April 2004

Are we having fun yet?

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

Is being a D.C. all that you expected, or has it turned out to be "just a job?" You sacrificed so much to graduate, went in debt, and now you've realized you were never taught to be successful in school. You've had to find out the hard way that many are resistant to you helping them and that society, as a whole, does not think of you as a "real" doctor.

Many D.C.s react by seeking acceptance from people who don't accept them. It's like trying to change individuals who don't want to be changed ‑‑ the people who want to be "cracked" the first visit, without an exam or x‑rays, and want to pay nothing. Many D.C.s allow their patients to tell them what to do. Their focus is on finances rather than helping society by removing the VSC.

Every time you accept a patient under these conditions, you lose, society loses, and you amplify the dominant societal concept of D.C.s being back therapists of last resort. Do you think you have to compromise your integrity for financial purposes?

Insurance companies know how to play the game. They pit brother and sister D.C.s against each other. Re‑imbursement and visits are continuing to plummet while non‑compensated paperwork keeps on rising. Preferred provider lists, limited number of D.C.s in HMOs, etc., are designed to limit chiropractors who can't see their way clear of these shark infested waters.

More and more D.C.s remain permanently in debt. This makes practice a chore. Predictably, chiropractors flock to gurus who teach marketing schemes, gimmicks, hard sales, and less than ethical tactics, contributing to offices that are less than fun and driven to survival status. There has got to be a better way, and there is.

There are three categories of patients:

***  Category one ‑‑ your wellness patients. They are very much interested in wellness for themselves and their families.

***  Category two ‑‑ great patients who, if educated, will complete their full recommended care even after their condition improves. But, they are not interested in wellness.

***  Category three ‑‑ your "pain in the butt" patients. They are skeptical, caustic, and serve no purpose in your office. There is nothing to "prove" to these patients. At Renaissance, we don't relate to this group, thank goodness! Just imagine the stress level in your office dropping by 80%.

The problem with most chiropractic offices is that they have not developed the skill of attracting Category one and Category two patients. If you don't possess the skill of attracting the right kind of patients, you will continually use tactics and sales promotions that attract low level patients.

For example, at a spinal screening, out of ten people who sign up, two actually come in and stay for a few visits. Why would you pay someone to teach you how to do more of this? Isn't it about time you learn how to communicate instead of sell?

Communication's the key

Communication is the ability to cut through patients' pre‑conceived notions about chiropractic and help them come to their own conclusions as to how very beneficial it would be to themselves and their family. When patients come to this conclusion and ask you about their children, they'll do whatever it takes to make this happen. When you hear the excuses of time, distance, schedule, or money, you can be sure you didn't make an emotional connection with that patient.

When you communicate rather than sell to patients, your bonds are long‑term and you become a part of their inner circles. They automatically refer people to your office who are just like themselves. All you have to do is have a complete system of office procedures, patient education, and the mindset of success in place in your office. It's not uncommon to have a mother schedule her children for exams after her examination. When was the last time your case history or exam referred in an entire family?

Over the years, we often get credited with "finding" D.C.s who aren't as successful as they'd like to be and fixing them. Yet, as much as we'd like to take credit for their successes, we know the truth. WE don't "fix" them. Renaissance puts them on the path, a path of purpose and honor that allows their true potential to express itself. Fix them? They fix us, themselves, and society by putting the honor, integrity, and fun back into chiropractic.

(A complete system of practice based on science and philosophy working on the doctor from the inside out, The New Renaissance is the next generation of office procedures and patient education for today's chiropractor who wants to implement the chiropractic mindset of success. The new Mentor IV Practice Development Program takes 24 years of the pioneering experience of Renaissance procedures and combines it with the practical daily activities of doctors in the field. To learn more about The New Renaissance, contact The New Renaissance World Headquarters at 800/525‑3879.)