My communication system is designed to change people's beliefs so, instead of approaching chiropractic as a treatment for back pain, they see that it is for wellness – and that a chiropractor should be on their health care team to maintain proper spinal alignment for maximum nerve integrity and optimum health potential.

Since we are all in the communication business and are teaching patients chiropractic on a daily basis, it's a great asset to us to know some basics about how people learn. In understanding how they learn, we can communicate more effectively so that we can change their belief about chiropractic to a wellness model.

There are seven basic points about learning:

1. Outcome/benefit. When people know why they are learning and the benefit to them, they are more eager to learn and comprehend what they learn.

Remember when you were in school and you had to learn a lot of useless material that you knew you'd never use in life? Do you also remember when you chose a course to learn because you were going to apply it in your life? If your patient education is just drab procedures, your patients will never learn. But if you show people the benefit chiropractic will have on their overall health potential and the life of their family and friends, they will comprehend it and want to learn because they will want to use it for the positive outcome it will give them.

2. States of learning. People tend to learn better when they are excited, seek hope, perceive value, are confused, or even frustrated. Why? Because these states increase their sensory awareness to make a change.

When people are excited, their level of perception is heightened by a sense of pleasure. That sense of pleasure may be that of feeling better, doing things they like to do, or have never done before. It's a sense of growth, gain or reward. They may merely see hope where they never saw it before, because all prior actions have failed.

Values are what's most important to people. If what you're teaching appeals to their highest values, they will be attentive to learning. If maximum health potential is important for them and their family, by educating them correctly about the benefits of proper spinal alignment and the consequences of misalignment, they will establish a high perceived value and be more apt to want to learn more.

Lastly, the states of confusion and frustration trigger survival instincts which heighten our ability to learn.

3. Questions/evaluations, Realize that we are constantly evaluating what we are learning based on the references we've established that have shaped our beliefs. We are constantly asking ourselves questions as to how, whatever we're learning fits within our belief system. This is why one of the most powerful ways to teach people and change their beliefs is to ask questions.

4. "Chunking." People learn like they eat – in chunks! People can't digest a huge amount of information, but if it's chunked they will learn easily. My patient communication is extremely effective because it's done in chunks so people get it every time.

Another tip is, get in the habit of recapping the larger chunks you've taught to important bits.

Finally, teach by numbers. This is the best way to chunk. Numbers give the perception of "ease" in reading and learning, making it more attractive because it's not in long narrative form.

5. Make it unique to them! It's been said the more USPs (unique selling principles) wins. When you show people why you're unique, they are willing to listen, learn and want what you're offering them, compared to the person down the street.

6. Apply learning ASAP. When people learn about chiropractic, start them on their corrective program and make them follow the patient guidelines ASAP for maximum compliance and retention. Lag time between learning and applying what you learn is death to what you've taught.

7. Share the learning with someone else, i.e., teach it! If you teach people to teach others chiropractic, you will build a huge practice because people are sharing what you've taught them. This is why I have people sign up friends at the orientation class. I show patients how to use my brochures, posture screening cards, and research on chiropractic, to educate people on my uniqueness, so they'll come to me for wellness care.

Keep these points in mind while you educate your patients, your children, or friends, and you will maximize your ability to communicate and educate all those you touch.