Tip #24

Some nights I was at my home office and just stare at the computer screen wondering what will come to mind to write about. I will flip to Facebook and see what my many friends are writing about and more often than not it is just a bunch of quotes which people are passing on. While I am a lover of quotes and I believe the quotes are a great source of inspiration from many learned and accomplished people. I would love to see more people writing their own quotes and passing on their knowledge and inspiration in wall is true that we can learn from these great people, I remember listening to Mark Victor Hansen many years ago during one of his seminars, where he suggested that people should write their own quotes and that you should write one quote a day and that if he took his advice in a very short period of time you would have your own quote book to pass on to others. I have taken his advice and although I have not done it every day I have certainly amassed a very large database of my own quotes which I posted my office every week. Patients love to come and MC with the quote of the week is and this has helped me pass on information in a passive way and has built celebrity not only inside of my office but many of my quotes have been published in local newspapers and magazines.I pass this little tip on and hope that you will give it a try. In the beginning you might find it hard to do with the more you write, the easier it will get. This is also a great way to practice condensing your thoughts into short little blurbs which your patients will find humorous and fascinating animal get them thinking about what you've said throughout the day and who knows maybe someday someone will be quoting you. Now that's cool

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Tip # 24

On yesterday's radio program-"the chiropractic business school" I spoke about how to think like an entrepreneur. I believe that this is the one quality which eludes many doctors of chiropractic and in fact is an element which many do not even want to have knowledge.

When you go into business, you are an entrepreneur. You have taken the leap from employee to employer are and although only one letter has changed in the two words, everything changes in the way you must now view, think of, and run your business. You're no longer just a doctor. You are a business owner and the job of a business owner is to make money in order to keep their business running.

In order to help my friends, I have created the chiropractic business school which although now in its infancy is gaining momentum in the field and building a steady following of clients who wish to learn the aspects of running a successful business.

Today's blog is gonna be very short. In fact I'm going to keep it to one line-that is "you will never succeed in business unless you learn how to promote."

Now you really didn't think I was going to stop there did you? I think there's a lot of confusion about the difference between promoting and advertising. Advertising is something you do in the newspaper or on a billboard in is a very passive way to bring patients into your office. You put the ad that and you hope that they will do the work for you.

When you promote, you do the work for your words and for your actions is a very hands-on approach to bringing the business to you. When you think about successful people and you wonder how they got the business that they have it is because they have become very good at promoting themselves and what they do and the key is that they believe in their product and they believe in themselves and then let people know what they do and how they can help them with the services and the skills that they have. While that was a long line and a lot to absorb so let me put it more succinctly "if you want to be promoted-you have to promote!"

Advertising is a sometimes thing-promoting is an all the time thing and is something which must be done on a consistent and regular basis. When someone gets promoted at work, they are elevated to a new status and to a higher level and in all cases it is the squeaky wheel gets the most oil. So get out there today and start promoting and start squeaking and if you do you will certainly be promoted to a higher position in your community.

That's all for today.

Steve Cagen

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Join us every Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM Eastern standard Time on blog talk radio at the chiropractic business school.

Tip #23

Due to speaking engagements, I have had to take a few weeks away. I have spent a lot of time writing and that is good because it generates new ideas and thoughts. Simply, the act of writing ignites your creative side and allows you to filter and condense your thoughts so they are easily understood.

I get my ideas from many different places; my own experiences, conversations with my wife, our patients, friends on facebook and other social media sites and divine spirit.

My wife (Dr. Nancy) and I are blessed to have the kind of relationship where we spend a lot of time talking. We love top be with each other, we love chiropractic and we love helping others. Today's tip could be written about on many different levels as the art of talking is a dying one.

Everything aside, today's tip is huge and discusses the one and only sure fire way to increase your patient, your ability to create wellness and wealth and how you can become the coolest office in your town.

Tip #23 - Connect with People

Right there is the biggest and most important tip you will ever receive from any mentor or self-help book. Bar none, your ability to connect with people is the single most important factor in achieving success an all areas of life - including your practice and will determine the number of people you are able to convert into patients - lifelong patients.

How you treat and interact with people (your ability to get people to like you) is imperative to your overall success and is a skill which can be learned. Now many seek outside solutions to an internal problem (sound familiar) to solve their practice problems. They look for systems and procedures and new forms and therapies while the whole time they have the answers lie right inside of them. Procedures are great and they are necessary but they are not the answer. Procedures and systems are secondary to you and your ability to create relationships with people. Procedures and forms only streamline the process so you can become more efficient thereby allowing you to serve more people in a shorter period of time however, if you can not convert people to practice members then no procedure in the world is going to help you see more people.

It all boils down to one word - RESPECT.

Your respect for the profession drives your underlying belief patterns about chiropractic which enables you to transfer your vision on to the patient.This is the starting point and as with all things, if you want to be successful, you have to start with step one. If you do not fully believe in chiropractic, its philosophy, and the power of the adjustment, stop right now and do a gut check. For students and new docs, I am going to put this very simply, if you want to reduce your learning curve and propel your office into the higher echelon of cool doc, you have got to OWN IT! That mean you live it and speak about it but not just speak about it - I mean speak about it. You know when someone is giving you a fake smile and people know when you are giving them a fake talk. The art of owning it come with time, practice and study but you can always tell the people who own it, they are the ones who are seeing a lot of people and a lot of families. They are the ones who are speaking and sharing with other docs. Owning comes with understanding. It takes time and requires that you make a decision. What kind of chiropractor are you going to be. Right now decide! Are you going to be a broke ass chiropractor who spends their day with a few miserable people and moans about how people don;t get it or are you going to be a chiropractor who loves going to work everyday where they are surrounded with loving caring people who bring their families in just for the health of it? You can be a Victim Vic, Mediocre Mark or a Cool Carl. You decide. While there are many difference between the three (which I will cover later), the main difference is in the philosophical belief patterns of the three and their ability to connect with people and transfer their visions. But, before you can transfer a belief, you have first got to have one yourself.

To respect the profession means that you hold yourself out as a chiropractor and that you are proud to be one. Again, this comes with loving who you are and what you do. When you own the philosophy and respect the profession you will have reached a milestone in your career and will have slain the one thing which prevents most chiropractors from being successful, namely FEAR. When you own it and it overtakes you body and soul, there is no room left for fear inside of you.

There is only one thing which can conquer your fear and that is respect (belief) in chiropractic and a strong sense of purpose and responsibility.

This respect for the profession filters down to how you interact with people. Ask yourself, why are you doing this? For some reason you chose to spend 9 years in school and hundreds of hours studying for boards. You have incurred massive amounts of debt and why? What are you going to do with the knowledge you now have?

It's cool if you want to do physical exams and ortho tests and the like but again where is the power? The power is certainly not in the exams or the forms or the systems. The power is in you and your ability to transfer your vision to people who are desperately seeking it. People want to know the truth and when you respect yourself, the profession and the people enough, you will speak it to them and they in turn may get it (more later) or they may not but that will not deter you you because you will believe so firmly in what you do and the PHILOSOPHY that you will be unshakable.

