Big Practices Change the World

In Chiropractic we must master 3 domains of learning to truly affect large numbers of patients.  Most Chiropractors barely master the first 1 or 2, leaving them largely ineffective for the last and most important domain.  It is in this last and highest level that we are the most powerful when motivating patients to start and continue through our care.  In our offices we overcome the first 2 levels by mastering scripts.  Scripts are carefully thought out, well researched, precisely articulated slices of communication strung together to provide the exact experience you want to pass on to the patient.  Scripts sometimes get a bad name, as the Doctor fears being a robot; however, done properly just the opposite actually occurs.

Academic Domain

The first level we must master in Chiropractic is the Academic Domain or as we like to call it the Philosophy and Science.  Depending on the school, we mostly get this learning from our academic institutions and by reading the Green Books.  We also get this information by reading Chiropractic Publications, reviewing current research and attending seminars.  Most of us get this on our eight year journey to become a Chiropractor then we continually build on it each year.

Psychomotor Domain

For a lot of us in Chiropractic we call this the art.  This is where we apply what we learned so that we can facilitate healing.  As you know, there many different techniques in Chiropractic, most of which trying to reach the same goal, to remove interference, but we just go about it in a different way.  We learn a great amount of this in school and a great amount of this learning occurs through seminars and conferences for years to come.  This is where we are probably strongest as Chiropractors.  However it leaves us extremely myopic to the rest of what it takes to make a big difference.

Afferent Domain

This is the most important part of the patient experience by far.  This is where huge changes are made and big practices are built.  This level of learning refers to the listening, assessment, decision, and communication we must make in the moment when with the patient.   We also know every moment is different, very few patient interactions are the same.  We get different presentations, different questions, different objections, different reactions, crazy stories and so on.  Often times this domain is referred to as being present, however it is much more than just that.  Don’t get me wrong, not being present is a sure practice killer.  What patients want more than anything is to know that their Doctor cares about them.  We see this when the Doctor goes through a major life stressor, their practice drops, almost always.  Likewise when they are on purpose, their practices grow, often time without doing anything different at all.  However, as we layer judgment, decision and communication on top of this we are then in the zone.  The end patient experience is that they feel incredibly cared for as you swiftly assessed and communicated what was wrong, made the correction and effectively managed their journey back to health. So why do we fail so much in this domain.

Too many Chiropractors don’t own this last Domain.  They are too busy struggling to recall,  research or even make up their communication on the fly.  They are continually thinking about what they are about to say next and how to say it.  Then when they do finally get it out it has little impact as usually not even the sentence structure is correct.  The patient then loses confidence, and it is hard to retain them.

The Power of Scripts

This is where the power of scripts comes in.  Through power of scripts we are able to boil down 8+ years of  the Academic and  Psychomotor domains into precise impactful slices of communication, write it out and practice it over and over to drill this deep into our pre-cambric brains so we can recall it automatically much like riding a bike.  By doing this you leave your pre-frontal cortex uncluttered and most available to the patient visit.

You are not alone

We aren’t the only ones trying to do this.  In media, it is referred to as soundbites.   In public speaking, it is called vignettes.  In presentations, it is called talking points.  In Theater, they are called scripts. For these people it becomes essential as they can easily be distracted by cameras lights, makeup, temperature, crowds, etc.

Start with something easy

We have found that there are only 12 reasons why a patient doesn’t start care.  Gather all of the objection you get.  Boil them down to twelve.  Then when you have time free from distraction begin to think, research and write out the perfect response.  Then this must be practiced aloud over and over.  We do this through role playing patient visits.  Just remember how often you come home after not being able to connect with a patient, then the next morning in the shower you say to yourself “Darn, I wish I had said…..”

Onward and Upward…

D…

I have been underground for a while but finally emerged with some great news.  We were able to get a hold of some great technology that will transform the way patients interact with the Chiropractic office.  I am very excited to share this with you.  It won’t be fully released until October but there is a opportunity to help us finish it up.

