December 2003

The largest gap in your practice

by Dr. CJ Mertz

One of the most significant quests for any chiropractor is to witness his or her reality become the patient's perception. Either way, the patient's perception IS reality ‑‑ even if it isn't yours. If turning your beliefs into patient reality was easy, all D.C.s would be running dream practices.

Yet, rather than thriving, the greater majority of people are surviving (suffering) in the gap because of one profound distinction: they bought your care versus buying your vision.

If you were to take an honest look at your practice, you would see two types of patients ‑‑ those who bought your vision, and those who have bought your services.

While at first glance they may appear much the same, you can be sure they're not. Both types of patients are getting adjusted, both are relatively considerate to your team, and both are current with their payments. That's where the similarities end.

In order to understand the true magnitude of this single distinction, let's go back to the beginning.

It is assumed the chiropractor knows what he or she is supposed to be "selling" to patients. It's further assumed the patients are "buying" what the chiropractor is selling. Neither of these assumptions could be further from the truth.

Chiropractors who have truly found what they are supposed to be selling are the happiest, wisest and wealthiest of all. The operating premise of knowing what you should be selling to your patients can be summed up in one stroke of genius: "Sell them the principle, give them the care." This premise is based upon the universal observation that when you sell care, care runs out. When you sell principle, principle lasts for life.

Patients who have bought your vision have a completely different understanding and appreciation of their care and place a different value on it. They are no longer re‑evaluating their commitment to your care on a visit basis. They don't require continuous health breakthroughs to justify their ongoing care. They rarely miss a visit and couldn't imagine not having each member of their family checked. In truth, there is no comparison.

I'm not suggesting you give your care away, in fact it's much more profitable to sell your vision than to sell your care. In the many coaching breakthroughs I get to experience every month, this is one of the most rewarding of all. An enormous number of chiropractors call me after five to ten years of practice, and are really frustrated with their results. When they finally discover "the gap," it becomes immediately obvious where thousands of patients and millions of dollars have gone. Their gap practice is 10 times the size of their actual practice.

Once you learn what to sell and how to sell it, you will still have patients who buy the care. There are two major differences.

First, you know who they are and know how to continue selling until they buy your vision. Second, there are far fewer people buying care at all. The chiropractor and his or her C.A.s must be retrained in the way they think about growth, in the way they communicate with patients, and in the way of providing transformational service.

Your patients are either working their way into your practice or they are working their way out. One path is based upon vision, the other is based upon care. The patient you have led to your vision can't help but refer to your practice, while the patient who bought care could have a great result and you never hear from them again or anyone they know. That's why you don't want to accept consulting tips as the basis of your practice. It will only cause a bigger gap.

Chiropractic improves, extends, and saves lives. Make sure what you're selling maximizes the potential well being of every patient and every family for life. The spine and nervous system must be properly maintained in order to experience maximum function and the greatest expression of life. Your practice procedures should predictably produce these results. If they don't, change them. You deserve a better practice and your patients deserve the best chiropractic has to give them.

When patients buy your vision, wellness is inevitable. When patients buy your care, wellness doesn't even exist and the gap keeps getting bigger. We can do better, you can do better. When you decide to change your perception, they will change their reality. Chiropractic is depending on it.

(Dr. C.J. Mertz is president of the International Chiropractors Association, executive director of ChiroUSA, and founder and head coach of the prestigious Waiting List Practice [WLP] chiropractic training organization. For information on WLP services and products, call Mark at 877/TEAM‑WLP.)