Using The Telephone To Increase Your USP
I just finished another consulting call over the phone. Then it suddenly dawned on me. I have a few (and only a few) talents. One of them is being able to articulate ideas to increase the practices of other chiropractors.

When I give advice over the phone, everyone feels like they got a lot out of it.

In essence I’m an information marketer. That’s good to understand, but you may be underutilizing other assets and talents that you have. You are in fact an information marketer to your practice members.

I’ll use myself as an example.

When you are asking someone who may not know you to spend money on one of your services, it’s entirely possible that people will be very uncomfortable giving someone over $100 they don’t
even know.

Why not make it easier for them? Why not give people a number to call you if they have any questions?

We have a pediatrician in town who every morning has call up hour. Parents can call and talk directly to the doctor with any questions they may have.

Depending on how big your business is and how much time you have to spend over the phone, the number you pick will be different.

In my case I feel it would be worthwhile to spend a few minutes on the phone with a doctor to help them make a $100 decision on whether to buy my services or not.

If someone is interested in POSSIBLY ordering my services that costs more than $100, I’m
going to e-mail them to have them call me if they aren’t sure (translation: sold).

If and when you institute a similar policy in your business you’ll have to decide what that price point will be for you. Perhaps patients who have signed for a 6 month or one year program of care get the opportunity to speak with you on the phone with any questions they may have. (Limit these to health questions, financial questions are handled during normal business hours)

You’re probably wondering why I was willing to go as low as $100. Is it worth my time to do it? Well, probably not if it were JUST to make a sale..

However, it IS worth it because of the insights and information that I pick up by speaking to people over the phone. I get to do some research as well as selling.

As the web allows your practice members and prospective patients to e-mail you with questions adding the phone as part of your sales process makes sense. It adds a human element to your system.

The  Need For A Calendar Of Events And Promotions.

Every office should have a detailed, comprehensive calendar of events and promotions for the at least six months in advance. The competitive nature of today’s private practice makes this tool mandatory. The calendar enables both the staff and the doctor to know exactly what is expected on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, providing everyone with the information necessary to effectively execute the plan, and allowing everyone to keep an eye on progress toward both short and long-term goals.

 

A calendar system can be something as simple as a pencil on paper. The good news is that once this is effectively developed, the calendar can be used as a template year after year, with only minor modifications. Fail to plan, plan to fail!

 

Great Place To Schedule Speaking Event

The oldest of the Baby Boomer generation will turn 60 this fall, and unlike their predecessors, they aren’t afraid to visit the doctor. In fact, their interest in staying healthy coupled with their sheer numbers are taxing the health care system more than any group in history. Boomers have a different set of expectations for their health care than generations past.

When your grandparents reached old age, health care was something that people avoided, but boomers seek it out. They expect to be healthy, stay healthy and be fixed when they aren’t healthy.

Because of the research showing that people who eat a healthier diet have less Alzheimer’s disease Boomers are looking for nutritional advice in greater numbers.

Furthermore, patients who have a more physically and mentally active lifestyle will not only stay more mentally aware, but are less likely to suffer from series of small strokes that can lead to dementia. These are all reasons for the Boomer to see a chiropractor and are great speaking topics that will almost guarantee a large turnout.

The wellness industry, which Paul Zane Pilzer calculates brings in more than $200 billion a year now, will surpass $1 trillion a year within the next ten years. And because chiropractors are in the wellness industry, they are poised to benefit from this explosion.

So how do you capitalize on this? Well you need to do more speaking engagements before targeted audiences. You need to find Boomer groups and the best one is the AARP. This organization has more then 4000 chapters nationwide. Founded 1958 it is “THE” organization for people age 50 and older. You should find out if there is a chapter in your area and if there is you should schedule a talk. (Hint, most of these people love golf, anything that will help improve their game will interest them)’
Here is AARP info.
A.A.R.P.
601 E St., NW
Washington, DC 20049
Voice: 1-888-687-2277
Website: http://www.aarp.org

Harvard, Clorox and Chiropractic

A recent article I read said that, Clorox is introducing a green cleaning product line. The Clorox company is obviously betting that its new Green Works line will have traction and compete with the likes of Seventh Generation, Method, Ecover and Simple Green. This is a real departure for a company that generates $4.8 billion dollars in sales on chemical products. But as I was reading the article something struck me.

Think about this, it isn’t any secret that chemical products from household cleaners, laundry detergents and dish detergents have been causing problems for some time now. Not only do they pose environmental risks, they also pose health risks in many households. Adults, children and pets have been known to have allergic reactions and respiratory issues, including asthmatic attacks, from mild to severe, with repeated exposure to household cleaning agents.

Green cleaners use natural plant oils, plant-based alcohol rather than other solvents and no petrochemicals. Vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda are mainstays. Natural disinfectants like eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil are safe, yet effective.

Is Clorox doing this due to the growing momentum of the green movement? They may be, in part. However, the total market for green cleaning products is still very small. According to Information Resources, Inc.’s figures, cited in the article, of the $432 million Americans spent on all-purpose cleaners alone last year, only 1% of that was spent on Method products. Only 0.3% was spent on Seventh Generation products.

Comparatively speaking, three Clorox brands: Pine-Sol, Clorox Clean-Up and Formula 409+ accounted for 41% of consumer brands. So why develop a green brand and why do it now, when the green cleaning category is still so small? According to Clorox;

• Consumer perception the products can’t work without having harsh chemicals in them.
• Cost; these products are expensive in some cases.
• Consumers can’t find many of these products unless they go to specialty stores or natural food stores.
• Lastly: there isn’t a brand consumers know and trust.

They have merit. Not sure about the last one, though. I’m sure that consumers, who have taken the time to study this issue, know and trust the green cleaning brands currently available in the marketplace. The problem is: not enough consumers have taken the time or trouble to research the issues around using some cleaning brands vs. others. And this does take time and education.

Interestingly, Clorox’s new branded green line has sought the endorsement of the Sierra Club, and they have been granted permission to use the latter’s logo on Green Works labels beginning this spring. This was the company’s way of proving it is legitimate in its environmental claims; no greenwashing here. Of course, this perceived alliance has raised some concerns from environmental groups. Especially since Clorox will be paying the club a fee, partially based on sales of the products.

The company also took pains to incorporate the Clorox logo on its Green Works products to assure consumers of their efficacy and to leverage the trust they have built . . .To consumers, these are Clorox products; Clorox products work.

Now who does this sound like? Well let me re-write the article here:

A recent article I read said that, Harvard Medical School was introducing a program to its medical student on alternative healing methods, including chiropractic. The school is obviously betting that its new approach to holistic medicine will have traction and allow its graduates to compete with the likes of naturopaths, chiropractors’ herbalists and other unorthodoxed practitioners. This is a real departure for a school that has been the bastion of orthodox medicine with its prestigious hospital affiliation at the Massachusetts General.

With the accepted cultural authority that the MD degree holds in the eyes of the public I would expect the project and effort to be a success.  Health industry analysts see the effort on the part of medicine drawing patients away from unconventional healers.

Many consumers are beginning to look more seriously at side effects of prescription medications and consumers want more information.

Is Clorox doing this due to the growing momentum of the natural health movement? They may be, in part. However, the total market chiropractic and natural health practitioners is still very small.

Comparatively speaking, medicine has a monopoly on healthcare in the country. So why develop a program in alternative medicine and why do it now, when the natural healthcare market is still so small? According to Harvard;

• Consumer perception.
• Cost; Insurance covers most MD visits, while visits to alternative practitioner requires consumers to pay cash
• Consumers can’t find many of these practitioners
• Lastly: there isn’t a brand consumers know and trust, the MD degree.

Now I’m sure you see my point. Search the net and you will see an increasing number of MD’s marketing the fact that they do “alternative medicine”. What both Clorox and medicine have done is capitalize on their perceived cultural authority and both have used this power to effectively market the new and improved, safer, more consumer friendly Clorox (Medicine).

As chiropractors we must be aware of this, always remembering to make our uniqueness stand out in any adverting we do.

Dr. Lenny Coaching Program Featured In News Release

I usually try to avoid touting myself, I like to think of myself as the best kept secret in chiropractic coaching. I “lay low” and just do my thing, at the same time helping all comers regardless of their financial situation and giving specialized One on One coaching to those who are willing to invest a few dollars in themselves and their practice.

I was interviewed and a release was sent out and was posted on the web yesterday. If you would like to read it, click.

Do You Suffer From The Imposter Syndrome?

Are you familiar with theimposter syndrome?  It’s a state of mind where you feel like a fraud that is fooling people into thinking you’re a qualified professional, but you sure don’t feel like one yourself.  Quite the contrary.  You feel like a pretender … an imposter.  You fear that others will see past your deception and “find you out.”  

What a way to live.  Always feeling inadequate. Never feeling good enough.

Ironically, the imposter syndrome is associated with some of the most clinically competent doctors out there. They’re performing a function and performing it well, but there’s some mismatch between their actual level of competence and how they feel about what they’re doing. Not a chiropractor and not a physician, what the old timers would call a “medipractor”

Even if it doesn’t rise to the level of a condition that has a clinical name, this sense of being an imposter is a pretty common experience.  Have you ever felt it?  Are you feeling it currently?

If you’re fairly new in practice it’s understandable.  After all, people start out in any field of endeavor a bit green and it’s only through experience that we master our craft and increase our self confidence to the point of knowing who and what we are.  Most people grow into their role and feel more and more confident and competent as they gain experience and enjoy some success, but some continue to struggle with the idea that they don’t belong.  If you’re one of them, give yourself a break or maybe even seek some coaching.  You’re being way too hard on yourself.

One class in a major US university teaches a course about the imposter syndrome. The course says that there are three levels of involvement we can exhibit in whatever role we’ve taken on in our lives, especially a major role, like the work we do as chiropractors.

At first we play the role or play at the role.  The role doesn’t define who we are, at least not yet.  It’s something we’re doing or attempting to do.  We’re like the actor or actress who “acts like” the character they’re assigned to play.  It’s easy to feel like an imposter at this level … and, if you’re in the wrong field for you, maybe you’ll never shake this feeling.  But don’t assume that just because you sometimes feel as if you don’t belong in the beginning, that it means you truly don’t belong.