Tip # 22

As you know, educating patients is the easiest, simplest and most cost effective way to create a new patient referral funnel. If you are someone who is comfortable talking, then do what I do and everyday you will bet referrals from existing patients, who are your best source. They already know you, they like you and you have helped them. By educating them you turn them into referral giants. What I do is once I step foot in my office, I never stop talking, my mouth starts going a mile a minute and it never stops. Let's face it, most people are not going to just refer - it happens but most need education, prodding, reminder, ask, ask, ask, - education prodding, reminder, ask, ask, ask .....

Tip # 22 - Use everything at your disposal to educate

One of the greatest things about open room adjusting is that I get to educate lots of patients at the same time. Basically every moment I am adjusting or my wife is adjusting or we are adjusting together we are putting on a show. We are actors and in this type of setup, our patients are not only the audience but also become active participants.As Jimmy Durante said "everybody want to get into the act." Use that to your advantage and make your patients actors in your play. Make them movie stars in your screen show. Involve them and they will want to be involved.

Here is a simple way to get your patients involved:

Just yesterday I set-up a dedicated computer system in the "hot-seat" area. In our adjusting area we have three adjusting tables and ten seats which are separated only by a half wall. Up until yesterday our patients were educated only by a never ending parade of videos and posters and handouts and talk. Yesterday they got introduced to the great videos we are blessed to receive on a daily basis by our friends on FB. Yesterday morning I saw a very funny video as to why kids need chiropractic. It was sort of a montage of kids from Americas Funniest Videos.

Now some may have only seen the funny - but I saw the potential so I set up a touch screen monitor in the hot-seat area and as patients came in I would walk around and press the start button and tell them - this is why kids need chiropractic. Everyone would laugh hysterically (a great thing to have in the office) and at the end I would ask them if they got it. Whether they did or they didn't I would then get on my soap box and explain how childhood falls, led to subluxation if left undetected and uncorrected would lead to health problems - if not immediately, certainly int he future and then they would wonder where they came from. Everyone got it! Then came the close. Has your child or grandchild ever fallen down or been hit in the head with a soccer ball or slipped on the ice .....? Of course they have - Every child has! Then I would ask if they were going to let their go through life subluxated and suddenly everyone was making appointments for their kids to get checked. They did get it!

Now we are good at getting referrals but suddenly we were on to something. By the afternoon the computer screen had little tic messages hanging off of it people were getting it. New patients were being booked and it did not cost us a dime. We just used what we had.

What is in your office right now that you could use to create referrals. To get your patients involved - involve them in every way possible. Utilize all of their senses. Hand them something, tell them something and show them something. Have fun with them! Use what you already have at your disposal. A computer is cheap and is a great investment. Many people get bored by watching and listening to the clinical end but they never tire of funny.

There are opportunities everywhere - see them - use them - share them.

Here is a link to the video: http://www.facebook.com/drcagen?v=feed&story_fbid=371436377859

Tip # 22 - Use everything at your disposal to educate

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Dr. Steve will be speaking at Sherman College Lyceum on May 22nd. I hope to see you there.
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Inventory Blowout

Successful DC is blowing out the last of our famous Ultimate Success Journals. Now you can get this Ultimate Life Planner for only $29.95 +s/h (thats a $50.00 savings). There are still 10 months left for you to plan for your success. Take action.

You can also get our Ultimate 13 month marketing calendar for only $14.95 (reg. $49.95)

Or order our complete success series which includes one of everything above along with a copy of my new book - How to run a really cool practice and make a really big profit for only $49.95!!

Supplies are limited so take action. Email me at drcagen@citcom.net and I or someone from my staff will call you. Or, call my office directly at (828) 885-7100

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VIP One-on-One Coaching

We now have two slots open in our online coaching program. You get my personalized attention everyday for 90 days. I answer your most pressing questions and give you a behind the scenes look at how to build a successful, financially profitable practice. These seats do not open up often and they are being offered to you first. Visit http://successfuldc.com/coaching.html for more info.

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Tip # 21

Tip # 21 - Keys to a Successful Practice

So today let's talk about a few things you can begin doing immediately to jump start your practice and build it up rapidly.

1. Be a chiropractor

Fall in love with chiropractic and pass the message on at every possible moment. Your level of intensity is what will generate new patients and referrals by the boatload. You can not be monotone in your actions or in your voice. People want to feel your enthusiasm. They want to be set on fire by your passion and they want to know that chiropractic is the best thing they can do for themselves and their family.

2. Get know in your community.

This is one of the simplest, most affordable and easiest forms of marketing and is one which will provide you with many more new patients than an ad in the local newspaper. It is also the longest lasting form of advertising. It is called relationship adverting. Get known as the local chiropractor in your community. It is really a fun way to advertise because what you are doing is going out, having fun and making new friends. People refer to people they know and like. So get involved - it pays off in new patients and friendships.


3. Market and be consistent in all of your efforts

Unfortunately we still have to market ourselves but the truth is - we do. Accept it, and do it. The key to marketing is consistency. It is never ending. Develop a marketing plan and stick to it. The real key to marketing is to market who you are. This will attract the patients who want to be in your office.


4. Educate your patients to be referral machines

Very few patients will refer if you do not educate them about chiropractic and how chiropractic can help. Share the success stories and then teach patients how to share them also. Do your patients know what subluxation is how it destroys life. Do they know it helps children with earaches? Pretty basic stuff. The key is to talk to them on their level. Throw out the doctor jargon (except the word subluxation) and tell them that when the bones are subluxated the bones decay and start closing the little holes where the nerves come out .... Simple is best.

5. Ask for referrals

When a friend asks for your help, do you ever say no? Not usually and your patients are the same way. Develop friendships with them and then ask them to refer. It's so easy to get referrals when you say to a friend (patient) John/Mary, I need your help. (remember, don't be monotone) and then fill in what you need. HAVE FUN WITH THIS!

6. Have Fun

You chose to be a chiropractor so don't bitch about the medical doctors or people not understanding, blah, blah, blah. People will only be as excited as you are. So the key is to just be you. I LOVE to have fun. Whether I am at work or at play, I LOVE to have fun and I carry this over into my practice everyday. My wife Dr. Nancy loves to have fun and so does my super CA and we all give each other the latitude to do so. If I had to go to a boring office which plays elevator music and has patients in a waiting room reading people magazine I would shoot myself. Chiropractic is a celebration of life and when you think of it this way, everyday can and will be a joy. Initially patients come to you because they hear you can help them and they stay because you delivered on their expectation and because they like you. You can have fun and stay professional! I love to sing and adjust and have fun with the kids and tell jokes and give hugs. That is my kind of practice and people flock to it because we make it an experience for them. We are not being phoney, we are being who we are. Our dog is at work with us and we have a big popcorn machine in the office and some may look down their nose at this type of practice but we are having a ball and seeing more people than all of the other chiropractors in town put together. You only have one shot at life - make the most of it.


