Author Archives: Edward Petty

About Edward Petty

Consultant with Petty, Michel & Associates, Author of Marketing Manager System, the Goal Driven Business www.GoalDriven.com. Father and grandfather, husband, student, active in athletics, and in health and environmental causes.

Don’t Get Left Behind

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3 children playing football. Their goal is to play, win and have fun

Football Season, Chiropractic, and Winning Strategies

Football season is here—and it’s a perfect time to highlight chiropractic. Every professional football team has a chiropractor, proving that even million-dollar athletes rely on it to perform at their best.

Top athletes agree

  • Aaron Rodgers credits chiropractic (and his chiropractor father) for helping him stay at peak performance.
  • Tom Brady says adjustments make him feel taller and better aligned.
  • Joe Montana calls chiropractic a key part of his game.

If chiropractic works for them, imagine what it can do for local athletes and weekend warriors.

How to Market Your Services with a Sports Theme

Position your office as the place for athletes of all ages to boost performance, recover faster, and prevent injuries.

Ideas to promote chiropractic through sports:

  • Workshops:
    • The Injury-Proof Playbook: 8 Moves That Keep Athletes in the Game
    • Weekend Warrior Survival Guide: 8 Strategies for Active Families
  • Business Talks: Offer lunch-and-learns, screenings, or mini-chair massages.
  • Athlete Recovery Days: Host Monday Morning Quarterback Recovery sessions for post-game soreness.
  • Community Partnerships: Team up with schools, youth leagues, and local teams for education, sideline care, or screenings.

Promotion Tips:
Use your newsletter, office fliers, social media, and table talk. Assign a part-time Marketing Coordinator (3–5 hrs/week) and hold monthly planning meetings so every staff member contributes.

Build Your Own Winning Team

Think of your practice like a football team:

  • Have a game plan.
  • Play 4 quarters each month.
  • Work as a team.
  • Keep score (track progress).
  • And most importantly—keep it fun.

Chiropractic helps athletes win on the field. With the right marketing and team mindset, it can also help your practice win in the community.

Improving Case Acceptance and Patient Follow-Through in Chiropractic Care

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chiropractor discussing patient finances and treatment plan with patient

Seven tips to help others achieve their health goals.

I often read promotions from other chiropractors emphasizing the importance of “Day 2.”

And I have no argument about this.

However, I have known chiropractors who did well with a 3-day onboarding process, as well as a 1-day process.

Everyone does what they feel comfortable with. You should, too. But you should always strive to improve. This will show up in your statistics;

  • First Visits to New Patient Percent
  • Patient Visit Average (Retention – Visits/New Patients)

We routinely monitor these with our clients and discuss them monthly in our management meetings where we set up monthly strategies for improvement.

There are many details involved in setting up the best practice for onboarding patients. Again, everyone has an individualized approach.

I want to highlight seven factors that are sometimes overlooked.

In Chiropractic, It Starts With Trust

 

  1. Day 1. Before working on your Day 2, review your Day 1.Your prospective patient wants to know that you know them. Seek to really understand them and their complaint. It’s OK to go off script – what are you curious about?The byproduct of this, aside from learning about their condition, is establishing trust. By reason of your genuine curiosity, you demonstrate that you care about them as an individual, not just as a “new patient.”
  2. Specific. After day 1, you know them, their subjective complaint(s), and have discovered the objective cause.In your Report of Findings, you want to be specific about what is causing their issue. “Right here, Mrs. Jones, you have a subluxation at L-4, irritating your low back and hip.”This may not be the words you use (or might not be clinically correct). But your patient wants to know definitely what is causing their issue. Be as specific and as objective as possible.
  3. Certainty and Confidence. Communicate clearly with confidence your ability to help them get better. This begins the healing.
  4. Patient Financial Consultation: Prepare chiropractic payment agreement forms in advance, using insurance or cash details. Ideally, staff should meet with patients before treatment to outline payment options, agree on the best form of payment, schedule appointments, review procedures, and provide information about available family discounts. *(Contact Lisa for tips on this procedure. She’s an expert!)
  5. Flow Chart. List all the key procedures on Day 1, Day 2, and each day thereafter that you and your team will do to start a patient on a care program and keep them coming back to complete their care plan. Review this list with your team every two months, or more as needed.
  6. Practice. How does every athlete or musician maintain their edge, let alone improve? They practice! Set aside your ego and practice with one of your doctors or a staff member. Let everyone participate in improving the procedures. Use the flow chart as a guide.
  7. Manager. Your practice manager should work with you regularly to ensure that these steps are in place. We cover this on our Practice MBA this October. Consider enrolling them in this program.

