April 2006

Marketing and your moral obligation to serve others

by Dr. Mike Reid

Have you ever had an epiphany, that personal mindset breakthrough that can happen in a split second, even though you may have heard it, seen it or done it a million times before? Epiphanies are pivotal points in your life where you learn a lesson or strengthen your resolve over a repetitive task.

Last week, I had an epiphany during a screening. It was at the golf show I attend annually. For the last 12 years, I've booked some quality patients there. Although this year was slow, my team and I still booked 50 new patients. I had an incredible set up ‑‑ an exam doctor, me, and at least four assistants.

I stood back, across the aisle, and watched my team work the show. In particular, two of my assistants ‑‑ Heidi and Andrea ‑‑ really stood apart from the rest. I huddled with them after about two hours and asked them why they felt they were so effective at doing screenings.

Heidi remarked, "I've never seen so many people with such poor posture that looked so unhealthy and in need of a chiropractor. In a nutshell, you've just got to want to be here to help these people!"

So, what's the point of this month's column on marketing? It's really about how to make any marketing tool effective. In his book, "Jump Start Your Business Brain," Doug Hall states that the probability of success increases by the greater the overt benefit, the greater the real reason to believe and the greater the dramatic difference. How can we apply all three to our marketing efforts to increase chiropractic's probability of success?

Allow me to apply Hall's "Marketing Physics" (the three mentioned above) to a screening.

1. Overt benefit. The concept of focusing on benefits versus features has long been known to be critical to success. The new news is how overt you need to be in today's cluttered marketplace.

I want my screenings so interesting, that people automatically buy my product ‑‑ chiropractic. I use two pop‑up banner stands, one with symptoms and one with benefits of chiropractic (i.e. more energy, less stress, better immunity etc). A "cause & effect" chart from Backtalk is an incredible "bug light" that draws people in. It demonstrates how different body signals can be related to nervous system interference. It's not unusual to have people remark, "I didn't know chiropractic helps with headaches!" This profession has a long way to go.

2. Real reason to believe. Credibility has long been known to be important. The new news is how important it is.

Customer confidence is at an all time low. To overcome this we use high‑technology and the doctor. Using some high‑tech device, like a substation, adds immense credibility when you're talking nervous system and subluxation (this is a "don't just tell me, show me" world). Can't afford a substation from CLA just yet? Then, how about a PASS (postural, assessment, signal, screener) machine? Finally, having a doctor at screenings adds a tenfold result rather than assistants alone. The credibility increases when you can give hope to a patient with poor health.

3. Dramatic difference. The new news is that for uniqueness to be effective, it must be dramatic ‑‑ 10 times bigger than you think it needs to be and the drama must be focused directly on the overt benefit and the reason to believe.

Having a great set‑up is one thing, but drawing in a prospective patient is another. Therefore, envelop your mission in a MOSO (moral obligation to serve others) and "trawl" at your screenings. Don't just stand there, make eye contact. Ask people who stop, "How's your health?" or "Got subluxation?" These lines are great ways to break the ice. Use bug lights, like the cause and effect poster, a view box with pre‑ and post X‑rays, even a draw box for free hockey tickets. My grandfather once told me, "You can't go fishing without worms."

Remember, to generate new patients, they demand to know what's in it for them, why they should believe you and what makes you different from their current favored options.

(Dr. Mike Reid is an international lecturer, Canadian president of the World Chiropractic Alliance and the international director and head coach of Anthony Robbins' chiropractic coaching program called "Fortune." Merging his "Gorilla Chiropractic Coaching" with Robbins' personal empowerment technologies, Fortune is an elite and executive‑level program designed to create extraordinary practices and extraordinary lives. A member of the class of 1992 from CMCC, Dr. Reid maintains a private, cash‑based wellness practice in Ottawa, Ontario. For more information, contact him at 800‑781‑8127.)