7. Be organized

I can't stress this enough. If you want to be seeing BIG numbers, then you have to be organized in everything you do - from adjusting hours to paperwork. When you are organized - life is more fun.

At Successful DC, we help chiropractors achieve more fun and higher levels of success than they ever though possible. If you are looking for a coach who has been there and is doing it everyday, visit our website and look into our VIP One-on-One coaching program. It is affordable and is guaranteed to help you develop and reach the levels of happiness you deserve - in life and in practice. www.successfuldc.com

Tip # 21 - Keys to a Successful Practice


Have a great day,
Dr. Steve
Your daily Success Coach

Tip # 20

Well I am back and supercharged. The reason I have not written recently is because I do everything in blocks. I find that is the most productive method for achieving high levels of success because I am able to focus all of my energy on writing or promoting or organizing during the "on" block and I can relax and recharge during the "off" block. Six weeks on - two weeks off. During the "off" time I am still at work because I am a chiropractor 24/7 but since I have so much in play during the "on" periods, the residual effects of what I have done floats me through the "off" period. The off periods also give me time to reflect and review the direction and efforts I expended during the past "on" cycle and allows me the opportunity to alter or redirect my efforts and direction - if needed.

Tip # 20 - Reflect on your Past Successes and Learning Opportunities

Today ends one of my "off" cycles and boy was it needed. During this time I had the opportunity to review my past performances and forge new alliances. I recreated the Ultimate Travel Card - one which incorporates everything necessary to stay current and in regulation with all insurance companies and I created a new seminar company with a great friend of mine - more info on that later.

Every day gives us the opportunity to reflect not only on what we have done but more importantly where we are going. This is where you need a life plan. You life plan is your guide to not only where you are going but it is also your accountability partner one which gives you the opportunity to gauge how well you are moving towards your goals.

where has your life/office plan taken you? If you are not achieving the level of success you deserve from yourself, your staff and your promotions, take a day to review why not. If you need help, ask for it. that may mean hiring a coach (check out my VIP One-on-One Coaching, or you may just need to tweak your office training schedule.

The first step is to really sit down and do a self-analysis and then to move on from there.

Successful DC offers simple solutions for your most pressing problems.

Tip # 20 - Reflect on your Past Successes and Learning Opportunities

Tip # 19

If you did a Valentines promotion, has the excitement died down or are you still receiving calls from people asking if they can take advantage of your special introductory price? Hopefully you are still building momentum and capitalizing off of your past events. The key in marketing is to build momentum and then to keep building it while still capitalizing off of past events. I expect I will still be getting new patients from my Valentines promotion for months to come. Yes, even if the event is long over. I will still honor the promotion and accept new patients and referrals from it.

Tip # 19 - The Promotion is Never Over

Here is an interesting thought, one which first caught me by surprise when I first heard it "you don't get rich from the first visit" and to that point let me assure you it is true. The real reason you are promoting is to get yourself know in your community. THIS will bring you new patients. This is achieved first, by branding yourself in the light you wish to be known. Are you the pain office or the family office? You can not be known as both so brand yourself carefully and create yourself around your brand. You will then need to carry this through in everything you do and in every way you advertise. Your brand is found on everything from your letterhead to your billboard or how ever you promote. People will either buy your brand or they will buy someone else's. Thats cool. You only want those people who are congruent with your brand. It will make you happy and it will make them satisfied. Staying true to your mission and your identity will create fun, happiness and patient retention.

If a new patient calls and asks if you will honor a promotion from last month or last year, say YES, of corse we will. You mission is to adjust as many families as possibly in your community, so stay true to your mission. A complimentary exam or $35 x-rays is only the portal which then allows you the opportunity to educate a person about chiropractic. This simple gesture could translate into a huge income for you (lifetime family) and a lot of good will and referrals. So, think about it - you do not get rich from the first visit but the first visit can make you rich.

Put out promotions, brand them the way you want to be seen and accept them even if they are expired.

Tip # 19 - The Promotion is Never Over

Tip # 18

So Valentines Day is over (as far as marketing and promoting are concerned). Did you flood your office with new patients during this huge promotional opportunity or did you let it slip by? The answer of course depends on whether you were prepared or even knew that this was a huge promotional opportunity and if you did know, did you psych yourself and your team up to take advantage of it.

Opportunity presents itself everywhere. It show up in many different shapes and forms but there is a constant involved here - your ability to recognize it and then to take advantage of it. Before you can take advantage of an opportunity - you have to be prepared. Some opportunities are very visible - like a promotional holiday and others you just have to create; ie: the old patient you see walking in the supermarket who you reactivate. Some come knocking at your door and others you have to seek out. You have to recognize this fact and become good, or let's say great at being able to take advantage of either.

High volume, wildly successful offices are masters of both. They are marketing machines. They not only capitalize on opportunities which present themselves but they also create opportunity - either way, they are prepared.

Tip # 18 - Be Prepared

To prepare for opportunity is a continual effort (note the word effort) and requires that you study and practice. You have to:

Believe that opportunity exists and develop an attitude that if it is not knocking at your door (which it rarely does) you will go knocking at its. As Hannibal said when he was crossing the mountains, "we will find a way or we will make a way." If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. There are very few standouts in any field. you have to want to be one of them means you have to work or prepare harder than the others, you have to work smarter than the others and you have to train yourself to not only see and create opportunity but more importantly, you have to prepare yourself on how to seize it when it show up. That requires significant training in many different areas including marketing, public speaking, computer graphics, writing and communications, sales and selling, confrontational ability, self-confidence, goal setting, organization, future planning, focus, technique, visualization... They have mastered the Creative Principle.

Opportunity often shows up as hard work in disguise. It has been said that when the student is ready - the master will appear. Keeping that in mind let's look behind the meaning - When you begin to study and master the techniques to preparation, your self-confidence goes up and the more you practice what you learn, you ability to greet opportunity will rise or the level at which you grow to will determine the level of opportunity you will be presented with or will be able to see. High volume offices are no better than you are, they are just more prepared so they are trained to see opportunity where you may not be and they have perfected their ability to turn opportunity into new patient appointments.

So how do you create opportunity?

You plan for it and you plan for it well in advance. This is where a marketing calendar come into play. A marketing calendar gives you an outline and an organizational plan. Consider it an opportunity creator. If you do not have one, just email me at drcagen@citcom.net and I will send you one free of charge, just pay for the shipping. This is a $49.95 value, yours free just for asking. This is an opportunity! Did you see it and will you take advantage of it? I am offering 5 of these calendars to the first five doctors to reply to this offer. There are a limited supply and this opportunity will run out when the supply does on on Feb. 14th, 2010 whichever comes first.

So right there in the last two lines were a few tips. I created an opportunity for you and I put a limit on it. But, more than that, if you take advantage of this offer I am prepared to parlay this into another opportunity. If you take advantage of this opportunity, you will see what I am talking about.

