May 2009

Challenges into opportunities

by Dr. CJ Mertz

The first quarter of 2009 is a perfect illustration of what's happening worldwide throughout the chiropractic profession. My passion has always been to see practices thriving in the field. It's painful each time I hear of a chiropractor hurting in practice because it's so preventable and I want you to know, first hand, why and how it happened.

A tale of two cities is the best way to describe the field right now. In the same town where record growth is happening, another DC is closing his or her doors. Clearly, something's wrong with the way most chiropractors were formally taught to practice. It's hard to admit that something that used to "work" isn't effective anymore. But, let me assure you that CHIROPRACTIC is still working! This is the central reason so many chiropractic practices are presently thriving.

An overview

There are three main challenges chiropractors are facing today that have thrown too many into a "survival thinking" mode of action. Met with enthusiasm and determination, they can definitely turn into exciting, wonderful opportunities.

The first is linear versus overlapping marketing strategies. Linear marketing has caused so many problems with new patient flow because promotional programs don't overlap. You don't need another tip or gimmick in your practice to attract new patients. What you need is to have the missing pieces lined up in some beautiful pattern, all waiting to fall with just one push of the starting domino. Now see that the twelfth domino is out of place or missing all together. Eleven pieces fell perfectly, but then the whole process stopped and you're left to start all over again. Whether your new patients stop at six or eleven or seventeen per month, the key is to establish a process of overlapping promotions.

The most successful clients I coach really don't care where their new patients come from. Some months they come more from referrals, other months from screenings, and still others from print media campaigns. The point is, they're so beautifully overlapped that when one doesn't work as well, another picks up the slack. My average clients who attract an average of 40 new patients per month have 10 overlapping anchor campaigns, including both internal and external promotions. They didn't start off this way, rather they steadily built the process to predictably produce the number of new patients needed to build the practice of their dreams. Who's helping you build your promotional process? This is where the coach with the skills becomes invaluable.

The second main challenge is the "watering down" of the message of chiropractic over time. It starts with taking x-rays, then adjusting on the first visit, then not teaching workshops. You wake up one day realizing your dream has turned into a job. Instead of pressing forward to make a difference, somehow you've settled for making a living. We wind up giving patients what we think they want rather than leading them toward what we know they need.

My purpose-driven instincts have become drowned out by my insurance-driven reality. The happiest and most profitable chiropractors in the world were once in this terrible predicament. Now they feel empowered to speak the truth to their patients and their patients respond by following their recommendations. Retire from symptomatic care and reinvent yourself to purpose-driven care. It will absolutely change your practice success and your life.

The third challenge is the team. Today, most chiropractors have employees rather than teammates. The hiring process was too quick and resulted in first come, first hired. The training process was virtually 100% administrative rather than patient service- oriented and practice building-centered. Now you're frustrated because you think you have paycheck players "who clock in, do what they're told and clock out." So, they eventually quit or you fire them, and you make the same kinds of mistakes all over again.

In my 25 years in coaching, I've rarely encountered a world-class practice without a world-class team inside of it. When you have the right chemistry of people around you, anything is possible and you truly feel that way. The right team loves to train hard every week and thrives on providing world-class service to your patients. The right team is always on the lookout to promote your practice, both by referral and new opportunities to schedule talks and screenings. The right team can double your income per month for the simple joy of receiving a deserved bonus along the way. If you don't feel like this, do whatever you need to and make it so. Nothing significant will happen until you do.

Obviously, you have some important decisions to make. Personally, believe the best results in your practice are yet to come. Your future looks brighter than ever.

If you'd like to speak with me personally to see how you can turn your challenges into opportunities, just give me a call.

(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).