There are certainly more steps involved — but they all rest upon the foundation of the trust you built on Day 1. If you have low conversion or if patients are dropping out of care, look to Day 1 first and then work forward from there.

Help patients achieve their health goals and…

Keep them Goal Driven,

Ed

*Shout out to Dr. Brad Glowacki and his seminar that goes deeply into Day 1 and Day 2. [Link]

Hobby, Practice, Business. Which is it for You as a Chiropractic Doctor?

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The 3 Phases of Practice Evolution

Is your work as a doctor a hobby, a practice, a business—or simply a job? Let’s explore.

1. HOBBY

Every practice begins as a hobby—or at least, it should. Early in your career, you’re driven by fascination with the science, philosophy, art, and technique of chiropractic. Your passion keeps you going, while business operations take a back seat.

2. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

The next phase is building a true professional practice. This stage is entrepreneurial and personality-driven, fueled by your presence and commitment. You create strong patient relationships and build loyalty through consistent care and connection.

3. PROFESSIONAL SERVICE BUSINESS

Finally comes the service business stage. Here, your practice is structured, systematized, and able to operate independently of your constant management. You may step into a CEO role or scale back to part-time patient care, but either way, the business runs on clear goals and proven systems. This is what people call “scaling.”

DIFFERENT PATHS, DIFFERENT GOALS

Not every doctor wants to build a business. I once knew a chiropractor who loved nothing more than adjusting patients. He wasn’t concerned with scaling or management systems. His secretary kept the office running, his patients were happy, and so was he. That was enough.

Most doctors, though, do want to grow—to serve more people, expand their caseloads, and run a strong practice while still enjoying their profession.

Then there are the entrepreneurial doctors who aim to scale beyond themselves. By setting goals and creating reliable systems, they can expand without adding more hours or overwhelming overhead.

But many who try to scale fall into what I call the Practice Roller Coaster. The excitement of practice gets buried under stress, inconsistency, and management struggles. What once felt like a calling begins to feel like just another job.

BREAKING THE ROLLER COASTER CYCLE

There are exceptions—many doctors do successfully build thriving service businesses. I’ve helped dozens achieve exactly that.

Five years ago, I wrote The Goal Driven Business after observing this cycle of burnout. In the book, I explain the hidden barriers to growth and outline the step-by-step process for building a scalable, independent practice.

If you find yourself on the Roller Coaster, here’s how to reset:

  1. Hobby – Fall back in love with chiropractic. Make practicing fun again.
  2. Professional Practice – Build and enjoy your patient community while earning a solid living.
  3. Professional Service Business – If you’re ready to scale:
    • Read The Goal Driven Business for a complete roadmap.
    • Or, reach out to me directly through our Goal Driven Consulting program for hands-on help building a profitable, self-sustaining business.

Take back your future. Build a business that runs without depending on your daily management.

Stay Goal Driven,

Ed

 

Preventing Procedural Atrophy in Your Practice

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eroded asphalt highway

In any business, routines and procedures can slowly be shortened, skipped, or abandoned. When this happens, quality slips, and the practice begins to decline. I call this Procedural Atrophy, a key concept from The Goal Driven Business.

When results falter, doctors often try new approaches. These may work temporarily, but without consistent systems, the same decline sets in again. This creates the Practice Roller Coaster—a cycle driven more by personality than by clear goals and structure.

Think back to what you did when your practice was thriving. Did you call new patients after their first visit? Hold morning team huddles? Run patient education classes, progress exams, or referral drives? Chances are, when numbers dip, it’s because those proven actions have slipped away. The solution is often simple: return to what worked before.