Other things you can do to prepare yourself to create and capitalize on opportunity are:

Join a Toast Masters group in your area - They will teach you to prepare, organize and deliver high quality talks.

Read books and listen to motivational books and tapes. Train your mind and your actions for success.

Attend Chiropractic conventions and seminars. This breeds camaraderie.

Learn your scripts word for word. When you have a script and use it you create an air of professionalism and you are always secure in the words both you and your staff are using. This is training!

Create a goal journal and create daily success questions to keep you and your team focused on the mission. The Ultimate Success Journal for Chiropractors is the best tool available. Why waste time and effort recreating a tool which is readily available? www.successfuldc.com

Hire a coach......

The list could go on and on but for today, let's just end here for now.

Tip # 18 - Be Prepared

Successful DC offers high quality, inexpensive success tools and coaching for chiropractors around the world. Visit www.successfuldc.com to learn how to turn your practice into the practice of your dreams.

Tip # 17

One of the coolest things and something I really love is when the office is just jumping with kids. I mean there is nothing better to me than when I see a car pull up and four kids jump out and then another one and another one (my adjusting area is glass windows on three sides so I get to see the beautiful mountains and the parking lot while adjusting). I know all heck is about to break loose and something beautiful is about to happen. Then here they come, all running to see who will be first on the table(s). The one who don't make it on first play with our dog and others run over to the popcorn machine. There are hugs, and laughing and a lot of great life enhancing chiropractic adjustments happening. For most families that visit our office, we ARE their primary care physicians - and that is cool!!! So, how do you get children and families in your office?

Tip # 17 - Promote, Talk, Educate and Act Like a Family Chiropractor

If you want to see children (lots of them) in your practice and become the "family" chiropractor in your town, then create your practice around families.

Promote yourself as a family chiropractor and let the world know that you see children
Design your practice around families and make it children friendly
Put up posters that promote family and child care
Take pictures of the children you adjust and hang them on the walls
Create a kids play area and keep it clean, fresh and current
Build and promote a chiropractic library complete with reference articles
Have a YOU Tube station which shows kids being adjusted
Do family health talks
Ditch the white coat for something more kid friendly
Learn some kid jokes and use them - a lot
Talk to the kids on their level
Be interactive with the kids and send them to the front desk to make their own appointments
Ask kids if you can come speak at their school or in their class
Attend their plays or dance recitals or sporting events
Have a kids day
Educate the kids - educate their parents - educate their grandparents - educate their teacher
Create family plans
Send birthday cards
Learn a magic trick or two
Get an office dog
Watch MTV or some other kid shows
Be current on kids music
When explaining an x-ray or doing a ROF - direct your speech to the child
*** Ask mom or dad why their child is not being adjusted ***

If your sign says "Pain Clinic", those are the patients you will attract. If your Yellow Book ad has a low back with a lightening bold going through it, that is what you will attract. Think about it - How you hold yourself out, is how people perceive you.

You have the power to create the practice you want.

Tip # 17 - Promote, Talk, Educate and Act Like a Family Chiropractor

Want to learn how to run a really cool practice? Order my new book at www.successfuldc.com

Tip # 16

So Zone 1 is clean and organized and your CA is answering the phone like a pro. Remember, the CA's job when on the phone is to schedule new patients when they call, to remind people of their health care goals when they call to move or cancel an appointment (a missed appointment can never be made up), to call patients who have missed their appointments and to schedule as needed (among her/his many other tasks).

Let's think like an entrepreneur today and run our practice like a business.

Tip # 16 - Think Like an Entrepreneur 2

Not only does the front desk CA need to be trained on how to answer the phones, but she also must be taught to think of the front desk as a business all unto itself.

When a patient comes to the office and has their initial consultation, x-rays and exam they then move onto the report of findings process and will eventually commit to some sort of schedule whether it be a corrective schedule or a symptomatic schedule. This will depend on many factors (mostly it will follow the doctors philosophy and ability to educate and sell them the package which is right for them, but let's suffice to say that they will be coming more than once).

I always, always, always tell people not to miss any appointments because they are designed in a certain way so as to receive the best results. I inform them that if they miss any appointments, they will not get or see the results we have outlined together to meet their goals. Together, we create a goal plan for the recovery of their good health. Since we are working as a team, their responsibility is to make ALL of their scheduled appointments and to perform the exercises or traction homework I have given them but their main responsibility is to just show up.

This is where the truth and your entrepreneurial or business spirit must come in. People will miss appointments if you have not stressed the benefits of what you do, strongly, loudly and with passion until they get it and even then things will come up where they have to miss or reschedule.

A missed appointment has more ramifications than you think. The patient loses momentum in the healing process which sets them backwards, it breaks the promises you made in the beginning to each other and makes the appointment breaking process become easy - in fact, some will break the first appointment and promise to come in next week but will not. If you do not have a follow up procedure in play, you will forget all about them and three months down the road you will think about them during lunch and wonder where they have been. Now they are no longer a new patent, they become a reactivation or they may now forget about why they came in the beginning and having never gotten the full benefit of your care they will say "oh. I tried it and it does not work." So now instead of turning someone on to chiropractic, you have create someone who thinks chiropractic does not work and that is a terrible thing.

Not only that but let's get back to the business end of things. When a new patient or current patient misses their appointment, simply put, the cash register does not ring. Remember, this is a business and the more the register rings, the better off everyone is. Every time the register rings, another patient has been helped and you are able to pay your bills or add to your savings account or buy a new property or open another office....... The patient is happy, you are happy, your family is happy and so is theirs. Yes, their family is happy every time they get adjusted. Think about is. When someone is in pain, it not only affects them but it also affects everyone around them.

So, think about your practice like a business and train your CA on how to politely and firmly remind patients that they must keep their scheduled appointments even if it means shuffling other appointments around or coming in later in the day -that same day, because an appointment missed can never be made up - their health and recovery schedule suffers and so do your daily receipts.

Would you like more personalized help? Visit www.sucessfuldc.com and look into our VIP One-on-One web based coaching program. It's personalized, affordable and will help you get the register ringing.

Tip - # 16 - Think Like an Entrepreneur 2

Tip # 15

So Zone 1 is clean, organized and expressing chiropractic to everyone who enters the front door. Awesome. But, let's take another look just to be sure. Your office is an outward manifestation of your chiropractic and personal beliefs (possibly, if you are congruent in thought and action) so make your office true to whom you are but make it chiropractic.

I received one of the greatest compliments yesterday when my flight commander from the Asheville Civil Air Patrol came in for an adjustment. He is a new patient and like myself, a real New Yorker living in the south (and loving it) The first time he walked in, he was amazed. He perused the walls and everything was screaming chiropractic. In our Zone 1, we do not have testimonial books, we have testimonial walls. That's right, when a patient makes a testimonial type comment either before during or after their adjustment, we hand them a magic marker and ask them to write it on the wall (more later). He then came back to our open style adjusting room and there were kids running around and people being adjusted and everyone was laughing and talking with each other about their chiropractic experiences. To me, this is my dream practice. As he was leaving, he looked at all of us and said "I have been to a lot of "Family" chiropractic offices but this one truly makes you feel like family. It is like meeting a friend in their living room. He gave us all a hug and left. I hugged my wife and team - we truly have created our dream practice but is all begins in Zone 1 with the initial phone call.

