Category Archives: Chiropractic Marketing

Chiropractic Promotions for the New Year

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Seems like every office we talk to or visit these days is busy – crazy busy – with patients and computers and Christmas.

But the New Year is approaching – fast. 2012 only has 12 months and the first one starts in just about two weeks. And then, before you know it, it’s February and you are wondering what you should be doing for marketing and getting the word out about your services.

 

So as not to be left behind, you should begin the New Year with a strong marketing strategy.

 

Below are some fast tips to help get you started:

 

But first… PROJECT X-3. We are finishing adding the final components into our new 2012 program, temporarily called the Project X-3. This is just the working title and we will be announcing the new program soon with all the details. It is designed to help lift you and your practice onto and into a whole new level of prosperity and fulfillment in the New Year.

 

**Schedule Patients Now. Health Never Takes a Holiday. Poster. If you are active with PM&A, you can also find a customizable version on our Members site, along with other promotions under “monthly promotions.”

 

**External Referral Sources and Event Locations. Make a list of every location where you participated in a promotional type of event. Include any business or professional that sent you a referral or helped you in some way. Then, make sure you send each a card or a gift, or just stop by and wish them well and that you look forward to continued relationship with them in the New Year.

 

**Marketing Meeting. Schedule a thorough marketing meeting soon, maybe right after Christmas. Spend a couple of hours making a list of what has worked and what you want to do and then schedule these things over the next several months. One example we recommend is:

 

**Be an Authority and Educate. People want health care information.  This is proven by the fact that 80% of Internet users search for health information on line, according to PEW Research.  8 out of every 10 people at some time are looking for health information when they go to the Internet. That is significant.

…2 ways to do this is to schedule workshops and health “awareness weeks” for the New Year. People want to know the latest. This gives you an opportunity to teach. Yes, you do have to do your homework and it takes time. But it is time well spent because as you study and prepare, you will find that you will become motivated about your subject. Besides, at least 1/3 of your presentation can be your spinal care class, so this saves you time. These types of community education programs or services not only help you generate direct new patients, but give you an excuse to promote your office and services. Sample Poster Clients can find many more customizable posters and fliers on the Members site under: Marketing Materials/ Community Education.

You can find more ideas about upcoming promotions to start your New Year here. Link

 

Best wishes for a high volume 2012!

 

Ed

Chiropractic Patient Service

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Remember Me?

I’m the fellow, who goes into a restaurant,
sits down patiently and waits while the
waitresses do everything but take my order.

I’m the fellow who goes into a department
Store and stands quietly while the sales
Clerks finish their little chit-chat.

I’m the man who drives into a petrol
Station and never blows his horn, but waits
Patiently while the attendant finishes
Reading his comic book.

Yes, you might say I’m a good guy.

But do you know who else I am?

I’m the fellow who never comes back, and
It amuses me to see you spending
Thousands of dollars every year to get me
Back when I was there in the first place…
And all you had to do was show me a little courtesy.

~Author unknown

Printable Version

Your Chiropractic Root System and Patient Retention, Referrals, and ROI

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Updated: April 2016

When people go to the grocery store for produce they are mostly just interested in their plump cucumbers, zucchinis, or other vegetables.  They don’t much care about the garden that actually produced these nutritious wonders of nature.

But a lot of work goes into a well managed garden. If you don’t take good care of your garden, you won’t have its fruits and vegetables.  It’s that simple. And a good part of a garden takes place underground in a network of roots.  Roots provide water and minerals to the plant, and keep it in place when the wind blows.  The top part of the plant, its stem, can get mowed under by a lawn mower (I have done this) and the plant comes back to life – because of its strong root structure.

Your office is kind of like a garden.

It produces healthier people. You take care of your team, polish up your systems, do some training, and you will continue to have a productive “health garden” that produces healthier people.

And the roots? 

In this analogy, the root system is the loyalty and good will of your patients. Here’s how:

Many offices struggle to get new patients.  Even offices that have been in business for years and years.

Why?  No roots.

If some doctors spent the same time and attention – and money, on giving extra care and service to their existing patients as they did on trying to hustle up new patients, they would have more patient visits than they would know what to do with.

Why?  First, because the service and care was SO extraordinary, patients would refer their family and acquaintances because they would want them to receive similar treatment as they had.

But more obviously, existing patients would never drop out of care. (Some would, of course.) They would continue to come back for wellness visits. How busy would your office be now if all the new patients you ever started still came in for services? You couldn’t handle…there would just be too many patients!

Over the years, there have been many studies to support the fact that it is more expensive to chase after new patients than it is to keep the ones you have.

 “A common rule of thumb is that the marketing costs of landing a new customer runs three to five times the costs of retaining an old one.” (Total Customer Service, Davidow)

Some articles talk about it costing 10 times the amount to get a new customer as to keep the ones you have.

I am all for getting new patients, but do you also keep your existing patients? And do they refer family and friends and work associates? And why do your patients leave? An interesting survey pointed out that most companies believed it was because of price, or that the needs of the customer changed. However, from the point of view of the customer, they left because of poor service. (The Loyalty Connection: Secrets To Customer Retention And Increased Profits By Bob Thompson, CEO, CustomerThink Corporation Founder, CRMGuru.com, March 2005)

 

There are a number of procedures to improve your services to patients – to help generate stronger and more productive “roots”, or healthy patient relationships. Let’s focus on the most fundamental: Communication.  To put it more accurately, let’s call it “conversation.”

BEGINNING THE CONVERSATION

A conversation is a dialogue, a giving and receiving of communication back and forth. It is an interactive exchange of thoughts. It shows that you respect the other person and that you are interested in them and what they have to say.

Many patient conversations are one-way, from the staff and doctor to the patient. They are also rote, robotic, and too scripted to be genuine.  Do an audio recording of how the front desk answers the phone or how you do a consultation and you might be able to see room for improvement.