 Solution 1: Set the Standard – Quality

Stand out in a noisy world by being consistent and excellent. Define exactly what a successful patient outcome looks like—for example, a patient who pays, stays, refers, feels healthier, understands their care, and is happy with their results.

Then, create brief checklists that outline the essential procedures needed to achieve this. Examples include:

  • Day 1, Day 2, and ongoing patient steps
  • Collections
  • Internal and external marketing
  • Team communication and coordination
  • Leadership and management

These checklists keep your practice systematic, repeatable, and reliable.

 Solution 2: Accountability Reviews

Consistency requires feedback. Use monthly statistics, chart trends, and review them with your team or a coach. This ensures everyone stays focused and motivated. Just like in life, accountability keeps us on track.

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Bottom line: What you provide for your patients, team, and community is valuable. Don’t let your practice erode through neglect of the basics. Stay consistent, keep improving, and remain Goal Driven.

Ed

Scripts are Secondary in Your Chiropractic and Healthcare Practice

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female chiropractor discussing care plan with patient

Why Scripting Can Fail—and How to Make It Work

A script is a prepared set of phrases, questions, or responses designed to guide staff or doctors in patient interactions. Whether word-for-word or just an outline, scripts help keep communication consistent, especially for new team members. But even the best script can flop if it’s missing one thing—authentic human connection.

Connection Comes Before Words

Think of connection like a radio signal. A carrier wave must exist before any music or voice can be transmitted. Without it, nothing gets through. In patient care, that “carrier wave” is trust and genuine interest. If it’s missing, your words—no matter how polished—won’t land.

I once had a doctor greet me after a minor surgery with a cheerful, “I can’t tell you even had it done!” It was a nice line, but it felt canned. The delivery lacked authenticity, so the message didn’t connect.

How to Create the “Carrier Wave”

  • Be authentic – Avoid sounding rehearsed.
  • Be curious – Take a few extra seconds to ask a follow-up question.
  • Recognize the person – Make patients feel valued and respected.

When you connect first, your scripted lines gain power and meaning. Without it, patients may feel unheard, leading to fewer new-patient conversions, lower follow-through, and less word-of-mouth.

Using Scripts Effectively

  • Review and practice scripts every couple of months.
  • Role-play different delivery styles (bored, overexcited, glum) to sharpen awareness.
  • Use scripts to keep patient conversations moving forward, not to replace genuine interest.

Bottom line: Scripts are useful tools—but they only work if you first connect with the human being in front of you.

For more helpful business tips visit our Goal Driver Blog [LINK]

Ed

The Power of Intention in Your Chiropractic and Healthcare Practice

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In the daily routine of healthcare—especially chiropractic work—it’s easy to get lost in the mechanics: forms, schedules, insurance, and technology. But behind all that is something far more important: people.

You’re not just working on bones or adjusting spines; you’re working with *life*. Your mindset, intention, and emotional presence directly impact your patients’ healing. Research supports this: for example, a British study found **a 61% improvement in outcomes** when providers maintained a positive, optimistic attitude.

Some healing modalities—like certain chiropractic techniques and practices like Reiki—explicitly incorporate intention as a key part of their method. This isn’t just theory; there’s growing scientific evidence supporting it.

Practical Ways to Use Intention in Your Practice

1. Present Time Consciousness
Before seeing each patient, take a brief moment to focus. Set a clear intention for their healing. One doctor used a subtle button sound to remind himself to be fully present.

2. Reinforce With Positivity
After adjustments, reinforce the moment with confident, uplifting words like “That adjustment felt great,” or “This is going to help.”

3. Leverage Collective Intention
Studies, including those by author Lynn McTaggart, show that intention becomes more powerful when shared by a group. Apply this by:

  • Partnering with patients– Get their buy-in and visualize outcomes together.
  • Team meetings – Discuss and send focused intention toward helping specific patients improve.
  • Group classes – Encourage collective healing energy and goal-setting among your patient community.

Intention isn’t fluff—it’s a tool backed by experience and research. Use it deliberately, involve others, and watch your results shift.

Read the full article with references at:  Goal Driven.com

Ed

Coaching Your Chiropractic and Healthcare Patients

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Consider adding this to your Report of Findings

 

“Mrs. Jones, it will take 3 things to get better.”