As we mature in our experience and our commitment to our profession, we take the role.  It’s not only what we do, but who we are.  We think of ourselves as being defined by the role.  We can honestly say, I’m a chiropractor and not feel inauthentic.  Like an actor/actress who identifies with and “owns” the character.

Finally, there’s a level of involvement in a role where you’re so totally into it, so animated by it, that it takes over who you are.  Like a method actor who loses him or herself in the character, who “becomes” the character in every way.  When you’re in that role, it represents being truly alive for you.  It’s your reason for being.

This level is called organismic involvement.  That’s what you were looking for when you went out to find your place in the world as a chiropractor, isn’t it?

You wanted to do something that not only lit you up but wrapped you up, something that not only inspired you, but took hold of you, something that expressed who you are in a way that involved your whole being … physical, emotional, and intellectual … and put you in “the zone.”

It’s the place where you feel your personal power manifesting itself in a commanding way, even though it sometimes feels like you’re on a kind of intuitive autopilot.  That’s the flow you get into when you’re making the highest use of your talents and skills as a chiropractor, doing the thing you love.

Sounds good, huh?  Unfortunately must doctors have to pass through the first two levels, sometimes wasting years in practice doing so. I understand and believe that it’s okay to feel a little inauthentic in the beginning.  It’s hard to feel like a full-fledged experienced professional when you don’t have much experience.  But there are a few  doctors out there who have totally skipped phases one and two, they know immediately after getting a license who and what they are, however the vast majority of doctors getting out of school have no idea what they really are, what their role is. The schools have so confused them by trying to explain what their role is, that they don’t know what profession they are in, let alone how to market and promote such a profession.

This problem isn’t isolated to the “newbie” in practice I have clients who have been in practice 20 years and still don’t know who and what they are. I’m changing that and even after 20 years I show these doctors no matter how long a time or for that matter how short a time you’ve been in practice it doesn’t have any impact on what you can become.

There’s an old expression, “You gotta fake it till you make it.”  The truth of the matter is that you shouldn’t have to fake anything, you should know who and what you are and what your PURPOSE is. If you don’t write to me, drvernonchiro@aol.com

Whether you are a “newbie” or a 20 plus year practitioner I can help you. Stop trying to “fake it”.

The Marketing Calendar
Every practice should have a marketing calendar, no matter what your budget, you can do some form of marketing each and every month.

You need to, at a minimum weekly add activities to your marketing calendar. There are dozens of options, some of these marketing programs will take place inside your office, and others will be out-of-office events. Some will involve some form of media such as newspapers, radio and for some even television. If you go on-line you can find free calendars that are in WORD format and are easily edited. You should have at least 1 outside event scheduled every month, a speaking engagement, an attorney lunch or some other outside the office function. Your calendar should include any patient appreciation day, any mailings that are scheduled, like the news letter, days that advertisements you have placed in newspapers are scheduled to run, as well as internal marketing programs.

I’m a strong proponent of internal marketing. One of the more popular internal marketing ideas in chiropractic is called The “Three-a-Day” Game - Inside your office, you can get a tremendous yield for the time and energy invested when you learn to play a simple new patient game called the “Three-a-Day” Game. When you arrive at your office each morning, select three patients from your schedule who will be your Three-a-Day players for the day. (Put a Post-It -note on their card or file to remind you.)

You can talk about the value of chiropractic to your patients all day if you like, but you only get to “close” with three patients per day. So it’s important to pick the right people and make those opportunities count, you need to use laser beam focus.

Don’t worry about the fact that it’s “only three times each day”, or if you are non assertive you may think “I have to confront people three times a day?” Either way, don’t worry, the more you play the game, the easier it is to understand why these issues don’t turn out to matter much in the long-run.

For example, if you tend to be more assertive and would prefer to ask more than three people each day, first think about the results you can reasonably expect. If you ask three times, five office days each week, that’s 15 times each week and about 60 times per month. About what percentage of the time do you anticipate a referral? Ten percent? That would be 1-2 additional new patients per week, or about 6 per month and you don’t have to spend a nickel or take one step outside your office. This method of new patient acquisition takes only a few extra minutes each day.

For those of you who dread this kind of direct confrontation, look at it this way - you are hand-picking your three favorite patients for the day, the ones you feel most comfortable with and who are most likely to respond to you. Who better to ask for support, and a demonstration of their confidence?

The Three-a-Day game is a consistency game. Commit to playing it for 90 days, and watch what happens in your practice. As you play more regularly, you’ll become more skillful, and your batting average will improve. It’s okay to be creative - use props, a story-of-the-day, questions about family, friends and co-workers… whatever you can think of to keep it fun and entertaining, so you look forward to playing every day.

Case Fees For Decompression Come Under Scrutiny

Do a doctor and his patients have a different relationship than a gym and its customers?The Kansas Board of Healing Arts’ legal staff says yes, while Wichita chiropractor Bradley Eck and his lawyer say no.

The difference of opinion has led to a 10-count petition against Eck, alleging unprofessional conduct that violates the state’s healing arts act.

The petition stems from the experiences of 13 of Eck’s chiropractic patients and the investigations that followed their complaints to the board. It asks the board to agree with the allegations and discipline Eck. Punishment could range from fines to license revocation.

The case likely won’t be resolved until early 2009.

Flat-fee contracts

The dispute centers on Eck’s use of flat-fee contracts, his refusal to cancel them and whether they’re appropriate in a doctor-patient relationship. The contracts set an up-front charge for a series of treatments. The charge is the same whether a patient ultimately gets no treatments or many. Both sides say that, to their knowledge, this is the first time such a case has been considered in Kansas.

The Board of Healing Arts petition says that the contracts are unlawfully one-sided, that they unlawfully allow payment when professional services weren’t rendered, and that they were signed based on misleading advertising, including advertising that said prices were available for a limited time when they weren’t.

Dr. Eck’s attorney compared the contracts to the ones used at a fitness club or by an orthodontist. If a client decides not to work out after the first time or not to get his braces adjusted, Hodge said, “you just get marked as noncompliant. You don’t get the money back.”

Shelly Wakeman, disciplinary counsel for the Board of Healing Arts, said medical practices are businesses. But doctors “also have a special relationship with their patients, because they’re the doctor,” she said, and the board’s legal staff believes that some business practices are “not appropriate when you apply it to a doctor-patient relationship.”

The patients complaints are similar:

The patient sought treatment, usually after seeing or hearing an ad placed by Eck. A treatment plan was recommended. The patient signed a contract, and the full amount  ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 was billed to the patient’s credit card or to a credit account set up at Eck’s office.

Some patients decided later that they couldn’t afford the full course of treatment; others decided treatment wasn’t working. All were told the contract did not allow for any refunds.

In one case a mother took her 16 year old son to Dr. Eck early this year for recurring back pain. Eck and his staff told them that Jamie would benefit from decompression therapy, which uses a motorized device to stretch the lower back. He recommended 20 treatments but said that as many as 100 would be available if her son needed them.

The charge would be $1,900. She signed documents allowing the entire amount to be billed to her credit card but said she was told that $1,500 would be paid by her insurance and she’d pay $400.

Her insurance company, like others, said decompression treatment was experimental, and as a result, “we’re still paying on it today,” even though her son gave up the treatment because he didn’t think it was making a difference.

Others said Eck and his staff didn’t answer their questions or respond to their telephone calls about the charges or treatment.

The petition against Eck alleges that the contracts are “unconscionable, deceptive, fraudulent and/or misleading” because it is a violation to be paid for treatment that hasn’t been rendered and because the contracts are too one-sided in favor of Eck.

Eck referred questions to his lawyer.

Dr. Eck’s attorney countered, saying many types of doctors, including obstetricians, use some sort of “global fee,” in which a single fee encompasses a series of treatment procedures. “Most of the time, the fee is charged to the insurance company, and so nobody cares.” He called the petition a “ridiculous opinion” and said, “I’m just furious with the Board of Healing Arts.”

The Board has said that Dr. Eck can continue to practice, because  In a case such as this, where there is no medical danger to the public, a case may take months to get through the system.

April Class Sold Out, July Class Forming

Why I Should Be Your Coach

No affirmations, no group hugs, no use of the latest buzz words or secrets, in short, no BS, just plain old hard work. That’s what my coaching program is about. You won’t see my ad promising 100 new patients while you sit at home watching television, as a matter of fact you won’t see an ad for my coaching program anywhere, yet everyday I receive almost 100 e-mails from doctors who ask for my help and advice.

Questions range from new patient acquisition to having me critique their ad. I try to get to as many people as I can, however my members all come first. They receive a response to a question usually the same day, while non members could wait weeks to get a reply to their question.

As patient “cost sharing” rises (this is an insurance industry euphemism for increased co-pays) Many of you are having to confront the reality that a patients co-pay may actually exceed the cost of an office visit. Now you are even more worried with the dramatic downturn in the economy.

As things start to get tighter you’ll need to have a plan in place, a plan that can tell you who to attract to your office and how to attract them, a plan to show you how to structure fees, so that your care is affordable and yet fair to both you and your patient.

If you would like to be part of the next class, at $100 a month, (I’m so confident that you will stay with me that there are no contracts to sign) then click here and leave your name address and phone number.

ATTENTION:

NEW FREE SERVICE FOR CHIROPRACTORS STARTS ABOUT FEBRUARY 15TH . CAN’T TELL YOU YET, BUT IT WILL HELP YOU MAKE MORE $$$. JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE I DO FOR YOU. TO START RECEIVING THE NEW SERVICE, YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP.  

IF YOU ARE ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER TO THE FREE CD’s OF THE CONFERENCE CALLS THEN YOU DON’T NEED TO SIGN UP AGAIN, AS I WILL BE USING THIS DATABASE. 

 IF YOU HAVE NEVER SIGNED UP FOR THE CD’s THEN YOU WILL NEED TO   SIGN UP NOW  IN ORDER FOR YOU TO RECEIVE THE NEW SERVICE. (HINT-IT INVOLVES ATTORNEY MARKETING) 

“Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.” Albert Einstein

Is This Your Fear In Doing Patient Lectures?