The conversation usually starts with the first phone call. Does the prospective patient feel that the front desk is listening – really? Is she interested, or just reading her script and trying to get to her next task and hang up the phone?  Does she introduce herself and show interest and even gratitude for the call?

It is these little things that make such a big difference.  Think about how you like to be treated when you contact a business…

In the consultation, do you really listen and seek to understand the patient, even though it is like the 5 millionth time you heard about someone’s low back pain?

In your report, do you have a conversation with the patient, or do you just rehearse your script to the patient while they are nodding in appeasement?

You see so many patients… and have so many tasks… that real conversations are too often sidelined.  You don’t have much time, usually. But in the time that you do have, you have to be present. You have to be THERE, with all of your attention on the patient, and not on your next task.  That moment with that one patient will never happen again. It is its own time that just you and that person share.  The Japanese have a saying for this: “Ichego Iche.”  One time, one moment. This is a plaque that is often found in tea rooms in Japan.

You have started to create a relationship.  Now, you have to continue to nurture it. This is done by continuing the conversation – and of course, great clinical and administrative service and care.

With each patient encounter, you have to be interested, attempting to understand and then get understood. Improve this and you are well on your way to better patient retention and referrals.

CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION

But when your patients are not with you, you have to find ways to continue the conversation.

How?

Your Newsletter.
You can easily set up an email newsletter with an a provider such as Constant Contact or Mailchimp. Send these out monthly or even twice per month. The most important aspect of these letters is to keep them real, personal, as if you were writing to a friend.  It could simply be a few paragraphs from the doctor relating a recent case success, or a home health tip. You can also include patient testimonials and a review of a recipe.

But we are inundated each day with hundreds of emails so keep in mind that old fashion snail mail still works, and in fact, works better.  It does cost, of course, but the return on investment makes it worth it.  A hard copy newsletter will have “shelf life,” and can be read and reread.  Most emails are overlooked -there are just too many of them.  Send out a hard copy newsletter every 4-6 months.  It can even just be a one page foldover, self-mailer.

Other Mail.
Cards are very considerate. Just think about the few you receive. You may still have them! A system can be set up to send out birthday cards, welcome cards, humorous reactivation cards, bereavement cards, and congratulation on starting your “wellness program” cards, as well as other cards each month.  These all help keep the conversation going.

Social Media.
Facebook is your primary social media with your patients. This can be similar to your newsletter.  Like email, it has become glutted with ads and “content” information.   Ask your patients to “LIKE” your page so that they can stay in touch with the office and receive new information about health and upcoming office events.  Some offices even hold special contests only for their Facebook “friends.”  Then, post regularly fun and education information. For example:

 “Our patient, Burt, just got accepted back into his hockey league thanks to chiropractic. Here is a photo of Burt and Dr. Smith and his new puppy eating apple pie made by Rose, a long time patient who can’t stop bringing us apple pies!” (Of course always get patient approval to post their picture.)

 

Upload patient testimonials, in writing or even videos. If they are interesting, other patients can comment, or even share.  And if anyone does comment, make sure that you comment back.

Delegate these types of communication to your team, but you have to be the one to ensure that the conversation continues.

If you have good roots, there is nothing to fear.  Insurance reimbursement can decrease even more, the economy can decline, staff changes can occur, but if you have taken good care of your patients, they will take good care of you.  Conversations with your patients will help nurture a strong “root system” that will keep your office productive, no matter the storms that may come.

SUMMARY – TAKE AWAY:

 When the patient is on the phone or in the office:

  • Be present and attentive.  (Present Time Consciousness “PTC” as Jimmy Parker would say.) Be genuinely interested.
  • Seek to understand the patient.
  • Get your point understood and have a conversation.

When the patient is out of the office – continue the conversation:

  • Snail mail real newsletters and cards mailed.
  • Emailed newsletters.
  • Get Facebook “fans” and post local/personal news.

Billy DeMoss Shakes Up Appleton Wisconsin at Petty Michel Seminar

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Billy DeMoss, ChiropracTOR

Dr. Billy DeMoss gave a heated and edgy presentation for 3 hours to chiropractors and their staff in Appleton, Wisconsin, Friday night, Aug. 19th. Full of anecdotes from his own practice, along with statistics, slides and videos, “Billy D” reminded everyone what chiropractic and natural health care is all about.

He talked about how providing chiropractic care is actually fun and how you should have fun in your office. He stated that patients want to come to a place that is enjoyable, where staff and doctors are having a good time in a positive atmosphere.

But he also explained that it takes a great deal of work to have a successful office. He recounted the days that he had to do manual odd jobs just to make it through school. He works hard at his office but keeps it fun.  “If you want a more successful and profitable practice you are going to have to work for it.”

“The days of the $200 dollar office visit are fading,” he said.  Workers Compensation reimbursement in California has been cut back and some money motivated chiropractors have abused the system. But money is not the goal, and never has been, he said.  Serving people will always be rewarded financially, but that is not our primary objective.

He emphasized that our main goal should be to teach and adjust. Some doctors complain about doing screenings or lectures, but Billy asks the audience: who do we do it for?  Are we worried about inconviencing ourselves or do we want to help people get healthier?

He discussed issues such as vaccinations, diet, United States health statistics relative to other countries, and said that the chiropractors were the ones best poised to take a leadership role in the health care of the U.S.

After 3 hours of Billy’s high energy, the mesmerized and energized crowd gave him two standing ovations.

One member of the audience who owns a small farm and who was not a doctor or staff member, said he wished there were more people speaking out like Dr. Billy DeMoss. He said it was one of the best presentations he had ever seen.

