subject: Chiropractic Marketing Strategy - Change Your Practice In 7-days [print this page] Turning Any Practice Around In Just 7 Days
In just a moment Im going to hand you the seven step formula to turning ANY failing Chiropractic practice around in just seven days.
And I do mean ANY practice. Because it doesnt matter how long you have been struggling. How much debt you are in right now. What technique you use, how ugly you are or town you practice in.
Pretty big claim I know. Its difficult to believe, after years and years of struggling success can come in just 7 days.
But to paraphrase one of the kings of self-help, Napoleon Hill
When Success finally comes - it comes so quickly, easily and in such abundance you will wonder where it was all those lean years
I know that is not the exact quote. And yes, I could take a few minutes to google it. But one of the basic laws of success is to be more concerned with getting things done than getting things perfect.
Do I really need to get the exact wording of that quote for you to get my drfit? And yes I know I have a typo in that last sentence. It didnt stop you from getting my drift did it?
Listen this is important. A legendary mentor of mine told me frequently
PERFECTION IS RARELY REWARDED.
And based on my success, I would agree 100%.
I have lived by those words and had major successes because of it. Success that would have passed me by if had paused in an attempt to make things perfect.
Whatever perfect means anyway.
He (my mentor) also told me that a B level marketing piece that actually got implemented will beat an A level one that took months to perfect and usually never gets used.
READY FIRE AIM is my motto. I think there is even a book by that title now.
Bottom line: Stop meditating and thinking about whatever you are meditating and thinking about
And Go Do It!
When in doubt go do SOMETHING.
Turning Your Practice Around
In Just 7 Days!
First let me tell you a little bit about who this formula came from.
The user of this formulas name is Gordon Ramsey. You might have seen Gordon on one of his 4 television shows. He is the host of Kitchen Nightmares and Hells Kitchen
Kitchen Nightmares is a must watch for any business owner. I always wonder why when a free world-class business education if offered or free on television more business owners do not watch.
If the show was called Chiropractic Nightmares you would be more likely to watch. Thats the power of singling out a prospect and calling them by name. This is what we do with condition specific marketing.
But, as a business owner, you should constantly look at businesses outside of Chiropractic for answers to your problems.
This is where REAL breakthroughs come from. Because Chiropractors tend to do what other Chiropractors have always done.
And finding something that may be common in another type of business applied to Chiropractic can seem revolutionary.
For example I did not invent the second notice and final notice multi-step mailing idea.
That was already being used very successfully by the collection industry. And it had been used in that industry for YEARS.
But when it was brought into Chiropractic it was a smash hit.
What most Chiropractors fail to recognize is that all businesses are fundamentally the same. Products and services may change but the rest is very, very, very similar.
Mainly because your customers (patients) are human. And humans follow basic behavioral psychology. No one is exempt no matter how smart you think you are.
We all want to be loved.
To feel pleasure.
Avoid pain.
Want to be looked up to by others.
Want things we dont have.
Think the grass is greener on the other side.
Always look for a better deal.
Are uncomfortable of change and the unknown.
Tell white lies if we think it will help.
Second guess if we are making the right decisions.
At times, wish we were someone else.
Think others have it easier and envy them for it.
Know that there is untapped potential inside you that you are not using to its full potential.
Secretly worry if you are worthy of that success and if you can handle it if you achieve it.
That why these 7 steps that Gordon uses to turn failing restaurants around in just 7 days will work in your Chiropractic practice. Just about verbatim.
Gordon is working on his 25th restaurant, has multiple best selling books, four television shows and DVD series. Hes doing something right.
And hes handing you the steps to success he uses to go into a failing restaurant and turn them around in a week. And here they are
#1 Figure out what you are selling.
This is a BIG one. And I have found most Chiropractor THINK they already have the answer but have absolutely NO CLUE.
Here is why: The first thing Gordon does is he goes into the restaurant and has a meal. When he does this he observes EVERYTHING.
This includes how his phone call for the reservation was handled. How staff treated him walking in the door, being seated, serving him etc.
He also observes whats going on all around him. What are the reactions of other people in the restaurant the service and food they are getting. Is the restaurant full or empty?
Most of the time he is appalled at several things. What he is served as the main dish is usually unacceptable and there are not enough customers in the restaurant to make a profit.
Now heres where I run into problems with members.
Why?
Because they never want to admit their main dish stinks! Its impossible because you care about your patients and give them great treatments.
Well, to bad that has very little to do with your main dish actually stinking.
For example, lets say you dont like pickled pigs feet. If you are served pickled pigs feet at a restaurant there is nothing they can do to make your meal good to you.
And most Chiropractors
Serve Patients
Pickled Pigs Feet!
What I mean by that is: Most Chiropractors have a preconceived notion of what patients want and they give that to them no matter what.
Some thing patients want pain relief. This may ne true but it might not be true. It is your job to ferret out EXACTLY what they want and give THAT to them.
Other Chiropractors are not even interested in giving patients what they want. Instead, they are going to give them what they NEED.
This is a complete nightmare.
Patients are not your children. They do not want to be told (by your words or actions) that you know better than them and therefore will make decisions for them.
They dont care how much school you went to. What they care about is getting what they want. Read last months newsletter for more on this.
#2 Who is responsible for the failure
Gordon interviews the entire staff to get to the root of the problem. What he usually finds is there are very few if any employees that are really into the business. The rest are just showing up and collecting a paycheck.
