September 2009

Build your value in the right direction

by Dr. CJ Mertz

Every year, thousands of new patients begin chiropractic care, starting out on a journey with the potential for a lifetime of health and well being. Yet, most people don't follow that path. Which seems odd since the vast majority of patients receive excellent results through their care.

The key to extraordinary relationships of lifelong care is learning to build value in the right direction. Too often, chiropractors confuse "now" momentum with "forward" momentum. By doing this, they misread the vital importance of building future value for their care.

Surely you've heard the expression "chiropractic works" many times. It implies that the principles guiding what we do are always right. After 25 years as a chiropractor, I continue to be amazed at the power of a single adjustment. Every day, I hear from DCs practicing in more than 45 countries, the miraculous stories of lives being saved through a chiropractic adjustment. Why is it then, most of the people who've had such positive results with your care are no longer active?

It's because value is building in the wrong direction.

At the beginning of your patient's care, they're looking forward without any prompting or encouragement from you. They have a physical problem and carry their own motivation to do whatever it takes to solve it. Chiropractors consistently confuse the patient's motivation for getting healthy, with his or her motivation for staying that way. As a result, patients reach a critical point in their care where they're appreciative for what you've done, and greatly value the care you've given them. Notice my language is past tense.

When your patients value the care behind them more than the care ahead of them, the thought of stopping their care becomes reality. Most of your patients won't know how to generate the motivation for staying healthy by themselves. They may use money as a reason to discontinue care, but that's rarely the driving force. There's a new and different type of motivation needed for a patient to commit to, and invest in corrective or wellness care.

The fundamental is transitioning a person's motivation from the physical plane to the mental/emotional plane. The value for future care comes more from what people believe than how they feel. Unfortunately, most patients are led to believe that they've already received what they could get most out of chiropractic. This is purely a physical plane belief. In reality, they've only received what they could get least from chiropractic! The major misconception is that patients believe their bodies only break down when they hurt, or when they're sick. So, when their energy returns and they're sleeping better, moving better, feeling better… their idea of breakdown has been solved.

Your patients won't believe their bodies are breaking down every minute of every day of their life until you tell them. It turns out, staying healthy isn't a physical problem, but a power problem. A power problem requires a power solution. We can prevent the body breaking down, but we can meet and exceed breakdown with repair. The process of maximizing repair and experiencing optimal health is a power solution. If you wish to see increasing value for a patient's future care, that's what his or her future care must be based on.

Most patients evaluate the importance of adjustment relative to "today" versus "tomorrow." As you continue to position the rejuvenating benefits of power adjustments for the future, patients look forward to what's next in their care as much or more than the care they've already received.

Future care is based upon a belief that the power that made the body, heals the body, and that it (100% nerve flow) is depleted by the stresses of life. Restoring that power is a process centered around weekly, specific, power-releasing adjustments. This means your patients are building value toward -- rather than away from --wellness.

Now is the time to make changes in your mindset and your practice, and begin to see the multiplying results for your future and your patients. Call today to experience a live proconference training session as my gift to you.

(Dr. CJ Mertz is the founder and head coach of Full Potential Leadership and Waiting List Practice chiropractic training organizations. To transform your life and your practice using your Full Potential contact Peter at 512-474-1895)