The next morning,  Phyllis Frase spoke to staff and doctors about how to be a “Rock Star” C.A.  Phyllis also gave a dynamic talk and will be speaking at the Cal Jam in California, February 24-26.

PM&A encourages all who can make it to Cal Jam to do so.  I attended 2 years ago and it was absolutely the most unique and refreshing chiropractic seminars I’ve attended in 20 plus years. Well worth the time and money.  More info about CAL JAM.

Dave Michel, Billy DeMoss, Dana Pittner, Phyllis Frase, Ed Petty

 

CATCH DR. BILLY DeMOSS SPEAKING MONDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 22 AT LAKE GENEVA, WI.  FOR MORE INFO, CALL: 262-275-5005

Video here

Photos here

School Supply Drive for Chiropractic Offices

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Jump on the bus…it’s back to school time!

 

To some this means the excitement of shopping for new school supplies. To others who are less fortunate, it means embarrassment of arriving on the first day of school without the necessary materials to get a good education.  Some teacher’s spend an average of $1000 per year of their own money providing necessary school supplies to those students in need.

Your chiropractic team could help change that by holding a special chiropractic promotion – the  School Supply Drive.  As the kids head back to school, why not head to the “top of your class” and “jump on the bus” by hosting a School Supply Drive.  It will give you visibility in the community, potential new patients and an overall good feeling of satisfaction for helping the kids in your neighborhood!

Click the link above for a sample poster.

(For active clients of Petty, Michel & Associates, go to your PMAmembers site for a customizable poster, patient handout, press release, and summary outline of how to hold a school supply drive.)  [Link]

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Chiropractic School Supply Drive: Implementation Summary

A school supply drive is designed to help local kids, and their parents and teachers, round up supplies to help them with their school work.

Many teachers end up purchasing school supplies for those less fortunate with their own money.  So, the need is there.  This can be a rewarding promotion that can help your community and help you generate some publicity, good will, and a few new patients.

Here are some sample action steps you can use to help you organize and put together an effective school supply drive.

1) PLANNING

a) Decide the dates you will be running the drive. Summer works, August, Sept. Hold it for 1 week. You can actually run a number of them during the year if the perceived need is there.

b) Decide what you will offer. For example:

i) New Patients:  a consultation, exam, (if indicated) initial x-ray, and report of findings for $25 and at least 5 school supplies

ii) Existing Patients: May a receive raffle ticket for a valuable gift, such as 5 car washes, $20 gas card, or a Subway Gift Card for at least 5 school supplies

c) Decide what the patient’s responsibility will be.

i) New Patients:

(1) Donation of 5 school supply items plus $24

ii) Existing Patients:

(1) Donation of 5 school supply items
(2) Referral of family and friends

d) Choose a local school (or more) that patients would be motivated to help.

i) Contact the school, preferably the Principal, to obtain:

(1) Information for a press release in regards to the needs of the school and students.
(2) Supply lists

e) Set up area for collection

2) MARKETING (examples)

a) Write a press release and submit to local papers
b) Post your event on your Facebook page
c) Post your event on your Google page
d) Make a flier to post in your office
e) Make a statement stuffer with details of the event
f) Tell all of your patients personally, and regularly remind them to bring in their donation and
g) Encourage existing patients to refer their family and friends.
h) Include in your newsletters
i) Submit a press release with photos after the event and also place news story in fan page and in newsletters.

Making a Chiropractic Patient Community

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Is it just YOUR office?

Or does it also belong to your patients?

One office we have the privilege of working with has been smashing its past records – month after month. We plot their growth on charts and nearly every month have to adjust them to keep the lines on the chart. And it has been in business for over 20 years.

Why? Well, there are a number of reasons, really.

But a key factor is that it has created a patient community. That is, it has created a systematized business where all the patients still feel that they are part of the clinic’s “family.”

They have created an environment where patients feel they belong, that the clinic is also THEIR clinic.

The principle behind this, and why it works to generate more patient volume, is that everyone wants to have friends and belong to like-minded groups. Facebook, for example, and the rise of social networking is simply a new twist to a basic impulse we all have for belonging and fellowship.

So from a practical marketing point of view, the more you include your patients as part of your chiropractic “family”, the more apt they will be to stay, pay, and refer.

For example, we have done our share of patient focus groups. Focus groups are informal discussions with 7 or so patients where we ask them about their likes, dislikes and general opinions of clinic activities. We’ve been able to learn things from the patients that we might not otherwise have known.

But what we also learned and hadn’t anticipated was that those attending suddenly started to be more active in the office. They kept their appointments and they started to refer more of their family and friends.

OK, so back to our client’s office: Each year, they give away t-shirts with the clinic name. The only requirement is that the patient has to wear the shirt at the local county fair.

This year, they sponsored a “T-Shirt Contest.” The contest was to help the office come up with a slogan for the back of the T-shirt.  The winning slogan would receive a 6 day pass to the fair.

The suggestions are…hilarious.  Some are good, some are fun, and some are just plain silly.  But.. the point is, many patients are eager to contribute.  (Some of the suggestions are below.)

 

It is no wonder, by the way, that this office which has been in business for over 20 years in small town, has been breaking its all time records for production month after month. (SHOUT OUT: Congratulations to Team Bartz Chiropractic!)

The lesson to be learned here is that it pays to empower your patients and make them feel like it is their office too.  Here are some ideas:

FRIENDLY CHATTING. Yea, I know doctors and staff aren’t supposed to spend much time socializing with the patients. I have heard that some consultants tell doctors to forbid staff to talk to patients other than talking “TIC” (chiropractic), doing a two handed hand-shake,  and mentioning the patient’s name 14 times at each visit.  Well, that is just silly.

A practice is a relationship and like any relationship, it simply has to be genuine. Be genuinely interested in your patients, like any friend.  All else can then follow.