Many, many years ago, I heard this from an extraordinarily successful chiropractic doctor. He invited me to observe him discuss this in a report of findings with one of his patients.

I sat on the side, next to his knee-chest table, and with the patient’s permission, observed, paid attention.

The first part of the report was typical: a review of the findings, an explanation of the condition, a treatment plan, and a description of the potential consequences of not treating the condition.

Pretty standard, even now.

Then, he told the patient: “Mrs. Jones, it will take 3 things to get better: Time. Repetition. Effort.”

He then went over each point. For example, it is obvious that it takes time to improve anything. It also requires repeated applications, such as painting a house, cleaning out a garage, or watering a garden.

But the last element he emphasized: Effort.

Any improvement takes work, he said, and gave examples. These included activities such as performing home exercises to improve their condition, attending a class on spinal fitness, and simply making it to the office to maintain their schedule.

He was an athletic doctor, and I believe this influenced his approach. He was coaching his patient, much like an athletic coach would motivate a player.

Yes, you are a well-educated, skilled, and caring doctor. But consider your role as a coach as well. You want to get your patient, as a “player,” to improve, and you know what it takes. You want them to win. So – you tell them!

They have a responsibility, just as you do. Seek your patient’s agreement on these three ingredients for a successful course of treatment, and remind them at approximately every 6 visits.

I have seen this work. It also applies to all aspects of our lives whenever we want to improve something.

In fact, I remind the offices we work with that these are the 3 factors needed to improve their business.

Educate your patients. But coach your chiropractic and healthcare patients on what it takes to get better, and that is:

  • Time
  • Repetition, and
  • Effort.

Keep caring, coaching, and stay Goal Driven.

Ed

Should Old Acquaintances Be Forgotten in Your Chiropractic and Healthcare Practice?

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Tips for Your Patient Newsletter

Your healthcare practice is built on relationships, sustained through service and communication. Without ongoing patient engagement—active or inactive—your practice may struggle. A newsletter is a powerful, affordable way to maintain these connections, extending your office’s warmth, excellent care, and positive outcomes to patients’ homes.

A well-crafted newsletter keeps the doctor-patient dialogue alive, portraying your office as a friendly, health-focused space. It drives retention, encourages referrals, and serves as a low-cost marketing tool. While often overlooked or outsourced to generic pamphlet companies, a newsletter’s impact lies in its authenticity and simplicity.

Crafting a great newsletter requires some skill, but the key is to just do it! Here are practical tips to make it effective:

  • Keep it concise: Aim for under 600 words. Include a brief doctor’s note, a health tip, a simple recipe, and a promotion.
  • Make it personal: Write as if chatting with a patient during a visit. Share a story, case success, or health advice like recommending a lumbar cushion. Have a staff member transcribe your thoughts, then edit for clarity.
  • Stay informal: Think of it as a casual check-in, like catching up with a friend or neighbor. Share what’s happening at the office in a warm, relatable tone.
  • Show genuine interest: Highlight your passion for chiropractic care through patient success stories or testimonials. Include family and friends in your outreach to broaden the connection.
  • Be authentic: Avoid generic or overly polished content. Patients value real, heartfelt communication over artificial or spammy material.
  • Frequency: Send monthly, though more often is fine if manageable.
  • Assign a coordinator: Delegate newsletter management to a staff member to ensure consistency.

Newsletter Checklist:

  1. Doctor’s Letter: A friendly note with a photo, written to one patient, tying into a case, event, or health tip.
  2. Office News: Share updates like new equipment, staff achievements, or recent seminars.
  3. Upcoming Events: Promote events like Patient Appreciation Day or a community 5K to show your office is vibrant.
  4. Patient Testimonial: Include a written or video success story.
  5. Recipe: Share a healthy, relatable recipe with a personal touch, like a family favorite.
  6. Health Tip (Optional): Offer a simple, relevant health suggestion.
  7. Use an Email Service: Avoid sending from personal email clients for professionalism.

Keep communicating with your patients to foster a thriving practice. Stay goal-driven!

Ed

He walked away when I asked, “Who is going to do it?”

