April Teleclass: Affordable Care Act:How Will it Affect Your Chiropractic Practice?

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“2014 will bring the greatest changes to the health insurance industry in our lifetime. This is not bull or scare tactics. The face of health insurance – already vastly different than it was ten years ago – is about to undergo a dramatic and seismic change.” -David Michel

Join us this Thursday April 18th, 12:30 CST to listen to Mr. Dave Michel of Petty, Michel & Associates discuss the Affordable Care Act.

Mr. Michel will discuss:

  •  Are your financial plans set for further limits on care?
  •  Can you continue to treat your patients based on your philosophy?
  •  Are you ready for mandatory changes to your Dx, your EOBs, the HCFA CMS 1500 claim form, and HIPAA? All coming in 2014?

If you can catch this class as it happens, it is free! Otherwise they will be in our vault for those of you who are active members with us.

To Register visit: Surviving, Striving and Thriving Through the Affordable Care Act

Finding the Right Mix for Your Chiropractic Promotions

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THE PROMOTIONAL RIVER

I sometimes receive emails and calls from chiropractors requesting a quick fix for their lack of new patients.   I often wonder if they ever got the idea of symptomatic care versus corrective and wellness care.

Effective marketing requires more than just a killer advertisement or long copy reactivation letter or a spinal screening.   It has been said that good marketing doesn’t depend on one promotion to get 50 new patients, but rather 50 promotions each generating one new patient.

Generating a high volume of new patients in your chiropractic office requires multiple channels of communication.   Consider how a river grows – through lots of tributaries. The Mississippi starts out like a creek, but then other creeks run into it and it grows and grows.

We call this the promotional mix – the blend of different approaches you use to communicate the benefits of your services.

On the following page, we have listed just a few important categories of effective promotions for your office.  Of course, there are others, but we have found that these work well and can act as a good foundation.

Mississippi

FOUNDATIONS OF PROMOTION

Effective promotion starts with individual and team motivation. It then should be entwined with all of your basic routines each day, from the way the phone is answered to the consultation and patient examination.

Beyond this, you can schedule specific health topics months in advance and offer them as workshops or “Awareness Weeks” where you provide a free screening exam and info.

Occasional special promotions should be scheduled, such as “Kid’s Day”, and community services should also be scheduled, such as screenings, relationship building with external referrals sources, and workshops.

Your presence on the Internet has to be constantly added to.

These are some of the main categories of your promotions, though advertising and public relations events can also occur now and then.

PromoMix(larger image)

KEY PROMOTIONS   

1.   Motivation.  You and your team’s desire to promote the benefits of your services create the energy to make your marketing work. Constantly nurture this.  Start with WHY?

2.   Basic Service and Chiropractic Care Procedures.   This is your foundation. Marketing is embedded in the heart of all the basic duties you do every day.  You should constantly review and try to improve on the marketing aspect of your procedures.  Be ever more cheerful, more genuine, more caring, and giving of extra-ordinary care and service.  Have “Present Time Consciousness.” It is helpful to have a checklist of these procedures to review.  Little things can slip aside and go unnoticed and a checklist helps flush everything out for inspection.  Work on a procedure or two every month so that you are constantly improving.

3.   Special Promotions. These are promotional events that can be internal, external, or both. For example, flowers to women on Mother’s Day, a Kid’s Day, Community Appreciation Day, Anniversary Day, etc.  They can be tied in with holidays, community days, parades, donation drives, etc. Most have an offer for a free service, but not all. These are IN ADDITION to the monthly education themes. Schedule these every other month or so. Promote these on the Internet and in newsletters.

4.   Community Education Program  (Monthly Health Themes) We have found that this program gradually builds momentum and if managed well, brings in more patient referrals, external new patients, and returning patients directly and indirectly. Here are some steps to make it successful.

a.    Select monthly themes around a condition or healthful topic. Can include headaches, kid’s health, motherhood, nutrition, cooking class, exercise, golf clinic, etc.
b.    Schedule a workshop time or “Awareness Week” (free screening exam last week of the month)  at the end of each month.
c.    Customize a poster. Samples on our Members site or make up your own.
d.    Do a YouTube video on the subject the month before. Post on Facebook, web site, YouTube channel and embed in your email
e.    Send out an email notice promoting the event, with a link to the video Health Tip, testimonial, etc.
f.    Send a hard copy newsletter with testimonials mailed to some of your patient files now and then (3 months) and all files every 6 months.
g.    Posters distributed locally and as statement stuffers.
h.    Press releases can be sent to local papers/electronic calendars.
i.    Ads are an option.

5.   Community Services. These are scheduled each month and include screenings, workshops and external referrals source development (MDs, businesses, DDS, auto body shops, etc.)

6.    Keep The Conversation Going: Internet And Newsletter.  Update your Internet presence and post new info regularly. Set a goal of how many hours it gets worked on each month, eg.  1 hr a week.  You could also use a checklist (we have one on our PM&A Members site). This would include Facebook postings, YouTube, directory sites (Yelp, Healthgrades.com. etc.), and search engines (Google, Bing, etc.).  And, of course, your website/blog.  Add patient testimonials, photos, and health tips. Keep posting – but keep most of the info local and “newsy,” just short of gossipy.  Also, send out electronic and hard copy newsletters with similar newsy content and notices for upcoming promotions, talks.