NEWSLETTERS. A real newsletter just continues this chatting – between friends.  It can be both email and hard copy, and should include a column from the doctor. This continues your conversation with the patients.

Include survey results and patient successes and news about staff, doctor, etc. Keep it a “non professional” bulletin about your chiropractic patient community. Nothing glossy from some big company New York City. Keep it just short of being gossipy – but with pictures.

SUGGESTIONS FROM YOUR PATIENTS ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS. The t-shirt slogans are a perfect example, but you can also survey patients about what color to paint the wall or color for the new carpet.

TESTIMONIALS FROM PATIENTS. These are another way patients can contribute to your purpose of helping more people to find better health, naturally.  It can be their purpose too.

FOCUS GROUPS. Get 7 or so of your patients, old and new, together for a luncheon and ask them survey questions about the office, promotions, advertisements, your services, etc. Best done by someone other than the doctor.  Mention the results in your newsletter.

# # #

Some examples:

T-SHIRT CONTEST ENTRIES FOR A CHIROPRACTIC OFFICE SLOGAN FOR THE  COUNTY FAIR

To be healthy and feeling fine, keep your spine in line at Bartz Chiropractic

Get your back in tact Jack….John…..Sue…. Larry at Bartz Chiropractic

You don’t even want to KNOW how bent outta shape I USED to be!

Back your Future with Chiropractic Care  (flaming tire tracks picture)

Make Your Day!  Help is on the way at Bartz Chiropractic

Get ACTIVATED at Bartz Chiropractic so you can spend the week at the Fair

Get a BOATLOAD of relief at Bartz Chiropractic (life jacket picture)

Got Pain? Be FAIR to yourself, see Dr Bartz!

I only have one spine, so I keep it in line at Bartz Chiropractic

IT NO LONGER SMARTS, WHEN YOU SEE DR. BARTZ!!

(Front)  Are you living with a pain in the neck??  (back) Dr Bartz CAN HELP!  Bartz Chiropractic Elkhorn, WI

It’s FAIR to say Dr Bartz Keeps me Healthy EVERY Day!

NO PAIN…………MUCH GAIN!!!!

Changing lives….One Adjustment at a Time!

Happy Bones = Healthy Life!

Don’t Slack…..Fix your BACK

Bartz Chiropractic, your adjustment Junction!

Less yacking, more Cracking!!

A HEALTHY SPINE WILL MAKE YOU SHINE!

BE WELL-ADJUSTED, BE HAPPY, BARTZ CHIROPRACTIC

MOOO’VON OVER TO BETTER HEALTH AT BARTZ CHIROPRACTIC (COW PICTURE OVER THE moooo)

A lifelong journey of health starts with CHIROPRACTIC

Put your life BACK IN LINE with Bartz Chiropractic Care

Walk STRAIGHT to the FAIR

Dr Bartz will CRACK you up!!

Dr Bartz is a “god” Chiropractor

Back aligned, feeling fine!!

Dr. Brian Kelly Scheduled for a Live Teleseminar Interview

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Dr. Brian Kelly

Dr. Brian Kelly will be our guest in this months teleseminar interview on Tuesday, June 28, at 12:30 Central Time.

Dr. Kelly is the new president of Life Chiropractic College West. He is from New Zealand, where he completed his professional education and training in chiropractic at the Phillip Institute of Technology (PIT) now the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Melbourne, Australia.

After successfully owning and operating multiple clinics, Dr. Kelly became the President of the New Zealand Chiropractic college where he has served for the last eight years.

He is the second president of Life West, succeeding Dr. Gerry Clum, who retired earlier this year after 30 years as College president.

Dr. Kelly will be discussing how he sees chiropractic applied in the U.S. compared to New Zealand and Australia. From this perspective, he will also offer insight on how doctors here can improve both the quantity and the quality of their services.

Don’t miss this special seminar.

–>To Register<–

And, we should also tell you about a power packed line-up of speakers for a 2 day seminar in the San Fransisco Bay Area at Life West, August 5th and 6th.

This two-day event is all about information, motivation, and inspiration! Hear from over 35 chiropractic super stars! ‘The WAVE’ offers three tracks including a full-day chiropractic assistant program on Friday, and a day-long series of short, bold presentations on Saturday.

Purposely constructed to make you think and stir your soul, attend this event and you’ll never be the same!

Click the image below to see the full size poster for more info.  Or visit their web-site at: Life West Wave

The Wave Email Flyer 3

A Few May Promotions for Your Chiropractic Practice

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Mother’s Day is coming up soon (Sunday, May 8th).

This brings up the whole topic of women’s health care.

There are many types of health related events concerning women that you can participate in during this month (or any month, really) that are not only good causes, but can act to spotlight your services.

These include:

  • talks outside of the office
  • workshops in house
  • movie screenings
  • special awareness, or “Appreciation Weeks” for free health screenings
  • sponsor radio programs, interviews
  • letters to the editor
  • gifts (flowers the Friday before Mother’s Day)
  • and tape video “health tips” and post to YouTube.
  • donation drives

The list can go on and on. Some offices have had talks about pregnancy and pre and post natal care, sometimes with a midwife or nurse. One office does very well simply sending out a mailer each year to all local homeowners sponsoring a Women’s Health Care Week, offering free exam, x-ray, and massages.

Special promotions can work but they work much better if they are connected to a legitimate cause. There even is a name for this, and you guessed it, it is called “Cause Marketing.” For it to be effective, however, it has to be sincerely supported by the entire practice team. Doing a special event to support women just to get new patients will appear phony to others and can have negative effects.

One movie that has been shown is the Business of Being Born, a movie about harmful health practices connected to births in America. From its web site:

Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?

