December 2008

Succeeding in the face of adversity

by Dr. CJ Mertz

More than half of the adversity we experience is brought upon ourselves. The rest can be effectively managed, but usually not prevented. Succeeding in the face of adversity is what separates those who keep winning from everyone else.

Success starts with a superior game plan, which makes it easy to win and hard to lose. The first "preventable" adversity is an unfruitful marketing strategy. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever to promote from the seat of your pants. Attracting new patients in this decade has only gotten easier every year. More people are turning to alternative care than ever before. However, it has never been more important to your practice (and to your prospective new patients) that there are frequent opportunities to find out about the benefit of your services.

Do you have a banner out front that says, "Now Accepting New Patients, Call Today"? Are you scheduling at least one screening and one outside talk each month? Does your workshop generate at least two new patients per week? Is your newspaper ad drawing new patients every month? Are you putting at least 10 referral packets per week into the hands of your patients? Do your patients receive an "article of the week" to pass on to friends and loved ones?

Or, does it feel to you like your practice is waiting for new patients to call (and that strategy isn't working so well)? If that's the case, now is the time to do something about it and improve your game plan.

The second preventable adversity is an inconsistent patient management process. It should be easy (highly expected) to see patients follow you through corrective and wellness care and hard for them to "drop out." When patients are allowed to dictate the process, it always breaks down. When you care enough to predict the results for your patients, you begin to lead. Nothing takes the wind out of your sails more than starting new patients who discontinue because they lose direction, focus and/or intensity -- not because chiropractic didn't work. Teams that are winning right now in practice have re-invented their process to predict the outcomes of their patients' journey through care.

The economy isn't the problem. Thousands of people in your town are actively seeking solutions to problems affecting themselves or their families. Chiropractors across the country are currently producing record-breaking growth in their practices, including best ever, pre-payments for care. Don't get sucked into the black hole of thinking times are bad and "they" can't afford your care. It's not affordability, but rather priority of how they spend their money. If you position their health needs and chiropractic care properly, the value rises to top investing importance for their family.

You're needed by 100% of your town, 90% can afford you and 80% have a positive image about chiropractic. The economy merely accentuates any incongruities that may already be causing you challenges to growth.

The third preventable adversity is hiring or keeping anyone on your team who doesn't "fit." This also includes a veteran who may have simply gotten stuck in the old ways of doing things and has now become resistant to change. The right fit team can help you leapfrog your practice by more than two years of growth, overnight. Conversely, although they may be good people, the wrong fit team can derail you by more than two years of growth before you decide to correct the problem.

I believe that WLP is the fastest-growing coaching program because we put so much energy into building world class teams. The right team prevents missed visits. They fill up workshops week after week. These teams inspire patients to refer again and again. The right team sees prepays happening one after another. Twenty years ago, chiropractors seemed to hang-on to team members that were no longer producing (because many practices could still get away with it). Today, the most successful chiropractors are those who understand the life and death value of a right fit team.

Most practice adversities are preventable. Your success lies in your commitment to anticipate doing the right things. Your practice can achieve winning form, yet time is always of the essence. Keep moving your practice towards a predominantly cash position. Remove "fringe like" services that can confuse patients from choosing long term chiropractic care toward their optimal health.

The most successful chiropractors in the world are receiving weekly advice to build their practice. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

(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. For seminar tickets and information on WLP coaching services, please call The Waiting List Practice at 877-TEAM-WLP).