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Here it is your weekly
Chiropractic Marketing Newsletter (week 17)
-Revealing all of the “SECRETS” free of charge
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The CD’s of the conference call with Dr. Kent have been mailed, if you did not receive yours and you have previously registered to receive the monthly CD’s then e-mail me at drvernonchiro@aol.com and put the words NO CD in the subject line.
There are some docs that need hands on one on one, and I wish I had the time to give it to all of you, but like I said I take only about 3-5 clients a year and I give intense “hands on” care. I have worked with over 60 chiropractors (I really don’t know how these other guys say they have helped thousands-How can that be?) and I have to say all have done a turnaround, some only 20% many 50% and one even 200%. I have 4 docs who have asked to join my January Class, I will take the next 4-6 docs, that’s it. If you’re interested se the bottom of this newsletter.
Okay… let’s go to work!
“Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.”Albert Einstein
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NEW GUIDELINES FOR LOW BACK PAIN
The American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society, in an attempt to provide consensus in an area of therapeutic diversity, have elaborated guidelines on the treatment of low back pain. They are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine; here’s the published paper.
1. The doctor should take a careful history and do a physical exam to determine if the back pain is musculoskeletal, associated with nerve damage, or possibly related to another serious condition.
2. If it’s musculoskeletal, there’s no routine need for X-rays, CT, or MRI scans. In other cases, the most appropriate test should be done. MRI (or CT) should be done only if surgery or an epidural steroid injection is planned.
3. The doctor should explain the available information on low back pain - the cause(s), how it’s likely to get better, and self-management of the acute phase - remain active, heating pad, exercise. First-line meds for pain are acetaminophen (Tylenol®) and anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprophen (Advil®, Motrin®) or naproxen (Aleve®).
4. If there is no improvement, patients may consider non-drug therapies that have been shown to offer benefits in some cases: rehabilitation exercises, massage, spinal manipulation, acupuncture, yoga, and cognitive-behavior therapy. |
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 ARE YOU I-POD READY?
Should we be taking our ques from political marketing and foresight? That is where the money and innovations is sometimes. So it is that I thought of chiropractors when I saw this gem in the Washington Whispers section of
U. S. News & World Reports:
It seems that the Democrats and Republicans were preparing a new way to reach voters in 2008 through their mobile technology and iPods. Well, now we know why. Republican pollster David Winston tells us that new research found that 40 percent of 2006 voters ages 18 to 34 own iPods. And many don’t make time to watch lots of TV, choosing instead to TiVo their faves or record podcasts. So what will be the best way to reach those critical voters in 2008? Through their iPods, he says, especially when the mp3s go wireless. “That’s the next environment,” he predicts, “where people will get their information.”
These statistics being true, it begs the question as to what we Third Wave chiropractors are doing to market ourselves and promote our practices through the use of iPod technology? In short, do you have an iPod strategy? I do not, but I can assure you I am going to start working on one. Any of you members techi’s? If so contact me with any ideas you may have..
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MARKETING YOUR PRACTICE NEEDS TO BE A HABITI recently read an article by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing MARKETING IS A HABIT. What I can add to this is that most chiropractors suck at it. Chiropractic schools do not much teach you how to market or why to market but, if you want to succeed, marketing needs to be inculcated (sorry couldn’t think of a better word) into your every move.Although Jantsch was writing about business in general and not specifically chiropractic, what he says about marketing is nonetheless fitting for chiropractors: “Oh, I’m guessing at the end of the day you’ve concluded it’s pretty important - the problem is that at the end of the day, you’ve not done a thing that you could call marketing”.
I am not trying to mean or discouraging. Marketing does not have to be that hard when done consistently. But, I get emails almost every day from associate chiropractors and students who want to go out on their own. They have so many questions about office arrangements, what type of computer they need, what should they charge, and on and on. But, what has surprised me is that most do not think about or ask boo about how to get patients in the front door. This is the most important question. It is the one thing that has to be solved or figured out. Right or wrong, this is where the planning has to start and end if you want to be successful. Forget all of the mechanics of office location, staffing, phone systems and the like. At least quit fretting over them. If you will follow the simple rule of keeping your overhead as small as conceivably possible, you cannot make a mistake in this regard that cannot be easily corrected. You don’t like your cell phone provider, go get a new one. If your office space is not working, go find a new space. However, you are never going to get a chance to rate yourself in these areas if you do not find and maintain patients.I have written a lot on how your go about getting referrals. I will not repeat these points in this post. But, the point Jantsch makes is a correct one. “Marketing work, either planning or implementing, needs to be a part of your daily routine or else”. There is no silver bullet. There is not one big thing you can do occasionally to make this work. It is something that needs to be looked at, planned and implemented constantly, every single day.