Tip # 15 - The Initial Phone Call

There are probably no less than 25 procedures which go into making a dynamite front end, one which is congruent with your mission and is able to capture your vision and pass it on to patients. This is where is happens docs. Zone 1 can make you or break you. The right person behind the front desk and on the telephone is invaluable. They are the first people people talk to, so they are the first impression people get of your office. They are also the first and last person patients when they enter and exit your office. Give serious consideration when hiring your front desk person. I love mine and would not trade her for anything. Why? Because she has the vision - everything else can be taught.

As you may notice in my writings, I jump around a lot. The reason is because procedure is so technical. It is black and white and while running a practice is A LOT of black and white, it is more about feeling and passion and vision and leadership. It is philosophy and understanding and caring and compassion and motivation. To be clique, it is much more of an inside - out thing. When you get it, they get it. When you get the internal message and can act on feeling and passion, when you understand what chiropractic truly is and you then pass that on so others can feel it, all the rest are just words to memorize and organized tasks to accomplish.

This is when scripts come into play. In our office, a new team member is not allowed to answer the phone for at least two weeks. We are very protective of our reputation and since we know that new patients (and other chiropractors) are judging us every time the phone rings, we demand excellence on the telephone and in all zones. The new team member is given a script and a time frame in which to learn it. It they do not have it down in that time frame, they are not on board with our vision and they are released - but it is not a secret to them. They are forewarned. They must not only learn the script (word for word) but they must also hear our Super CA say it a few hundred times during the learning process. Then they have to pass a test where we call the office and pretend to be a new patient. We listen for voice inflection and passion. How is the tone of their voice, does it go up and down in the right spots; is it confident and does she/he follow the script word for word. As with all scripts, you may think they sound canned and phony - but they do not. The caller never has any idea they are listening to a script, they only hear a polite, confident and organized voice at the other end of the phone.

When a patient is moving, the first thing we do is call around to find them a new chiropractor and believe me, your CA will determine if you get one of our patients or not. If I hear "doctors office" and then silence, I just hang up. How yucky and uninviting. New patients feel the same way although by now, many have been conditioned to this type of experience. Instead, to stand out from the crowd, make every experience, starting from the first phone call a WOW experience. Let the caller hang up going "Wow, that was an amazing person I just spoke with. Make them want to come to your office.

Our CA Sabrina, starts each call with "Thank you for calling Cagen Family Chiropractic. This is Sabrina. How may I brighten your day? Isn't that awesome. The responses she gets are amazing and she immediately puts people at ease. They are having a WOW experience and they are just 16 short words into the process. Patients now know who she is, who we are and they are speaking with someone who wants to brighten their day. Who the heck ever speaks with anyone who wants to brighten their day? It is unique and totally appealing.

She then asks when the last time they saw the doctor was to determine if they are a new or existing patient and then asks if this appointment is for them or their entire family. Awesome. They now know we see entire families.

She then seeks to find out how they were referred to our office (so we may thank the person for referring) and then goes on to set the appointment. She asks for the correct spelling of the persons name, repeats the appointment time to them and wishes them a great day.

She has created a WOW experience. Today, create a wow experience for your patients. It starts on the telephone. More Zone 1 tomorrow.

PS. If you want to hear her, give her a call at (828) 885-7100. While you have her on the line, you may want to order a copy of our Ultimate Success Package. For Valentines Day, I am offering a copy of my Ultimate Success Journal, Ultimate Marketing Calendar and my new book How to Run a Really Cool Practice and Make a Really Big Profit for only $99. You will discover in a future tip the value of self-promotion. Have a WOW day!

Tip # 15 - The Initial Phone Call.

Tip # 14

When you open the front door to your office today, as soon as you take your first step inside, stop for a moment and look around. As we begin the procedure of breaking our office down into zones, let's start with the front door which leads into Zone 1 (the front end).

If you are the first person to arrive at your office, flip on the light switch (or mash it, for my southern friends) and just look around. How does Zone 1 look to you? Are the counter tops cluttered with clipboards and pictures? How is the cleanliness and organization? Is your reception area cluttered with People Magazine or with current chiropractic literature? Do your posters communicate a chiropractic message? Is there a referral board posted somewhere near the front-desk welcoming all of your new patients along with a board thanking those who have referred?

Tip # 14 - Zone 1

Come in and look around Zone 1. This is exactly what your current and new patients see as soon as they walk through your front door. How does the office look to you. Believe me when I say, you do not need to spend $20,000 for a front end desk with glass and chrome and places to put your brochures. You will not get anymore referrals if your pictures are double matted and hung in a $200.00 frame. These things are great, when you can afford them. This could be tip #15 mixed in here, but for now, let's just say, it does not matter how much your office cost to put together. If you can afford all of the fancy bells and whistles and they make you happy, go for it. Personally, I take the extra money and buy another piece of property but that is for later.

For now, let me assure you and re-emphasize that you do not need a lot of money or a big fancy office to see a lot of patients, you only need passion, drive, desire and skill and all of those things are free - in fact, you already posses them, you just have to develop them.

So back to zone 1. How does the office look? Have the rugs been vacuumed? Floor swept. All brochure holders are full, pictures are hung level, chairs are straight and everything promotes chiropractic. Most patients come to your office totally ignorant about chiropractic and in most cases this holds true even if they have been to a chiropractor or a few chiropractors before. It is YOUR job, YOUR mission and YOUR responsibility to teach them about what chiropractic truly is. HINT BOMB: THAT IS HOW YOU RUN A HIGH VOLUME, HIGH PROFIT OFFICE - YOU ADOPT THE ATTITUDE THAT IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT CHIROPRACTIC and then you act and promote in a way that will make it happen - nuff said.

I could stop giving tips right now because that is the only one you will ever need but let's get back to the rest of the stuff.

If you are satisfied that your front end is clean and promotes cleanliness and chiropractic in all ways possible, walk around the front desk and look around. The same hold true in the back of Zone 1. Clean, organized, prepared and promoting chiropractic but now take it one step further. Let's get Universal here for a minute. Since we know that everything has an equal and opposite reaction and that everything we put out of our mouths and out in our thoughts comes back to us let's realize that this goes down to even the littlest or most minute of things. Sometimes we are chasing patients away without even realizing it. How? Think about this. If you do not have new patient forms ready and on a clipboard, you are telling the Universe that you can not handle anymore new patients. It also shows a lack of organization and forethought. How many are ready? Trivial? I think not. Every action that you take and every word that you speak has a Universal consequence or reaction but more about that later. For right now, prepare as if 10 new patients could walk through your door at any moment. This tells the Universe that you are ready!

