In this short article you will learn a new disease and how to prevent it, how to not lose money, and a special offer for a free drink in Las Vegas.
I love snow days.
As a kid, if you lived in the Northern climates, or mountains, or parts of the world where you can get a ton of snow dropped on you every now and then, you know what I mean. No school. Sleeping in, snow men, sledding, or just cuddling up with a game and watching the snow blow around.
But when you are in the business of providing chiropractic care, snow days can cause the opposite reaction. Snow days aren’t fun, they cost. Sometimes a few thousand dollars in one day and momentum can be lost for a week.
Have you ever known anyone who got really agitated and complained when they were delayed in their travels by a traffic jam? I always wondered about this. WHY? Why complain? Do something constructive about it, and if you can’t, then shut up. Why be negative?
Same with snow days. Or any natural work stoppage. Snow days are a great time to “Sharpen the Saw.” It is a time to work on important things that are not urgent, as Dr. Covey talks about.
Jimmy Parker, D.C., always talked about turning your lemons into lemonade, another way of saying the same thing. (Speaking of Parker, come to Las Vegas and hang with us on January 15 & 16. Free drinks for all. Oops. Wait, I got carried away. First 10 that respond to this! See you there.)
Here is a recipe to turn the lemons of a snow day into tasty Practice Lemonade (and how to avoid a dangerous disease):
1. Call Your Patients And Get Them In. Hey, you might be surprised but your patients like the idea of being politely looked after and coached. Your insistence that they follow through means that you care – if you do. If you are just calling to get your numbers up, it won’t work. If you love your patients and want the best for them, and of course you do, then it is OK to be a bit pushy. Just don’t be serious. Keep it fun.
2. Strengthen Your Treatment Plan Resolve. This is a good time to have a staff meeting and discuss and role play the importance of impressing upon your patients the critical nature of following through, no matter what, on their treatment program. This is done during the report, and before, during the financial consultation, during adjustments, progress exams, care classes, and by the front desk.
3. Schedule Your Patients Till January. Christmas and Holidays are like snow storms, so be proactive and book ’em now. Also, inoculate them against the deadly virus: “FTKA.” You have heard about FTKA, haven’t you? Horrible disease. Caused by last minute shopping, relatives in pear trees, and loss of many golden rings and coins. Tell them they may get this disease and the only cure, their absolute ONLY salvation – is to come in for their treatment and stick to their health program. (What is FTKA? Failure To Keep Appointment.)
4. Cluster Book. Get patients to come in sequentially, but packed together. Restaurants don’t seat their customers all over the restaurant, they do it in sections for efficiency so the wait staff don’t have to zig zag back and forth all over the place.
5. Schedule Down Time To Get Important Work Done. This could be staff training, planning for the New Year, catching up reports, insurance follow up, cleaning, painting, etc.
6. Keep the Gratitude Attitude. When you start finding things to be grateful for in a snow storm, your whole attitude and energy level will shoot up. This is an exercise to build up your positive mental attitude and courage. Like exercising your muscles, you will improve your Innate power to find more things to be grateful for, and soon you be will happier. Next thing you know, patients will be calling you because they know you really appreciate them. They’ll want some of your tasty – Practice Lemonade.
Snow days don’t have to cost – they can pay.