Kaizen Wellness Goes Beta!

Kaizen Wellness in an Internet-based wellness platform designed to enhance and maximize your patients’ access to vital wellness strategies, tools and information, especially in between office visits.  The Kaizen Wellness experience begins with a comprehensive assessment of the six dimensions of well-being.  This provides the patient with an overview of their strengths and weaknesses, which allows them to set and track relevant goals as well as receive additional information and resources as determined by their doctor.

Connect Your Patients To Wellness

Dramatically improve the overall health of your practice by connecting every one of your patients to the wellness resources that you have defined.  By so doing your practice will experience an immediate increase in sales of the varied products and services that support your wellness programs.  Kaizen Wellness features built-in behavioral tools to promote change along with unlimited access to a Certified Health Coach.  Patients will stay engaged through regular challenges issued to motivate and stimulate participation in various in-office programs.

Be A Part of History

Kaizen Wellness is currently in Beta Release.  This means that the entire platform is fully functional and we are making minor adjustments over the next few months in an effort to maximize the patient experience.  We are allowing 30 clinics to participate in the Beta Release before we move into regular licenses.  As a Beta Release participant you will receive full access to the platform and can begin to optimize your practice experience immediately.

The Beta Release will be offered at a substantial discount as compared to our regular offering.  In return, all we ask of you is to provide us with your feedback.  We will have regular electronic surveys that will help is incorporate your feedback into the final version of the product.

The Beta Experience

Kaizen Wellness is completely built out and very functional.  What is left is all the little nuances that will make the user experience simple and elegant.  The beta member will receive huge discounts in exchange for valuable feedback.  When kaizen is fully released there will be a configuration and customization fees starting at $1000-2500 and monthly fees of $499.  As a beta member we will wave the configuration and customization fees and lock in a rate of $299 for 1 year after full release.

Click here to get started…

1. Reach – the amount of people that will get the information
2. Accessibility – ease of access to technologies that publish information, biggest barrier being money
3. Usability – ease of use of the technology
4. Recency – time line from creation to publication
5. Permanence – how long will the information stay in front of us

The below video is the perfect example of all 5 factors above.  Think about each of them as you watch the video.

After exploring these factors we discover that the mediums inside of Social Media completely allow us to tell the Chiropractic story and reach just as many if not more people than a Super Bowl ad for a fraction of the cost.  There is NO doubt that if we embrace technologies such as blogging, twitter, facebook, linkedin, etc that we can reposition and brand Chiropractic exactly how it should be.

Be Aware

Just as easy as it is to get information out really fast it can be just as easy to backfire.  For example you may have a blog where you post great information and research on the benefits of Chiropractic and you may even include some testimonials of patients that received great results but a quick Google search of your name now produces a myspace page that shows “other” recreational habits that you also enjoy.  The internet is very transparent!  Remember this as you are positing.  We don’t need to muddy our image any worse.

Branding YOU!

As we are setting up profiles on facebook, twitter and linkedin be sure to assume that anyone and everyone will have access to this information and that this will paint a picture of you.  Your “Brand,” which is your image combined with your  messaging, should be consistent across all of your technologies.  Your bio’s should be similar, your mission should be similar and your pictures should be clean.  As you are creating and contributing, imagine all the possible audiences not just the one you are writing to.

Again, we have an unbelivable opportunity, let’s do it right.

…darren

CoAction Software, American X-Ray and The Blair Chiropractic Society have teamed up this year to bring you the most amazing student opportunity yet.  This years conference will be in the swanky, upscale W hotel in Atlanta, GA.  You will be immersed in the most dynamic Technique seminar of the year.  You will learn the Blair Technique from Blair Instructor Icons such as Dr. Tom Forest, Dr. Todd Hubbard, Dr. Michael Lenarz, Dr. Meg Banitch, Dr.Drew Hall, Dr. Art Addington and Dr. Perry Rush all under one roof.