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Secret Weapon - LUNCH!
Ask a good ‘ol Texan to lunch and you are likely to hear, “I re’con I could eat sum’in.”
Wanting to build your practice, remember you have to work on your business as well as in it. Trying to figure out how to start getting referral from that certain attorney? Try lunch. As matter of fact you should schedule lots and lots of lunches.BizJournal.Comhas an interesting article on Jeff Cartwright of Veriseo, a high-tech staffing firm, his secret weapon to building this and other businesses? Lunch.
As the article says, “During the heat of starting a company, many entrepreneurs choose to tuck themselves away in an office and toil tirelessly on what’s in front of them until their product or service is refined.” But not Veriseo. “For them, starting a company centered around lunch. Actually, an untold number of lunches with many employees of local staffing firms in town…We didn’t care who we took to lunch — whether they were a secretary, recruiter or a manager. ‘We just wanted to talk to people — anyone who would meet with us — and discover just what was so good about their job and where they work,’ says Jeff Cartwright.
Now I know that you’re not running a staffing firm, however the same principals hold true when trying to build your practice and lunch and meeting people who can have an influence on your practice success is crucial.
When you go to lunch with the attorney don’t do the oversell, try to keep it light you may want to bring a copy of some sample reports that you have prepared for other attorney’s, blacking out the name of the client, however keeping the name of the law firm very visible, this will let Mr. New lawyer that you have dealings with other attorney’s in town.Don’t forget to send a follow up letter in about a day or two with some cards. And by all means add Mr. New Lawyer to your mailing list to receive your newsletter.
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| Are You A Nillionaire?According to the Urban Dictionary, a nillionaire is someone without any money of their own. His or her bank account is nill and hence the word. He or she portrays signs of money, but it is just a fiction.Over the years I have learned that is the problem with many of the chiropractors I coach. There image does not meet the reality of the situation. They have the big office, but it is leased. They have the Mercedes, but it is all debt. They bought the Mac mansion, but it was with 100% plus financing. The wear thousand dollar suits, but they have substantial credit card debt. The country club membership was financed with their home. The pool is the result of a home equity line of credit. These chiropractors are not as they appear. They are nillionaires.
The problem is that you look at these chiropractors (especially the ones in the same practice area as you) and you ask yourself what is it that you are doing wrong?The answer, of course, is nothing. The nillionaire chiropractor is the one with the problem. It is not you. I think that we are all guilty of it at times to some small degree, but others flaunt in ways that leave me confused. You do not want to be like them. In secret, they are always having to explain how a check bounced, they are asking a banker for money, they are having to explain to the private school their children attend why the tuition payment is late, and more. Outwardly they appear prosperous. Inwardly it is a nightmare.
Of course, this phenomenon is not limited to chiropractors, but chiropractors are my concern here because that is who I’m writing to and I need you to be careful not to copy what they are doing. You do not want to model your practices after these chiropractors. You want to be actually successful and not merely successful by appearance. You do so by being reasonable.One of the beauties of being a new graduate doctor is that I can warn you ahead of time that there is no need to conduct yourself in this way. You have no bodacious public appearance to maintain. You have no grandiose office to furnish or for which to pay. The lack of substantial overhead and upkeep will allow you to not fight so hard for business, or take advantage of people who seek to treat with you.
There is no reason to think that operating within a budget means you can’t become a millionaire, but that does not mean you should be a nillionaire. So if you are a recent graduate reading this please head the warning. The more complicated problem ids the doctor who has been in practice 20 plus years and has become the nillionaire, what does he/she do now? The first thing to do is to evaluate your practice overhead, living expenses, everything. Then you need to look at where cuts can be made. There are really only 2 ways out of the problem, spend less or make more. The key is that you need to have a starting point, make that staring point today. If you need help with this problem from a doc who has experienced the problem first hand, e-mail me.
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Only a Few Spots Available…And I Mean It!
So here’s the deal - and it’s pretty good value. But you will have to be quick if you want to grab it.