Another example of a movie suitable for screening will be: One More Girl. This is a movie documentary how the pharmaceutical company, Merck, knowling continuted to advertise their drug Gardasil (a drug promoted to help HPV infections) to girls after Merck knew it was dangerous.

From the movie’s web site:

Merck’s marketing techniques earned Gardasil a “pharmaceutical brand of the year” award from Pharmaceutical Executive for its ‘savvy disease education,’ and creating ‘a market out of thin air.”

Even though most HPV infections clear on their own, invasive cervical cancer deaths affect 2.7 women per 100,000, and the American Cancer Society lists cervical cancer as the 12th ranking cancer in the United States, parents lined up to get their daughters protected and doctors were ready with needles in hand.

Consumers are not aware of the trail of deception behind over 21,133 adverse reactions and 94 deaths in previously healthy, athletic, competitive and scholastic adolescent girls.

(Thanks to Dr. Ebner for referring us to this movie!)

The movie producers are seeking donations to produce this film. Perhaps your office could help raise funds!

Another idea would be to have a special week just for mothers and daughters: free health screenings, tea, a spa day with manicure and massage for mothers and daughters, etc.

Our member’s site has a few posters and other ideas available to you as active clients.

Here is a poem by Tina Fey for her daughter. (mild profanity)

Best Wishes for a Merry Month of May!

Ed

Billy DeMoss, the Dead Chiropractic Society (DC-S), and a free Chiropractic

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Dr. Billy DeMoss has changed chiropractic.

He has done this by offering an alternative model to the standard chiropractic seminar.  In so doing, he has helped to bring chiropractic back to chiropractic.

We all know that there are various versions in how this great profession is presented and applied.  But there is a common denominator in the profession that makes it special and in which everyone can agree.

What is it?

The subluxation…? Well, sure, but even this is disputed.  Let’s go for something even more basic.

The fact that chiropractic truly helps people get healthier and avoid getting run down in the medical-pharmaceutical-sickness complex?  Yes. True enough.

What else makes it special that we can all agree to?

NO ONE OWNS IT. Chiropractic wasn’t bought out by a Chinese company, a multinational firm, or bailed out by the Federal Reserve or the World Bank.  Your skills are not trademarked by Eli Lilly (Pharmacy Company). You can use Activator or the knee-chest. For the most part, you are free to do whatever you want.

But there is also something else that makes chiropractic special and that we all can agree to. What is it?

Well, chiropractic, if you are doing it right, is fun. In fact, it is a blast.  Adjusting patients and seeing them get better and loving you and your team for it! What could be better?

So, let’s add it all up: chiropractic helps people get healthier, it helps them avoid costly medical procedures, it allows them to live a better life, it allows you and your staff to have a better life, it is free from outside financial interests, and, it is fun.

NOW this is cause for a party!! THIS, if anything, should be celebrated.

This is what Billy preaches, practices, and sets an example for us all.

There are many professions out there that are soulless, goalless, and hopeless. Many are also too burdened with their own seriousness. We also can fall into this “chiropractic-as-drudgery” daily work mindset.

But, this is NOT chiropractic. And, as B.J. Palmer said:

The average businessman has long since forgotten Rule No. 9, “Don’t take yourself too damn seriously.”

Dr. DeMoss practices Rule No. 9. and helps us all celebrate the work we do.

The next Cal Jam, which he calls “ kiro-Woodstock”  is scheduled for March 12th  & 13th, 2012.  You can visit his website at www.californiajam.org where you can sign up to receive his newsletter and be a part of his worldwide referral network.

AND, you can listen to him live this Tuesday, April 26, at 12:30 Central Time. (For non active clients, we are charging $25 which will be donated to Oaklahaven.)

Register Here

For the full article on Rule #9 by B.J.Palmer, and a downloadable PDF file: Rule #9


Leadership in Chiropractic – the Golden Circle

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How do you motivate others to start and continue chiropractic care?

Simon Sinek recently wrote a book about leadership and marketing, and if I didn’t know better, he took it straight from the principles of chiropractic.

Below is a link to a lecture he gave where he describes a fundamental ingredient to effective leadership and marketing. Essentially, he is describing what you in the chiropractic world already know but in a different light.

The talk is 18 minutes, but well worth it.

I am interested to hear how you see it as an effective application of chiropractic principles and how you might to apply it.

..we’re sneaking away to do some planning…

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Like elves going to our workshop, we are off to our New Year’s planning meeting…somewhere up in the Far North (Wisconsin)…looking at what new “presents” we have in store for all of our great fans and wonderful clients for 2011…reviewing what’s working and what is new that will deliver the most benefit to the chiropractic teams we serve…and what trends we see for the new year.

Be the first to hear about what we have planned at our teleseminar on Tuesday, December 28, 12:30 C.T. Contact us for the phone number if you want to attend.

Health Never Takes A Holiday!

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Holidays

Holidays are a time when chiropractic patients can find many reasons not to keep to their schedules. To help you and them stick to their health program, you can pre-schedule them for the entire month of December.

We have made a couple of posters centered around:

Health Never Takes a Holiday

You can find links to these below.

When talking to your patients about their schedules, be understanding and empathetic. Hear their story. Then, be bold about your interest and concern that they maintain their care schedule through the holidays – and get them scheduled until next year.

And it is OK to use bribes.. Spicy warm apple cider gives off a very cozy smell and tastes great.. and is healthy, and free screenings/exams for patient’s holiday guests.

Links to posters:

Poster for Nov/Dec
Poster for any holiday

Internet Marketing for Chiropractic Offices

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What a great teleseminar we just completed about Internet Marketing.

I wanted to provide a short summary and a few follow ups for those who joined us as well as for those who weren’t able to.

Face To Face Networking – now more valued than ever. As we live increasingly in a virtual world of “friends” and emails and ordering products and services from our computers, meeting and connecting in person with real live people is rarer and therefore more valued. Get out of the box and meet people!