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distressed overwhelmed male business man When you are the bottleneck

Many years ago, I attended a large chiropractic conference. I was new to the profession and curious about how things worked.

One of the seminars at the conference was on how to generate new patients. There must have been several hundred in the room. The speaker was charismatic and had some sensible recommendations. The audience seemed enthused.

I was sitting in the back of the room. When the seminar was over, I was one of the first to leave and walk into the hallway where attendees began to cluster to discuss the presentation.

I remember one doctor in particular. He was tall and had his name tag with ribbons hanging down. I didn’t understand what the ribbons meant, but I figured he must have been important.

I asked him how he liked the seminar. He was deliberate, almost authoritative when he said that he liked it and was going to implement some marketing projects. I told him that I thought that was good.

But then, thinking about it, I asked him, “Who in your office is going to do it?”

I remember him looking down at me. He seemed perturbed, as if I had insulted him. He looked up and walked away. Didn’t say a word.

I’ll never forget it.

This was a long time ago, but it made an impression on me.

REMEMBER THE OLD MAXIM
“Do what you do best, and delegate all the rest.”

You can’t do it all.

In the beginning, when starting and growing your practice, yes, you pretty much had to do most everything.

But at some point, you must create other team members who are trained and motivated to share the load. I know practice owners know this, but it’s easier said than done.

This is why a manager is so vital to your practice. Your manager is the fulcrum point that helps you make a team. They are a servant to the team — as you are to your patients.

They help put in the systems that allow all your internal and external marketing procedures to be effective. And not just marketing. Standard procedures for patient retention, patient services, patient reimbursement, and so on.

They take the load off of you, so you are not the bottleneck!

We’ve found that most staff and managers are very willing and want to help their offices grow. But in most cases, they are not sure how, or how best to work with their team, or their doctor.

It is because of this we have developed our Practice MBA program.

Take time each week to train your team.

And for some of you, our manager training program is just what you need to answer the question,

“Who is going to do it?”

Stay Goal Driven,

Ed

P.S. Get on our Waitlist today to ensure you get a spot. First come first serve. Only 15 spots available this fall.  [LINK]

Should You Scale Your Chiropractic or Healthcare Practice?

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chiropractic scaling graph

Scaling a chiropractic or healthcare practice involves more than just growth—it’s about achieving exponential progress through strategic systems. Unlike linear business growth, scaling leverages economies of scale, scope, learning, digitalization, and networking effects to accelerate success.

Key factors include reducing overhead, adding services carefully, improving skills through experience, and using efficient software.

However, scaling requires a solid leadership and management structure to avoid pitfalls like the “Practice Roller Coaster.” Whether aiming to expand one office, add doctors, or prepare for a sale, scaling can drive your goals. Specialized training on scaling will be part of an updated MBA program this fall.

Key Points:

  • Scaling vs. Growth: Scaling is geometric, not linear, leading to faster growth as you expand.
  • Critical Elements: Economies of scale, scope, learning, digital tools, and networking effects fuel scaling.
  • Foundation Needed: Agile leadership and management are essential to avoid instability.
  • Applications: Scaling suits single or multi-doctor offices and can prepare a business for sale.
  • Next Steps: Upcoming MBA training will cover scaling strategies.

Please let me know if you’re interested in this fascinating subject.

Meanwhile…

Help others achieve their goals!

Ed

For more details, contact Ed Petty, the author of the Goal Driven Business and founder of the Goal Driven MBA Program.

Read more about scaling here:  https://www.goaldriven.com/post/should-you-scale-your-chiropractic-healthcare-practice

Streamlining Patient Flow for Better Service Capacity in Your Chiropractic and Healthcare Practice

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team meeting strategy planning for good setting good goals

A well-designed patient pathway enhances patient experience and increases a practice’s capacity by optimizing scheduling and treatment efficiency. Drawing from Eli Goldratt’s The Goal and the Theory of Constraints, identifying and resolving bottlenecks—such as delayed doctor’s notes, overwhelmed front desk staff, or unclear patient billing—can significantly improve patient flow. Common issues include administrative burdens at the front desk and patient confusion over charges, which can lead to missed appointments.