7.   Public Relations and Advertising.  Radio ads and print ads promoting specials events can be helpful now and then. Public relations such as press releases and donation drives can add long term good will and should be done a few times a year

3 Month Marketing Planner [Link]

2013 – Teleclass Schedule – Poster

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We are excited about our upcoming teleclass schedule for 2013 which will start this Tuesday, March 19th.

We have an awesome line-up of teleclasses for you and your staff in the areas of chiropractic philosophy, office procedures and reimbursement.

Class description and registration can be found on the calendar on this site.

We have also prepared a poster you can print and post on the wall in your staff commons area for an easy view of upcoming class.  [Link]

If you can catch these classes live, they are free! Otherwise they will be in our vault for those of you who are active with us.  Hope to “hear” you in class.

6 Reasons Why CalJam is Important for Chiropractic

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grandpaskater

1. It is fun and promotes that chiropractic is and should be fun.

2. It’s founder and promoter is in practice, adjusting people of all ages, just like you.

3. It focuses on the purpose of chiropractic and the chiropractic lifestyle.

4. It defines and promotes the unique role chiropractic has in the market place – as a HEALTH profession that works, is not owned or used by pharmaceutical companies or other corporate monopolies, is vitalistic while also being scientific.

5. It promotes the idea that helping people to get healthier does not have to be a grave, stuffy, or serious activity.

6. And just like Dr. Billy DeMoss demonstrates, we all can work on higher purposes – professionally and personally —  while at the same time adjust people daily (APD) and run a business.

There are other reasons, but the ones above should be included.  Please add others below.

I hope you an make it to CalJam this year.

Some of us from PM&A are going and if I see you, let me treat you to the nearest greenest, anti-inflamatory drink nearby, or a piece of buffalo jerky, whichever is handier.

And if you can’t make it, you can always follow Billy on YouTube.

And either way, in your own way, you can always follow your own higher purposes and keep jammin in your corner of the world.

 

Chiro-jamming in an office near you..

Ed, and all of us at PM&A

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CalJam.org

Dead Chiropractors Society

Chiropractic Maintenance Care: Medicare Settlement Means No More “Improve or You’re Out”

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In what could be a landmark decision for chiropractors that have long asserted that regular chiropractic care for seniors with chronic conditions actually saves Medicare money and keeps seniors active and independent, an agreement has been reached.

A Federal Judge has approved the proposed Settlement Agreement in the Medicare Improvement Standard case, Jimmo vs. Sebelius, [Link] clearing the way for thousands of Medicare beneficiaries to receive needed health services to maintain their current level of functioning. While not specifically aimed at chiropractic, the exciting implications remain.

The settlement, which represents a significant change in Medicare coverage rules, ends Medicare’s longstanding practice of requiring people to show a likelihood of improvement in order to receive coverage of skilled care and therapy services. It specifically pertains to “…those with disabilities or suffering from chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, lung disease.” (ital added)

The Agreement, which is retroactive to the date of the suit was filed, January 18, 2011, includes skilled services covered by Medicare Part A and Part B, such as speech, occupational and physical therapy, nursing and home health services, even when the goal is maintaining the patient’s current condition rather than requiring that the patient improving.

The Medicare law has never supported the “”improvement standard.” Nevertheless, for decades beneficiaries have been denied needed services because they are not improving or have “reach a plateau”, sometimes with devastating results. The Center for Medicare Advocacy says providing maintenance services will save money in the long run, preventing decline, hospitalizations and need for more expensive services.

The official approval of the settlement means the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) must develop and implement an education campaign to ensure that Medicare providers are not denying coverage for vital maintenance services to those with any chronic illness who meet other qualifying Medicare requirements.

The “maintenance standard” is effective immediately. Importantly, this does NOT change anything at this time for you, your documentation, or your patients. Even though we have not seen the official documentation that Chiropractic Maintenance Care is included in this settlement, we are hopeful and following this closely.

More Info:
http://blog.aarp.org/2013/02/06/amy-goyer-medicare-pays-for-skilled-therapy-for-maintenance-with-chronic-illness/

26 Chiropractic Training Webinars presented by Petty, Michel & Associates

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The following is a list of 26 training webinars put on by Petty, Michel & Associates. These were recorded live  for doctors who wanted to improve their skills as a CEO, for the office managers, and for marketing managers. The links provided take you to the recorded webinars on PM&A’s members site.

Over the years, we have learned a seemingly obvious fact: Any difficulties you are having in practice or in business usually do not stem from clinical issues, but from administrative ones.

Why are CEO’s paid so much?

One reason is that they can make such profitable difference in the business that boards of directors and accountants see that rewarding them is a good investment. Likewise, good managers and good marketers can be worth their weight in gold.

In chiropractic business training, however, there has been little adequate training or support for these roles.  Yet the comparison to high paid executives and managers in other businesses also apply your office.  The more effective you are as a practice CEO and leader,  the more your office will be prosperous. And the better your office manager is, or your marketing coordinator, the more solvent your business will also be.

CEO Webinars

 1. How to Be an Effective Practice CEO  Video
If you are struggling with the ups and downs of a stressful practice, or have finally “settled” into a comfort zone producing much lower than you know you are capable of, this program is for you.

 2. Capacity Constraints : 33 minutes – Summary and Video
Do you work hard but you just don’t get as far as you should? The reason may be that you are running into unseen bottlenecks that are choking off your production and suffocating your growth. This is the subject of Capacity Constraints.