This year we are also focusing on the communicating the Blair and Upper Cervical message to create lifetime patients.  We are recruiting from outside the Chiropractic Community to present the most advanced system of communication specifically designed to stimulate a YES.  This is going to be a 2 hour workshop with specific takeaways that can be implemented on Monday.

This is also a great opportunity to mingle with the Blair Chiropractors that are out there making it happen.  Friday night we will gather in the loungy atmosphere of the W Hotel which is always a great opportunity to get to know your colleagues out in the field.

2009 Blair Chiropractic Conference

W Hotel

Atlanta, Georgia

September 18-19

FREE lodging to the first 40 registered students

Killer Banquet with an Awards Ceremony

www.regonline.com/blair2009

$75

Register NOW at www.regonline.com/blair2009

As soon as we hit 40 students Molly will email you regarding room assignments.

Looking forward to seeing you all there again!  I love Atlanta!

]]> http://www.ownyourdreampractice.com/Blog/2009/04/greatest-student-opportunity-ever-ever/feed/ 5 http://www.ownyourdreampractice.com/Blog/2009/01/where-should-you-put-your-money-in-2009/ http://www.ownyourdreampractice.com/Blog/2009/01/where-should-you-put-your-money-in-2009/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:55:06 +0000 Darren White http://www.ownyourdreampractice.com/Blog/?p=217

The real estate market has lost an average of 22% in 2008.  The stock markets were down 46% from their high.  It leaves you wondering, where should we put our money?

3 years ago I consulted with a coach from the Small Business Development Center, who helped me discover my I.R.R.  I.R.R. stands for Internal Rate of Return.  This set me on a very powerful journey that has surely proven true in this economic downturn.  Let me explain.

I.R.R is the return on your money that you put BACK into your business.  So instead of buying shares of xyz stock you go ahead and invest in your own business.  We will work on an EXPONENTIAL gain of your investment.  I know that will beat anything else you see in 2009.

There is only ONE way to grow ANY business.  It all comes down to this equation, which I have talked about previously.  Your business is always a product of the number of new clients, multiplied the number of times they do business with you, multiplied by the money they spend each time.  To put it Chiropractic Terms:

Your Money = New Patients(NP) X Patient Visit Average(PVA) X Office Visit Average(OVA)

We typically use these monthly terms;

NP = The number of New Patients you see in one month
PVA = The average number of times a patient will see you.
OVA = The average dollar amount collected for each encounter

These are the only three areas you can invest money in.

New Patients – Investing in this category might include screening at local festivals or expositions, putting an ad in the paper, telemarketing, website or online marketing, social media, Dinner with Doc etc.

Patient Visit Average – Investments here might be a Brican Patient Education System, upgrading the aesthetics of the office, Neuropathalator, or even just spending the extra dollars on upgrading your paperwork with Patient Media.

Office Visit Average – Investment here might include hiring a billing consultant for 3 hours to make sure you are charging for what you do, adding supplements or pillows for sale in the office, or maybe outsourcing your billing to achieve a higher collection percentage.

NOTE: Hiring a practice management coach may be able to help you in all three categories.  I have been in Five Star for 7 years and I am also a big fan of Dr. Dill’s That Something Coaching Program.

The Magic

It is easy to understand that if you invest in New Patients then you will get more new patients and receive a linear growth. NOW, watch this for EXPONENTIAL growth.  Let’s say we spend $1,000 per month attending festivals and screening events that gets us a mere 5 more new patients per month.  Then we invest $300 in Daniel Clark’s New Patient Book for each New Patient along with $1000/yr spent sending out a newsletter to tackle our retention (PVA) category.  Finally, we invest $1,000 in a billing and coding consultant to help us make sure we are billing correctly and collecting timely patient payments to increase our collections.

NP        X        PVA           X            OVA       =          $$

Last year        20        X         15            X             35         =       $ 10,500

2009             25         X         20            X             40         =      $ 20,000

We invested $14,300 distributed over each of the 3 categories to get a small gain of 14-25% in each category.  However the whole practice received an additional $114,000 in revenue for a near 100% return on our investment.  What other market are you going to see that in?