One of the greatest fears that doctors have when doing an outside presentation or an in house patient lecture is that no one will attend. Well this can and does happen, Dr. Alan Russo of the Masters Circle relates a story of how , when he first started in practice he held a lecture in his office and the only person to attend was this little old Russian lady. Russo tried to decide if he should go on with the lecture or just send the lady home, he decided to do the lecture to this one individual. At the end of the lecture the little old lady asked, can I bring my husband in? The number of referrals over the years from this one lady, the only person in the audience that night was in the double digits by the time Dr. Russo left practice. So you see even if only one person shows up, do the lecture.

There are however ways of preventing this from happening, the key element is planning and advanced notice. Now too much advanced notice may cause the person to forget so you have to be careful about how far in advance you schedule your event.

If you are doing an outside lecture you should have a specific topic that you will speak on. Topics can include arthritis, fibromyalgia, headache etc. You need to market your lecture, either through a direct mailing or signage or both. If you are doing a direct mail, be sure to target the mailing to the specific market you are looking to attract. Always send announcements of your lecture to your own patient base. Even though these people may not have the particular condition that you are speaking on, they trust and respect you and if they do know someone with that condition they will tell them to attend the lecture. My suggestion is to do 2 mailings. If the lecture is scheduled 3 weeks from the date of the first letter then you should send a post card a few days prior to the lecture. If someone has registered only a few days before then a phone call a day or two before the lecture is in order.

Remember, your attendance will be proportionate to the amount of work you put in to promote the event.

The Art Of Self Promotion

For many chiropractors the art of self promotion conjures up images of arrogant know-it-alls. But in reality we all rely on some degree of self-promotion. Anyone who is starting their own business, or trying to sell themselves to a company say as a consultant requires you to make people aware of you and your abilities. While we’d like to think that our work speaks for itself, the fact is that before our work can have anything to say we need to put in some work to attract attention.

 

Self-promotion doesn’t have to be shady. We as doctors view self f promotion as insincere and most people who self promote show this in their inauthenticity. It’s clear that they’re not trying to build a relationship, but are only shooting for the quick payoff, whether that’s a sale, a vote. They are pretending to be our friend to get something they want. And it shows.

 

Real self-promotion extends beyond the initial payoff - and may bypass the payoff entirely. It gives people a reason to associate themselves with us, for the long term. It’s genuine and authentic - more like making friends than selling something.

 

The main rule of self-promotion is to be the best version of yourself and always try to add value. What separates you from everyone else who does what you do is the particular value you bring to you new patients. The same applies to your marketing efforts - people tune out if you’re just doing the usual blah, blah, blah about how great you are. Instead, apply your particular expertise in demonstrable ways. And most of all be confident. If you are telling people something that adds value to their lives, there’s no reason to feel as if you’re intruding. Stand up tall and show that you have faith in yourself and your abilities, After all, if you don’t have confidence in yourself, why should anyone else

It’s All How You Look At Things

One of the big differences between people who are successful in life and business and people who aren’t is how they look at things, which in turn shapes how they make decisions. If you aren’t satisfied with your current practice situation you might have more success by altering how you look at things and therefore how you decide to act.

To show how we look at things, and the difference it makes, here are a couple of situations where you might look at things in a new way. Read the full story to see multiple ways of looking at the same things.

At a bedroom, linen, and kitchen store, packages of six low-energy fluorescent bulbs are hanging near the checkout for last-minute sale to shoppers. The concept of being green has proliferated in recent years so the shopper, Susan, reaches up and takes a couple of the packages. She is happy with herself for joining the green movement and thinks, “Al Gore would be proud of me.” When unpacking the bulbs at home Susan has a ‘light bulb moment’ and realizes these energy saving bulbs are packaged in energy wasting plastic casing. That might be safe packaging, but what is wrong with the paper boxes of old? Is it that the plastic casing is see-through? Is it that these packages are easier to display? Susan wonders, “Is more energy used to make this packaging than will be saved using the bulbs in it? Maybe this wasn’t such a good green purchase when taken as a whole.”

Dr. Brett needs to become more proficient with a piece of new software, let’s say it’s Chiro 8000. He purchased it a year ago for a over a thousand dollars along with a Getting Started with Chiro 8000 book. He hasn’t opened the book. He’s opened the software but doesn’t understand how to get started. Today Brett is considering taking a class to get cracking and act on his New Year resolution to use what he has. Brett’s investment in the class would be $175 and 8 hours. Getting started seems like a good idea. Brenda, his girlfriend and firecracker analytic, asks a few investigative questions: “Brett, do you have 8 hours to spare? It seems you’re always doing work as it is.” She continues, “Is it possible that you could hire a tutor or power user who could show you one-on-one only the things that you would like to learn about? If so, wouldn’t that take a lot less than 8 hours? And, might it cost less than $175?” Hmmm. . . Brett never thought of such special education but the cost/value analysis Brenda is offering changes his leaning against taking the class but still to get the start he wants by hiring a tutor.

Verizon recently installed FIOS in a small townhouse community. Looking out his window Smitty, a seasoned businessman, did the calculation. There have been 5 guys here for 5 days digging the trench, laying the conduit, and putting things back in the original condition. That’s worth at least $6,000 ($30 per hour, 8 hours per day, 5 days, 5 guys). Then there is all that equipment and materials they brought in worth another $2500, at least. And the tree they killed and are now replacing is another $400. Plus, the installers have to come back on yet another day to run the conduit and hook up to each townhouse. That’s probably another 13 man days worth ($3,120). That totals $12,020. Doesn’t seem like the payback period is too good. When Smitty gets out his calculator that 100 per month x 7 units x 12 months equals $12,600 per year income. That’s 1 year break-even if you don’t consider the back office costs. Plus, and probably more important to Verizon, they now own the channel to these 14 townhouses for new technologies installations in the future.

The way we look at things affects the decisions that we make. Watch how you look at things and, if you want to be in a better position, see if you can expand how you look at things. I have clients all the time who tell me that their practice is down because of the this or that. They tell me that they can’t give away a free surface EMG or thermography because they charge $100 for it and $100 after all is $100. That is true, unless you view things the way Verizon does in the above story. If the patient who had a surface EMG or had a nutritional analysis that was done for free becomes a patient how much will he/she spend in your office in care and supplements over the next year, I’ll bet it will be far in excess of $100.

This Is A Must Read Editorial From A Medical Doctor: An MD Looks At His Own Profession

Driving in to work today I went by a Chiropractor’s office with a marquee sign reading: Got Sinus Problems?  See how Your Chiropractor can Help! 

So I stand humbled.  Before we scoff at the speck in the Chiropractor’s eye, perhaps we in the “traditional” medical field should go looking for logs in our own eyes.

Don’t Be Left Out!!  Only  1 Spot Left For April Class

Why I Should Be Your Coach

No affirmations, no group hugs, no use of the latest buzz words or secrets, in short, no BS, just plain old hard work. That’s what my coaching program is about. You won’t see my ad promising 100 new patients while you sit at home watching television, as a matter of fact you won’t see an ad for my coaching program anywhere, yet everyday I receive almost 100 e-mails from doctors who ask for my help and advice.

Questions range from new patient acquisition to having me critique their ad. I try to get to as many people as I can, however my members all come first. They receive a response to a question usually the same day, while non members could wait weeks to get a reply to their question.

As patient “cost sharing” rises (this is an insurance industry euphemism for increased co-pays) Many of you are having to confront the reality that a patients co-pay may actually exceed the cost of an office visit. Now you are even more worried with the dramatic downturn in the economy.

As things start to get tighter you’ll need to have a plan in place, a plan that can tell you who to attract to your office and how to attract them, a plan to show you how to structure fees, so that your care is affordable and yet fair to both you and your patient.

If you would like to be part of the next class, at $100 a month, (I’m so confident that you will stay with me that there are no contracts to sign) then click here and leave your name address and phone number.

ATTENTION:

NEW FREE SERVICE FOR CHIROPRACTORS STARTS ABOUT FEBRUARY 15TH . CAN’T TELL YOU YET, BUT IT WILL HELP YOU MAKE MORE $$$. JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE I DO FOR YOU. TO START RECEIVING THE NEW SERVICE, YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP.  

IF YOU ARE ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER TO THE FREE CD’s OF THE CONFERENCE CALLS THEN YOU DON’T NEED TO SIGN UP AGAIN, AS I WILL BE USING THIS DATABASE. 

 IF YOU HAVE NEVER SIGNED UP FOR THE CD’s THEN YOU WILL NEED TO   SIGN UP NOW  IN ORDER FOR YOU TO RECEIVE THE NEW SERVICE. (HINT-IT INVOLVES ATTORNEY MARKETING) 

.” –Albert Einstein

Simple Yet Powerful

We all get caught up in all the high tech methods of practice building, that sometimes we forget some of the very simple, yet most effective methods.

One of the most overlooked methods of building your practice and stimulating referrals is to actively give out brochures. Most offices don’t know how to get the most from their patient brochures. If you take the passive approach and wait for patients to help themselves, you probably don’t use many brochures and your referrals will suffer.

Instead, you should actually hand brochures to your patients. Before you do, write the patient’s name, spouse’s name or friend’s name on the brochure cover.

Another way to increase your bottom line is to encourage impulse buying. Have you ever wondered why every grocery store check-out aisle in the country is stocked with gum, candy and magazines? It’s because those are impulse-buy products. If you carry ancillary products, place them at the check-out area to take advantage of people’s impulse-buying instincts. Items might include patient samples, Bio Freeze or similar product, nutritional supplements, pillows and other items that add up to big extra profits by year’s end.

Charlie Wilson’s War And Your Business

 

 

If you haven’t seen Charlie Wilson’s War, you should. If you have you’ll probably agree that Wilson seemed an eminently likeable and accomplished individual. In the book that the movie is based on I noticed that Wilson also provides many lessons on how to do business. Here are a couple of these as they relate to networking:

Make friends! And then more friends! And then more friends! The fact that Wilson was a Protestant didn’t prevent him from joining the congressional Jewish caucus; the Texan also joined the Black caucus. The books author said: “The House, like any human institution, is moved by friendships, and no matter what people might think about Wilson’s antics, they tend to like him and enjoy his company.”