3. Management by the Numbers: 44 minutes – Summary and Video
Management is a subject that has techniques to help you go from where you are to where you want to be.

Management By the Numbers (MBN)  can be faster and more accurate than other forms of management, and help build staff morale and make it more self directed.

 4. Creating your Dream Team Summary and VideoA virtual “live” interview with the doctor and staff of a true chiropractic dream team. Find out what they do to achieve high numbers, profit, and fun.

 5. The Fast Flow Practice CEO  -55 minutes webinar video and summary.
One of the biggest challenges in running and growing your business is the time it takes you away from seeing patients and from your family.  We have solved this with what we call the Fast Flow Practice CEO System.   A new system derived from old principles.

Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinars

1. Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinar- Part I – Fundamentals of Practice Management [Summary, Video]
Part I covers the fundamentals of Practice Management (55 minutes)

2. Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinar- Part II – Tips and Tricks to make the office more efficient [Summary, Video]
Part II reveals tips and tricks of what an office manager can actually do in the office on a day to day basis to make things run smoother and  significantly improve the volume and quality of services. (55 minutes)

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 3. Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinar – It’s All About the Patient, the Doctor and the MISSION  [Summary, Video and Study Guide]
There are procedures to help the patients and procedures that help the doctor help the patient and then there is Everything Else.  Tips on how to deal with Everything Else. (30 minutes)

4. Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinar – How to Hire the Right Team Member   Summary, Video and Study Guide.
This webinar  covers eight principles for hiring the right team member from knowing when to hire, who to hire and how to hire.

5. Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinar–  How to Best to Train Your Staff  Summary, Video and Study Guide
This webinar covers eight tips  to improve the performance of your team.  Training plays a big part in team building.

6. Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinar –  The Office Manager Job Description  Summary, Video and Study Guide.
This class covers 17 essential duties of the office manager. Both the doctor and the office manager should watch and discuss these duties.

7. Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinar – Team Meetings   Summary, Video and Study Guide.
This is an overview of 8 essential actions to help you improve your meetings and make them faster, more fun, and more effective. Plus, different types of short meetings that your team can grow.

8. Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinar – Motivating Your Staff – Video  Ms. Phyllis Frase shares 5 secrets to keeping yourself and your staff motivated.

9. Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinar – Reviews    Video
Employee reviews are often neglected, or are dreaded by employee and doctor. This webinar covers the basic steps to make them effective and positive for both doctor and employee.  Approx 37 minutes.

10. Chiropractic Office Manager Training Webinar – Roles and Goals  Summary, Video and Study Guide
What Are The Key Roles In Your Office? A hidden barrier in many offices has to do with confusing roles and job duties. Clear these up and see how much smoother patients and paper flow, and happier the team becomes.  Small office or big health business, clarify these 8 roles and the numbers will go up.

Chiropractic Marketing Manager Training Webinars

 1. Marketing Management – Session I – Summary and Video The Why, What and How of Marketing. Getting your Marketing off the Ground. (55 minutes)

  2. Marketing Management – Session II – Summary and Video  Specific Marketing Manager Duties – Your Job Description.  General Overview of the Most Effective Marketing Procedures in Each of the 11 Marketing Categories (55 minutes)

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 3. Marketing Tips for Chiropractic Marketing Managers – Summary and Video   This is a short version of marketing management and some tips for the upcoming months. What are the three levels of marketing?  What part does communication have in your marketing?  How to engage your patients in your marketing efforts.  Upcoming special promotions. (30 minutes)

 4. Marketing Tips for the Chiropractic Marketing Manager – Summary and Video This webinar covers: Powerful internal marketing script, Report of findings referral procedure,  upcoming spring promotions, with special attention to utilizing Earth Day as an opportunity to promote your services.

 5. Scheduling Chiropractic Screenings and other External Events – Summary and Video .  How to Schedule External Events And Create External Referral Sources.  Types of events, Outcomes, Purpose. How to plan the events and get them scheduled.(30 minutes) 

 6. The Art of Chiropractic Spinal Screenings. – Summary and Video . Spinal Screenings – The Queen of External Marketing.  Everyone has done at least a few  spinal screenings. You have probably had some success with them. But how much better could you do if you knew the fundamentals of this time tested external marketing activity?  This is a three part series on spinal screenings. This session we will review the most fundamental principles of screenings. Get these, and all else will follow.(45 minutes)

7. Chiropractic  Infomercials. – Summary and Video .
Whatever happened to Infomercials? They’re still around and they still work. And you can do them very inexpensively. You just need to know how.

This webinar will give you practical examples and include forms for you to use in producing your own amateur and informational marketing that can help you create more new patients and keep the ones you have.

8. Chiropractic Patient Education – Summary and Video (45 min)
We go over 7 basic strategies that cover the entire horizon of patient education and explain why it is so necessary to educate your patients if you want them to be healthier.

9. Chiropractic  Patient Retention – Summary and Video
If you understand the underlying basics of patient retention your appointment book should always be full.  Covered in this webinar is: Patient retention should be based on Principles – not gimmicks. Where are we you taking your patients? Why they quit?  The cost of not getting them there.

 10. Chiropractic Special Promotions  (55 minutes) – Webinar plus Summary.
This webinar covers different promotions by month. You will learn 2-4 different practical promotions for each month of the year. More importantly, you will learn how to organize them so that they are time effective and productive.

