Fall is here and soon it will be the Holiday Season, and the next thing you know, we will be in the dead of winter in 2009.

Yes, life goes on, but you would hardly know it with the constant war between the electoral candidates.  Oh, and then there is this financial crash. Some say the worst since 1929.

With all of this going on, who has time to focus on health care and wellness?

You do! And you better.

I talked to a doctor recently who was looking at buying survival food and was scaring his family half to death with tales of Armageddon. Another doctor called us and wanted to sell his practice.  What?!#

Let’s all take a deep breath and reread the Serenity Prayer.

Thinking global is fine, but you have to focus on the local. And the local is your patients here and now.  They need your best care, and so do their families, friends and the companies with whom they work. Your community needs your chiropractic care and leadership now more than ever.  In addition to the noise of elections and the current financial distress, our country’s “health care” system is in very bad shape.

It is really a question of leadership. When the niceties that hold up our society start to crumble, we are forced to reconsider our basics principles, purposes, and operating procedures. We reach for fundamentals – the things that are really important and do not change.

We know chiropractic works. It did in 1929, 39, 49, etc. We know people still need it and still benefit from it. Then the rest is up to us.

This also applies to our staffs. In uncertain times, everyone looks for certainty. And nothing is more certain than the tried and true science of chiropractic technique. What popular and accessible health care profession out there does it is better?   What gets more people healthier for less cost? It is you – the chiropractic doctor and professional chiropractic team member.

So, it is up to you to be the beacon, the light house, the calm and confident leader to your staff and patients. You have to be focused on your art, and stay centered in your philosophy.

There have always been crises. There always will be. But the basics always apply. And those who apply them win in the end.

So, back to reality here. Some of the basics include promotion. And for promotion to work it has to be planned and scheduled. Let’s look at what you are doing for your marketing calendar this month.

Here are some ideas:
1.    Marketing Manager System – Monthly Marketing Meeting. Schedule a marketing meeting soon. Review last several months. What worked, what didn’t. Look at the numbers. Make plans for the next 4 months – through February.
2.    Short term. Halloween ideas.
3.    November. Food drive for the less fortunate
4.    December. First week. Gift exchange, internal trade show at the office.
5.    Jan.  Workshops on fitness, health, and economical ways to stay fit.
6.    February. Valentine’s Day promotion. More workshops.

(Note to active clients and those of you who own the Marketing Manager System program: You can find sample word documents on your MMS computer program and on the MMS member’s site. Also, you can check with your consultant for customized for other materials.)

I would also be scheduling speaking engagements external and internal to the office for the first three months of the new year now.

For the next couple of months, you may have to work more internal. Make your office the warmest and friendliness and safest island of calm and health in your community. NO NATIONAL news.

Remember your basics: chiropractic works, people need it, and it is up to you to see that they get it. Stay focused on this formula, and you will have a bountiful fall and winter.

Here is an animated Webtoon about the pharmaceutical industry.

drug video

2:35 minutes

(Thanks for the file, Dr. Tom!)

Note: Put this on your web site, or send your patients to this page.

Summer is a great time to promote your services.

While all marketing starts from the “inside” and internal marketing can be very effective, so can external marketing.  Internal, or in the office marketing, is a form of networking. The most effective form of external marketing, or marketing to non patients outside of the office, has also been networking.

In our world today, we are “spammed” to death.  It is estimated that we are hit over 2,000 times each day in the US with advertisement impressions. There is just too much “noise.”

One of the reasons social networking on the internet has grown is that it allows people to bypass the noise and network on a more personal basis.  But real world local networking opportunities exist right in your back yard: summer “block parties”, church socials, Lions Club pancake breakfasts, parades, 10-Ks and other walk/runs, donation drives – the list goes on and on.

You can just show up and meet people. Let them meet you.  Much like an elected official does when she runs for office.  You can also get a picture taken of the event and then use this in your internal promotions.

Here is a picture of me waving to the crowd with our state representative, Dr.Sheldon Wasserman, at our local 4th of July parade.

Get a list of upcoming community events from the Chamber of Commerce and schedule a screening, talk, an information booth, your own participation (volunteer your help), or just a visit. Be neighborly.

There is often a run or walk as part of a donation program during the summer months in which you and your staff can participate.  We have seen offices proudly wear their office t-shirts and recruit many patients to do the same.

When you are networking, you get to know people. Be interested in them and thier interests. Then you can hand out your cards. You an also hand out coupons for a screening or workshop at your office. And then, of course, there are on site screenings.

Screenings still work. You better believe it! But they have to be well organized. Most importantly, the people doing the screenings have to want to be there and have fun doing them.  We have been doing screenings for over 20 years and they can be as effective now as they ever were.  But whether you do a screening, or run, or just show up with your friendly conversation and cards, there are many summer events for you to get out and do some networking.

