October 2007

How to double your patients overnight

by Dr. Eric Plasker

Do you have a high new patient practice? Is your marketing and promotions program so good that you almost never worry about new recruits? Then you probably have great incentives that are bringing lots of people through your door. But are you watching those same new patients walk right back out... 7, 12, 20 visits later... never to return?

If this sounds familiar, then you're engaging in what I call revolving door recruitment or the "leaky bucket" marketing blitz. At first, it's exciting because of all the new patients inundating your office, but it can also be very frustrating and stressful when nobody stays!

How many more new patients do you think it will take for your practice to really grow? At this rate, there's no end in sight. In fact, it's almost like an addiction. The more new patients you manage to add, the more you're going to need to keep up those big numbers when the first round of recruits leaves. And your practice stays status quo. It never grows. It's just like a leaky bucket. And the more you add to the bucket, the more flows out of the other side because your efforts aren't going toward encouraging continued care.

Almost without exception, the patrons of high new patient practices are seeking relief care only. Since these practices are very front‑end loaded with high fees, patients begin to drop out even before their treatment plans are finished. This is a very insurance dependent way to do business, and it attracts patients who are never loyal.

A friend of mine had decided to start the New Year right by joining a health club. He made a resolution to become healthy and fit, and signed up for a membership after they cut him a deal he couldn't refuse.

His first couples of weeks were great. He and the staff were pumped with enthusiasm. My friend got one‑on‑one training sessions and workouts, fitness and cardio‑evaluations and all the attention he could have ever wanted. But, it wasn't long before the excitement died down, and he started to feel just like another number. Three months later, he dropped out because the staff did nothing to retain him as a member.

What if they had followed up with personal phone calls, consultations, re‑evaluations or endurance tests? My friend would have felt differently about the quality of his membership and probably stayed. Instead, he became discouraged. And it comes as no surprise to hear that the club is running yet another special promotion to try to make up for all those New Year's members they've lost.

The same principles apply to chiropractic and the people who are coming to your office with the goal of becoming healthy and fit. Make sure your new patients don't start feeling like just another number by providing quality follow up care and reevaluations that continually show them their progress. This way they will stay committed to you and your practice. Remember, it's worthless to work at recruiting new patients if you're not willing to do the work required to keep them.

It's really not hard to plug your leaks, either. In fact, by implementing a few simple changes in your practice, you can stop this dizzying revolving door syndrome and double your high new patient practice in no time.

Begin by implementing very service‑oriented systems. This means you must hire service‑oriented people who will ensure that follow up is happening in your practice and nobody is falling through the cracks (leaking out of the bucket).

For the front desk, choose service‑oriented people who will see to it that your patients are getting what you promised. Do your re‑exams or dynamic exams in a timely fashion. Make sure that the service‑oriented systems you adopt also offer wellness‑oriented fee systems. This way, you will keep your patients regardless of whether they are insured or not.

Service‑oriented people and systems will balance the chiropractor who's a "new patient machine" by ensuring the highest quality of care and highest degree of patient compliance, commitment and loyalty. This will allow you to double your new patient retention rates.

If you implement some of these basic service‑oriented concepts and strategies, you will never need another new patient in your office beyond what you're currently getting... and your practice will double overnight! Your patients will be applauding your new service enhancements while you're watching your practice explode. It's a win‑win situation.

What could be more exciting?

(Dr. Eric Plasker, author of "The 100 Year Lifestyle" [www.100yearlifestyle.com ] is the founder of The Family Practice ‑‑ a coaching and training organization providing all the systems, tools and support needed to build a highly successful and profitable family practice and dedicated to helping DCs unite to lead family health care. An internationally known speaker and chiropractic educator, he is best known for rallying the chiropractic profession around the Lifetime Care for Everyone and Family Practice visions. For seminar, 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 .)