June 2007

What it takes to become a champion

by Dr. CJ Mertz

All the chiropractors I've ever met, want to be winners. They want to make a real difference in people's lives, and to do this for as many people as possible without becoming overwhelmed. They have good hands, good hearts and good minds. So, why do just two out of every ten DCs build championship practices?

I 'd like to offer you my observations that have come through the journey of coaching more than 14,000 chiropractic teams (an astounding seven out of every ten members successfully reach the level of champion on team WLP). I believe the champion is already there inside of them, and the right leadership allows them to access their true nature.

Hundreds of chiropractors come to me every year disenchanted by their previous consulting, wanting to know how I'll be different (better). Invariably, in less than five minutes, we have discovered three laws champions must live by that they've broken:

***  Law #1 ‑‑ "Serving the few by doing the many versus serving the many by doing the few." Chiropractors constantly struggle with being all things for all people. Their love of serving others becomes clouded by the myriad of complexities found in an endless number of service opportunities. Champions finally realize they do not (cannot, must not!) provide service into every area of their core beliefs. This one revelation has turned around the careers of more chiropractors than almost anything else I've ever seen. It's confusing at first to think that offering less will be valued more, but therein lies one's uniqueness and potential to become a champion.

I never dance around this issue with a doctor because it only delays his or her success. You can't be lured by the temptation to maximize your "dollar per visit" average. Champions profit through the highly valued uniqueness they provide to the many, rather than through the maximum service provided to the few.

***  Law #2 ‑‑ "My practice is flat because my new patients are down versus my new patients are flat because my practice is down." Your practice, at any given time, is a perfect reflection of you. In other words, if you value what you do, your practice is profitable. If you are disciplined, your retention is increasing. If you believe chiropractic saves lives, your marketing is working!

Most practices simply go up and down. In fact, my findings show that after five years the average chiropractor does not veer more than 25 visits (either way) per week, for the rest of his or her career. Champions, however, grow up and down... on the way up. Their graph shows constant and never‑ending improvement.

Is your practice more like a lighthouse or a lampshade? As a lighthouse, new patients are plentiful and easy to attract. Lost ships can find safety even through fog. A lampshade, however, dims the light and only benefits those who are already close to it.

When your mind is uncluttered, your vision is clear, your marketing is well planned and your team is well trained. New patients are "coming out of the woodwork!" Of course, if this was easy, every chiropractor would be a lighthouse. Unfortunately, just two out of ten ever do it on their own.

***  Law #3 ‑‑ "I'm trying to work on my biggest weakness versus I'm building my core strengths even stronger." Champions are good at many things, just as non‑champions. The key that separates the two (night and day) is that the champion has become great at something, bordering on best in the world.

Greatness doesn't just happen. I meet chiropractors every week who have been faithfully in practice for more than 20 years, and still haven't figured it out. Their passion for practice is equally matched with a deep level of frustration surrounding unmet goals and aspirations.

Most chiropractors who begin training with me aren't great at anything. One of the main reasons is that most consulting today leads chiropractors to try and improve their shortcomings.

You can work on a weakness all you want, but the best it will ever get is good. Weaknesses never become strengths, and only strengths have the chance to achieve greatness. It's greatness, and greatness only that builds champions! Being good at a lot of things doesn't make you unique or separate you from the pack.

If your weakness in something is actually doing your practice harm (which can and does happen), you either work on it until you're at least competent or you hire someone with awesome strength in that skill set. In 2007, we'll help more DCs break 300 patient adjustments per week profitably than anyone else in the world.

Greatness can spawn a champion even in the midst of some weaknesses, when good simply has no chance at all.

(Dr. CJ Mertz is the founder and head coach of the prestigious Waiting List Practice chiropractic training organization. See the WLP 300 patient per week opportunity on the back page of this issue. NOTE: Dr. Mertz invites you to participate in a special June 19 online "Webinar" to find the answers you're looking for in practice. Go to teamwlp.com to register or call Bob Parker at 877‑TEAM‑WLP for more details. ‑‑ AND ‑‑ If you want to experience what it feels like in person to "stretch yourself and strengthen your corner," call the WLP team today and accept a personal invitation from Dr. Mertz to the upcoming Phoenix Seminar [June 29‑30]. He still has a few complimentary tickets available, so call today! For seminar tickets and general information on WLP coaching services, again, please call Bob at 877‑TEAM‑WLP).