Numerous Masters Circle members I have the privilege to coach are terrific chiropractors, better with their healing consciousness than with their entrepreneurial skills. Frequently, they are excellent clinicians, with smooth office procedures that lead to good patient compliance and efficient money management. The challenge for these doctors is attracting enough new patients or practice members, and in speaking with many practitioners who fall into this category, I have observed a pattern that may shed some light.
I started to ask them a simple question — how much time and energy do you invest each week on attracting new patients? I wanted to know how many hours per week are spent on goal setting, planning, self development in marketing and communication, coaching on refining techniques of new patient acquisition, interfacing with sources of new patients, asking for referrals — you know, all the various component parts of the new patient attraction process.
To my amazement, none of these doctors really knew. It’s not that they weren’t putting some time and energy into getting new patients — they were. But the logic here is unmistakable — the amount of new patients you currently attract is the result of your current investment of time and energy. What you see is what you get, for that application of your resources.
And the surest way to interpret the yield on your current efforts is to measure them — first to see how much time and energy you are actually applying, and evaluating if you think it is sufficient to bring about the return you seek. Second, it helps you troubleshoot what is working and what isn’t, so you can streamline the process and make it more time and energy efficient.
It may not feel comfortable to objectively analyze your new patient mechanism, but it can be one of the most productive things you can do. Most of us think we are spending more time and energy than we really are, talking to people about chiropractic or about becoming patients in our offices — but if you really look, you’ll realize how much or how little you focus on this critical factor. People must learn about the benefits of chiropractic, and by planning better and reaching more people, you can build a wonderful, lucrative practice that helps many and provides beautifully for you and yours.
Big businesses realize that they must spend significantly on marketing and planning to bring in new customers. Our offices are no different — if you feel you’d like to increase your new patient flow, begin by seeing what it takes to get the people you have now, and extrapolate to determine how much more you’d need to do to get the number of new patients you prefer. That «reality check» exercise alone can save you considerable time and energy, not to mention emotional duress.
There is a science to attracting new patients, and science starts with measurement. Be willing to measure what you do and calibrate it to prognosticate your successes. By adjusting the time and energy you invest to your desired outcome, you’ll become more effective at the new patient game.
Dennis Perman DC, for The Masters Circle
PS You’ve probably already heard about The Masters Circle Third Annual SuperConference — this one is going to be the biggest and best yet, with over 1900 already registered! This will be a tremendous program, with top shelf presenters, like Guy Riekeman, Wayne Dyer, Larry Markson, Bob Hoffman, Patrick Gentempo, Bill Esteb, Jack Canfield — what a line-up! Please call 800-451-4514, or visit our website at themasterscircle.com for more information or to register.
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