September 2004

A step up on the competition

by Dr. Peter J. Fernandez

Today, we have insurance companies raising patient deductibles, reducing the number of covered office visits, and reducing the fees for chiropractic services. And, cash patients are holding onto their money. These facts alone should be cause for every DC to evaluate and incorporate an aggressive marketing campaign that will help assure his or her practice's continued growth and survival.

There's another great threat growing so rapidly it could easily dominate the care of neck problems and whiplash within the next five years. That threat is the medical profession.

Their pain management, spine, rehab, and sports injury clinics, as well as pain management anesthesiologists and hospital physiotherapy clinics, all of which are owned and financed by MDs and hospitals, have begun their multi‑million dollar a year advertising campaigns for neck patients.

Chains of chiropractic clinics and chiropractic franchises will also be dumping millions of dollars into promotions designed to get them more neck patients. These deep pocket groups intend to dominate neck care in the United States. Therefore, it's imperative that DCs whose care specializes in the cervical spine ‑‑ 1) upper cervical practitioners, 2) postural correction practitioners (CBP, Pettibon, Logan, Mertz, etc.), and 3) traumatically injured (whiplash treating) practitioners ‑‑ act now to establish themselves as the authority on neck pain.

There's no question that chiropractors are the true neck care specialists. Unfortunately, a significant portion of today's general population doesn't know it, and they're being kept in the dark by the extensive marketing campaigns financed by our deep‑pocket competition. Thus, the purpose and urgency for me to produce this book, "Neck Pain, Neck Pain ‑‑ You Don't Want It, You Don't Need It."

This soon to be published book is a fully illustrated guide (over 200 professional illustrations) written for patients and the general public. It's a masterful compilation of easy‑to‑follow self‑care advice from hundreds of DCs across the country whose care specializes in the cervical spine.

Being an expert isn't enough because people think all doctors are experts. While becoming known as a "specialist" in treating neck injuries increases your community's perceived value of your services, some states prohibit you from saying you're a specialist. Telling your community you're an authority will also increase their perceived value of your services, but your competitors are calling themselves the same thing. Being an expert, specialist and authority does not distinguish you from the competition. You have to become THE authority in your community on neck pain ‑‑ and, I'll show you how.

You may be the very best neck care provider in your community, but that's not good enough. For your practice to survive and thrive, you must also be able to out‑market the best marketers. This means you either spend a great deal more money to increase your promotions in the traditional media (newspaper, yellow pages, radio, etc.) or initiate a new attention‑grabbing marketing strategy. Either way, it's vital that you have a highly effective marketing campaign in place in order to survive in the soon‑to‑be brutal marketplace of neck care.

My new book, "Neck Pain, Neck Pain ‑‑ You Don't Want It, You Don't Need It," is destined to be the most authoritative book in chiropractic history on self‑care of the neck. I have turned to the experts who produce "best sellers" for editing, packaging and marketing. I am committed to making this book the "distinguishing" factor that will have its contributing authors stand out from their competition.

Establishing yourself as a "published authority" by being a contributing author in this book, is an impressive and excellent way to get your community to see you as the authority in neck pain. Think about it. How many other neck care providers in your community have written a best selling book on neck care? None!

In addition to providing readers with the information to help them care for their own necks, this book also reveals what their MDs won't, that the only true neck care "specialists" are chiropractors. Readers will be motivated to visit a chiropractic authority on neck problems by being directed to the doctor locator in the back of the book. This "doctor locator" is a complete listing (names, addresses & phone numbers) of all the contributing authors, those DCs who contributed information to the book ‑‑ the authorities on neck pain.

But that's not all this book has to offer. Readers will also learn about approximately 50 different neck care products and be motivated to ask their doctors for them. Contributing authors will be able to easily process these requests and earn income on the sale of these products with no inventory, no advertising, no selling and no shipping hassles.

Readers and patients will appreciate the convenience of ordering through their doctor's office, and doctors will appreciate knowing that their patients are getting exactly what they need and at a fair price. And, the doctor will enjoy the substantial increase in his or her income from the profits of these neck care product sales.

The more people who read "Neck Pain, Neck Pain ‑‑ You Don't Want It, You Don't Need It," the more people who will benefit and the more our profession will be recognized and appreciated for its highly specialized neck care. Contributing authors can help this happen and are rewarded for doing so through our affiliate program.

Take action now to establish your "authority" status and arm yourself against your mounting competition. You don't have to be a writer. I have professional writers. There is no other opportunity like this and rest assured if you don't act on this now, another chiropractor in your community will. Please contact me (see below) for complete details.

(Dr. Peter Fernandez, a 1961 Logan College graduate, is past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association, and past chairman of the International Chiropractic Knights of the Roundtable, an organization of the world's most successful chiropractors. A practice consultant for the last 23 years, he has consulted with approximately 5,000 DCs and in the opening of almost 3,000 new practices. Dr. Fernandez can be reached at Fernandez Consulting, 10733 57th Ave. North, Seminole, FL 33772, or by calling 800‑882‑4476, or by e‑mail at DrPete@DrFernandez.com. Visit him on the web at www.DrFernandez.com.)

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