I will be starting a new coaching class in January. The cost is $100 a month, no gimmicks, no selling you crap you don’t need, no giving you all of the “BONUS BS”. YOU KNOW THE $20 WORTH OF CRAP VALUED AT $5000. You will get 10-100 times more then your investment. If you want to be coached, but REALLY and TRULY cannot afford the $100 a month then tell me and you can owe it to me after you make the money. But do it today. Only 7 slots left. Why only am I only taking on 10 docs.
Because I really don’t want to get TOO busy…I value my weekends and evenings as quality time with my family and friends. And of course, I want to ensure that the clients I work with get my full attention and commitment.
So as soon as my schedule gets full, I will be taking this down. That’s only fair to those who book the available places. And to be honest, I don’t intend to make this offer again until September 2008 - so this really is your last chance to book. Click here to secure your slot in my schedule now
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SPECIAL THANKSGIVING MARKETING CAMPAIGN-THIS CAMPAIGN WILL GIVE YOU A 4:1 ROI
Okay all of my members get ready for this: This is a a great campaign and can be done rather inexpensively. But I can gurentee you this the Return on Investment will be 5-1.
We are going to do a Thanksgiving campaign you need to have the first letter in the mail by Friday the 11th. The second one on the 17th
A Thanksgiving theme recall can be used to remind patients to use up their remaining insurance benefits for the calendar year.
It’s going to be the Donate a Turkey to a Local Food Bank Program. Any patient who has not been in the office in 3 months or more will, when they return for their free spinal exam receive a coupon for a free turkey at a local supermarket, or you will donate the turkey to a local food bank in the patient’s name. You can go to your local supermarket and negotiate a deal, most offer a free turkey anyway if you have spent x amount of dollars over the year, so they should have coupons, and you should be able to get the coupon for the turkey for about $6-$9. If the don’t have turkey/ham coupons then you should see if they have gift cards and buy them for $10 each.
The first letter that you will send to your list is posted here
The letter goes in a regular # 10 envelope and you need to get Turkey stickers at a craft store or a Target. The stickers go on the front of the envelope. When you do your address labels, get the larger ones so you can put a message on the label, cheaper then getting new envelopes printed. Also don’t use your printed office stationary envelopes, get some cheap #10 at Staples. I have attached a sample of the label here.
The first letter goes out on the 11th the second on the 17th.
The entire program could run about $1500, (try to keep it to 2 pages so postage is .41 cents) The biggest expense is the postage, the rest is Kinkos, and your staff and of course the Turkey Coupons… I would get at least 10 hopefully you will need more. You could buy 20 and give them out as premiums to your good patients.
I don’t know what a average patient is worth to you but a reactivated patient has to be worth at least $800, so you need about 2 to break even. If your case fee is about $1500 then you are profitable with the first patient. If you reactivate 5 patients your profit is at least $3-6k and this doesn’t account for the possible referrals and family member they bring in.
You need to start working on this TODAY!!!
By the way, the other guys would have charged you $1000 for this
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 The new pediatric poster for use in the chiropractic office IS NOW available for purchase. Simply click here and leave your name and mailing address and it will be shipped out immediately. You will be billed $35 + $2.75 S&H. I assured them that all of my members are honest and will pay.
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 as well as nostalgic photograph, the famous “Little Rascals” adds to this creditability especially for parents. This poster was tested in a large number of chiropractic offices and was found to stimulate the discussion with parents about the benefits of chiropractic care for children. In focus groups parents enjoyed attempting to identify each of the characters in the photo, and in fact this was the major starting point of over 80% of the discussions. This then gave the doctor the entrée to discuss chiropractic care for children. This is a perfect example of SUPER ADVERTISING.
The photo is highly recognizable by all ages (a remake of the show was made into a movie a few years back and re-runs are played on a number of the cable television stations) 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. The poster will return 100 times plus on you $35.00 investment.
PS I NEED SOME FEEDBACK FROM THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE POSTER, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. DRVERNONCHIRO@AOL.COM
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UPDATED INFO: My patient newsletter for NOVEMBER/DECEMBER will be posted and available on WWW.FREEDCHELP.COM on Monday some time, you will receive an e-mail alert. It is prepared in Microsoft Word, so you can edit it and get it off to the printer immediately.Until next week,Yours in healthLenny
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 20th, 2007 at 4:34 am and is filed under Weekly Newsletter Archive. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Comments and pings are closed.
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