Is your CA's area neat, clean, organized and promoting chiropractic? Are the computers running properly? Does she/he have everything they need in order to keep YOUR practice running like a well oiled machine. Does she/he have pens (with your name and phone number on them), at the ready to give away to each person who touches them. Believe it or now, pens are a great internal promotional device. Everything in your office should be organized say chiropractic (remember the hint bomb).

Did your CA print a list of the next days patient load and have it waiting for your morning huddle? More on that tomorrow. Is her/his desk cleared and ready for action or is it piled high with folders and papers (clutter is distracting). Were all of the travel cards put away and then pulled for the next day (if you use paper) and have you created a way to see who you will need to collect from when they walk in?

Each zone has a procedure and it is the doctors responsibility to not only create a procedure but to enforce it. Although success lies in your passion and your responsibility to spread the "Story"; procedures and organization go a long way to helping you achieve YOUR mission.

Great office do not just happen - they are created.

More tomorrow.

Tip # 14 - Zone 1

Tip # 13

Someone once said that success was 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. I am going to take the liberty of changing that to success is 99% preparation and 1% everything else. It is all about having procedures in place that will allow you to function at your highest potential. Organize, systematize and then actualize. To do otherwise is chaos and although it may be exciting to jump on the chaos ride every now and again, it can not last. Pretty soon you will either get sick and confused where you will be screaming for the operator to stop the ride or they will just pull the lever and stop it on their own.

The chaos ride is exciting! You go to a motivational seminar or some type of meeting and you are pumped to the max. That in good. You learned some technique or many techniques on how to get new patients, run your practice, make lots of money .......... and then you go back to the office and implement everything at once. It's the proverbial "it you throw enough shit against the wall - some of it is going to stick" syndrome. And, it works - for a while. Suddenly your office is flooded with new patients, people are happy and you begin to prosper but then what? Or, maybe nothing happened because of your efforts (or pseudo-efforts) and now you are bummed out and become a 'that doesn't work person (yikes).

This is the exact opposite of 99% perspiration - it is 99% inspiration and 1% perspiration. Personally, I like the chaos stage. I like it when the endorphines are pumping and I love the thrill of the ride but...... think of your practice as a sporting event and the preparation part becomes vitally obvious and you will understand this tip a little more clearly.

Tip # 13 - Back to Basics

We are one week away from the Super Bowl - the biggest game in football. Every player on every team (or so we hope) begins and ends their career chasing this one milestone. The prize, a Super Bowl ring and the pride of playing on a winning team (not to mention a big fat paycheck). It is the pinnacle of their career - the icing on the cake. For 16 Sunday's a year, they take the field of battle for 60 minutes short minutes. Imagine that, these giants of the gridiron spend 8-10 hours a day, working out, studying their scripts, getting coached and practicing their performance just to showcase their efforts and talents for 16 hours out of a whole year.

Now, let's look at the numbers real quick. Let's say they prepare forty weeks out of the year, 4 days a week for 8 hours a day. That comes out to roughly 1,280 hours of preparation for 16 hours of show time. That is 80 hours of prep time for one hour of show time.

Every coach knows that in order to create a winning team (and in this case you are the coach) there has to be raw talent to begin with. Then, it is their responsibility to develop that talent. They give them a play book and ask them to study it. Wait a minute. Where did the play book come from? It is a collaborative effort but essentially - they developed it. They took what they learned during their journey to a head coaching position (school) and put their very own special twist on not only what they have learned but also on what they have observed other head coaches doing. Then they created their own play book, one which suites their personality and style of play. In their play book are their procedures and strategies on how to create a winning team - week after week they train from this book so they are prepared not only on how to score but also on how to keep the other team from scoring against them. Practice - drill- rehearse. Practice-drill-rehearse until game time. They either win or they lose but once again it is practice -drill-rehearse, practice- drill - rehearse.

There are offensive coaches, defensive coaches, quarterback coaches, receiving coaches, special team coaches, strength trainers, conditioning trainers and on and on. Each one practicing a minimum of 80 hours for one hour of play. That is an astronomical number of hours but demonstrates what goes into winning.

The team that wins is usually the one that continues practicing with continuity and is relentless in their efforts. They practice the same plays over and over hundreds of times until it is second nature and once they have perfected it, they practice it again and again. My assistant is great at answering the phone per our play book. I have received countless compliments on how good she is but every month we train on how to answer the phone. If we did not, she would inevitably sway from the procedure and the whole team would suffer. There needs to be a procedure for every aspect of your practice and every procedure needs to be practiced, perfected and trained on - ever and over.

Today, let's break your office down into squads or zones. We will make the front end Zone 1, your new patient room, Zone 2 and we will go on from there creating a play book for your office. but before that, we have to prepare you to be the head coach. For that, we have the Ultimate Success Journal, a tool I have already created. If you believe what I am saying here, then you will want to get yourself prepared. Visit www.successfuldc.com and order this play book.

Starting tomorrow, we get to practice.

Tip # 13 - Get Back to Basics

Tip # 12

What would you do if you opened the doors to your office and were suddenly flooded with calls from 100 people who wanted to schedule new patient appointments. Now I know your first reaction is hell yes! Bring 'em on. But let's be realistic, could you handle it or would you and your staff have a major meltdown. How about if ten new patients called or even five. Let's stop there for a moment and think about it. Honestly, how would you handle it it five new patients called and all wanted to come in today - how would you do?

All things happen in perfect time and maybe the phone isn't ringing off of the hook because the Universe knows that you are not equipped to handle anything more than what you currently have. Let's be totally honest for a moment because this is not something you learn as it's happening. What does that mean?

Simply if you office was flooded with new patient calls:

- Is your staff equipped to handle it. Right now can you put your hands on 10 new patient intake packets?
- Do you have 10 time slots available. If not are you willing to come in early, work through lunch and then stay late?
- Are your procedures in place and tight enough for smooth patient flow and follow up?
- If you get hit like that, how will your current patients be affected?

These are just a few of the thousand issues which face a high-volume offices on a daily basis. Muhammed Ali was quotes once as saying "The fight is won far from the shining lights and long before the roar of the crowd. It is won at 4:00am while I am running on a dark cold patch of highway all by myself."

Tip #12 - All Things in Time

A few doctors have contacted me and asked "when I was going to get into the good stuff." They liked what I was writng about but they wanted to get into things like "How to Attract a Million New Patients and Make a Bazillion Dollars in Two Days a Week." Even if it could be done - it would be a disater and yes I am exagerating but you get the point. Doc's - "this is the good stuff"! Please re-read Ali's quote.