To address this, practices should map out key patient interactions (e.g., Day 1, Day 2, and Day 12) with the entire team, creating a clear flow chart of actions like payments, doctor visits, therapy, and financial consultations. Rehearsing this flow, like a sports team or musical group, helps identify redundancies or missing steps, ensuring a smooth, efficient process. This patient train follows a predictable track, helping patients understand their treatment plan and stay committed to their health goals.

By regularly reviewing and refining this pathway, practices can maximize capacity—potentially handling 40-70 daily visits plus 2-4 new patients—while improving patient satisfaction. Working on the business in this way keeps operations streamlined, helping patients achieve better health outcomes faster.

Be a Goalineer(sm) and keep your practice on track!

Read the full article online [LINK]

Ed

PS Want help with this? Contact me  If you have any questions about creating a Goal Driven Business, just schedule a call or reply to this email.

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PS: Get on our waiting list for our next MBA program if you are interested. I will be sending you special information about practice management, leadership, and marketing.

Sign Up Now for Fall 2025 Waitlist

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goal driven business www.goaldriven.com

For more information on how to create a more profitable business that is more fun than what you are doing now, please purchase and then use the book,

The Goal Driven Business at www.GoalDriven.com

What Do You Stand For In Your Chiropractic and Healthcare Practice?”

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grandfather and grandmother reading a book to a toddler and coddling another

In your chiropractic and health practice, it’s not what you do, it’s why you do it.

In chiropractic and healthcare practices, defining your brand hinges on your “Why”—the core purpose or passion driving your work, as emphasized by Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle concept.

While most can explain what they do and some how they do it, articulating why you do it sets you apart and inspires others.

Your “Why” stems from deep motivations like justice, love, or curiosity, not just analytics. To build a strong brand, identify what makes your practice unique compared to competitors, as Roy Spence suggests in It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For.

Know your patients, yourself, and your competition to highlight what you offer that others can’t. Stay connected to your purpose to avoid burnout, as Jon Gordon notes, and boldly define and discuss your unique qualities with your team regularly to maintain a distinctive, meaningful brand.

Jump here to read the Goal Driven Newsletter in it’s entirety.  [LINK]

Ed

References:

* Virgil, a Roman poet, 19 B.C.
Simon Sinek – Golden Circle

Discipline Drives Chiropractic Practice Success

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The Role of Discipline in Practice Success

Success in chiropractic or healthcare practices often correlates with discipline, much like weightlifting. While not universal, many successful doctors embrace the discomfort and effort required to achieve their goals, similar to consistent training.

Why Discipline Matters

Discipline means doing what’s necessary, even when it’s tough, and avoiding distractions or shortcuts. Like weightlifting or enduring hard work (e.g., the author’s father throwing sawdust down his shirt to toughen up for a grueling job), disciplined professionals push through challenges to achieve lasting success.

Jim Collins’ Insights on Discipline

In Good to Great, Jim Collins identifies discipline as key to transforming good businesses into great ones, applicable to chiropractic practices:

Disciplined People:

  • Leadership: Great leaders prioritize the practice’s success over personal gain, showing diligence and humility.
  • Team: Hire self-disciplined staff who don’t need micromanaging.

Disciplined Thought:

  • Face tough realities with courage while maintaining faith in long-term success.
  • Focus on what the practice is passionate about, excels at, and can profit from (Hedgehog Concept), avoiding distractions.

Disciplined Action:

  • Success comes from persistent, incremental efforts, like pushing a flywheel, not one grand action.
  • Stay focused on long-term goals, as greatness stems from disciplined choices, not circumstances.

Apply Discipline in Your Practice

Knowing what to do isn’t enough—discipline is executing it consistently. Embrace challenges, stay focused, and build momentum for lasting success.

Seize the Future,

Ed

Engage Your Chiropractic Practice with Your Community

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Get Out and Connect with Your Community

Summer brings farmers markets, parades, festivals, and run/walks—perfect opportunities for your chiropractic or healthcare practice to engage with your community. Community events are a powerful way to build relationships through networking, a form of relationship marketing.

