February 2005

Get growth on your side

by Dr. CJ Mertz

I recently did inventory of all my friends who are now financially independent, never needing to work another day in their lives. As I spoke with each of them, it became overwhelmingly obvious they all now were working harder than ever.

The fact that financial wealth had been accomplished hadn't been a deciding factor of whether they would continue along their given purpose. There's a huge difference between on‑goal and on‑purpose, and when you discover how to make that switch, anything becomes possible.

It's bittersweet to see chiropractors reach certain goals because the achievement often becomes a turning point, which leads to a downward spiral.

Growth can be accomplished from several kinds of mind‑sets:

***  for survival, financial gain, recognition, competition...

***  because of skill improvement, powerful belief changes or paradigm shifts...

***  through teamwork and group motivation...

***  for the sake of saving lives, and healing a sick and suffering planet.

ALL of these catalysts can lead to growth and ALL of them make sense to access at various times in your career. In the end, constant and never‑ending improvement is the highest goal that yields the greatest profit and biggest growth.

Yet, almost all growth that isn't driven by purpose, tends to fade away. Getting growth on your side requires a clear understanding of the principle it's founded upon.

Growth doesn't happen by shortcuts, hunches or tips. True, lasting growth only happens by fully training yourself in the Five P's: ‑‑ principle, purpose, passion, promotion, process (including, but not limited to, being profitable). It's the difference between one chiropractor seeing 100 patients per week and another down the street seeing 100 patients per day.

Growth is the natural state of a chiropractic practice. If your practice isn't experiencing predictable growth, one or more of the Five P's has not been properly trained and/or integrated.

‑‑ A practice fully trained in principle has developed an incredible base of patients, who believe their bodies can heal themselves, as long as they're free of nerve interference.

‑‑ A chiropractor fully trained on purpose won't settle until every man, woman and child in his or her town has been checked for subluxation. Lifetime family wellness isn't just the only thing they sell, it's the only thing they know.

‑‑ A chiropractor fully trained in passion has become a master communicator, and capable of persuasive expression. Enthusiasm is inspiring but passion is contagious. It breeds a sense of loyalty within patients that creates raving fans. The kind of patients who refer quickly, refer often and stay on course themselves.

A practice fully trained in promotion simply decides how many new patients they want per month and then go schedule them. They've learned true growth happens by promoting "in the upswing." This is a practice that asks at least 10% of its patients every day to contribute toward improving the life of someone else.

This practice has developed a dynamic marketing plan including a high‑ producing anchor campaign that has the phone ringing off the hook with new patients. Collectively, the team has now become a new patient magnet.

Finally, a chiropractor fully trained in process has learned to match effectiveness with efficiency. He or she has developed a superior service capable of serving a greater number of people.

Those who master process understand simplicity is king, and systems rule. Great procedure is a work of art, born out of the discipline to achieve excellence. It all boils down to "things you say and things you do," so you study hard and say it and do it better than anyone else. Conversion, compliance, cash flow, continued care... from the front door to the back door, it's squeaky tight.

Ask yourself which of the Five P's you're missing. In my experience coaching more than 10,000 DCs, you can't learn one independent of the others, nor can you implement them one at a time. The chiropractor who embraces the Five P's simultaneously separates himself or herself from everyone else.

True, lasting growth is evidenced by a chiropractor's level of commitment in fully training himself or herself through this core strategy. By and large, chiropractors tend to respond too slowly to change, and change what's easiest rather than what's right. Momentum is an amazing thing ‑‑ if you have it, you tend to get more. If you've lost it, you have to work hard to get it back. The Five P's lead to growth more successfully than any other strategy in chiropractic because they generate momentum more consistently.

Make the decision now to let 2005 be your best year ever in practice. Study the growth principles carefully and implement them with faith, confidence and belief. Be willing to break it down in order to build it up for another double. The difference between 100 per week and 100 per day is the decision to make it so.

If you're trying to do it on your own, you're probably fooling yourself and wasting precious time, when you could be building a practice of your dreams. Don't be afraid to ask for help, that's how the good ones have become great.

(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. See the WLP 300 patient per week opportunity on the back page of this issue. For information on WLP coaching services and products, call Kate Golle at 877‑TEAM‑WLP.)