Virtual Networking – We discussed Facebook and creating a fan page. Here is a link provided by Dr. Jamie Phillips on how to do this. (link) There are many ways to add content, or information, to your Facebook page including automatic feeds.  Dr. Phillips gives one example, using Google Alerts,  listed below.  But automated content or ads about upcoming events do not take the place of “newsy” and interesting articles about you and your office. A fast note about a patient success, something new about the office, a favorite recipe of one of your patients,  a notice from Sister Hilda (a patient) who is inviting one and all to the fish fry at Saint Paul’s this Friday – these are topics your patients are interested in.  Keep it local.

The Internet Is About Search. It replaces the phone book, the dictionary, and the encyclopedia. There are many people who are in pain and sick of drugs and corporate medicine and surgery. They are looking for you. Dr. Phillips went over how to best get these people to find you with local search.

Web Site. We also discussed some simple ideas for your web site and what to do if you already have one.

Other Topics Included: The importance of Social Proof, Reputation Management, use of the new bar code on you printed materials and signs, and the coming necessity of mobile web sites were other subjects we spent some time on.

Chiropractic Internet Marketing Assistant. You need one of these!   Delegate a team member to put 2 hours in per week, or more, dedicated to working on your internet presence.

We did record this teleseminar and it will be available at no charge for our active clients on our Members site in about a week. Non members who listened to the talk will receive a CD within the next several weeks.  The CD can be purchased for $65 – all proceeds will be donated to Oklahaven Children’s Chiropractic Center.

Internet Marketing CD Order Form

Links.
The links below are to PDF documents. For customizable WORD docs, active clients can find these on our Members Site (www.pmamembers.com) under Advertising.

Videos

More info on Jamie Phillips internet marketing. Link

Fall Marketing Ideas

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Fall is in the air….. and it’s time to get that fall marketing calendar filled with activities.  To get the ball rolling, we have put together a few topics and suggestions to make your events fun and effective.

For our PMA members, we have more information about each topic, including ready made posters, handouts, and descriptions. For more information, please go to our PM&A Members site here , log in, and go the section called New Stuff on the top navigation bar.  You will find the article called Fall Marketing Ideas.

September:

  • National Backpack Awareness Day – Sept 19
  • Woman’s Health Week – Last week of September
  • Neuropathy (or Headache,etc. ) Awareness Week  (Pick a week to promote a free screeing exam for a specific condition.)
  • Crazee Dayz (For example, Thirsty Thursdays — offer a different type of drink each Thursday. Have patients make suggestions: organ apple juice in Sept, Egg nog in December, etc.)

October:

  • National Spinal Health Month (now called National Chiropractic Month).  Make a banner and use this as a motivation to have patients bring in their family for a free spinal fitness screening.
  • National Chiropractic Month. Use this as a reason to sponsor: Chiropractic Opportunity Week:  The doctor is having a “COW”
  • Hair Dresser/Beauty Salons/Spas – provide massages, screenings, and lectures.
  • Local Health Fairs at businesses.
  • Kid’s Halloween Party

November:

  • Thanksgiving Turkey Drawing Poster
  • Donation Drives
  • Deer Widows Week
  • Girl’s Night Out

December:

  • Holiday Coupons – Gift Certificates
  • Poinsettia Give Away
  • Saturday with Santa
  • Appreciation to External Referral Sources

Facebook Marketing Tips

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Facebook  is one of the fastest growing social networking medias on the internet.  It’s free and it’s fun.

If you dont’ have a Facebook page for your clinic it’s time to get one.  If you do have one, that is great!  Find us and friend us at  Petty, Michel & Associates Facebook Page.

Whether your a veteran or a novice to facebooking you can now use the helpful tips, compiled by Dana, to help spread the word about chiropractic and bring more people to your office.

Read Dana’s Tips at: Facebook Marketing Tips

Internet Marketing That Works

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A web site is nice, but can it really generate new patients for you?

The answer is yes! And over the years, depending on the doctor’s internet marketing efforts, we have seen more new patients calling the office because of something they read on the Internet.

You probably have a web site. It could be a templated one you subscribe to or your own customized site.

But having a site is the easy part – it’s what you do with it that counts.  It is not like a phone book ad that you redesign every 12 months and then get conned into buying a larger ad by the phone book rep.

We have been studying internet marketing for many years now. It is a science and an art unto itself, with new approaches and technologies evolving monthly.  But there is also an awful lot of hype. Every company has a different pitch about how their web site is better. There are new gurus being born every week. Then, at a family barbeque, your 14 year old geeky nephew says he can throw up a web site for you over his lunch as part of a school project.  So, what do you do?

Because of all these things, your web site may just sit there.  Maybe it catches something now and then like a fishing lure, but more likely, it is mostly ignored and has floated to the river’s edge doing nothing.

We have a solution to this.

We will be sending more info about this soon. But the short version is that someone in your office should be able to work on your Internet marketing every week. Like any marketing, it only works if it is done.

We will be introducing the Chiropractic Internet Marketing Assistant Checklist and Support Program soon. Believe me – the Basic Level will be so easy even a Caveman, or Cavewoman, can do it.  (No offense intended!)

The internet is becoming more of a marketing medium for your office – and can be effectively used for generating new patients and keeping the ones you have.

The bottom line? 1-3 new patients for a few hours spent each month working on Internet marketing. Not a bad return.

Make sure you listen to our guest on this Tuesdays’ live teleclass this Tuesday, June 29th, at 12:30 Central time.

Dr. Jamie Phillips, having just given a presentation to the California Chiropractic Association, will be talking about practical steps you and your staff can immediately implement to get more new patients from the Internet.