Onward and Upward,
Darren

I spent this last weekend joining the most recent graduates of Life Chiropractic College West as they celebrated their completion of the Doctor of Chiropractic degree.  Clo Lau, in her Valedictorian speech, referred to the journey as “bittersweet” which really set the tone for the weekend.  I was amazed at how intimately connected, philosophically sound and success driven these two classes were.  I am incredibly excited to see where this group of Chiropractic warriors takes our profession.

Everybody had a plan… and diverse these plans were.  I met graduates going to Spain, Brazil, Canada, England and even the beautiful St. Thomas!  I truly wish you all the best and just wanted to extend 5 of my most favorite reads I have had since Graduation.

1. E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber – Hands down the the first and foremost business book anyone should read.  Almost ANY coach, mentor or consultant will offer up this gem as a first read.
2. The Success Principles, Jack Canfield – This collection of success principles is a great overview of just about all the success habits one needs to lead our selves, patients, community and profession.
3. Richest Man in Babylon, George C Classon – If you don’t pay yourself first right from the start you will surely be challenged in the future when you are compelled to give back.  This short but profound read is a classic and an absolute must.
4. Book Yourself Solid, Michael Port – One of the best books on the shelf that outlines a specific plan to fill your office with well qualified patients that are compelled to refer.
5. The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki – Guy is a huge hero of mine.  I love to cross appropriate success principles in other industries and apply them to ours.  Guy is from the technology industry, but his message is SO Chiropractic and very consistent with the TIC philosophy.

BONUS

I am currently trying to get through what will probably end up as my most favorite read this year.  Tribes, by Seth Godin, is such a tiny book; however, every time I pick it up I can only get through a couple pages before I have to put it down because I just got so fired up to implement a new strategy.  There is NO fluff in this book.  In fact there isn’t even any chapters, just pure innate thought.

Call to Action

1. If you haven’t already, please download the Dream Practice Blueprint.  Not exhaustive but a great first insight into starting your Dream Practice
2. Check out Success Has a Reading List for more book recommendations.
3. Lastly, and most importantly.  This Blog is to serve as a conduit that directly connects successful Doctors in the field to students that are about to graduate, so YOUR success stories, tips and insights would be invaluable for the graduates behind you.  Please email me your success and comment here frequently, and each group will graduate stronger and stronger.

Final Words

In school you are charged with tasks to complete and hoops to jump through all of which have already been created and given to you.  You are given the syllabus, time line and most of the tools necessary to complete your degree.  Not that it is easy – it surely isn’t – but what you need to do is always in front of you.

In practice you are given nothing.  You are charged with the responsibility to create the tasks, figure out the time line and find the tools necessary to create the practice you dream of.

This is a huge blessing and opportunity.  In school you don’t have much say in the final product.  You trade input for a given and known path.  In practice, it is the opposite, you trade the known path for full control of design and final product.  You can now create exactly what you want, where you want it and even with whom you want it with.  I would take that trade any day.  It is certainly a tougher path and certainly not meant for all, however the rewards are that much greater.  Not many career choices allow for full expression of oneself with such a huge lasting impact on the lives millions in our world.

Some will associate, some will open their own practice, some will partner, some will teach and some will research, but ALL together you will form the next chapter in Chiropractic’s history.

Onward and upward,
Darren

The Dream Schedule Book

I am a huge fan of the enormous over sized appointment book on the front desk.  The dimensions of the book are 2′X2′ and my book is pictured below.  This was actually last Wednesday’s schedule. If you were working at the Front Desk, answered the phone, and were trying to fit a family of 4 into the schedule below you would probably not be alarmed and quickly schedule them in.  If a new patient called in you wouldn’t think twice about scheduling that person into the schedule.  If someone asked you how the day was going you would probably answer, “Well we’re steady.”  In other words you would not block the growth of that schedule in fact you will even try to pack it in more.  Nature abhors a vacuum.

