October 2006

Making your philosophy a verb

by Dr. CJ Mertz

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received in practice was learning how to put my philosophy into action. Strangely, I really thought I already had! Yet, it didn't take long for me to realize that my philosophy had been neatly stacked on a shelf, hidden in my books, articles and CDs. Revolutionizing my philosophy in practice was a blast! Now it's awesome to see so many chiropractors following my lead.

In order to bring philosophy alive in your practice, first you must ask yourself what it is you're selling. If it's "health" or "chiropractic," you're being too vague and depleting your true value. On the other hand, if it's pain relief, you have a worthy cause, but one that's too short‑lived. If your "product" is holistic care, it's always complicated and misunderstood by the average person entering your practice.

So, what's the answer? In a word, LIFE...the quality, clarity, vitality, balance, power, longevity and potential of one's life. The philosophy of chiropractic has been responsible for producing these results for millions of people for more than a century. You don't need research (although the RCS program is producing just that) to know what I just proclaimed is true.

Last month, I held seminars in Canada and Australia in front of hundreds of chiropractors. Each time, I invited patients onto the stage whom I had neither met nor spoken to prior to the event. There wasn't a dry eye in those ballrooms as ordinary people told their stories. One after another, they shared the horror of getting dragged through the medical system, of being left in the dark with debilitating life challenges, minus hope or understanding. Their stories were of having to endure a never‑ending process of poking, prodding, medication after medication, and more testing ‑‑ with little‑to‑no change as the result.

They described years of suffering, lost jobs, emotional instability, troubled relationships and utter depression. Then, by the grace of God, they were somehow introduced to an on‑purpose chiropractor. Some came through screenings, others by an ad, and of course others were referred by a trusted friend. Surprisingly, while many had seen a chiropractor before, in almost every case the chiropractor had taken no x‑rays and had only offered to adjust them for two to four weeks. They tried physical therapy, acupuncture and massage with no change in their health. However, when they received a subluxation exam with x‑rays and spoke of their report of findings, you'd think you were listening to chiropractors speaking!

"He showed me the x‑ray of my neck and I saw for the first time in my life that I had lost the 'arc of life.' I had seven subluxations, my spine was in phase two of vertebral subluxation and my nerve system had stopped healing my body as a result."

They described how their corrective care process was uniquely different than their first chiropractic experience. They wanted corrective care. They told of a leg that would swell every day and leave them in abject pain, an arm that couldn't regulate temperature, menstrual cycles that were erratic and excruciating, and migraine headaches that left them pulled off the side of the road in agony...all of which had been completely restored! They knew why it happened, how it happened and were committed to "maintaining their correction" with wellness adjustments as a lifestyle.

Next, you need to ask yourself what your patients are buying. If they're not buying a better quality, higher clarity, greater vitality, better balanced, more powerful and peak potential life...why not? My practice was selling my philosophy detached from my patients' personal experience. How could they possibly buy the best form of chiropractic care? Your philosophy is only as powerful as your ability to properly communicate it with your love, your actions and your choice of words.

Rather than changing your philosophy because of frustrating practice results, you should embrace it and allow your philosophy to turn you into an action hero for chiropractic. If you can't look people in the eye and tell them their lives will be much better without subluxation than with it, then it's time for you to transform your thinking before it's too late.

Don't sell what you think they'll want or what you think they might accept. There's no honor, no philosophy and no future in it. Instead, teach them, lead them and recommend to them what they need.You already know what they need no matter what their age, color or condition. They need life, more life... the freedom and joy that come with living at their full potential. Money isn't the issue. Time isn't the issue. Your philosophy is.

By the way, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Just give me a call and let me share with you how to put your philosophy into successful action in your practice.

(Dr. CJ Mertz is 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, call Tony Shinn at 877‑TEAM‑WLP.)