11.   Innate Marketing  (55 minutes) – Webinar plus Summary.
There are stories that float around every now and then about how some offices can simply “think”  “New Patients” and they come in.
Are these stories an urban legend? A myth, or a fact? Can staff or doctors “concept” new patients in the door. Is this true? If so, how can you do this?  10 steps to help you generate more patient visits through “concepting.”

New Services for Chiropractors and Chiropractic Offices for 2013

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2013. The first month is already over.

Things are moving and changing fast and faster. Nothing is slowing down, that is for sure. We see it everyday when we visit your offices, see your patients, talk to your staff.

But that’s cool…’cause we are ready for it and we are ready to help you jump ahead of the waves that are coming.

And they are coming. Affordable Care Act, Fiscal cliffs, climate change, whatever… we’re already ahead of the game. And we have the tools and services to help you make 2013 your frigging most blown out, busted out, and “funned-out” year ever.

And why not? There is the game of getting people healthier and if you are in it, how about winning, or at least going for it?

 

Here are some of the new services we have in store for you and your team …  :

10 Live Team Training Teleseminars with Phyllis Frase and Dana Pittner. And if you can catch these classes live, they are free! Otherwise they will be in our vault for those of you who are active with us.

You can see a list of what they are and when they are here. (They start in March.)

Oh, and these women … you want bad-ass? Well, even if you don’t, you’ll get it with these two serious take-no-prisoners chiropractic legionnaires. You know Phyllis, of course, a Parker team teacher for more than 10 years, an International team trainer, one of the most sought after team teachers ever… and, we are proud to say, a PM&A consultant. Dana is our newest trainer and coach. And you know how younger coaches are… they just don’t know when to back off. They play harder and are over the top with enthusiasm and purpose. She takes the term “chiropractic passionate advocate” to an entirely new level.

Both ladies will not only educate your team, but will light up your phone and burn down your office — with love and purpose of course.

Oh, for those of you are active with us, don’t forget to check out our library where we have archived 16 C.A. training teleclasses recorded for your team with Phyllis and others.

**

Now, the eminently qualified Mr. Dave Michel, also known as “RAM” for Reimbursement Answer Man, has some teleclasses lined up for us as well. Seriously, I doubt if there is ANYONE this side of Fargo that knows more about the practical aspects of chiropractic (and medical, for that matter) billing and collections. And how long has he been doing chiropractic billing? Well over 25 years — more than double the time most current D.C.’s have been in practice. He is also one hell of a practice coach, but that goes without saying. His classes include:

  • Surviving, Striving and Thriving Through the Affordable Care Act
  • How to Use Patient Financial Plans to Create a Wellness Practice
  • Your End of Year Financial Success Checklist.

And these will be at NO charge when caught live. They will be tucked away in our archive for later listening by those of you who are active with us. You won’t want to miss them. Stay tuned for dates and times. First one is in March.

And don’t forget, Mr. Michel has some exclusive information and killer techniques also recorded in our archive including 10 teleconferences. Plus forms.

Wait, there’s more…

…Ah, gee, sorry! Looks like I’m running out of room here so stay tuned. More material, and NEW techniques just for you all.

And…parties, clubs, time saving techniques.. all this and more to help you win the game and.. have more fun. Tell you more about what’s coming up soon.

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You know, the new stuff always gets attention, but I just want to mention that our unique form of practice coaching, honed over the years, is deadly effective for those practices we are engaged with. Last year we had many long term offices that did their best ever. Many kudos and congratulations to everyone for the successes we all had. We all can be, offices and us PM&Aer’s, too modest really. (Working overcoming this!)

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LASTLY, on the practical side now, it is the start of a new month and do you know where your goals are?

To kick things up a notch, do this now. (390 words – about 4 minutes.)

Monthly Goal Setting for the Chiropractic Team

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Chiropractic Team Goal Setting

At the beginning of each month you want to see that your team sets new TEAM GOALS.  You can also set individual goals privately at a different time, but TEAM goals are most immediate and important.

Each goal setting session always begins with a REVIEW of the past month. This gives the opportunity for the group (or individual in individual goal setting) to explain how they did and how they did it. And it gives you the opportunity to listen and then give some feedback. The feedback could be praise, or otherwise.

After the review, set the goals.   Group goals should be simple, usually just Office Visits and New Patients, though Collections can also be included. IMPORTANT: Let the group set the goals. You should negotiate the goals, but it has to be theirs.  Once these goals are set, ask the group (or individual) how they/we plan to achieve these goals? Get at least 3 action steps.

The last goal should include a “greater purpose” goal or two. This could be a party at your house next Thursday night, Betty, the Front Desk Coordinator will give a book report on one of the books in the Lending Library at next month’s Team Goal Setting meeting, and a check to see who is going to volunteer for working at the food bank next Saturday evening.

Why? You should also spend some time discussing why you have these goals. This takes you back to your MISSION.  Numbers for numbers sake is a soulless and goalless pursuit.

 In sum:

  1. Review last month’s numbers. Were they up or down from the prior month?  Ask.
  2. Then, ask why? Get the team to figure it out. Let it be a brainstorming session if possible.
  3. Let them tell you and you listen and question as needed.
  4. Acknowledge. Praise or show disapproval, as appropriate.
  5. Then ask for action steps to achieve goals.
  6. Then, get a few “greater purpose” goals.
  7. Then, continue with the rest of the staff meeting, such as announcing upcoming events, miscellaneous, etc. Include some discussion about WHY these goals are important.
  8. Do the same for individual team member’s right after the Team Goal Setting, or soon after.

