February 2008

Why your practice members don't listen to you

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

One of the most difficult concepts for chiropractors to grasp is that practice members are actually working against you until you build a bond of trust with them. They enter your office with a distinct belief about chiropractic, and attempt to have you involve yourself in that fantasy. Many DCs willingly participate in this nightmare, unknowingly forcing their practice members out the door.

The saying goes, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything, and be good for nothing." Will you allow people to tell you who to be, how to act? Or will you become a leader and communicate the true identity of chiropractic? Society searches for leaders, not followers, in health. When will we stand up as chiropractors for everybody, sick and well? We must abandon the delusion that, "You have to be sick or injured to see a chiropractor."

People share a natural lack of familiarity with chiropractic. When something is unfamiliar, or at odds with a core belief, it's rejected instantly. At times, people will even get aggressive towards new ideas or concepts. They'll scoff at the assertion that health can exist in a world plagued with disease. Why? Because peoples' beliefs are in disease, not health.

There's only one solution, and it's called "repositioning." Repositioning is changing the perception of an idea, concept, product or service from its current perception (in this case, DCs as "back crackers") to its true identity. In repositioning there is no conflict with the old concept, no bashing of the old concept. Rather than being against anything, your truth lies in the true identity of chiropractic. You have nothing to do with medical care, unless you are a medical doctor.

When you bypass patient education in your office, practice members can't hear what you're saying. Since they haven't been repositioned, they hold strongly to the belief that you are an adult "short‑term" musculoskeletal provider. They nod their heads in agreement with everything you say, so you think they understand. However, when their symptoms lessen, or the insurance dries up, they're gone again. This becomes a vicious circle, a revolving door, and it eats away at your confidence. Ultimately, you abandon your dreams, becoming frustrated, or even jaded, with your office and your practice members.

When you reposition your practice members, the end result is increased freedom, independence and profitability. Imagine the feeling of taking care of people who actually respect you and your office. They gladly come to your health awareness seminars, they follow your recommendations, they refer and they pay with or without insurance. How many of these practice members could your office stand to have? When you reposition, you work with natural laws, not against them. Long‑term relationships are natural, short‑term relationships are un‑natural. People want to be connected to others who seek their best interest.

Successful DCs everywhere are discovering the difference an educated practice member makes. Many chiropractors have a mistaken belief that being in "desperation mode" is part of having a practice, that in order to make a living they must take care of people who can't be satisfied. They couldn't be more wrong! It isn't necessary to put up with people who don't respect you, your office, or for that matter, chiropractic. There are countless people looking for long‑term care for their families. But, they are totally ignorant and unaware of what chiropractic is, and how it impacts everybody's health, sick or well. Without patient education, there'll be no paradigm shift, and DCs can look forward to being doctors with an identity that leaves much to be desired.

It takes no courage to say "they just don't get it." It takes thermal levels of courage to inspire people who may be a little cool to your new ideas of health at the beginning. Keep at it. After all, we're talking about the most sacred entity there is... our health and ability to adapt to our world.

Be a leader in your community. If people can't get the true identity of chiropractic from you, where do you suggest they get it? People form long‑term relationships with people they believe in. It's alright to be "contrarian." You don't have to be like the DC down the street. Educate! Let your people know your truth. They will make their own decisions. Don't take the sword out of their hands by not telling them the whole story.

Parents often find it easier to look the other way and ignore unacceptable behavior in their children. Chiropractors can do the same with their practice members, especially when it means confronting them. Ask yourself whether you have a responsibility to do what's right, or if you care more about being liked or accepted by the majority.

(The New Renaissance is a movement of passionate chiropractors dedicated to changing the world. The leader in patient education since 1977, the Mentor IV Coaching Program is a step‑by‑step navigational guide that embodies the very essence of The New Renaissance vision of healthier people creating a healthier world. Without patient education, your patients won't "get it." To learn more about The New Renaissance, contact world headquarters at 800‑525‑3879.)