The truth be told, most doctors would crumble if they received everything they wanted at this very moment because they do not have the systems and procedures in place to handle the masses they so desire. So before we run, let's build a great foundation to build upon. Let's figure out who we are, what type of practice we want to run. Let's take a behind the scenes look at what successful chiropractors really do. These people do not just wake up in the morning and go into a busy practice. They did not just get lucky or live in the "right" community. These doctors have a strict set of rules they live by, they get up early and work on themselves before they work on others, they receive the message before they give the message, they work on their goals so they can achieve their goals, they put chiropractic in their hearts before they can put it into the hearts of others and they study and implement business skills, stratagies and mindsets so they can handle the onslought of new patients they now so richly deserve and are ready for. And that kind of stuff is usually done between the hours of 4:00 am and 7:00 am.I really hate to be the bearer of bad news but - that is just the beginning.

No one said it was going to be easy - if it was, everyone would be doing it. The point here is that the steps to achieving the office of your dreams are easy and they all work but the elevator to the top is out of order - you are going to have to hoof it up the steps and that is where many Doc's get into trouble, they want, want, want but are unwilling to do the work necessary to achieve - or even be able to handle all of their wants should they somehow show up.

Let's get a reality check for a moment. I have harped on Goal Setting for months now. Every motivational speaker harps on goals, every paster, speaker, trainer, writer and motivator harps on goal setting. You have read it, you have heard it and at the heart level you know it to be true - but have you done it? I am guessing the answer is no. Sorry to those of you that have. But why have YOU not done this simple thing? It works. It's been proven to work. Every major player says it works. This is exactly what I am talking about. Getting to the top takes hard work. You can not skip the steps because you did not want to do them.

Yesterday I had the privelage of getting flight instruction from a 30 year 747 pilot. Now this is an incredible opportunity which most pilot's never get - and he gave his time for free. I am a pretty accomplished pilot but I am not even remotely in the same league as this guy. When he said to do something, I put my pride away, absorbed what he had to say and implemented his suggestions. After one lesson, I am already a better pilot. I am not capable of flying a 747 after one lesson because I do not know their systems and procedure and I have not put my time in but eventually with continued training - at his pace I will be able to. (not on my goal list - just a point).

Do you know what he said to me at the end of the lesson. He said "Well, you need a little work but you've already have some skill. He said, what I really like is that you have a good attitude and are willing to learn." Now I could have been offended - What do you mean - need a little work or I could have taken his advice and not implemented his suggestions. With his help, I will become a better pilot. Oh yeah, this guy started his lesson not in the air but we spent two hours on the ground first going over paperwork, and pre-flighting the plane before we ever stepped inside of it and then we did "day one" manuevers for the next 2 hours. Boring - Heck no. Although I already knew this stuff, I was proficient at the private pilot level but I am training with him because I want to take my skills to the next level. Make sense?

There is no quick road to the top. There are tips which will help you jump start things and we will but first understand tip #12.

Tip #12 - Everything in Time

Tip #11

As a child, did you ever try to do a flip off of the diving board only to land on your back? I sure did and it hurt like hell. Only later on did I learn that the reason I never completed the turn was that I did not commit to finishing it. Fear? Probably. Okay, definitely. I was afraid of getting hurt so I never comitted and in the end I would up getting hurt because I did not commit.

Interesting paradox here. There are few outcomes depending upon how I began. First, I could never have tried to do a flip because I feared getting hurt. How many of us have never appempted something or have given up on a potential mate or never persued a dream because of fear? Duh. All of us.

Secondly, and in this case, I tried but never really comitted, so I wound up realizing my fear and getting hurt. Now some people said to me, well you tried, good for you. I knew that was BS and what hurt worse than the slap of my back on the cold, hard water was the knowing in my heart that I did not commit. I could have succeed, I had the talent, I had the desire, but fear overtook me so to get the accolades of my friends, I gave it a half-hearted attempt. Others did not see it, but I did and that is what really stung.

I also ran track as a young child and my specialty was the high jump. I was never really good at it but I was tall and thin so the coach just naturally assumed I could jump (I could not). One day while he was watching me flop over the bar, he pulled me aside and said "if you just throw your head over the bar, your heart will follow." Interesting advice.

Tip # 11 - Commit

Only you will ever know if you are commiting to your goals, to your office and to your life. Commitment takes heart. It takes direction and in many cases it takes being held accountable. Just last night I "thought" I had a great idea. There is a project buring deep in my soul that I want to take care of - creating an on-line hospital ministery. I ran this by both of my coaches thinking they would jump on board this worthwhile idea. They did not! I was already comitted to helping my fellow DC's and they refocused me. While this is very worthwhile, now is not the time. I am comitted to following my commitment and I am throwing my head over the bar because to achieve this ginourmous task, I will need all of the heart I can muster.

My whole point here is that one, there is no chiropractor better than you - there are a few that may be more comitted. If you want you can be one of them - just commit - then follow your commitment. Two, most successful chiropractors have mentors - I have two. I am a big idea person but have a hard time following through. I know that about myself so I surround myself with detail people and people who will hold me accountable. Three, If you never try, you will always fail - if you try but do not commit, you will hurt your heart more than your back (little lesson on responsibility there). Three, if you try, and commit, you may fail but you may also soar over the bar with plenty of room to spare. Only you can decide. Choose to commit. The world needs you to succeed!

Lesson # 11 - Commit

Tip #10

I just finished my daily report of findings and had 5 patients present. I consider this a very sacred part of our day. It is an opportunity to show our patients how much we care about them by closing our office for that hour and taking the time to explain chiropractic and to show them their x-rays while explaining how postural imbalances and subluxation may be causing the health crisis they are experiencing.

It never ceases to amaze me how this simple procedure creates lifetime patients full of families who refer their friends, co-workers and people they know to the doctor who takes time to talk to them. At the same time, I find it unbelievable how many doctors do not give a report of findings or ever speak to their patients much less show them their x-rays and correlate their symptoms to subluxations levels but more on that later.

Tip #10 - Talk Simply and Explain

People do not want to know what you know until they know that you care. There are many levels of caring however, one of the best ways to create lifetime patients is to show them how much you care by spending time explaining chiropractic to them and by showing them their x-rays. But, now for a word of caution; speak to them simply and in language THEY can understand and with simple stories and analogies that will make sense to them and highlight your points.

Many doctors are just to technical in their explanations. I have sat in on many reports (kind of) where, when after the patient left I had to ask the doctor "what the hell did you just say?" If I, as a chiropractor and coach can not understand what you are saying, then most certainly your patient did dot understand. It is like you turn the switch off in them instead of turning the power on. That goes for when you do health talks, health fairs and any other time you are in the public eye or trying to convey the chiropractic message.

People love to learn about chiropractic when it is explained to them in simple terms, using colorful analogies. Be bold when you are speaking - when you speak the truth is comes through in everything you say. People want to know that chiropractic is the most important thing they can do for themselves and their families. Then tell them why. Tell them about the power of the body and innate, and how a clear nerve system leads to optimal function.