 For more information on how this procedure is done, refer to the webinar called the Fast Flow CEO.

Chiropractic Practice Management, Marketing, and Leadership Recorded Training Webinars

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This is a list of our practice development recorded webinars.

Each is a recording of a slide show driven lecture, each filled with an abundance of practice information derived from in the field work – and plenty of slides!

Currently, you have to be active on a PM&A program. By this summer, these will be available on and individual basis for a small fee.

 Chiropractic CEO Webinars

 Creating your Dream Team Summary and VideoA virtual “live” interview with the doctor and staff of a true chiropractic dream team. Find out what they do to achieve high numbers, profit, and fun.

 The Fast Flow Practice CEO  -55 minutes webinar video and summary.
One of the biggest challenges in running and growing your business is the time it takes you away from seeing patients and from your family.  We have solved this with what we call the Fast Flow Practice CEO System.   A new system derived from old principles.
Management by the Numbers: 44 minutes – Summary and Video
Management is a subject that has techniques to help you go from where you are to where you want to be.  Management By the Numbers (MBN)  can be faster and more accurate than other forms of management, and help build staff morale and make it more self directed.

Capacity Constraints : 33 minutes – Summary and Video
Do you work hard but you just don’t get as far as you should? The reason may be that you are running into unseen bottlenecks that are choking off your production and suffocating your growth. This is the subject of Capacity Constraints.

How to Be an Effective Practice CEO  Video
If you are struggling with the ups and downs of a stressful practice, or have finally “settled” into a comfort zone producing much lower than you know you are capable of, this program is for you.

~~

Chiropractic Office Manager Webinars

 Chiropractic Manager Webinar – Roles and Goals  Summary, Video and Study Guide
What Are The Key Roles In Your Office? A hidden barrier in many offices has to do with confusing roles and job duties. Clear these up and see how much smoother patients and paper flow, and happier the team becomes.  Small office or big health business, clarify these 8 roles and the numbers will go up.
 

Chiropractic Manager Webinar – Job and Performance Reviews    Video
Employee reviews are often neglected, or are dreaded by employee and doctor. This webinar covers the basic steps to make them effective and positive for both doctor and employee.  Approx 37 minutes.

Chiropractic Manager Webinar – Motivating Your Staff – Video  Ms. Phyllis Frase shares 5 secrets to keeping yourself and your staff motivated.

 Chiropractic Manager Webinar – Team Meetings   Summary, Video and Study Guide. This is an overview of 8 essential actions to help you improve your meetings and make them faster, more fun, and more effective. Plus, different types of short meetings that your team can grow.

 Chiropractic Manager Webinar –  The Office Manager Job Description  Summary, Video and Study Guide. This class covers 17 essential duties of the office manager. Both the doctor and the office manager should watch and discuss these duties.
 

Chiropractic Manager Webinar-  How to Best to Train Your Staff  Summary, Video and Study Guide This webinar covers eight tips  to improve the performance of your team.  Training plays a big part in team building.
 

Chiropractic Manager Webinar– How to Hire the Right Team Member   Summary, Video and Study Guide.
This webinar  covers eight priniciples for hiring the right team member from knowing when to hire, who to hire and how to hire.
 

Office Manager Webinar – It’s All About the Patient, the Doctor and the MISSION [Summary, Video and Study Guide]
There are procedures to help the patients and procedures that help the doctor help the patient and then there is Everything Else.  Tips on how to deal with Everything Else. (30 minutes)

Office Manager Webinar- Part II – Tips and Tricks to make the office more efficient[Summary, Video]
Part II reveals tips and tricks of what an office manager can actually do in the office on a day to day basis to make things run smoother and  significantly improve the volume and quality of services. (55 minutes)

 Office Manager Webinar- Part I – Fundamentals of Practice Management [Summary, Video]
Part I covers the fundamentals of Practice Management (55 minutes)

 

Chiropractic Marketing Webinars

Innate Marketing  (55 minutes) – Webinar plus Summary.
There are stories that float around every now and then about how some offices can simply “think”  “New Patients” and they come in.
Are these stories an urban legend? A myth, or a fact? Can staff or doctors “concept” new patients in the door. Is this true? If so, how can you do this?  10 steps to help you generate more patient visits through “concepting.”

Chiropractic Special Promotions  (55 minutes) – Webinar plus Summary.
This webinar covers different promotions by month. You will learn 2-4 different practical promotions for each month of the year. More importantly, you will learn how to organize them so that they are time effective and productive.

Patient Retention – Summary and Video
If you understand the underlying basics of patient retention your appointment book should always be full.  Covered in this webinar is: Patient retention should be based on Principles – not gimmicks. Where are we you taking your patients? Why they quit?  The cost of not getting them there.

 Chiropractic Patient Education – Summary and Video (45 min)
We go over 7 basic strategies that cover the entire horizon of patient education and explain why it is so necessary to educate your patients if you want them to be healthier.

 Infomercials. – Summary and Video .
Whatever happened to Infomercials? They’re still around and they still work. And you can do them very inexpensively. You just need to know how. This webinar will give you practical examples and include forms for you to use in producing your own amateur and informational marketing that can help you create more new patients and keep the ones you have.