Make friends with people several levels down from decision-makers and with disenfranchised groups. On of the keys to sales success is ‘wiring’ the client organization three or four levels down-where the real work gets done. These are the people who can supply with a great deal of information. One way this could apply to your chiropractic business is for you to befriend someone at a manufacturing plant or other large employer in an effort to do industrial screenings.

Seek unlikely allies-or at least don’t rule them out. Simply because someone doesn’t meet with your complete approval doesn’t mean their buy-in and follow-through won’t help move your project forward. What came to my mind here was the MD, we all perceive this person as the enemy, the competition or even the devil. Well I’m here to tell you that you are missing a huge potential referral source. I have on many occasions spoken with the most anti- chiropractic MD’s in area, only to have them eventually refer patients. Find the right path and the most bitter of rivals will make common cause relative to some key link in the chain.

Ninety-eight percent of projects fail in terms of even near-total implementation; this is mainly the results of lousy political and networking skills. Learn the art of schmoozing

And Other Lies You’ve Been Told

Every week I pick up “that paper” you know the one, and I go crazy. There are pages after pages of advertisements for building your practice. The one thing they all have in common is that they all appear to be taught by David Copperfield. The reason I say this is because the promises that are made in most of these ads are nothing short of illusions. There is no free lunch and you CANNOT get new patients “without doing any work at all”. Every new patient who walks in your door is the result of something you did. If you are the member of an insurance plan, and the patient found you on the plans website it is because you took the time and completed an application to join the plan, you also in all probability reduced your fee. The patient who was referred to you is the result of your hard work in educating the patient who did the referring, perhaps you did a weekly health talk or asked the patient for the name of people who might benefit from your care, whatever the case, you’ve worked to get that new patient.

The fact that these same ads appear week after week tells you something, it tells you that the ads are working, not necessarily the system that is being sold. In other words there are so many chiropractors out there who are in dire need of new patients that they will buy anything. What these guys are selling chiropractors is the equivalent of the “Lose 30 pounds in 30 days” diet pill and we all know what a great seller these are; we also know that they never work. The fact that they never work doesn’t stop the companies from advertising them continuously in every media outlet available. Do you know why? Because people buy them.  Even after they have tried diet pill “A” and it didn’t work they will purchase diet pill “B” hoping that this is the “real” magic bullet, the one that will help me shed the pounds without dieting when the truth is that unless you consume less then you burn you will not lose weight.

I see this in my own consulting business. The vast majority of my clients have been to many other practice building/coaching programs. As a matter of fact I think I can say that every single program is represented by my members, now if the magic bullet worked, why are they with me? The answer is that there is no magic bullet, and it takes someone like me to tell them that, to tell them the truth. Other programs are volume programs, what I mean by that is that they have a coaching program that if being offered to hundreds, perhaps thousands of chiropractors at the same time, if only 10% of these doctors succeed the program can now list 100 doctors who have become successful, these same 10% will then tell other doctors and they in turn join the program of which maybe only another 10% will become “successful”. So you see, these programs only need a small percentage of successful members for the program to become a financial success.

The truth is that when it comes to acquiring new patients; there is NO WAY to obtain new patients without some form of work. Now the amount of work and the techniques used as your practice grows may change, but you will always have to work to get those new patients.

Don’t Be Left Out!!  Only   2 Spots Left For April Class

Many of you continue to struggle and now you are even more worried with the dramatic downturn in the economy. I know in my own practice hardly a week goes by that I don’t hear of layoffs, either my patients or their places of employment.

As you know, when someone loses their job the next they lose is their health benefits. So there is a trickle down effect that even affects you, the chiropractor. 

As things start to get tighter you’ll need to have a plan in place, a plan that can tell you who to attract to your office and how to attract them, a plan to show you how to structure fees, so that your care is affordable and yet fair to you.

I have been doing this for 3 years now and have weathered many an economic storm.  Dam! I was in practice when Jimmy Carter was president and survived and thrived, it does get worse then Jimmy.

If you would like to be part of the next class, at $100 a month, then click here and leave your name address and phone number.

Chiropractor Restores Mans Eyesight

No you are not reading an ad about chiropractic from the 1930’s and this is not one of those phony headlines to grab your attention, although I hope it did. It is great news story about the miracle of chiropractic. You should make copies of this story, as well as the Montell Williams news story and play them in your waiting room. A story such as the one below would have cost 10 million dollars or more to produce and disseminate.

One other thing that is disturbing about this story is that it shows what we all know, yet our leaders continue to steer us to the musculoskeletal specialist form of practice. If this happens how many other people will be deprived of the miracle of chiropractic?

Click here for this great story. www.kcrg.com/news/local/13718517.html?video=YHI&t=a

ATTENTION:

NEW FREE SERVICE FOR CHIROPRACTORS STARTS ABOUT FEBRUARY 15TH . CAN’T TELL YOU YET, BUT IT WILL HELP YOU MAKE MORE $$$. JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE I DO FOR YOU. TO START RECEIVING THE NEW SERVICE, YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP.  

IF YOU ARE ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER TO THE FREE CD’s OF THE CONFERENCE CALLS THEN YOU DON’T NEED TO SIGN UP AGAIN, AS I WILL BE USING THIS DATABASE. 

 IF YOU HAVE NEVER SIGNED UP FOR THE CD’s THEN YOU WILL NEED TO   SIGN UP NOW  IN ORDER FOR YOU TO RECEIVE THE NEW SERVICE. (HINT-IT INVOLVES ATTORNEY MARKETING) 

.” –Albert Einstein

Like many of you, I am assessing how I should react to the downturn in the economy. It may come as a surprise to many of you, but you should increase your advertising and marketing during a recession.

Over the last 100 years there have been 20 recessions - ten since World War II. Consensus would indicate that we are soon entering a new one. Studies show that when the economy enters a recession, 75% of companies respond by cutting back, hunkering down, and trying to “tough it out”. In big companies one of the first things to go is advertising, because it is an easy expense to eliminate. But this is a Big Mistake!

Research shows that companies should increase advertising during periods of economic slowdown. The idea is that competitors will spend less and, so, the company that continues to advertise will come out of the economic downturn with better name recognition and a better customer base.

Well the same is true for your practice. You need to continue to mail your newsletter, you need to continue to run lead generation ads, and you need to continue to have celebrations like open houses, patient appreciation days and anniversary celebrations. As a matter of fact, because you are offering the event for free, with a down economy the event will probably be better attended.

One of the things you can do to benefit both your unemployed patients as well as your practice could be to offer any existing practice member who has been laid off during the past 60 days and has lost their health benefits free care for a given period of time, say 4-8 weeks. During this time you should encourage them to bring their children, the whole family, explaining to them that chiropractic is a great way to avoid costly medical expenses by keeping you healthy.

The idea here is best explained this way.

The patient will appreciate you going out of your way for them

1. In most cases the patient will regain employment and thus again have health benefits available to them or cash if you are non insurance.
2. If a large percentage of your community is working and not unemployed, you could open up the promotion to the entire population and of course get tons of free publicity for it, which, would elevate you in the community at large.

You could even do a modified job fair in the office. Get creative, always try to make lemonade from lemons

It’s important to remember that during a recession consumers don’t stop buying. While they become more selective, they are still going to buy from someone. They are more likely to buy from businesses that they know and like. The same holds true for chiropractic and health care. If you have done even a fair job in educating your patients in the benefits of chiropractic, then they will stick with you.

The Power Of Celebrations
According to authors Jack and Suzy Welch, co-authors of the book Winning, celebrating makes people feel like winners. It also creates an atmosphere of recognition and positive energy.  ”Imagine a team winning the World Series without champagne spraying everywhere,” they say. “You just can’t! And yet companies win all the time and let it go without as much as a high five.

Not to recognize moments of achievement in peoples lives is a huge mistake in any business. There are so many opportunities, with our staff and with our practice members, grab as many as you can. Make a big deal out of them. The sad fact is that if you don’t, chances are no one will, thus making you even more special in the mind of the employee or practice member.

Reality check: “Do you know why most employees leave their jobs?” asks a newsletter from Lawrence Ragan Communications, Inc. “Because they get in a ‘rut’ and are, in a word, bored. Sweep employees out of their ruts by launching ‘guerilla celebration’ attacks. Have bagels and coffee waiting for employees on a random Tuesday. Keep employees off-balance about what you’re going to do next. It’s the sort of thing that separates one company from another - and convinces employees to stay put when they are thinking about leaving.”

For your practice members public pats on the back are a great way to make them feel special. You can put up a white board in the waiting area listing and celebrating the various accomplishments of your practice members.  Or include them in your monthly newsletter. You can say something like; “Congratulations to practice member Mary Smith on her son becoming an Eagle Scout” your staff and practice members will feel like they’re on a winning team. Here’s a short list of possibilities that you can celebrate:

• Employee anniversary milestones;
• The achievement of practice goals;
• Your practice’s anniversary;
• The busiest day, week, or month since the beginning of the year; or
• To mark the end of a project, such as implementing your practice’s Web site, a major change in appointment scheduling, or remodeling the office.
• Practice members marriages or their children’s marriages
• Practice members college graduates or children or grandchildren of members graduations
• A practice members retirement
• A practice members promotion
• The accomplishment of practice member’s children. Parents take a great deal of pride in their children’s successes
• Practice members anniversaries, (a big one only) such as 50 years
• Etc, etc.

Ron Zemke and Chip R. Bell, co-authors of Service Wisdom, say recognition and celebrations are ways of reaffirming to people that they are an important part of something that matters. They say that little ceremonies can be significant motivators for people. It can motivate your staff to work harder and take more pride in their personal performance. It can motivate practice members to refer friends and family.

Some of the benefits of celebrating include:

• Promotes teamwork because people feel bonded with one another;
• Creates energy. People feel renewed, their batteries recharged;
• Builds people’s self-esteem by recognizing their contributions and achievements;
• Communicates you value them, this goes for both employees and practice members.
• Makes work more fun.

Action steps: There is no right way to celebrate. In fact, try to explore different forms of celebration to keep things from being routine and predictable.

Make events fun and festive. Get lots of ideas by getting everyone involved with the planning and execution. And keep the focus on the people and achievements you’re recognizing. Otherwise, it’s just another party.

Celebrations remind everyone that goals not only exist, but are exciting, important, and attainable. Celebrations are also a way of nourishing team spirit.