As Ivan Misner, founder of Business Networking International, says in The World’s Best Known Marketing Secret  “You have to be visible in the community… It’s called networking. You have to work at it.” But with the right attitude, it’s fun, not just work.

Why Community Engagement Matters

Whether your practice is established or new, staying active in your community is crucial. Markets evolve, and without consistent marketing, your practice’s momentum can quietly fade, leading to unexpected drops in patient numbers. For newer practices or those needing a boost, community involvement is even more essential.

How to Engage

  • Join Local Events: Participate in festivals, car shows, or races. For example, one clinic sponsors the “Cheesehead Chase,” providing T-shirts to patients who join, creating a visible group of “ChiroHealth Cruisers.”
  • Set Up Booths: Offer consultations, screenings, or giveaways like pens, and greet people with friendliness.
  • Wear Your Brand: Sport clinic polo shirts and share your “Get to Know Me” attitude.
  • Plan with Your Team: Discuss upcoming events, schedule participation, and practice positive marketing attitudes (downloadable resource linked in original).

Build Trust Through Familiarity

People choose businesses they know, like, and trust. Break out of your routine, as Misner notes, and connect face-to-face. Community engagement makes your practice familiar and approachable, fostering lasting patient relationships.

Stay Goal-Driven

Get out there, have fun, and keep your practice thriving by staying active in your community!

Ed

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Community Engagement Guide for Chiropractic Practices

Why Engage with Your Community?

  • Build Relationships: Networking at local events fosters trust and familiarity, encouraging patient loyalty.
  • Stay Competitive: Consistent marketing prevents gradual declines in patient numbers, especially in evolving markets.
  • Boost New Practices: Community involvement is critical for new or struggling practices to gain traction.

How to Get Involved

  1. Identify Local Events:
    1. Farmers markets, festivals, parades, or charity runs (e.g., “Cheesehead Chase”). Check your town’s calendar for events like Olive Festival or Pioneer Days.
    2. Participate Actively:
      1. Set up booths for consultations, screenings, or giveaways (e.g., branded pens).
      2. Offer incentives, like clinic T-shirts for event participants.
    3. Be Visible:
      1. Wear branded apparel (polo shirts or T-shirts).
      2. Share business cards and a friendly, approachable attitude.
    4. Plan with Your Team:
      1. Discuss upcoming events at team meetings.
      2. Schedule participation and practice positive marketing attitudes (resource: 8 Marketing Attitudes).
    5. Follow Up:
      1. Track event outcomes and plan for future involvement.

Key Quote
“You have to be visible in the community… It’s called networking.” — Ivan Misner, The World’s Best Known Marketing Secret

Action Steps

  • Research local events for the next 3 months.
  • Assign team roles for event participation.
  • Order branded materials (T-shirts, pens, etc.).
  • Stay goal-driven and make networking fun!

Think Big

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Believe Big.

“The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief.”

“Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. Remember this, too! Big ideas and big plans are often easier — certainly no more difficult — than small ideas and small plans.”

~David J Schwartz,  American Trainer, Author of ” The Magic of Thinking Big”

Download the Tent Poster for your office.[2025 June 2 Think Big]

Boost Patient Retention Through Genuine Curiosity

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Why Patients Leave Chiropractic or Healthcare Practices

Patients don’t primarily leave due to cost, outcomes, equipment, or location. Studies reveal the real reason: lack of empathy and perceived indifference from staff.

Study #1: 68% of customers leave due to employee indifference, far outweighing issues like price (9%) or product (14%). Empathy fosters loyalty.
Study #2: Disinterested, unempathetic staff drive dissatisfaction and churn. Personalized, caring service is key.
Study #3: 59% of customers abandon a brand after one poor, unempathetic experience, while 73% stay loyal after a positive, caring one.

Patients value feeling cared for over clinical expertise. As Jimmy Parker, D.C., emphasized with “Present Time Consciousness,” staying fully engaged with patients is vital but challenging in a busy, high-volume practice.

The Solution: Stay Curious and Be Interested

Empathy starts with curiosity. Genuine interest in patients as individuals—not just cases—builds strong relationships and boosts retention. Ask about their lives, like their hobbies or unique traits:

  • “Betty, where did you get those blue shoes?”
  • “Frank, why’s your group called Kiwanis?”