 Internet Marketing and Social Media. – Summary and Video . This webinar covers some fundamentals regarding social media, Facebook, and general Internet marketing. (35 minutes) (not yet posted)

 The Art of Spinal Screenings. – Summary and Video . Spinal Screenings – The Queen of External Marketing.  Everyone has done at least a few  spinal screenings. You have probably had some success with them. But how much better could you do if you knew the fundamentals of this time tested external marketing activity?  This is a three part series on spinal screenings. This session we will review the most fundamental principles of screenings. Get these, and all else will follow.(45 minutes)

 Scheduling Screenings and other External Events – Summary and Video .  How to Schedule External Events And Create External Referral Sources.  Types of events, Outcomes, Purpose. How to plan the events and get them scheduled.(30 minutes)

Marketing Tips: Earth Day, Spring Promotions, and other Tips – Summary and Video This webinar covers: Powerful internal marketing script, Report of findings referral procedure,  upcoming spring promotions, with special attention to utilizing Earth Day as an opportunity to promote your services.

Short Overview of Chiropractic Marketing Management with Some Marketing Tips – Summary and Video   This is a short version of marketing management and some tips for the upcoming months. What are the three levels of marketing?  What part does communication have in your marketing?  How to engage your patients in your marketing efforts.  Upcoming special promotions. (30 minutes)

Marketing Management, Part I and Part II – This is the longer version of how to manage your marketing, and why.

Chiropractic Marketing Management – Session I – Summary and Video The Why, What and How of Marketing. Getting your Marketing off the Ground. (55 minutes)

Chiropractic Marketing Management – Session II – Summary and Video  Specific Marketing Manager Duties – Your Job Description.  General Overview of the Most Effective Marketing Procedures in Each of the 11 Marketing Categories (55 minutes)

 

2013 Chiropractic Team Training – Live Teleclasses – at Petty Michel & Associates

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Ms. Phyllis Frase and Ms. Dana Pittner will be presenting 10 special training classes for chiropractic teams in 2013.

Petty Michel & Associates
Phyllis Frase and Dana Pittner
Chiropractic Team Teachers and Coaches

These classes will be offered free of charge when sitting in for the live session. (Fees may apply for viewing the archived edition)

Classes will be held on the third Tuesday of every month from 12:30 to approximately 1:45.

March 19, 2013- What Makes Chiropractic  So Special?
Getting Oriented With Chiropractic Basics: History, Science – Art – Philosophy, Key Terms.

April 16, 2013 – Extra-ordinary Service:
8 basic everyday actions to deliver WOW to your patients.

May 21, 2013- 7  Ways To Educate Your Patients During Your Day – And Why.

June 18, 2013- Over the Counter Collection
Strategies and Tactics.

July 16, 2013 – The Secrets Of Scheduling:
Cluster booking, and multiple scheduling the right way.

August 20, 2013 – Recall Systems that Work.

September 17, 2013- What You Should Be Telling Your Doctor.
What your doctor doesn’t know that you should tell him/her, and why.

October 15, 2013- Leadership Role in Chiropractic

November 19, 2013 – Purpose, Procedures and Checklists: How To Improve Your Skills And Success In Chiropractic.

December 17, 2013- Your Golden Future in Chiropractic

To Register Please Visit the Calendar of Events and follow the instructions.

For all classes register immediately by selecting the class(s) of your choice on the calendar and click the Register Now link below the class description.   You will automatically, via email, receive your special log-in access number where you can participate via computer, or by telephone only.

*** Each class will require a new access number and a new phone number. To attend the conference, all you have to do is call the number from any phone, enter the access number, and you will be in the class.

If you are a PMA client, you will receive  a special email during the week before the talk with the access number and new phone number. You can also find this information on the PMA Member’s web site at www.pmamembers.com.  It will be a posted a few days before the teleconference.

For questions, please give us a call at 1(414) 332-4511.  Or Email!

Faster To Tomorrow

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Road to Your Chiropractic Goals in 2013

It comes at you fast. 

The New Year. Like a fast train, you know it’s coming, and suddenly, it is already whizzing past you.

Actually, each year it comes by faster.  You may not have yet fully had a chance to finish all of last year’s work, or set your chiropractic goals for the New Year.  But nothing slows down the advance of this New Year – and before you know it, it will be spring.

And come summer and fall, what will you have changed in your practice? Probably not as much you would have hoped for.  Why? Because change is coming at you so fast it’s almost too much to keep up.

And it’s not just you that is experiencing change – our whole world is changing. Faster and faster.  The political noise and tumult we hear constantly are just the symptoms of the conventions of the old grating up against the realities of the new.

Ray Kurzweil, whose predictions have been mostly correct over the last 20 years or so, predicts that by 2045 we will have computers that will be able to teach themselves so fast that the speed in which they learn will reach infinity.  This is a very rough description of the Singularity he describes in his book. (The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology)

           “An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential…  There’s even exponential growth in the rate of exponential growth…  The twenty-first century will see almost a thousand times greater technological change than its predecessor…”     – Ray KurzweilSingularity

In other words, change is changing exponentially.

This New Year of change is faster than ever before.  But if we move way out beyond all the hue and cry of chiropractic philosophy, “evidence based” chiropractic, “injectables”, politics in and out of the profession, the rah-rah and rock and roll, there is a quiet universe waiting of healing and success which we may only get glimpses of.