How many patients do you think are on the schedule? First guess at the number then count. There are actually a lot more patients on their than it looks right? The power of perception.

Onward and Upward
Dr. Darren White

Blair Chiropractic Technique – Dr. John Hilpisch

N.U.C.C.A – Dr. Marshall Dickholtz

Orthospinology - Dr. Kirk Ericksen

Knee Chest - Dr. B.J. Kale
- Dr. Robert Kessinger

AO Technique – Dr. Donna Pontrello
- Dr. Stan Pierce

Follow the progress on Twitter

- check out this video if you are saying “huh?” right now

I have the honor and privilege to attend this meeting and would like to be able to keep you all in the loop as this meeting transpires. Thanks to the technology of twitter I will be sending out tweets(live updates) as the meeting progresses. You will literally be the first to hear. It will be just like you were in the room with us. Check out this video if you didn’t above and still think I’m talking gibberish right now.

Don’t be the last to find out! Follow me on Twitter (it’s free) it is as easy as 123.

1. goto www.twitter.com
2. sign up and update your profile
3. Follow drdarrenwhite AND make sure you turn on “mobile notifications”

Twitter has always been my favorite way to communicate what’s happening with the Dream Practice Blog and Dream Practice Social network. I also encourage you to follow the people below as they too have incredible nuggets to share throughout the day.

• joshkaufman – from Personal MBA
• JetSetLife – Where I learn how to travel
• CaliLewis – Geek Brief
• presentationzen – Where I get all my presenting skillz
• tferris – The smartest guy I know!
• MotiYogi – my beautiful wife’s yoga passion
• drendel – one of my associates who embraces technology (he needs to tweet more)

There are many other greats but this will get you started.

Never be left out of the success loop in this Chiropractic Blog again.

Onward and Upward,
Dr. Darren White

The Dream Practice Community – born Saturday, August 16th, 2008.

This community will serve as the perfect playground to simmer down ideas into ideals. This alliance will specifically bridge the gap between successful Chiropractors in the field with the eager Students in school ready to get a jump start on their dreams. As students, you should think of this as your Dream Team that will help you explode into practice. As a Doctor, think of it as a way to give back to the students and make sure our profession moves forward by making sure our offspring get out into practice successfully.

By Invitation Only

This is a closed network. Only Students and Chiropractors with a strong desire to take things to the top will fit this group. I have sent out an initial invite to those that have been most active so far. Please only invite those you know that would have an elevated desire to participate. If you are reading this Chiropractic Blog and feel like you would be a great fit for the group you may apply by sending me an email at drdarrenwhite@mac.com

Let’s keep the discussion going,
Dr.Darren White

There is no doubt that one of the hardest things to do in practice is securing high quality, high traffic screening events. One of the most effective screening tools we use is a health fair which could take months of effort to get set up. A local festival may cost a ton of money, but we get excited about our opportunity to be in front of a high volume of people. Then since we spent a significant amount of money to get into the event, we go ahead and justify more money so our booth looks great. We may go even further and hire greeters so we can cast a wider net. Then dream comes to a screeching halt with the worst words ever uttered at a screening.

Would you like a free spinal check?

With a question like this we immediately limit our audience. First, we lost our opportunity to engage our prospect by asking a yes or no question. With this question you allow the prospect to answer “no thanks.” Second, we are assuming that the public knows what a spinal screening is and when/if they should have one. Since only 12% of the population ever sees a Chiropractor, it is fairly safe to say that most don’t even know what one is. Lastly, we are not leveraging the context (environment) of the screening location.

Guy Kawasaki resurrected an article from last year that is packed with lessons of engagement and persuasion. Please read this story and learn how to effectively engage a prospect thought the entire sales cycle.

What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

Tell us your opening question in the comments below,

Onward and Upward,
Dr. Darren White