December 2006

How to build a high retention family practice

by Dr. Eric Plasker

If there's one thing all chiropractors have in common, regardless of the kind of technique or affiliations they subscribe to, it's their search for the secret to retaining a larger share of their patients.

Whenever DCs inquire how they can structure their office, communications and financial fee systems to support this goal, I explain it begins with making lifetime chiropractic care for everybody the foundation of their practice and removing any inconsistencies in their message.

If you ask chiropractors when they and their family will stop receiving chiropractic care, the answer will probably be "never." They and their loved ones will always seek chiropractic care as part of their commitment to keeping themselves healthy and to express themselves fully in this world. The concept of chiropractic as a lifetime health care choice for everyone is easy for most chiropractors to embrace and implement in their practices because it reflects how they and their families currently participate in chiropractic.

When you establish family lifetime care as the foundation of your practice and market your services in this way, you'll be speaking to your patients with sincerity about the way you really believe they should participate in care. There'll be no need for games or bait and switch tactics because this is one vision patients want to hear and live.

After you learn how to communicate the vision during your lectures and screenings and on a daily visit‑to‑visit basis, you'll begin to attract patients who are ready, not just to commit to chiropractic care, but to commit to you over a lifetime.

Keep your communications consistent with your vision. Don't spend too much time talking about symptom relief when what you really want for your patients and their families is lifetime wellness. Keep your conversation in line with the lifetime care that all people were intended to have and deserve in order to be healthy throughout their lives. Then explain how chiropractic is a vehicle for accomplishing this goal. The lifetime chiropractic for all vision should be present as a foundation in everything you do. Speak your chiropractic truth with confidence and let your practice be vision‑driven.

Once you make the commitment to family lifetime care, you're ready to begin mastering communicating chiropractic in a way that will inspire your patients to commit to long‑term care. To do this, you'll need to become a master "bridge builder" in getting people from where they are in their limited knowledge of chiropractic to where you want them to be ‑‑ understanding the "big idea" about chiropractic and the importance of lifetime care. When you do this, not only will you transform your practice but the quality of the lives of the people you touch.

Research the personal history and background of your patients (health/economics/education, etc.) and then create some common links or bonds with them that will support the development of a strong relationship with chiropractic and with you. Ascertain what their health concerns are. Do they have a health issue to deal with on a daily basis? Do they have any physical weaknesses, or is there a disease that runs in the family? What are their opinions about health care? Have they been let down by managed care or traditional medicine?

You should be able to build a bridge with this information to help these patients understand the role chiropractic can play in enhancing their well being. One great bridge‑building question to ask is whether they've been to a chiropractor before, followed by 13 "magical" words to get them across the bridge: "Let me tell you what we do, and how we go about it." Explain subluxation, its correction and the impact it can have on their overall health and quality of life. From that day forward, your patients will understand that chiropractic is about improving people's lives.

DCs who follow this communication format say they're surprised and pleased at the results they get from this simple but effective dialogue. The only thing they've had to overcome is the "fear" that their offer of care may be rejected. In the end, they realize that the more people they talk to and the more they speak their truth, the more they'll eventually be accepted. With this acceptance comes trust and with trust, the higher retention of patients.

In your practice, all of your systems should support your family practice lifetime care vision. Your marketing systems and strategies should communicate the vision so you can start attracting lifetime patients from day one. Your referral system and strategies should also be educating people about the benefits of long‑term care. You can throw away your money in expensive marketing campaigns and fancy promotions, but if you're educating your patients from the very beginning, you won't need to budget those extra dollars later. Your financial system should be make it easy for people to participate in long‑term care. Everybody should be trained in the kinds of conversations to have over the phone and in person with potential new patients. Train yourself and your team to capitalize on these moments.

Be pro‑active and ensure that your practice growth frees you to serve. To avoid the growth "trap," you must become a master "delegator." Too many DCs get stuck in a practice that's grown rapidly without the systems or staff in place to support it. As your knowledge and experience increases in how to build and run this high‑retention family practice, your confidence in delegating should increase as well. It's easy to delegate when you know the kind of results you want and when you're clear about your goals and objectives.

There's never been a greater time or opportunity for chiropractors to lead family health care than today. You can go from a state of survival to one of abundance, where you're having fun and helping more people live their dream. This is the secret to a high retention family practice. Make the commitment to make this type of practice your own.

(Dr. Eric Plasker is a licensed chiropractor and founder of The Family Practice chiropractic coaching and training organization, which provides all the systems, tools and support to build a highly successful and profitable family practice. An internationally known speaker and educator, he is best known for rallying the chiropractic profession around the LCfE [Lifetime Care For Everyone] and Family Practice visions. For a seminar schedule, coaching, training, or product information, call The Family Practice toll‑free at 866‑LEAD‑DCS [532‑3327], ext. 118. Or visit The Family Practice website at www.thefamilypractice.net)