In my opinion (IMHO) … it is a world which you, the chiropractor, have always been in. It is not a matter of reaching your goal as a healer. You are already there. Science in fact is catching up to what  D.D. Palmer talked about as the 19th Century rolled naively into the 20th.  Bruce Lipton, a professor in biology who once taught medical students at a medical school here in Wisconsin, after his research and similar epiphany, now teaches chiropractors at a chiropractic college.  He gave a wonderful presentation at Life West Presentation in San Francisco in 2012. I was there and heard him. (Spontaneous Evolution by Bruce Lipton)

Bruce Lipton

Bruce Lipton with Ed Petty
Ed Petty and Bruce Lipton

But the truth is, you, as a chiropractor, are already there. You have already ridden the wave and, to some degree, are on the other side of the Singularly.  You may not  fully realize this, the full power and truth of your profession, and I certainly don’t pretend to.  Well, maybe you do since you are reading this, but probably most doc’s don’t fully appreciate what they have with chiropractic.   But the Innate power defined and used by chiropractors is there. How else do you think it has been able to survive and persist over these 120 years through the teeth of vested interests and vicious and covert attacks – that still persist? (see Doctored, the Movie.) It is certainly not because of the great skill and effectiveness of your national or state organizations (not to discount the good work they have done here and there.)

 And this brings me to the point of this article: you have got to upgrade the architecture and skills of the management of your office.  So, while the healing aspect of your profession is, and has been, way ahead of the times, in many cases your management is not.  Military control of your staff, robotic scripts, referral gimmicks and other relics from the 60’s and 80’s have no place in the future.  Dr. Noope left the building a long time ago.  (Who remembers him?)

For you to succeed, your management and marketing has to be way ahead of the curve. The world is changing so fast that if you are not keeping up, patients will look for chiropractic offices that are.  It is that simple: lead from the future, or perish as an amalgamation of P.T., massage, and G.N.C.

It is now 2013 and by now you may have, or should have set some chiropractic goals for 2013.   The challenge now is getting there. This is also our challenge as Petty Michel & Associates consultants and coaches as well.

This year, our goal is to get you to your goals FASTER.

Faster to the future and faster to your goals. It is a challenge, but we have been developing newer and faster approaches that can help you (and your team) get more done quicker.

We want to help you get to tomorrow’s goals – faster and once there, help you stay there and enjoy the ride.  “Get There Faster and Stay There Happier.”  Yep, them’s our goals!

As the world speeds up and changes faster each day, we can whine about how we are being left behind, stoically assert our principles and pretend everything is just the same, or embrace the changes and in fact drive them forward ourselves.

On February 1st we will be announcing new management technologies to get you to your goals  faster and funner.  Or Funnier.

In either case, please stay tuned.

There is nothing like a dream…

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What will the New Year bring – for you, your family, and your business?

No one can know for sure.  But we do know this much – either you create it or someone will create it for you.

Your dreams count. They count more than anyone may have let you to believe.

All things are created twice. First you dream your dream, then you build it.

We’d like to help you build your dreams in 2013.  There is no getting around it – we are all in this together.

And, by the way, we want to thank you for your efforts in making this world a better place. We know how hard you work and the sacrifices you sometimes have to make. We also know that you aren’t always recognized for the good you do.

We know that the world will be a better place in 2013 because of your dreams and efforts.

So, here comes 2013. Let’s get busy – it will be a blast!

Chiropractic Health Never Takes a Holiday

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AUTHOR NOTE:  The links below are now working…. if you have a problem accessing, please contact Linda at 262-749-0221.

This is a busy season, isn’t it?

But, usually a productive one. Although there are the usual complaints, in the big picture I think we all do very well. For the most part, we accomplish many good deeds during this time.

First, there is the Spirit of Christmas – which is always a good thing. Regardless of how devout you are to Christ’s birth, different religions and different cultures recognize this time in their own way. We are all maybe just a bit nicer to each other, or at least called upon to think about having more compassion for each other.  Tragedies also remind us of this.   In my opinion, the Spirit of Christmas transcends all religions.

Then, there are the reunions. Family and friends get together. Hectic? Usually. Messy? Often. Sometimes agitating? Yes.  But still, it is a time for meeting together and talking and eating and sharing. And loving.

Did I say eating? Yes. That is usually yummy good, as long as we do not over indulge in too much or too bad food.

 NOW TO A PRACTICAL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SUGGESTION: Don’t’ forget to politely remind your patients – “This is NOT a time to fall off the Wagon of Health!”

Health Doesn’t Take a Holiday

Embrace this time. Have fellowship, share kindnesses – and have yourselves a Merry Little Christmas. But maintain your health and insist your patients do as well.

Keep them to their appointments and schedule them through January.

The links below direct you to pdf posters for examples.   They say: “Health Never Takes a Holiday.” You can place these on your front desk and in your adjusting rooms to remind patients to keep to their schedules and to get scheduled if needed.

Clients may go to their members’ site and pull down the same files as customizable Word posters. There is a link for that below.

If you are not a client and want a Word file, just let us know.  We will get you one.

Use them if you want, or make your own.

Also, just for fun there is a link to a poem adapted from “The Night Before Christmas”: “Twas the Day Before Christmas.” Not sure who wrote and would like to know for attribution.