A celebration represents a moment in time when the efforts of many people can be seen, felt, and enjoyed.

In highly human terms, celebrations let your staff and practice members know you are paying attention.

 

Finding the Right Consultant

Let me begin by stating this is not going to be an attack on other practice management consultants. On the contrary. Most of the consultants I have heard about serve a very useful purpose and can be of tremendous help to any practitioner. Many horror stories abound and I have no way of knowing which are true and which are urban legend, they include the consultant who told his client not only how to lay out the office, but what colors to use, and the doctor’s wife was an interior decorator. Needless to say, the sparks flew during this encounter. There was also the one where the doctor had to literally pay off the consultant so he could start running his own office. Some doctors complain they are not only told what to say and when to say it, but they even try to control their thinking! After chatting with the doctor, I wasn’t sure that he could think without a little prodding from someone. Then there was the doctor who attended all of the “free” seminars offered by the consultant and then decided to sign up. After he did, he quickly realized that he had already seen the best of what the consultant had to offer. This reminds me of the definition of an “expert.” “An expert is a regular guy who is in from out of town”

It amazes me how most chiropractors choose a consultant. They wake up one morning take a look at their practice, where they are at, and I don’t mean that in a physical sense, and they just push the panic button. They then pick up the phone and call the first consultant who comes to mind and say, “fix me!” Does this scenario sound all too familiar? It should, it’s what most of your patients say and the want it done NOW and usually with little effort on their part. All they want is a quick fix.

This is exactly what a lot of chiropractors expect too and of course without even having to do any of the work. The consultant is thrust into a role they would rather not be in. Some, however, lose sight of what they are really there for and enjoy this new position and just go with the flow. They then take on the role and say to their disciple­­, excuse me, I mean client ­­just take two ideas and call me in the morning.” For the chiropractor who goes into this type of relationship, it isn’t long before the honeymoon is over. They feel like they have gone to a feast at an oriental restaurant, and after stuffing themselves with a lot of fluff, the hunger returns all too soon!

We have all seen chiropractors who have “been there, and done that,” and heard their sad tales. Over 90 of my clients have been with at least one other practice management group, some have been signed to as many as 5.  Why have these doctors gone through multiple consulting programs?  The main reason is that the chiropractor does not set any realistic goals of what he or she expects the consultant to do for them. Instead, they buy into the BS that the consultant spews not knowing that the consultant is really working with a numbers game. There are only a small percentage of those who sign up who will ever reach their goals, but the consultant does say anything about that, instead he touts the testimonials from the 10% who have achieved the goals they have set, while the other 90% keep hanging on hoping to reach that $1 million dollar mark.

Before you enter into any relationship with a consultant, you should set some realistic goals for what you want to correct and accomplish and then make sure the consultant understands what your goals are. He/she should over a month or two know you on a personal basis and what the problems in your practice are. You should ask them if they can really help you accomplish these goals.

Step One: Can they really help you accomplish what you want to accomplish? Remember, what you want to accomplish; not what they want to accomplish for you.

Step Two: Very simply, do you like the consultant? Do you feel you can work with them? Since you are going to be working with this person, make sure you can stand being around them. If your gut feelings are not good, listen to your gut.

Step Three: The financial consideration. There will be a fee involved, and you need to be very clear as to what the fee is and what the contract you are expected to sign states in language you can understand. If you are not sure, have them put it in a letter form that spells everything out and that it becomes part of the contract to avoid any future misunderstandings. Don’t feel that you must play the role and act like you understand every contract you read even though you don’t. You may later find out what you didn’t understand in a court of law, a very expensive way of getting an explanation. A much better and cheaper way is to ask for clarification in letter form, which, upon acceptance, will become part of the contract. It might not hurt to have your attorney review it too.

Most consultants want you to sign a contract that states it will run for a specified period of time. If you are still not sure you want to work with this person, you might ask if they will give you a “test period,” or at least an option to get out of the contract without a high penalty. They may or may not be willing to agree to this, but it never hurts to ask if you are unsure.

By the way, it is not out of line to ask the consultant for a time line they feel is realistic for them to get you where you want to go. After achieving this goal, like your patients many chiropractors require in “maintenance” for the rest of their professional life!

Building Your Practice The Old Fashioned Way. It Still Works Great

What is the number one method medical and dental offices use to build their practices? Referral cards.

What is the number two way? Employee referrals.

The best established strategy is to put existing patients and staff to work for you!

If you think that building your practice is always an expensive proposition that makes use of aggressive advertising techniques, you’re in for a big surprise. In fact, you can develop a strong, profitable practice by putting to work your two best resources–your patients and your staff.

Once you make the decision that you need to do some marketing to build your practice, you must decide what form that effort will take. In my opinion, internal marketing is the most efficient way to enlarge a practice, and that is best accomplished by maximizing referrals.

Your patients are the ones who hold the key to increasing referrals. A satisfied patient will gladly refer his or her friends to you. One study of 80,000 patient interviews found that most doctors (less than 3%) do not overtly ask for referrals from their patients, and this is an enormous untapped source of marketing–for in this same study over 97% of the patients interviewed were willing to refer.

As a consultant, the primary (#1) practice builder is the patient referral card. It looks like a business card but it includes a message such as the following: “Dr. (your name), Please give ______ the same good attention that I have been receiving. Sincerely, (your patient).” (Not invented by me, but probably by the old master, Jim Parker)

I suggest that you say to your patients, for example: “Mrs. Black, would you mind doing me a favor? I would like you to take two of our patient referral cards and give them to two of your friends or colleagues who would like to receive the same good chiropractic care you are receiving.”

If patients do not mind (and 97% of them do not), give them the cards. Then ask your patients to place their name on the cards so that when individuals they referred come in for an appointment, you can personally thank them for passing on your name.

I strongly recommend that you, the doctor, make this request yourself rather than delegating the job to a staff member. Surveys indicate that some practices will get a 70 to 90% referral rate if the chiropractor does the requesting, compared with only 20 to 40% if it is done by the CA. Making that request takes only 10 to 30 seconds of your time, and it is the cheapest marketing tool you will ever find. With a referral card system, the size of your practice can be doubled within 12 to 18 months.

Of course, maintaining a professional image in your office is also an important consideration for retaining and enlarging your patient base. The dress and demeanor of your staff should communicate competence. Staff members working with patients in technical areas should wear lab jackets with name tags, while those in the front office should wear upscale street clothes with name tags.

The second best practice-builder is employee referrals. Patients feel good about a recommendation from an employee because they know it comes from someone who knows the practice inside out. Try using an employee incentive card, which is simply a business card with a short message on the back inviting the prospective patient to come into the office with or without an incentive. The card should also include a place for the employee making the referral to sign his or her name.

When a new patient comes in with the card, you can reward the responsible employee $5 or $10 per patient, if this is legal in your state, otherwise a non monetary reward system could be put in place. Every employee sees and talks to at least one person per day who is not a part of the practice.

Think of how many referrals you can get from just one employee’s efforts.

Don’t Be Left Out Again; Only 4 Spots Left For April Coaching Class

Many of you continue to struggle and now you are even more worried with the dramatic downturn in the economy. I know in my own practice hardly a week goes by that I don’t hear of layoffs, either my patients or their places of employment.

As you know, when someone loses their job the next they lose is their health benefits. So there is a trickle down effect that even affects you, the chiropractor. 

As things start to get tighter you’ll need to have a plan in place, a plan that can tell you who to attract to your office and how to attract them, a plan to show you how to structure fees, so that your care is affordable and yet fair to you.

I have been doing this for 3 years now and have weathered many an economic storm.  Dam! I was in practice when Jimmy Carter was president and survived and thrived, it does get worse then Jimmy.

If you would like to be part of the next class, at $100 a month, then click here

and leave your name address and phone number and best e-mail to reach you.

ATTENTION:

NEW FREE SERVICE FOR CHIROPRACTORS STARTS ABOUT FEBRUARY 15TH . CAN’T TELL YOU YET, BUT IT WILL HELP YOU MAKE MORE $$$. JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE I DO FOR YOU. TO START RECEIVING THE NEW SERVICE, YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP.  

IF YOU ARE ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER TO THE FREE CD’s OF THE CONFERENCE CALLS THEN YOU DON’T NEED TO SIGN UP AGAIN, AS I WILL BE USING THIS DATABASE. 

 IF YOU HAVE NEVER SIGNED UP FOR THE CD’s THEN YOU WILL NEED TO   SIGN UP NOW  IN ORDER FOR YOU TO RECEIVE THE NEW SERVICE. (HINT-IT INVOLVES ATTORNEY MARKETING) 

”

.” –Albert Einstein

Have You Started Thinking About Your Valentines Day Promotion Yet?

It may sound like a strange question in the middle of January, but it really isn’t. When scheduling your promotions you should always be thinking at least 3-4 weeks ahead at a minimum.

Therefore you should have been thinking about your Valentines, or February promotions weeks ago, as a matter of fact you should already be thinking of your St. Patrick’s Day promotions. Getting promotions out takes time, so you need to have your promotions figured out that early.

By having it all worked out months in advance you give yourself enough time for the logistics. Getting the concept down, getting artwork put together, printing, and mailing all have to be done and this can take several weeks from being an idea in your head to being a piece of promo in your customers hands. You are also going to want to have the piece in your customers’ hands at least 2 weeks before the sale or event. You may even want to get the Message Out Multiple Times.

Getting your promo out early lets you drive your message home through repetition.

Take Christmas for example, the retailers have this down to a science. We don’t even get to celebrate Halloween and they are already prepping you for Christmas.

Thankfully marketing is one of the few things in a business that you can do far in advance. By scheduling your holiday promotions ahead of time you will make yourself available to wear all of the other hats that you do around your business.

Scheduling promotions can seem like a huge task, but some things are just worth the extra thought. It really isn’t that daunting. Once it is done, then you’ll have time to put your ideas and energy on other areas that need your attention so that you maximize your efforts toward expanding your practice.

