November 2007

Stay in YOUR lane

by Dr. Marc Swerdlick

Depending on where you practice, your chiropractic license allows you to present your patients with a wide variety of services and supplementary products. In fact, it's not unusual to find practices offering anything and everything ‑‑ from cold laser treatments to cellulite reduction. This trend that is steadily growing beyond the foundation of the chiropractic profession, has been positioned as part of the "evolution of chiropractic." Regardless of what your feelings may be about this so‑called evolution, offering a wide variety of services under one roof may present unforeseen marketing challenges. As a result, these challenges may affect how prospective patients perceive your practice.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to the types of services offered in your practice. Although seemingly a rare breed, there are chiropractors who are very content with simply adjusting their patients. They do not recommend any post‑adjustment rehab, they do not sell any supplements, and they have not gone off in directions that some may consider a "disconnect" from what is accepted under the heading of chiropractic. In fact, many of these practices have put a renewed energy (a high‑powered spotlight if you will) into their focus on the value of the chiropractic adjustment. In an ever‑growing number of cases, these doctors have converted over to a non‑assignment/cash practice.

Somewhere towards the other end of the spectrum are practices that fall under the heading of the medispa. For those of you who are in the dark, a medispa is a facility that primarily focuses on cosmetic treatments that enhance personal appearance. In the last year or so, I have seen a number of chiropractic clinics literally change their signs overnight from XYZ Chiropractic to XYZ Medical Spa. The huge variety of services that can be offered to "guests" in a medispa is virtually unlimited. Facials, laser hair removal, microderm abrasion are just a few of the treatments that are typically available in these facilities.

Regardless of which services you choose to offer, as a businessperson, you need to pay special attention to defining the lane on the highway you choose to travel. When I suggest that you "stay in your lane," I am by no means suggesting that your lane is already pre‑defined in terms of width. Your lane (the variety of services you offer in your clinic) can be as wide or narrow as you desire, but consideration should be given to how that lane is perceived from the point of view of your prospective patients.

The first step is to define your lane. How do you want prospective patients to see your practice? A lot of doctors answer that question by telling me that they want to be perceived as a "wellness facility." My response is to ask them how they are going to choose to define the term "wellness" under their roof. Is wellness an adjustment followed by exercises or is wellness a disc decompression treatment followed by a facial? This is not to say that all of these services can't be offered under one roof, but the point is that there should be some inter‑connect between services so that your practice is not perceived as being a gigantic buffet (a jack of all trades and a master of none).

A practice that offers patients chiropractic adjustments, post‑adjustment rehab, and then a back waxing might cause some folks to scratch their heads and go "huh?" It's up to you to define the lane into which you insert the services you choose to offer, but care should be taken when considering the variety of services, and how they relate to each other. When you go too wide with your offerings, you risk the possibility of having all your services perceived as being watered‑down ‑‑ no different than a buffet with a great deal of items from which to choose, but no single item that is of great quality.

Once you define your lane, stay there. I've seen a number of struggling practices that jump on every new trend, every new piece of equipment, and every new gimmick. They perceive themselves no differently than a carpenter with an ever‑expanding selection of tools from which to choose. On the other hand, the patients see the doctor from an entirely (and usually unforeseen) different perspective ‑‑ like a carpenter whose tool chest includes a couple of screwdrivers, a saw, a fork, a scalpel, and an electric hair clipper.

It's okay to periodically redefine your lane, but be sure to stay in that lane so that your current and prospective patients can walk away with a firm grasp specific to the direction of your practice. You don't have to be just an Italian Restaurant or just a steakhouse. You can be an Italian steakhouse if you so choose, but it may be unwise to be an Italian steakhouse that also serves sushi.

(Dr. Marc Swerdlick is a 1998 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, a well‑known speaker, and the president of both S Group Inc. and www.PracticeCentral.com  ‑ Chicago‑based companies that deliver marketing strategies to health and wellness professionals, as well as to organizations and corporations outside the health and wellness arena. Dr. Swerdlick offers his Pre‑Sale Strategy, New Patient Acquisition, and Patient Reinforcement Seminars to chiropractors in conjunction with Integrity Strategies LLC. For more detailed information on these seminars, please contact Integrity Strategies by going to www.integritystrategies.com  or by calling (608) 865‑0466.)