We have known Dr. Jamie for many years and are impressed with her knowledge, savvy, service, and results. She loves marketing and chiropractic, and is effectively applying these passions to the internet.
More info on Dr. Jamie. LINK
As usual, there is no charge to our clients. The access number and phone number will be posted on your Members site and we will also send you a special reminder email.  If you are not an active client, you can register here: LINK.

Looking forward to many more new patients .. and returning active patients.

5 New Marketing Projects

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We have been working on some new marketing projects and are now ready to tell you about them.

They are hot, effective, and don’t cost an arm and a leg. You can do them and if you do, you will see more new patients.

They are not totally a secret, so I am going to tell you what they are. But first, I want you to know why we are doing so.

We’ve often been asked why we do what we do: Why do we consult and coach chiropractors. Why not dentists or MDs, or why consult at all? Why this line of work? Particularly since we are not chiropractors.

Well, first of all, we have consulted dentists, MDs, podiatrists, even attorneys and are not averse to doing so. We have done well with them, in fact.

Not being chiropractors gives us a distinct advantage. We are not biased to a particular technique, or so in love with our own procedures and with what worked with our patients that we can’t help another doctor work out what is uniquely best for her or him.

But the thing is, we really share the philosophy and mission of chiropractic – and the Attitude as well.

Chiropractors help people get well without the use of drugs. They promote a healthy lifestyle. Now, it should be no news to you reading this that this has always gone against Big Money.  The Big Money is in disease care.

We truly feel that chiropractors are the Health Rangers and Health Champions in a world dominated by gold digging corporations that manipulate public opinion to eat badly – and buy more and more drugs.

Chiropractic, by its very nature, opposes this and has for over a 100 years.

But reviling disease care peddlers can only provide you with a short term self righteous ego boost.  The real solution is not to loudly ridicule drug companies and the MD monopolies, or their bed partner, the health insurer. (But it may make you feel better, so go ahead! In fact, give ’em hell.)

The real solution is to tell your story.

Communicate loudly and continuously the benefits of chiropractic as the FIRST solution people should seek for their HEALTH.

We have seen and know the benefits of chiropractic and the chiropractic lifestyle and have seen the alternatives: sick, brainwashed people fed drugs and receiving “procedures” at great expense to our economy.

So that’s why we do this. It is a personal thing.

Now, to help you tell your story this summer, we have a number of super cool – and effective – programs which we will be presenting over the next few weeks.

1.    Internet Marketing. Having a web site is no longer enough. It is what you DO with it that counts. We have put together action steps that a chiropractic assistant can follow to help get you more new patients from the Internet.  (Special teleclass program with Dr. Jamie Phillips on Tuesday, June 29th. More info soon.)

2.    Community Services. Since the 1980’s, screenings have always been around. We have organized our successful experiences with screenings, and other external events, to show you how to greatly increase your new patients from these events.  This is a fun program.

3.    Energizing Your Marketing and Your Practice. Without giving away the whole program, we have new slant on an old approach to practice marketing that has proven to generate more new patients just with your current programs. The best part: it doesn’t cost a dime!

4.    Innate Marketing Secrets: How To Generate More New Patients Invisibly. This is based on study we have been doing for a while now. It is almost spooky in how it works.  But it does.  Stay tuned.

5.    Practice Management. We will show you a powerful management tool – that the whole staff can use – that increases production and improves performance.  And it is nothing new. You have it already, but for the most part, most offices just don’t use it.

It’s summer time and we want to help you get more people healthier.

Watch for more information on these programs soon.

Last Seminar/Next Seminar

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We just finished our 10 classes in 1 day seminar in Minneapolis – our “10 in 1.”  From what I heard and saw, everyone had a great time. I know we did. And for my money, I think we had some of the best professionals in the country giving presentations – as well as attending!

Dave Michel at 3Goals Seminar in Minneapolis
Dave Michel at 3Goals Seminar in Minneapolis

In addition to great presentations by Phyllis Frase on chiropractic philosophy and procedures for staff, Dave Michel on insurance, and myself on marketing and practice building, we had two guest doctors.

Dr Tom Potisk at 3-goals Seminar in Minneapolis
Dr Tom Potisk at 3-goals Seminar in Minneapolis

One was Dr. Tom Potisk who went over how he maintained a joyful practice for 25 years in a multi-doctor setting with 2 associate doctors.

Dr. Shane Walker at 3-goals Seminar in Minneapolis
Dr. Shane Walker at 3-goals Seminar in Minneapolis

Then, as a special guest, we were pleased to have Dr. Shane Walker who is the president of the Federation of Straight Chiropractors. He lit the room up with passion, statistics, and purpose and reminded everyone about the power of chiropractic, as well as it’s importance in society today.

So, just a reminder:

Our Milwaukee seminar is coming up soon.

Dave, Phyllis, and myself all have new material covering C.A. training, insurance and reimbursement procedures, and marketing and practice building.  Our presentations are all based upon the work we do each week in offices across the country – and what we see working, and not working.

For our Milwaukee seminar, we are especially pleased to have two exceptional doctors giving presentations on Thursday, May 20th.  Both are highly qualified and successful doctors that set great examples for excellence in their practice, business, and life.

We will be sending info out on them soon, but you can find out more here.

Hope to see you all in Milwaukee.

In Your Chiropractic Office, Do You Have a Golden Goose in Your Hands?

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(an article by Phyllis Frase)

Do you remember the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? One of the characters named Veruca in the story wanted the goose that laid the Chocolate Golden Eggs. She demanded that her dad get her the goose that laid those eggs. She was a spoiled brat. Keep in mind she didn’t want to care, nurture and train that goose to lay those golden eggs. She just wanted the end product which was the chocolate golden eggs. She disobeyed Willy Wonka. Veruca and her dad are rejected as “bad eggs” and sent plummeting down a garbage chute in the golden egg sorting room. If Veruca had just stayed the course, in the end, she would have had all the golden eggs she could have wanted or needed.