Words And Wisdom From The Master

Most of you never had the privilege of hearing the great master of practice building speak. I, because I’m such an old fart did, I was in school at NYCC, when Dr James Parker came to Madison Square Garden in New York City. To sit and explain that experience would take forever, however his words and wisdom live on and are as appropriate today as they were in the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and until his death. Below is a reprint from one of the Parker magazines where Dr. Parker explains how to nurture referrals. And although it is from, YES, 1959, you can see how you can still use these techniques today.

I will be bringing you one of Dr. Parker’s messages every week for the next couple of weeks. Read and then re-read them.

1959 - The other day I sat in a chiropractor’s office and watched patients come and go. I watched the doctor x-ray eight new patients. They were all referrals.

I asked the chiropractor how he got so many referrals. He answered: “Referrals don’t just happen: They are developed. They are like harvesting a crop. You first have to prepare the soil by tilling and fertilizing and then you have to sow the seeds and occasionally nurture them.

“Good service to my patients is like preparing the soil. Only then can the seeds (referral concepts) be sowed and expected to grow. I continually sow referral concepts and thus am able to continually reap the harvest. If you don’t plant seeds, the harvest will be meager. Likewise, if you don’t prepare the soil the seeds you plant won’t grow abundantly.”

The doctor explained some of the referral seeds he planted in the minds of patients each day:

· He said he steers the conversation to sick people in a gentle, natural way. “Whenever someone asks me ‘How’s business?’ I reply, ‘Wonderful! Thanks to a lot of good people like you who tell their friends about chiropractic.’ This sows a seed in the patient’s mind -that I expect him to tell others about chiropractic.”

· “When I notice a patient responding to treatment, I say, ‘My, you look well today, Mary. How’s everyone else in the family?’ If someone in the family isn’t well, the patient will tell me.

“I immediately tell the patient about a similar case. I might even pull out an x-ray or a heart graph to demonstrate the case in a visual manner.”

· “When a patient expresses how marvelous chiropractic is, the time is ripe to sow a referral concept. I ask, ‘Mrs. Smith, who referred you to our office?’ After she tells me, I say, ‘Mrs. Smith, you know now what a favor Mrs. Jones did for you. Why not be a Good Samaritan and take the time to tell some of your sick friends what you know about chiropractic? You may do them the biggest favor of their lives.’ Then drop the subject.”

· “Before I let the table up, I say, ‘You know, Mrs. Smith, there sure are a lot of sick people in this old world. If they only knew what you and I know about chiropractic, there would be much less suffering.’ This has been one of the most effective lines I have ever used.”

· “When I have an outstanding before and after x-ray or heart graph, I show it to patients. I might say, ‘Mary, come over here a minute, I want to show you something.’

Then I demonstrate the before and after and tell a little about the case (without breaking confidentiality, of course).

Often I add, ‘You’ll have to excuse me for bragging about this case, but it makes me feel so good I must tell someone.’”

· “I try to capitalize on the weather by tying in the patient’s comment with chiropractic. For instance, if the patient remarks about the heat, I say, ‘It sure is hot, Mrs. Smith, but at least one good thing about it is that all these arthritic people feel somewhat relieved. Of course, it’s not as good for arthritis as chiropractic, but very few people know that.’

“If the patient complains about the rainy weather, I say, ‘Oh, I don’t know if it’s so bad. At least it clears the pollen out of the air and gives a little relief to people who suffer from hay fever, allergy and asthma who don’t know about chiropractic.’”

Now you can begin to understand what this successful doctor means when he says he tries to steer the conversation to sickness, disease, health and chiropractic benefits. Remember, though, you must give the service and have the patient satisfied before these referral seeds start to grow.

 

Don’t Confuse Your Patients By Sending Mixed Marketing Messages
The one thing that all advertising/marketing experts will tell you is that when planning a brochure or advertisement or any other campaign is “Don’t confuse the customer.”

Otherwise you will suffer the consequences of sending mixed marketing messages to prospects and customers. What are the consequences? Failed marketing and advertising efforts, lost sales and damaged business reputations.

“Confused patients” are created by businesses that unintentionally send out incongruent marketing messages. CP’s may be patients who never sign up for a care plan or become short-term patients. Worse, they may even evolve into bearers of bad publicity - all due to the mental “bait and switch” they experience when businesses communicate one thing but deliver something else.

Keep in mind that how you formulate your practice’s marketing messages will help you prevent the confusion that undermines what you are trying to achieve. Keep in mind that marketing messages can be any information you present to the public with the intent of selling your products or services, as with routine marketing and advertising - or they may be present in more subliminal forms.

Every choice you make your office décor, your style of dress, your Web and print graphics, your office signage and every other detail “speaks” about your practice and sends a marketing message - Stop and consider how all of these features can work in agreement to help sell you and your practice - or how they can conflict; creating confusion and mistrust in the minds of your prospective, and current, patients.

Planning is the key to unifying all of these potential messages into a central theme. Otherwise, the various features of a practice can become a stew of confusing and unrelated messages to the prospect. And it takes carefully chosen specifics to differentiate a practice from its competitors or to identify it as unique or necessary to one or more target markets that it has selected to serve.

Athletic, pediatric and geriatric specialty practices, for example, would all make very different message choices in many areas. How well you refine the list to match your target markets often predicts your success in eliminating CPs and getting the business you want.

Here are some tips for making your marketing messages congruent.

· Know who you are. Don’t expect the public to get a clear grasp on what your practice is about if you haven’t defined it well yourself.

Every practice should have a solid understanding of who it is and how it wants to present itself to the public. Your practice’s identity (branding) must appeal to the target markets you wish to serve. You must then drive these messages consistently.

· Understand your target markets. If you hope to successfully serve certain target markets, knowing their needs and expectations is essential. A prime example of confusing the customer is a downtown weekday practice that advertises an understanding of office workers’ needs but does not offer increased staffing or extended hours either before work or during lunch!

Do your homework so you know what your intended customers want. Go one step farther and find out what you can offer that beats your competition.

· Watch out for subliminal slips. Just as we’ve learned that everything we are and do is “patient education,” the same holds true for our “marketing message.”

Learn to critique every detail - from your intake forms to the stationery, your voice mail message to your practice’s dress code - to be sure they are in agreement with the practice’s identity and the preferences of the target markets. Your chosen markets want to feel at home in your practice, so tailor every detail to seal the deal.

Those office workers and executives the downtown practice would like to attract probably would not be entertained by receiving teddy bear and cartoon appointment reminders or having to look at fluffy country décor in the waiting room.

· Unify your Web, print and advertising artwork. Graphic design is another area where messaging can spiral out of control. If your practice uses different graphics for your Web site, your stationery and your brochure, and then uses different art every time you advertise, your marketing message and logo recognition become confused and diluted.

Get some advice on choosing a single graphic concept to represent your practice consistently.

· Use top-quality text. Whether you are developing Web or brochure content or other important marketing communications. Don’t cut corners on your text development. There’s more to presenting and selling your practice than just getting some words in print. Poorly written communications will quickly torpedo your image and confuse your messaging.

· Analyze marketing and advertising opportunities carefully. It’s just as important for you to reach and attract your intended markets as it is to avoid wasting time looking in the wrong places.

The results of misdirected marketing as a form of mixed messaging can range from a poor response to the marketing effort to dissatisfaction from those prospects who do respond - arriving for one thing but finding something else. And, CCs are more likely to do additional damage by now having a negative experience to report to friends and family.

· Summarize your goal. You should be shooting for a continuum of practice identity and theme that pretty much permeates your practice, based on the needs of your target markets. You may serve a single market or even two or three closely related specialty markets if the features that apply/appeal to those markets overlap sufficiently, such as maternal/pediatric, or athletics/sports/rehab.

Marketing communications, advertising, event and promotional planning and all other aspects of the practice’s marketing efforts would then be planned to specifically reach and appeal to the target markets. In this way, mixed messages and failed marketing efforts are kept to a minimum. Through planning, rather than spontaneous choices, marketing becomes much more effective.

· Keep it clear, consistent, concise and compelling. And don’t forget about accurate and honest. If the information you present about your products and services passes this test, you’re doing fine. But think about all the ways your messages can get pulled off-track from inception to delivery. Put a communication plan in place to ensure that everything about your practice reinforces every chosen marketing message for maximum consistency and impact.

· Get help when you need it. Procrastination is costly, but unfortunately, many business owners avoid the planning that solves marketing confusion.

If you’re the type who keeps your operations manual up-to-date, has regular meetings with your staff, and works an annual marketing plan, you’re probably a born organizer and up to the task. (And don’t forget that all of these systems are important to your overall marketing success.)

Date Pending in February, Next Conference call is with Dr. David Seaman.

Dr. Seaman is an associate professor at Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida, where he teaches clinical nutrition, neuroscience and complicated case presentations. While in clinical practice twenty years ago, he became aware of the developing research that linked dietary habits to the inflammatory process and noticed that appropriate dietary changes could significantly improve various musculoskeletal and visceral conditions. Dr. Seaman will take questions regarding how to implement nutrition into your practice and how to ethically increase utilization by your practice members.

It’s Always Those Chiropractors, They’re All Frauds

Those of you who have PI practices know all to well the attitude of insurance adjusters when it comes to chiropractic care of automobile accident victims.  At best hey perceive the chiropractic treatment as unnecessary and over utilized and at worst they believe that most chiropractors are committing fraud of one form or another. Never do they think that their employer would be capable of fraud, of intentionally denying needed care to an insured just to save money. Never would it ever cross their minds that their employer was in fact the real culprit in the area of fraud. We all know better, it’s just tough to get people to listen and to prove it. This may change if the State of Florida has its way. Read the following story.

Allstate Sits on Documents Allegedly Tied to Profit Scheme

Florida insurance regulators have ordered Allstate to stop selling new auto insurance policies in that state because the insurer has refused to turn over documents detailing how the company sets rates and pays claims. The documents in question allegedly show a plan, developed by consulting company McKinsey & Co., for insurers to increase profitability by decreasing and delaying claims payments. Allstate is also paying a $25,000-a-day fine in Missouri for violating a court order to turn over the same documents.  Beatrice E. Garcia, Miami Herald  01/17/2008

ATTENTION:

I WILL BE STARTING A NEW FREE SERVICE FOR CHIROPRACTORS. CAN’T TELL YOU YET, BUT IT WILL HELP YOU MAKE MORE $$$. JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE I DO FOR YOU. TO START RECEIVING THE NEW SERVICE, YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP.  