Now, if you think about it, what is the most important element to real health care?

… (thinking)….

Getting adjusted? Eating right? Exercising right? Yes, all these and more.

But even more fundamental is doing them. And to do them, you need to schedule them. This is why I place such an importance on the dynamic nature of the Front Desk. If patients are not scheduled, they don’t come in, and nothing else can happen.  Too obvious, but often overlooked or under stressed.

In the real world, the best guarantee for chiropractic health is the SCHEDULE.

From all of us at PM&A

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, and
May your hearts be light …

–Ed

Health Never Takes a Holiday (PDF)

Health Never Takes a Holiday-2(PDF)

Links to the members site for the fully customizable version of Health Never Takes a Holiday. (You will need to enter your user name and password.)

Health Never Takes a Holiday (DOC)

Health Never Takes a Holiday-2 (DOC)

Chiropractic Christmas Poem – “Twas The Day Before Christmas”

 

 

 

A Real Chiropractic Dream Team

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How does a doctor get nominated by her community as Woman of the Year?

Eight years later, how does she get selected by her peers as Chiropractor of the Year for her state?

And then… a couple of years later, how does her office get selected by its town as Small Business of the Year?

How does this doctor raise children, be a loving spouse, sell a house, build a new one, take vacations, be involved in her community, yet see a high volume of patients? And all the while having a happy and stress free office. Oh, and also be quite prosperous?

How does she do it?

Is she a Super-High-Energy- Doctor and Outspoken Leader? Naw, not really.

Killer marketing, right? Nope. Good marketing, but, not the way most seminars teach it.

Good clinical services? Definitely. Excellent clinical care – but that still isn’t the key.

And there is a key. You can learn it and you can have it.

And if you use it, you too can achieve this too – but first you have to shed old beliefs of practice management, many of which are still taught. In fact, conventional management procedures are so backward in many cases that they don’t belong back in the 20th Century, but back in the 19th.

You may be unknowingly operating your business much like medical doctors did and do, or using a industrial model or even a feudal model of management. I have even seen some doctors use a military model for managing their office! Sir, yes Sir!

All of these models have had their time and place, but not in the here and now. And definitely NOT in 2013.

As an end of year, Christmas (and Holiday) gift, and one that can set the stage for your New Year, we are offering a free webinar this Thursday at 12:30 Central Time.

Meet the doctor, and her team for a lively interview and how they do it.

They are a truly a Dream Team. Not perfect – just working on it and having fun doing so.

I could tell you more about it now… and I want to. You can piece together some tips on how they do it from our blog, particularly the information about 3 Goals. But I don’t want to give away too much before the webinar.

Afterwards, definitely. But I really want you to hear it live – from the doctor and her amazing team.

Hope to see you there.

Best regards,

Ed

Webinar Thursday, December 13th, 12:30 Central

  More Info and Registration

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How To Make Your Dream Team

Your Chiropractic Office Dream Team

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No one succeeds by themselves.

Your success will be no better than the team you make to help you get there.

On Thursday, December 13, 12:30 C.T., we will be hosting a 55 minute webinar on how to make your own chiropractic dream team.

We will be interviewing – live – the doctor and staff of a true chiropractic dream team.

Find out what they do to achieve high numbers, profit, and fun.  You’ll hear from the doctor, the billing coordinator and office manager, the front desk coordinator, and maybe others.

Not only will you learn, but you will come away smiling – that’s how much fun they have!  But don’t be mistaken by their good spirits: they are all very productive and see lots of people every day.

We can learn from successes.

Register here:  How to Make Your Dream Team

PS This webinar is for your entire team! Come on over and join us!

PSS Oh, and there is no charge for this webinar. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

Get New Patients By Just “Concepting” Them

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The stories exist.

It is not talked about much. Most offices don’t know about it, and those that do, often just take it for granted.

But we have seen it happen and it never fails to amaze.

One office I worked with had been doing badly with new patients and office visits. It was March and numbers had been declining since the previous summer. They had tried about everything – new marketing procedures, new staff, but nothing was working.   It was a three doctor office – all good chiropractors and the support team was great.  But everyone was exhausted at trying to increase the volume. They all looked haggard and disillusioned.

The senior doctor and I worked out an ambitious plan to solve the problem. We decided to hold a staff meeting to go over our ideas with everyone.  The meeting lasted about an hour and a half. Everyone brought their lunch and we talked.  We discussed items on the plan and followed an agenda the doctor and I had put together. At the end of the meeting, the mood of the office seemed to change.

Then, the phone starting ringing.

Literally, off of the hook. Existing and inactive patients starting calling in for appointments. I remember that the front desk team scheduled at least 4 new patients before I left that afternoon.  By the time I left, what had been a sullen office in the morning was now an exuberant and festive party of healing in the afternoon.

I am really not exaggerating. Looking over their numbers at the end of the month, the doctor and I noticed that they had their best month ever for office visits and new patients.

Their success was not due to a new marketing or management procedures.  It was because of something magical.

This magical thing – you too have it. You have probably even experienced it a few times. It is not always easy to acquire, but never the less, it is there. If you can grab it, harness it, it will help you towards your dreams.

Our webinar this Thursday, November 15 will cover 8 solid steps to uncovering your magic that can help you boom your office – and your life.

The power that made your practice is the power that can heal and grow your practice.

Learn how this Thursday.

Register Now