Have you ever noticed how so many of the good things in life that come our way can often be attributed to timing? Job opportunities and relationships can come to fruition when we are in the right place at the right time and respond with the right amount of effort.

Take athletes for example. Don't you think that their reaction time is critical? A top notch middle line-backer needs to be able to see a play developing before it happens and respond instantaneously once the play begins. Talented actors have to be able to intuit their audience's emotions and react and respond accordingly to deliver a performance that will remain in their memory long after they leave.

In my experience, great response time equals great talent and your ability to respond to both your healthy and acute care patient's needs will dictate the success of your practice.

Chiropractors who want to be more effective in practice and in serving their patients, need to study and enhance their response time. For instance, how will you respond to patients who are not getting the results they expected from your care? Will you keep doing what you have been doing or will you alter your technique and recommendations to impact the patient in a more positive way? In what time frame do you usually respond to potential referrals? If you respond immediately, you are more likely to get new patients.

Mastering your response time can be a critical retention and new patient tool. If you know of an acute patient or someone who has just sustained an injury, the manner in which you respond to their specific needs will likely determine whether or not they remain a patient in your practice. Cultivating your response time will vary from doctor to doctor, but is a skill that can be learned by anyone.

Some chiropractors innately have exceptional response time and because of it, they always seem to make things look easy. They capitalize on every situation and get extraordinary results with patients as they grow their practices almost effortlessly.

Other chiropractors may have a slower response time. If you are one of these people, making a commitment to master all of the situations that occur in your practice both technically and clinically with patients (as well as in your patient communications and practice style) should be part of your daily routine. Just as practice makes perfect for actors and athletes, the more you and your team rehearse patient situations, the more you will increase and improve your response time and effectiveness as a chiropractor.

Unfortunately, many D.C.s settle for being status quo and blame their lack of results on the environment, the economy, or insurance companies. In truth, if they could just learn how to give the appropriate response in the appropriate time frame, they could turn their lives and their practices around.

If you want to establish yourself as a family health care leader in your community, make a commitment to evaluating and improving your response time. Give great quality care and reach your chiropractic goals with compassion and consistency.