IF YOU ARE ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER TO THE FREE CD’s OF THE CONFERENCE CALLS THEN YOU DON’T NEED TO SIGN UP AGAIN, AS I WILL BE USING THIS DATABASE. 

 IF YOU HAVE NEVER SIGNED UP FOR THE CD’s THEN YOU WILL NEED TO   SIGN UP NOW  IN ORDER FOR YOU TO RECEIVE THE NEW SERVICE. (HINT-IT INVOLVES ATTORNEY MARKETING) 

“You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat.”

 –Albert Einstein

WHY I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PVA’S

As you all know, I am a big fan of statistics. And as you all know there are occasions when statistics can be absolutely meaningless. It is also true that they can be interpreted in different ways, often in enough ways to be absolutely meaningless or to swing an argument one way or another.  Still they are valuable and should be used in your practice, at the very least to compare what you are doing day to day month to month and year to year.  Because you saw less people this week than you did last week means nothing.  There could be a dozen reasons for that, did it snow? Was there a power failure, did your heat/AC break?  However, if you see less people every week for a year, then you better sit up and take notice. 
 
As a coach I ask my members to keep basic statistics, one statistic that a number of coaching programs are very hot for is the PVA.

The Patient visit average is the number of visits seen in a period divided by the number of new patients seen during that period.  For example, 200 patient visits in a week divided by 10 new patients in that week would produce a PVA of 20.  It is intended to tell you how many visits the average patient comes.  In the above example that means you would see the new person for 20 visits before they discontinue care.  Somehow, the PVA has become the important statistic as opposed to the number of practice members seen.  Obviously PVA tells you something but is it really a helpful statistic?

Cutting Out The Cancer In Your Practice

I attended a post graduate program recently; during the program there was one attendee that kept badgering the speaker. Now I’m for scientific inquisitiveness, and I’m all for challenging someone when they make a statement that I don’t think is correct. I want them to back it up; however there is a right way and a wrong way to do this.

This jerk had the worst attitude I have ever seen. He sat in his chair with a scowl on his face and arms crossed, literally from the first minute the lecture started. Then he would interrupt the speaker and say things like “where is that in the literature” or “is that your opinion of is there science to back that up” He didn’t do any of the exercises or participate at all. This guy was a real loser.

So, at the break, the post grad people asked him to step outside, (and I know that all of you NJ boys thought they were going to kick his a_ _), but they didn’t the told him that they thought it was best if he left and got a refund. He did. The dude was a cancer that could have infected the whole room with his negativity.

Do you have a cancerous type person in your life or in your office? If your answer is yes, you need to take action immediately to cut it out and get rid of it once and for all. A person with a cancerous attitude can infect your thinking, your attitude and that of the people around you.

It is imperative that you eliminate this person from your life sooner, rather than later…no matter what the cost. The health of your psyche and your practice depend on it.

What You Can Learn From A Car Dealer

In his book, The Irresistible Offer, author Mark Joyner tell the story of the Lexus way of doing business. Based on the service that most of us experience, especially at car dealerships this story truly is amazing.

The Lexus covenant, which asserts (1) Lexus will win the race because Lexus will do it right from the start; (2) Lexus will have the finest dealer network in the industry; and (3) Lexus will treat each customer as we would a guest in our home.  For sure these are surly lofty goals and it’s good to have high-minded goals in a mission statement; follow-through is something different. Joyner illustrates how Lexus’ commitment could be a standard for customer service and something you should keep in mind when running your practice.

Shortly after launching the inaugural LS 400 sedan nearly 20 years ago, Lexus discovered that about 3,000 cars had minor technical problems. The company responded by sending small teams of executives to visit each customer at home. They apologized in person and offered a gift while a Lexus technician resolved the mechanical glitches right there in the customer’s driveway.

Last year, the automaker became aware that 700 ES 350 models had been delivered with problematic transmissions. Instead of installing a new gearbox, Lexus gave owners a brand new ES 350 as a replacement. “Based on surveys, the affected customers were more loyal to Lexus than buyers who didn’t have the problem in the first place,” says Joyner.

The Point here is that when you do go the extra mile, you earn the appreciation and loyalty of your patients, this is because they have come to expect so little from the companies or offices with whom they do or have done business.

AWESOME CONFERENCE CALL WITH DR. TED KOREN

For those of you who were not on the call on Monday night you’ll just have to wait a few weeks to receive the CD, but I will tell you this and I think that everyone who was on the call will agree with me, this was one of the best calls we have had.

Many of you are not aware of Ted’s struggle with the Federal Government and how he became the target of the Federal Trade Commissions’ effort to silence chiropractic and how Ted was almost driven into bankruptcy defending not only his company, but chiropractic.

Many of you are aware of Ted’s strong anti vaccination position and he discusses this at length on the call. Whether you agree or disagree with this position you will no doubt find the information informative. And this is the point, it’s good to get away from the business part of practice and refresh your brain with some other information, such as science, philosophy and current issues in health care. Not every call is about how to make more money, some calls are a combination of practice building and brain building. Building your brain with information can ultimately have a positive effect on the success of your practice. They are symbiotic.

I go through a great deal of trouble arranging these calls and calling on my friends in profession to take their time, so the least you can do is call in and participate. This last call had a very large number of caller, close to 90 callers were on the line with Ted, so that made me very happy. Thank you to all of you who called in.

I am working on some additional great calls for February and March

CD’s of the call should be in your mail in about 10 days. Of course for FREE

Lenny

12  10  8    7 Spots Left

April Coaching Class And Why I feel Like John McCain

Many of you have heard of all the big guys in chiropractic coaching, you know who I mean. The $10,000 a year guys with all of the $3,000 boot camps, but before this newsletter very few of you heard of me, yet I was quietly coaching chiropractors to run successful businesses and charging them what amounts to my cost. Now I won’t get rich doing this, but that’s not why I do it. There is a line in a song that says “It’s how you lived” and that is why I do it. This is a profession that is struggling; our leadership is divided, weak and fails to listen to its membership. We are again attempting a national advertising campaign costing millions of dollars, yet I can reach 1000 chiropractors each week and help them with their practices for free, why is this?

In many ways I feel like John McCain, here is a guy who 3 months is out of money, no staff carrying his own suitcases through airports and just kept on pushing. He was out spent by millions of dollars by Governor Romney, yet he emerged thee victor in New Hampshire and took second place pretty close to Romney in Michigan. How is this possible? Because Sen. McCain knows where to hit people, where they are hurting, he listens, now I’m not endorsing Sen. McCain, I’m using this as an analogy, you see all of the big boys want you to spent tens of thousands of dollars and what you get is a coach who has hundreds of doctors as clients. They spend a great deal of money advertising their services, hundreds of thousands of dollars and you buy them. But how can they focus on you? How can they know where you are hurting? How, without practicing everyday can they know what it’s really like out there? That’s why I think my coaching program has become one of the most sought after programs, I listen, I hear, I really do care, you become not only my client, but my friend. This is why I feel like Sen. McCain, I have come out of nowhere, spending no where near what these other guys spend, and by giving better service, more personalized service, I will win the coaching war.

Why would you pay another consultant thousands of dollars, plus travel expenses, for you and your staff, lose income being out of your office or quality time with your family (weekends, vacations, etc) when you can have all the Practice Building and marketing information you need at an affordable rate? There are no hidden expenses, no up sells or $3000.00 boot camps to push, because I give it all to you for one very low monthly price of just $100. You get 100% of my support. My January 2008 class is sold out. In order for me to give you the personalized attention that most of you need I only accept 10-12 people a session, so please if you are interested in joining me for the April 1^st class, let me know now, it will fill up very quickly. There are now only 7 spots left. If your situation is truly desperate and you truly (don’t BS me) can’t afford the money right now but would like to be part of the April program, contact me and I will defer you monthly payments until you start making some money. But please, don’t take advantage of me; if you can afford it don’t tell me you can’t. CLICK HERE if you want more info.

I just received word that the Little Rascals office poster has been reprinted and is again available.

The marketing benefit of the poster aside from the obvious is that it gives credibility to chiropractic and its ability to benefit children. The use of a highly recognizable and TRUSTED photograph, the famous “Little Rascals” adds to the creditability especially for parents. This is a perfect example of

super advertising. The photo is highly recognizable and attention grabbing to all Baby Boomers and Gen-Xer’s. The photo will cause parents to start a discussion about how they used to watch the show; this will then lead to a discussion about chiropractic and children. I have arranged with image archives to have them ship and bill any of my members who would like a poster, there is no need to send money now. The posters are $30 + $5.00 shipping.

If you would like a poster shipped to you, just click here.  Leave your name and mailing address and it will be shipped by Image Archives the same day.

Did You See Montel Williams Tout The Benefits of Chiropractic?

By now I can only assume that most of you have seen the You Tube video of the Montel Williams show where Motel calls chiropractic a miracle, then has his chiropractor on the show. There are great shots of Montel getting adjusted and although his practitioner uses Atlas Orthoginal the show is a great boost to the entire profession no mater what your technique.

If you haven’t seen it, here it is. http://www.yourspine.com/NewsResearch/Montel%20Williams.aspx

Why aren’t the ACA, ICA, WCA and all the other groups trying to sign up Montel as a spokesman for chiropractic? We know why, egos.

I WILL BE STARTING A NEW FREE SERVICE FOR CHIROPRACTORS. CAN’T TELL YOU YET, BUT IT WILL HELP YOU MAKE MORE $$$. JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE I DO FOR YOU. TO START RECEIVING THE NEW SERVICE, YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP.  

IF YOU ARE ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER TO THE FREE CD’s OF THE CONFERENCE CALLS THEN YOU DON’T NEED TO SIGN UP AGAIN, AS I WILL BE USING THIS DATABASE. 

 IF YOU HAVE NEVER SIGNED UP FOR THE CD’s THEN YOU WILL NEED TO   SIGN UP NOW  IN ORDER FOR YOU TO RECEIVE THE NEW SERVICE. (HINT-IT INVOLVES ATTORNEY MARKETING) 

 
“Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.” –Albert Einstein

Building Your Perfect Practice

 

It’s no secret. Being in private practice is more challenging than ever before.