Doing time.
These employees that are doing time are cancer to the restaurant. And they are cancer to your practice.
And the scary thing is: You only need ONE to kill your entire practice. Patients pick up their negativity instantly and negativity spreads much quicker that positive energy does.
Negative people are like an albatross around the neck of your practice and must be cut loose immediately.
But you must also look at yourself. Are you as positive as you could be? Are you delivering the best possible care and giving patients an experience they can not get anywhere else.
They can get a good adjustment or treatment elsewhere. Dont kid yourself. You need much more than that in todays extremely competitive market.
What sets you apart? What makes your experience unique? What makes you the Disney Land of Chiropractic?
Are you a 5 star fine dining establishment that people will line up and pay top fees for
Or Are You A Cheap,
Greasy-Spoon Diner?
Heck, you may want to be the cheap, greasy-spoon diner. And there is nothing wrong with that. But dont expect to make what a 5 star restaurant makes. And dont expect the prestige that comes along with it.
Moving right along to #3: Find out what your customers (patients) want.
I covered this a little in #1. You have to MAKE SURE you are actually offering patients what THEY really want. Not what you think they want. And not what you think they need.
That being said how do you find out what they really want?
One of the easiest thing to do is to ask them. Youll be surprised what people tell you. But, unfortunately, youll also be surprised what people WONT tell you.
For example, I read a statistic about 5 or 6 years ago that said more money is spent of pornography than on professional football, basketball and baseball COMBINED!
Now take it easy. This is not about pornography. It is about a very important point. And heres what that point is
If you ask people if they spent any money of professional football, basketball or baseball they would most likely tell you. Just ask them if they buy pornography and see what response you get.
Reality is much different than what people want you to believe.
So, How Do You Get Passed
Peoples Little White Lies?
The best thing you can do is read their credit card statements. Because thats what they are actually spending their money on. It doesnt lie. But since you cant read an individuals credit card statement you can check out lists.
The Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS) is the most complete publication of lists. And in this publication, you can see products people are buying, how much, price point and even how they bought it.
Basically, heres what you will find based on human psychology: People act (and spend money) on their desires.
Desires are the wants, needs, cravings, thirsts, hungers, lusts, etc. that drive people through life. Desires are physical - like desire to be thin, free from back pain etc. They are material like the desire to make a lot of money, have a big house, boat, expensive watch etc. And they are sensual like the desire for the touch of a loved one or the thirst for a cold beer.
These desires already exist. You cannot create them. What you must do is identify them, intensify them and fulfill them.
And heres something that will work extremely well for you: Take a few minutes to get to know your patients and prospects. Ask them about them not just about their condition.
Find out their wants, hopes, desires and dreams. If you take the time to figure those things out and figure out a way to give those things to them you will have patients for life. And more patients than you can ever handle.
#4 What is your signature dish.
You dont go to Ruths Chris for a burrito. Thats because Ruths Chris signature dish is steak. Steak is what sets them apart from other restaurants. Makes them unique. It is the reason someone goes there and pays top-dollar as opposed to going to any of their competitors.
So let me ask you what is YOUR signature dish? Why should a patient come to you as opposed to all your competition. Or doing nothing at all?
I cant give you YOUR signature dish. All I can tell you is you MUST have one. You MUST give prospects and patients a reason to choose you. If you do not have a good answer to that question you must ask yourself why you are in business at all.
#5 Simplify the menu.
Have you ever gone into a movie rental place , like blockbuster, walked around for 45 minutes and left with nothing? I had well over a thousand channels on my television. I cant tell you how many times I surf around and cant find anything to watch.
Great marketers learned a long time ago if you give people too many choices they will get frustrated and do nothing. Most people dont want to be confused by too many choices. So simplify it for them.
Just make sure the choices you give them are what they really want
#6 Systems
Once you figure out what your problems are and fix them the key to gaining the most success as fast as possible and repeating it for the rest of your life is SYSTEMS.
Once you have a procedure that works writing it down or video it. Make it so a new worker can read what you wrote or watch the video and they will be able to do it instantly.
Nothing should be left to chance. Can and clone everything that works. Get rid of everything that doesnt.
Heres a secret: Wear a recorder when closing prospects. Do this for many patients. Get them transcribed. Them look at the ones that turned patients into prospects. You will have basic scripts to close patients in the future you or your staff can use.
#7 Buzz on the streets
Gordon has his staff go out and hit the pavement. Hand out fliers and create a buzz about the restaurant. They do this all week and by opening night they have enough new customers to make things work.
In your case, I would make a buzz through your patient list. Host a special event and market it to your list. Email them snail mail them call them etc. Make it fun and exciting. MAKE A BUZZ!!!
People want to go somewhere and do things exciting and fun. Especially now with the crappy economy offer them something interesting they will enjoy for free and you will fill your practice.
One quick question: Does a Spinal Care Class sound exciting and fun to you. Heck, you are a Chiropractor and that sounds boring as hell!
Well, thats the formula. Pretty simple stuff, actually. But the real secret is actually doing it and doing it well, with enthusiasm and doing it consistently.
We humans are creatures of habit. Most people who lose weight eventually gain it back. Fixing your practice is not a short-term diet. If you want real success, you must decide to make a permanent change.
You must decide to NEVER eat Twinkies and ring dings again. Period.
Make that decision and your practice, income and life will immeasurably change forever.
