August 2004

Successful practices always leave clues

by Dr. CJ Mertz

Successful chiropractors do what unsuccessful chiropractors won't. However, who are chiropractors and what were they doing before achieving success? I have carefully examined the last 100 practices that have broken the 300 adjustment‑per‑week barrier in our program, and the results are astonishing.

There is some truth to the claim that if you don't break 300 by the 10‑year mark in practice, you never will. The exceptions to the rule represent startling new evidence to the possibility of super achievement experienced late in the chiropractor's career. On the other side of the spectrum, the chiropractors who most often reach 300 adjustments per week do so within the first 20 months of practice.

There are two reasons for this huge gap.

First, chiropractors unknowingly adopt a "success identity" within the first two years of practice. A great start means you believe you can do it again, anytime and nearly anywhere. Yet, with a slow start, you tend to legitimize the experience by pointing out all the reasons why it's so. In either case, a self‑fulfilling prophecy is set up.

If a DC seeks the right counseling within his or her first decade of practice, the probability of reaching 300 per week is still fairly high. This phenomenon is largely due to the second reason.

Chiropractors who are now in practice beyond the 10‑year mark, have habits so deeply anchored they're next to impossible to change. That's why breaking 300 late in practice is such a monumental achievement.

There are five clues that these super‑ achievers have left for everyone else who desires such success to follow. I've had the privilege of coaching more than 2,000 chiropractic teams beyond 300 per week and these clues have been consistently observed in nearly every successful practice.

The clues

1. These chiropractors learned to evolve their thinking from trying to please everyone, to pleasing anyone ready and willing to follow. Each DC could remember the day he or she made this life changing decision.

The first clue often takes a struggling practice seeing less than 150 per week up to 300 all by itself! Of course, to develop a large following, you must first determine where you're leading. It can take several weeks to several months of intensive training to finally make that distinction.

2. Serving 300 patient adjustments per week demands simplicity. Many of these successful practices were insurance‑based (over 70% insurance), which they crafted into "cash‑like" practices (less than 30% insurance).

This second clue created the simplicity needed to offer corrective and wellness plans to patients who successfully followed their chiropractor's recommendations. Ironically, these practices became significantly more profitable, which provided the enthusiasm to keep going.

3. They stopped reading from lots of resources, attending lots of different seminars, talking to many different people about their practice and started on a disciplined and focused path of preparation. Many DCs who achieved 300 per week reported this one step as the most joyous realization on their journey. If you don't have someone holding you accountable for your growth, the likelihood of significant growth has diminished greatly.

4. Good chiropractors learned to build great teams. Invariably these practices became super referral centers, delivering "wow" service to well‑educated patients who became raving fans.

Unconsciously, chiropractors tried to accomplish this result, often by passing the team in an attempt to do it themselves. Eventually, every successful practice surrendered to universal law: great teams build great practices.

5. Every successful chiropractor learned to shift his or her mindset from time‑based value, having come to the realization that it wasn't how much time you spend with a patient (adjustment, report, new patient, etc.), but how much belief you're able to instill in each patient.

The formula's simple. The amount of time you spend with a patient is directly proportional to the level of faith, confidence and belief they have in your care. Ultimately, every successful practice must make the transition to a belief‑based, patient value‑driven experience. The team's communication skills are tested the hardest in achieving the level of success.

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If you notice that one or more of these clues hasn't yet manifested successfully in your practice, it's not too late. Commit to the changes, place them in the priority you wish to see them happen inside your practice and don't hesitate to hire a coach.

Take charge of your future and raise the bar to 300 plus. You can do it!

(Dr. CJ 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 Jennifer Brown at 877‑TEAM‑WLP.)

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