Declining reimbursements, rising overhead, staffing and regulatory compliance, to name just a few of the items you juggle in every practice day. A day doesn’t go by where I don’t have at least several calls from doctors about some new procedural, reimbursement or regulatory headache, demanding record requests, nasty insurance reps, billing disputes, not to mention the extreme pressure to maintain, let alone build a practice, with patients who just don’t understand.

 

Unless you are very careful, this mountain of “stuff,” will consume your energy and staff, depriving you of the real joy and satisfaction in practice - helping sick patients get well. After all, that is your purpose. So why has it become so difficult for so many offices?

 

The answer lies in not having tested systems. Sure, you can go to weekend seminars, spend a small fortune, and end up a month later never implementing anything of help. Most offices who try a coaching program spend into oblivion and end up just like that. But not MY practices. MY program works, and I invite you to see for yourself. There are now only 10 spaces open for the April program. I increased the capacity to 12. The program costs me more then the $100 a month you pay me. The materials alone that you receive monthly are worth more then the $100. And if you feel that you are not getting your money’s worth, you can stop at any time. No contracts, no BS. My goal is to help as many DC’s as possible without ripping them off.

 

At the same time I do need to cover some expenses. The overhead of maintaining a website, the research and writing time for newsletters as well as mailing costs for 100’s of CD’s every month run into big bucks, but I feel a calling so I do it. The problem is that many of you need the one on one personal attention I can give you, not the cookbook procedures that other coaching programs, which charge $500-$2000 a month give you.

 

It always amazes me how a doctor will spend thousands on a program to enhance their practice, but when it come to spending the cost of a movie and dinner for two they hesitate. So if you are still “thinking about it” then you need to re-read my article on procrastination. Remember how quickly my January class filled? We turned people away, why, because they waited. They procrastinated.

12, 10, ONLY 8spots left for April

So if you are interested and want details, click here.

 

 

Learning To Cooperate

Cooperation, sharing and working together sound like ideal aspirations in a perfect world but it seems far from a solution to age-old business questions such as: “How do I attract more patients?” and “How do I make more money?” However, these simple lessons may be just the perfect solution. Cooperative marketing, an often spoken about but more often unused form of marketing in chiropractic, offers a number of great benefits to the small-business owner who correctly utilizes it as a part of his or her overall marketing plan.

In my coaching class I teach about the benefits of joint ventures, which is a form of cooperative marketing. I define cooperative marketing as an arrangement where two or more organizations work together to combine assets for the objective of reaching a defined market segment for a benefit they individually desire. In plain English this means you and another business owner work together or share in the cost of marketing to potential patients to make more money. Cooperative marketing provides business owners with a very unique advantage over other forms of marketing as well as improving your odds of running a successful marketing campaign.

For example, in a traditional marketing effort such as a local advertisement, a doctor might choose a publication that reaches a very large audience in many areas of your community with no guarantees of exactly who will see it. With that ad you would hope that a potential patient who lives close enough and has an interest in your services would notice and respond. In addition, you also would hope that enough potential patients’ would react to make the ad worth the cost of running it in the first place. Consequently, in this example, the practice owner is taking a financial risk without much assurance that the effort is reaching the target audience.

Conversely, in a cooperative effort, a doctor almost can guarantee that the vast majority of the audience will notice the advertisement as well as become potential patients. In addition, by virtue of your relationship with another successful business you also will cut your costs for the effort and increase your chances of success by combining your resources and credibility.

For instance, you might establish a relationship with a local gym owner who has a large membership database. Each of the gym’s members is a potential patient for your practice as would your current patients be a potential customer of the gym. By coming to an agreement to develop a direct mail piece that features both of your businesses and offering a promotion for members of each of the businesses when they use the other’s services, you have completed a cooperative ad. In addition, you also would then split the production and postage cost of this venture.

What you effectively have done now is reach an audience of potential patients who you know live close by virtue of their membership to a nearby business. Additionally, you know the people you have reached might have an interest in your services by taking into account their fitness habits and you have gained their attention because of your relationship and endorsement from a business they already use. Now I know that the gym is the example that all marketers use when touting chiropractic and cooperative marketing, however there are literally dozens of potential joint marketers. In previous newsletters I have given you examples of how to joint market with attorneys.

Cooperative marketing efforts do not have to be limited to such obvious examples. By virtue of the definition, any arrangement you can think of that mutually is beneficial to two or more parties is considered cooperative. The objective is to look for relationships that will yield the greatest benefit for both parties. Moreover, you want alliances that will help you reach a more precise target audience and the one that will be most receptive.

Expanding upon our previous example, put aside the obvious benefit the gym owner would receive if they used your database in an effort to attract new patients. If a practice owner approached the gym owner with the goal of helping them increase goodwill with his current patients while potentially bringing in more business and the promise of no out of pocket expense, you probably would find the gym owner extremely interested. You might offer to pay all the costs of sending out a mailing to the gym owner’s clients in exchange for the right to use the gym’s membership database in your own mailings along with the gym’s personal endorsement.

What you then could do is send a variety of greeting cards commemorating special occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries to the gym’s clients offering special promotional gifts for your services using a personal endorsement. What you effectively have done is reach a highly receptive audience at a time when their anti-marketing radar is down. You have slipped in an advertisement to a potential new patient, garnered goodwill for two businesses and increased your chance of marketing success for the cost of a postage stamp and a handshake.

Still not convinced that cooperative marketing works? Think about how many examples are around you everyday and perhaps have persuaded you to try something new. For example, when a credit-card company offers you a new card with the promise of frequent-flyer miles on a specific airline. When your favorite professional sports team invites you to a game with the promise of receiving a free Chase Bank® calendar, Oscar Mayer® seat cushion or fan appreciation Beanie Babie®, those are proven cooperative marketing promotions which benefit both the team and the company who is supplying the give-away item.

Cooperative marketing efforts do not have to be limited to relationships between small businesses. Your small business has assets that potentially are valuable to large businesses as well. In addition, by partnering with a large business most times it will make the effort even less costly to the practice owner.

While it sounds like a very attractive proposition, the biggest stumbling block to a cooperative marketing effort usually is narrowed down to one thing–you. Typically, the practice owner, the doctor, is the one who is standing in the way of any successful marketing campaign, but even more so in the case of cooperative marketing.

Is it self-sabotage? Why would it be that the doctor themselves would cause a cooperative marketing campaign to fail? Simply, it is fear, mistrust and in most cases, passivity that most often destroys a potentially successful campaign or never allows one to get started in the first place.

All marketing takes effort and a certain amount of guts. Effort to put the whole project together and guts enough to take a leap with your checkbook and ego to see if it will work. Cooperative marketing just takes more of these aspects as well as taking an agreement between two different business owners, each with their own selfish goals and steadfast beliefs in their ideas.

It is understandable how, as doctors, we would fear a cooperative marketing effort because we want to avoid conflict with other strong-willed business owners. It’s also understandable how we might be paranoid and mistrustful, worried that someone is going to steal our database or other valuable ideas. Finally it is understandable how we might just be too caught up in our other obligations to try and establish a relationship with another business owner and convince them of the idea of sharing the cost as well as the benefit of a cooperative campaign. It simply is easier to continue doing the same things we have been doing and getting the same results.

It is this reluctance that never allows a potentially great idea and valuable relationship to start, let alone work. You are guaranteed to get only what you already receive if you don’t strive for more.

Don’t be afraid to take the first step. Only you can help yourself become more successful. Use this time tested and proven method of marketing and I promise you will be satisfied with the results and probably even more satisfied with the invaluable relationship which you will establish.

I wrote this article prior to Hillary’s win this week in NH, however the message and the point remain important.

Stay with me, like always I have a moneymaking lesson.

Obama is a perfect example of STYLE over SUBSTANCE and the bandwagon phenomenon. If you watched any of the debates you saw that saw Obama had problems answering many of the questions. He is very polished and bright, and no doubt in a few years, he will be qualified to be President but right now, I don’t think so.

But then why is he doing so well?

Dan Kennedy gives an example, which, to most DC’s will seem a little extreme, over the top; nonetheless, the point should be noted. Kennedy says:

The key is to “dress up” your product or service and give it some style and then deliver the best product or service on the planet. Dr. Charles Martin is a PERFECT example of this. When you walk into his dental office, you are blown away by the piano, the computer stations, the Italian cafe (yes, you read that right) and a myriad of other touches that gives his office an amazing style.

When you get treatment from him, you are getting the BEST treatment in the world. He is one of the TOP dentists in the country.

I worked hard and not smart for over 25 years. I now have a thriving practice having with more fun and profit than ever. I learned how to work smart, not hard.

I always wanted better ways of dealing effectively with challenges, without sacrificing a rich private life. Like you, the last thing I want is more weekends away from my family and fun. That’s why I spent the last five years developing and testing my coaching program.

“Why would you pay another consultant thousands of dollars, plus travel expenses, for you and your staff, lose income being out of your office or quality time with your family (weekends, vacations, etc) when you can have all the Practice Building and Marketing information you need at an affordable rate with? There are no hidden expenses, no upsells or $3000.00 boot camps to push, because I give it all to you for one very low monthly price of just $100 and you get 100% of my support. My January 2008 class is sold out. In order for me to give you the personalized attention that most of you need I only accept 10-12 people a session, so please if you are interested in joining me for the April 1^st class, let me know now, it will fill up very quickly. If your situation is truly desperate and you truly (don’t BS me) can’t afford the money right now but would like to be part of the April program, contact me and I will defer you monthly payments until you start making some money. But please, don’t take advantage of me, if you can afford it don’t tell me you can’t. CLICK HERE if you want more info.

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS TED KOREN CONFIRMED

I have spoken to my friend Ted Koren, DC, he has agreed to do a conference call on MONDAY JANUARY 17^TH AT 9 PM (EST). Ted will be discussing how to successfully market your practice using printed materials. For those of you who think this will be a sales pitch for Ted’s products, you’re dead wrong. There will be no sales pitch; Ted will discuss the issues of vaccination, government regulation, cash practices, and much more. People pay a great deal of money to hear Ted; he is a featured speaker at the Masters Circle and other state and national meetings. I guarantee that you will leave the call with at least 2 great ideas that will make you money the next day.