This authentic curiosity makes patients feel valued and fosters loyalty.

Test Your Team’s Curiosity

To embed this approach, routinely quiz your team during case management meetings about patients’ personal details, like a new patient’s favorite sport or where an active patient shops. This friendly exercise keeps everyone engaged and curious, strengthening patient relationships.

Stay Curious and Goal-Driven

A practice thrives on relationships, not just clinical skills or billing codes. By staying genuinely interested in patients, you’ll enhance retention and build a loyal community.

Key Points: Patients leave due to perceived indifference, not cost or outcomes. Empathy, driven by curiosity, is the solution. Test and encourage your team to stay interested in patients’ lives to improve retention.

Ed

References

#1 Rockefeller Corporation Study (1999) CustomerThink, Help-Desk-Migration.
#2 Temkin Group Study (2016)
#3 PwC Consumer Intelligence Series, Experience is Everything. (2018)

Extreme Ownership for Your Chiropractic and Healthcare Practice and Job

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Jocko Willink on stage Extreme Ownership

Jacko Willink, Navy SEAL

A few years ago, I participated in a community outreach project that provided education and other services to underprivileged children in Milwaukee.

My particular service was an athletic program for kids from 7 to 15 years old. Our class lasted an hour from 7 pm to 8 pm.

At the beginning of each class, I would bring up a word or a subject that we would discuss. For example, I might bring up the word “compassion,” “courage,” or even “study.” My thinking was that physical education was important, but it was also a doorway to other forms of education.

There was one evening in particular that remains unforgettable.

Most of the children were boys and were not always the most cooperative. They had tough daily lives and were often agitated at the beginning of our class. I was usually able to get them together at the beginning and get their attention.

This one evening, the word I wanted to discuss was “responsibility.” I asked the group if anyone could define it. I knew it might be a challenging one to define.

There was a pause. Some of the kids were talking and looking around. Suddenly, over on my left and in the back, a thin young boy raised his hand. I called on him. Everyone looked at him.

He said one word. “OWNERSHIP.”

The room became oddly quiet.

I hadn’t expected this definition. I asked him what he meant, and boy simply explained that when you take responsibility for something, you also take ownership for it. I told the boy that was a great definition and congratulated him!

The group and I discussed the concept for a few minutes and then went on with our exercises.

But I don’t think there could be a better definition of responsibility.

EXTREME OWNERSHIP

On our MBA program for chiropractors and other healthcare offices, we discuss responsibility – and how it applies to individual staff performance as well as patient compliance and retention.

We all watch a TED talk (link below) by Jocko Willink. Mr Willink is a Navy SEAL who describes an incident in combat in Iraq. It is a riveting story demonstrating how SEAL members take responsibility for their actions.

The name of his talk is Extreme Ownership. Here is an example:

“…. Unlike a team where no one takes ownership of the problems and therefore the problems never get solved, with us, everyone took ownership of their mistakes. Everyone took ownership of the problems. And when a team takes ownership of its problems, the problems get solved. And that is true on the battlefield. It is true in business and it is true in life.

“So I say, take ownership. Take extreme ownership. Don’t make excuses, don’t blame any other person or any other thing. Get control of your ego. Don’t hide your delicate pride from the truth. Take ownership of everything in your world, the good and the bad.

“Take ownership of your mistakes. Take ownership of your shortfalls, take ownership of your problems, and then take ownership of the solutions that will get those problems solved.

“Take ownership of your mission. Take ownership of your job, of your team, of your future and take ownership of your life.

“And lead. Lead. Lead yourself and your team and the people in your life. Lead them all.”

I’ll never forget that night. Or that boy, and the direct honesty in which he defined for all of us that night, responsibility.

Take ownership of your future. Encourage others to do the same.

Stay Goal Driven!

Ed

Video:

PS: Get on our waiting list for our next MBA program if you are interested. I will be sending you special information about practice management, leadership, and marketing.

SignUp Now for Fall 2025 Waitlist [LINK]

If you have any questions about creating a Goal Driven Business, just schedule a call or reply to this email.

Book a Session Today [LINK]

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