-'70s, well known celebrities rarely admitted to receiving chiropractic care. It was a dark secret, like wearing lifts or having a nervous breakdown. They just didn't talk about it.

Today, things are very different. Most athletes publicly sing the praises of chiropractic care. Sports teams, dance companies, theater groups and health clubs have resident chiropractors. And stars from every walk of life are coming out of the chiropractic closet to tell people how much better they feel with chiropractic.

Still, trying to hire one of these people to do a commercial or patient education tape for you would be extremely expensive. Some charge hundreds of thousands of dollars for a 30-second segment. Too rich for my blood.

But what if you could have a famous Olympic athlete stand at your door to tell passersby, "If it wasn't for chiropractic, I wouldn't have won the gold medal"? If that didn't have people busting down your door, I don't know what would.

Okay, you probably won't be able to get Dan O'Brien to literally plant himself outside your office and wave people inside. But you can do the next best thing. You can get him to introduce people to chiropractic (and your office) with the new video put out by the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance.

I watched this tape recently and I was literally blown away. It's 14 minutes of information delivered in a fresh and exciting way. If I hadn't already been a chiropractic patient, I would have become one after seeing this video -- and I would have brought all my kids in as well.

It starts out with Dan O'Brien, the 1996 Gold Medalist for the grueling triathlon competition, giving an unqualified endorsement of chiropractic. Even non-sports fans will probably recognize him from the Wheaties boxes with his face on them, or from "Letterman" or "The Tonight Show." He's not only considered the World's Greatest Athlete, but he's good looking, beaming with health, and very articulate.

The video's introduction includes shots of the women's soccer team and other famous athletes who give a good part of the credit for their success to chiropractic.

I can almost guarantee no one will walk away after seeing it. They'll be fascinated or, at the very least, curious.

Then, the video gives them basic information about chiropractic, the vertebral subluxation, chiropractic for children, and other important topics. In each segment, real patients talk about their own experiences. Viewers are sure to relate.

It closes with a tight shot of O'Brien urging the viewer to make an appointment with the chiropractor whose name appears on the video. Powerful marketing!

Not only has the CLA done an incredible job with this video, it has shown its commitment to chiropractic by pricing it at a very reasonable cost of just $12 each in quantity orders. Incredible video at an incredible price.