What does this have to do with your practice?
Every day you have geese (patients) that want to lay golden eggs in your practice .  We just don’t look at their signals to help those eggs to be laid.  If you haven’t figured out what the “golden” eggs are, it is your internal referrals from your existing patients. We believe that if we have patients that they should automatically refer their friends and family to us. We are a little like Veruca that just wants the end product which in our case would be lots of new patients. Some patients do refer and most do not. It’s not that they don’t want too; it’s just that they are not cared, nurtured or trained to refer their friends and family to you.

Let’s look at your average new patient. Typically, the average chiropractor is blessed to receive 8-10 new patients a month, without really doing anything out of the ordinary such as  yellow pages, internal referrals and other marketing efforts. If we really care, nurture and train those 8 to 10 geese to lay their golden eggs in your practice (which would be their friends and family), you typically could double your new patients or golden eggs without a lot of effort.  These eggs are warm and ready to produce beautiful geese that will produce over and over given the right environment.

So how do you get production or referrals from your existing patients? You have to feed them every day. Set the referral seeds within your practice. Within the first 30 days of a patient starting care is when they are most enthusiastic about their chiropractic care. Set procedures to create the referral to happen.
In the first visit.  Invite the spouse to the report of findings. Make sure the staff follows through with this as well by giving a spouse pass to the report of findings. Will all of them come no, will a lot of them come, yes if you ask and it happens every time. If the patient doesn’t bring a significant other to the report of findings make sure it is noted in the report of findings and tell them they have another opportunity to learn about your care at our foundations, WOW or new patient orientation workshop.  Yes, patients do come to those workshops and that is another article all by itself.

These procedures seem old and worn out and most of the time we forget to ask the patients for these things because we have gotten beaten up or is not worth the effort anymore.  They do become worn out if the practices are not doing the procedures each and every time with each patient and having the staff follow through when the doctors have forgotten to review this on the first and second visit. Calling the new patients after the first adjustment is a referral stimulator. Those few things we all know and we tend to let them slide by as the opportunities for our golden eggs slip through our hands.

Here are a few referral opportunities that you can start right away in your practice and get good results from practicing them every day. Will you get the golden egg every time as the goose lays an egg, not all the time but if we care, nurture and train that goose, we will get more golden eggs than bad eggs.

Non promotional and promotional referral opportunities
Have the referral talk with specific people.
Can I talk to you a moment?
Sit next to the patient.
Have you been getting good results with your chiropractic care? Great
Do you enjoy coming here? Great
Can I ask you a question?
Why haven’t you given me the opportunity to check/scan your family?

PAUSE LET THEM TALK FIRST

It is my mission to check as many spines as possible so that people can be a healthy as possible.
I want to give you this coupon.  Bring in cans of food and I will waive the $25.00. (Let the patient see you mark through the price or whatever monetary cost you have associated to the coupon) Let me check their spines.  There is no obligation for them to start care.
Sports- Are your kids playing sports?  Really?  Did you know that chiropractic increases reaction time and reduces injuries?  The athletes that are under care usually perform better.

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  • Remember to review your new patients at each staff meeting.  Determine who has family members that have not been checked and make an effort to put a coupon on their travel card, promotional flier or a stop manager/reminder on electronic notes so it will remind you to talk to them. Create a friends and family coupon to give to the patient.  Change the color or the wording every 2 to 3 months so it looks different each time. Print coupon on card stock. You can create these in word or publisher or go to our member’s site and find several customizeable samples. Always list the retail value of any services you are offering that are complimentary or at your expense.
  • Target specific people every day to have “the Talk” with and make a goal to hand out the friends and family coupon to a specific number of patients each week. This should be decided on as a team. Have a contest to see how many people get signed up. Dinner, lunch, time off, make your goal to get people checked regardless if they start care or not.
  • If the patients come to the counter with the coupon, that should signal the staff to ask the patient about the coupon.  “Great, Joe the doctor gave you the special coupon. Let me give you some new patient times, that way it will be easier for them to schedule an appointment. Who are you thinking of referring?”
  • Even if the patient doesn’t come up with the coupon and you know they are suppose to have one based on your communication with your doctor, the staff should go through the exercise of the referral talk.
  • Have a referral follow up sheet at the front desk and list the name of the patient, when the coupon was given, expiration date and whom they are going to refer and next date to follow up .
  • If they have not called yet in a week, when the regular patient comes in ask if they gave out the coupon. If yes, “okay we were just checking because he/she has not called yet. That coupon expired in so many days.  We won’t be having another promotion like this for another two months or the doctor only gives out the friends and family coupons four times a year.” Create a sense of urgency around that special. “Would you like to take some additional material with you that will explain chiropractic more?”  Have special brochures that can be handed to the patient. Make sure your name, address and phone number is on any literature that goes out your door.
  • Always have a bulletin board promoting your offers and as the time gets to the end create a banner that is put across the bulletin board- 5 days remaining or 3 new patients’ slots remaining. Or mark through any remaining fliers or material that you have.
  • Decorate your office during promotions. If you think you have decorated enough, it’s not enough.  Create a new experience when your patients come in. You need to stimulate them visually so they will ask questions.  Why all the hearts or the shamrocks? “Well, Joe I am so glad you asked, we are having a new patient opportunity.  Let me tell you how it works.”
  • Print enough fliers to be in your office everywhere.  In the adjusting areas, in your new patient orientation folders, in your bathroom, behind doors.  Anywhere people will see it and can’t miss it.  Enough is never enough.  Print your materials in color don’t be cheap by only using black and white copies. Always review your promotions after they are complete to see what needs to be changed or tweaked.