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September 2006

Preparations for the next growth corridor

by Dr. CJ Mertz

Growth can and should happen for an on‑purpose chiropractic team all year long. However, two distinct growth corridors have been identified in the spring and fall. Preparing correctly for the next growth corridor will pay enormous dividends.

From the last week in August to the second week in December (about 15 weeks), you have the opportunity to increase your practice by another 100 adjustments per week. It's worth the time, energy and investment to make the right precautions.

By the end of August, families are ready to get back into the more predictable school year rhythm. That's the time to tighten up and attract the attention of at least 50 families who'll gladly accept care after wearing themselves out over the summer.

As always, it's good to take inventory of your personal strengths, the current effectiveness of your procedures, the depth of your team's skills and the marketing opportunities that are right in front of you.

It's not the time to be making big changes (save them for December and January). Instead, you want to buckle down and utilize every ounce of power you have to make something special happen in the lives of others. You need a "glass half ‑‑ full" attitude and a "got everything I need" mindset to get this going.

There are five main areas you'll want to focus your time and effort on with specific goals for each one of them. Collectively, they represent the ideal strategy for creating a huge burst of growth to finish the year strong.

1. Get back control of your schedule book. The summer is often a time when patients' schedules get loose and your schedule book integrity starts to break down. Get everyone back on consistent adjustment schedules that are mapped out through the end of the year. Then, start a contest where every patient who keeps 100% of his or her scheduled appointments over a four‑ week period, wins a prize and automatically enters a grand prize drawing (spa day, mountain bike ‑‑ be creative). This will rebuild healthy habits you want to see in your patients.

2. Take the dust off your spinal care workshops. If what you're saying doesn't blow you away, trade it in immediately. If you don't start getting butterflies on Sunday for your next workshop on Tuesday, something's definitely wrong. It's your own anticipation and exhilaration around the lives you plan to change that attracts people in the first place! Pick three existing patients per week and invite them back to the next workshop along with a friend. Do the same for each new patient and move them with your message like never before. If you need a fresh new power point presentation to get your edge, call us (or someone) and find what you need. Your workshop should be generating three to seven new patients per week if you commit your whole heart to it.

3. Get into print and watch your phone ring off the hook! There's no question that when you decide to "own" your local newspaper, the phone lines light up. To own it means you've committed the investment to have an ad (preferably full page) in the paper once per month. This generates a readership of hundreds ‑‑ even thousands ‑‑ of people who are right on the fence about calling you and making a significant change in their lives. Work with someone to get your newspaper ad to print or contact us if you want proven ads, already written.

4. Host a party in your town everyone will be talking about. This year, go all out and plan to attract a full house for your next patient appreciation day. Hold it a week before Thanksgiving and let your patients know on Nov. 1st that a limited number of their friends and family will be able to take advantage of an opportunity to receive a full spinal exam (and any necessary x‑rays) for the cost of five canned goods. This way, they can help feed five families while helping themselves. Put a flyer together for your patients explaining how there'll be food, fun and prizes (Grand Prize drawing) for all who participate. Consider putting out up to 5,000 direct mail pieces before your party so your community can call and schedule an appointment while they're still available. Plan to attract a minimum of 10 to 20 new patients.

5. Catch your CA's attention with a fat new bonus! If you set a reasonable goal and create the environment where everyone's willing to stretch themselves, you can accomplish anything. All you need is one new patient lead per day and you can explode your goal. Sweeten the pot for your team. Take them to a great lunch and put your plan in place and allow yourself to get out of the way and let it happen. High five the positives, downplay the negative and push through to your goal. Remember, everyone wins when you do!

(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.)