Here are just some of the benefits:

• Meet new people who can eventually become new patients or new referral sources.
• Meet active patients and strengthen your relationship with them in a different setting.
• See inactive patients and reactive them, or encourage referrals from them.
• Get out, get some sun and have some fun!

As Woody Allen is to have said:

Eighty percent of success is showing up.

 You can’t loose. It’s Summer. Get Outside.

#  #  #

As we have said MANY times before, the number one problem with the marketing in most offices is that— it just doesn’t get done.What is the solution?A big part of it is just scheduling them.

To help you with this, you need a marketing calendar.

Once a month, take an hour off and plan some internal and external events over the next several months.

If you wonder where your patients are, make sure your front desk has them scheduled to come in.

Next, you better make sure you have your promotions scheduled to encourage new people to come in.

To help you with this, here are 4 great resources:

1. Essential elements about your chiropractic practice marketing plan.
2. Sample three month planning calendar for download.
3. Sample 12 month marketing calendar for down download (81/2 x 11).
4. Large, 2 foot by 3 foot marketing wall calendar for purchase.  Post this in your break room and to plan and coordinate your upcoming promotions with your team.

Last week I was in Elgin, Il, working with a chiropractor and his staff.

The doctor has a patient who is doing an independent film and used his clinic as a location for filming. The movie includes the actor, Larry Thomas, who is famous for his part in the Seinfeld comedy sitcom as the “Soup Nazi.”

Besides being a reminder to a very funny skit, the lesson here is that a chiropractic office has many uses besides chiropractic care. It can be used for meetings of local associations, workshops, yoga classes,  and many other types of events.  All of these position your facility as an inclusive public location and can get you better known. This film, even if it tanks, will definitly draw attention to Dr. Steve and his services. And if the film becomes a blockbuster… soup and adjustments for everyone!

Watch a clip from the Seinfeld series with the Soup Nazi. Clip.

Just saw a greeting card and emulated their design and idea (thanks www.seltzergoods.com) to create a Kid’s Day promotion.

On Saturday, March 15th your office could offer a couple of hours just for kids. Or, you could spread the special promotion out over a few days and call it Leprechaun Appreciation Week.

Leprechauns are mischievous… just like most kids! (Sample poster.)

There are also other types of St. Pat.’s promotions you can do in your office that are fast, fun, and can be productive. For more ideas. (Link.)

And, just to get you in the mood, here is a little Irish Jig.(Link.)

(Will need speakers.)

Here is a simple promotion for your chiropractic office that you can do in conjunction with Easter. We’re doing this with some offices in Minnesota. (LINK)

We just finished our first seminar for 2008! And, from the comments of those attending (see below), our 3 Goals Chiropractic Seminar was a success.

(Photo of Phyllis giving her presentation. More photos here.)

For our part, we loved it. Dave, Phyllis, and a guest consultant, Mary Jo who is an expert with all things insurance, and me, Ed, had a great time.

The 3 Goals concept seemed to make sense to everyone in that it helped to provide a clear cut path to practice success. We covered how it applied to practice development, marketing, and particularly to many staff functions, from the front desk to financial consultations. Our guest billing consultant, Mary Jo, always appeared to have a crowd around her discussing effective reimbursement tactics.

Our next seminar is in Milwaukee, WI, on Thursday, April 24th. It is an all day seminar, from 8:30 to 5. We will be sending and posting more info on this soon.

After that, we will be hosting a seminar in Minneapolis on Thursday, May 15. Again, it will be an all day seminar. (We will have a special guest which we will be telling you about soon.)

Here are some seminar comments:

“Everyone did a great job!”
“..the presenters were engaging”
“..liked how the program was laid out in easy, step by step ways.”
“Encourages everyone to find their greater purposes.”
“..helped me understand my role in the clinic more specifically.”
“I got more ideas for our patient education.”
“..there were many ideas to improve the our office procedures.”
“..learned how mission affects everything we do inside and outside of the office.”
“..learned about enthusiasm and its role in promoting the office.”
“..got ideas on more structure, policies, control, and the importance of more patient guidance.. throughout care.”
“…reaffirming… learned new perspectives or twists on how we already do things in the office.”
“Phyllis gave great insight into how things can be changed positively.”
“..very informative.”
“..everything present was useful and will help to improve our office.”
“..was wonderful and motivating.”
“..useful ideas on a marketing person and marketing procedures.”
“..excellent presentations…”
“..liked systematizing procedures and getting help on focus on goals..”
“Good ideas on how to monitor clinic performance and set goals and keep track with goals…and marketing meetings..”
“Good for team to hear Phyllis she is very motivating… They got the Big Picture…”
“Good ideas on marketing!”
“..liked the motivational aspect of the seminar..”
“..good review on the Marketing Manager Toolkit for ideas…”
“..high energy.. and kept to time agenda..”
“I liked having a clear concise road map for practice development..” Continue reading →