April 2008

Turn symptom patients into lifetime patients

by Dr. Eric Plasker

While some people visit a DC for acute conditions such as lower back pain, neck pain, headaches or any of the other 14 danger signs that chiropractors have been advertising for years, there are many reasons people are attracted to chiropractic offices.

Increasingly, chiropractic patients include people who are health-conscious and want to take care of themselves to live an active, healthy life. Where do these patients come from? They come from the same place that your other patients come from. In fact, they are the same people.

The difference is that in today's marketplace people are no longer looking for just a quick fix. They are tired of seeing their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents suffer needlessly because they didn't know how to take care of their bodies and they waited until they fell apart. Because they have seen this suffering in their own families, many of them have chosen a healthy lifestyle and healthy values rather than temporary "band-aid" solutions.

How do they find your office? They find it the same way they found your office before. They are referred to your office by their family and friends. They see your advertising and receive your direct-mail pieces. The difference is that now, because you are focused on lifetime-oriented care, your patients are telling their friends a different story. They are telling their friends about the benefits of lifetime chiropractic care.

The same energy and effort that it takes to get a symptomatic patient to come to your practice can now bring you the patients who are committed to lifetime wellness. What you put out comes back.

There are different procedures necessary to transition people from symptomatic care to lifetime care, to turn symptomatic patients into lifetime patients. You will still do a consultation, examination and report of findings, only now your communication will be about the lifetime benefits of having a healthy spine and nervous system.

Your communication will educate people on the consequences of neglecting their spine and nervous system. Your examination will reveal spinal imbalance and nerve pressure that can affect all organ functions, not just pain receptors. And, your financial policies will take into consideration the long-term benefits of regular chiropractic care in addition to symptomatic relief.

Are you under some form of regular chiropractic care? Whether it is once a week, once a month, once every three months or once a year, if you plan on receiving this care over the course of your entire lifetime your patients deserve the same service. With today's extended life spans, chiropractic care has tremendous value for people who want to live an active, healthy life. Master the delivery of lifetime care and enjoy the benefits of a stable, fun and highly profitable chiropractic practice.

(Dr. Eric Plasker, an internationally known speaker and chiropractic educator, is the author of "The 100 Year Lifestyle" [www.100yearlifestyle.com] and 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. 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.)