A "roller coaster" effect is commonplace among many practices. Numbers remain high for a few weeks, then they fall low, only to rise again in a few weeks time. It's a cyclical action that many doctors grow accustomed to, rather than finding out what problem lies behind it and taking steps to resolve it.

The typical scenario is, when a practice is doing well, a doctor is taking an active role in getting new patients into the office. Then, in order to handle the new patients, he has to back off from some of the new patient activities, and subsequently, the numbers fall -- and the roller coaster ride resumes.

When a practice reaches this level, it's time for someone else to take over these new patient procedures. Nothing is more valuable to a doctor than having an assistant who knows how to fill up the office with new patients. This person is the Community Relations C.A. (CRCA). The CRCA has one major responsibility and that is to make your practice known and well thought of in your community.

If you can open the phone book and aren't able put faces to names, you do. There are hundreds, if not thousands of people in your community who aren't patients yet and your CRCA will figure out how to get them into your office.

Getting new people into the office requires three steps 1) contact, 2) communication and 3) the close.

Your CRCA is responsible for step one: bringing the office into contact with prospective patients. This vital function creates the opportunity for you to talk to others about chiropractic and effectively close them so they will become new patients. The more prospective patients your CRCA makes contact with, the more people you will get as new patients.

Your CRCA will spend a great amount of his/her time in the community, meeting people and organizing events for you. He/she will meet with businesses, organizations, clubs, professionals, etc., telling them about you, chiropractic, and the office. This will enable the CRCA to set up appointments and lectures for you, so you can go on-site and talk to people about what you do, how chiropractic can help them, and invite them to your office.

Your CRCA isn't limited to booking lectures. He/she can implement any combination of: referral programs, in-office workshops, new patient referral mailings, Patient Appreciation Day, recall programs, outside lectures, screenings and health fairs, networking, direct mail marketing, and advertising. Implementing these systems will double your practice in no time at all.

Each of these systems has three parts: organized, carry out and following through. The event or activity needs to be set up and organized, the procedure needs to be done, and then the CRCA must follow through with each of the people he/she makes contact with.

For example, an in-office workshop must be organized. A time and place needs to be selected, people must be invited, chairs must be set up, name tags and snacks must be provided, confirmation calls have to be made, etc. Once the organization is complete, either you or the CRCA must deliver a fun and informative workshop, with an effective close so your guests will sign up for an examination in your office. Then, you must follow through, after the workshop, to schedule these people for appointments.

These systems should be incorporated into your practice, scheduled into your calendar and carried out on a regular basis. You should set aside a certain day of every month for "CA Referral Day," and make this a constant activity every month of the year. Host a workshop the same two days every month, and schedule those on your calendar as well.

Remember, the more events you have on your calendar, the more people your office will come into contact with, and the more your practice will take off.

Recognize that a CRCA is a person with a purpose and the initiative to accomplish that purpose. Be ready, because a CRCA isn't going to hesitate to fill up your calendar! He or she will take action and schedule the events for you -- and do whatever it takes to get new patients into your office.

Your CRCA will not only impact your practice, but will make a difference in the lives of many people. Effective CRCAs understand the miracle of chiropractic and are on a mission to make a difference in the world by helping you with your purpose, that of helping as many people as possible get well through chiropractic care.