The point is, people want to hear your message. All you have to do is figure out what your message is and them tell it to them simply, honestly and powerfully. \\

Tip #10 - Speak in plain language

Not many people care or even want to understand the

Tip #9

As we know, everything in life is a choice and where we are right now is the sum total of all of the choices we have made in the past. Good, bad or indifferent, we have create the situations which we reside in today. But, if we are to take it to the next level, we must follow -

Tip #9 - Adopt the Lifestyle you Wish to Live In

Everyone knows the lifestyle they wish to live in. We have all seen people whom we admire and wish to emulate. We love the way they dress, we love the way they live, we love their toys and the accolades and we wonder how they achieved everything they have. Some are born into it but most have achieved their place in business and society by making a conscious dedicion to do so. They saw what they wanted and adopted the steps, strategies and actions necessary to duplicate what these people had done to achieve their level of success. Success is duplicatible. As chiropractors, to be successful, all we have to do to be successful is to study what successful people do and then duplicate it. As you may have noticed, I am not giving step-by-step instruction because before you move on to procedures, you have to develop, identify and create yourself as a chiropractor. We have to become chiropractors in heart, philosophy and we have to develop a chiropractic lifesyle.

If you wish to run a wildly successful practice and live an amazing lifestyle then the first thing you have to do is adopt and live in the manner which successful chiropractors live in. Simple put:

If you want to be a successful chiropractor and serve a lot of patients and live in the nice house and drive the nice car or whatever you equate success and happiness with, then you first off and above all else have to become a chiropractor - not in your head but in your heart and in your attitude.

Chiropractic (or insert your business) is not a job! It is a lifestyle. It is something you believe in and believe in it so firmly that your life and lifestyle revolve around it. You love and believe in chiropractic so much that you want everyone to share in it and you are willing to do whatever it takes to bring your message to the masses. Chiropractic has to be something that catches your spirit on fire and gets you jumping out of bed in the morning with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and fire.

You can not fake this. You can NOT be a chiropractor you must be a chiropracTOR! ChiropracTIC has to overtake you. It is not a 9-5 job or a way to make a living. It is a 24/7 job and a way to change the world. Yes a way to unleash the power of human potential in every adjustment you make. I could go on for pages but I believe you get the BIG IDEA - or do you?

Look at the giants in the industry, the mentors, the movers and shakers - they do not sit around and bitch or say people don't understand or wait for thing to happen - they make things happen and if a strategy does not work they adapt and overcome.

Chiropractic is an art, science and philosophy. Those are the things which make YOU a chiropracTOP. A new pillow or device will not make you a chiropracTOR or make your practice overflow with new patients. No vitamin or traction table will bring generations of families into your office. What will make you A chiropracTOR and propel your practice to a new level of excellence is when you are willing to adopt a chiropracTIC lifesyle, attitude and philosophy and then develop your skills so that you can transfer your vision to others and repeat that vision through consistent education so others can then transfer that vision and on and on.

Developing the attitude so you can become a chiropractic giant means that you need to accept yourself at the heart level for who you are and for what you want to be. You must come to grips with the fact that you are a chiropractor. It is a great thing to be! Be proud that you are a chiropracTOR! As such you have an amazing gift to share with the world, a gift that no one but a chiropracTOR posesses. Anyone can move a bone but a chiropractor has the intent and skill necessary to unleash the power of innate with each and every adjustment - the power to change lives with the education and philosophy only they posess and the ability to bring their unique message to the masses.

No other profession possess the gift that you have, the ability to clear the nerve system allowing for the restoring of function. Believe in that abilty and the power which you are releasing has the ability to allow for the regaining of health and of life and that is an awesome ability and responsibility.

ChiropracTIC is not a circus treak to be performed on people at bars, nor is it a back pain or musculoskeletal therapy, it is the removal of subluxation for the restoring of function, life and health. Believe in it and treat it that way.

Young docs fail because they are not taught or have never developed this critial aspect of chiropractic. So in closing for today, before you can move on to the office procedures, (which are a part of developing and adopting a chiropractic lifestyle, they are secondary to developing yourself as a chiropracROR. Develop your mind, develop your heart, develop your philosophy and educate yourself on chiropractic. Listen to the leaders and follow their lead. Only you can determine what type of chiropractor you want to be. Choose what makes you happy, develop your heart around that style, choose a mentor and learn from him/her and build your practice around a chiropractic lifestyle.

This is only a starting point but one which is necessary to master before you can move on. Do not let what you percieve other people views on chiropractic to deter you or even slow you down from accomplishing your mission. Chiropractic is a mission and a lifestyle and your mission and philosophy are what will drive you to the top.

TIP #9 - Adopt a Chiropractic Lifestyle

Check out our Success Tools at www.successfuldc.com

Tip #8

Everyday for the last 12 years I have made popcorn in my office. This is something I love to do and not only do my patients love it but they have come to expect it. Now while you do not have to make popcorn to have a wildely successful office there are four or more tips which can be learned from this and we will cover all of them eventually (learn from your surroundings; do what makes you happy, when you build expectations - people expect and there is potential in everything).

Tip #4 - There is Potential in Everything - Explode your Potential

There is a lot we can learn from the little things in life. One day while making popcorn in the office I got to thinking how much life is life a batch of uncooked popcorn. What we start with is not our outcome but when we understand our potential, things become a little bit more exciting. Case in point:

To most, a bag of popcorn is just that, a bag of popcorn. What I see is a bag full of unrealized potential that when given the right amount of encouragement (heat or action potential) and when surrounded by others with the same or greater potential will we can experience our highest and best potential.

One kernel of porcorn by itself, while still good, will never become great. It need to be surrounded by others who are seeking to explode their potential also. Surround yourself with those kind of people. Birds of a feather flock together. Surround yourself with winners or losers - it is your choice.

Popcorn needs the right elements to become all it can be. It needs the right kind of oil and the right amount of heat - to little and its potential is never realized - to much and it burns. Neither is good. Find your balance. Once you get your fire burning you can not just sit in one place, like popcorn, you need to be agitated a bit ie; take your brain out and dance on it evey now and again(Einstein). If you sit on the fire to long you will burn so keep moving.

Some pieces like some people will never realize their full potential, they get removed from the mix. Stick with the winners. Remove toxic people and events from your life.

Popcorn is better with a little seasoning on it. Spice your life up.
Popcorn starts out as one little kernel but like people, it has a huge expansion ratio. We all start out in the unrealized potential state but in the right element and with the right encouragement and in the right environment, everyone has the opportunity to explode their potential and their practice.

I encourage you today to develop your potential and explode your opportunities.

Tip #8 - Explode your Potential

Tip #7

There are times when no matter what you are doing or how hard you are trying, nothing seems to work. You have everything in place, your ads, your marketing, your promotions, your procedures and still you are not getting the results you either expected or desired. Stay with it.

Tip #7 - Stay with it!

Often times over night success stories are twenty years in the making. We have all seen the overnight success stories pop up on Oprah or take the stage at a seminar and we wonder, how the heck did they do that. Well let me assure you, they did not do it overnight. What you are seeing is the culmination of many days (and nights) of hard work, sweat and tears that finally paid off after many years of consistent action and many years of dedicated service. Sure every now and again someone creates a product or rewords a "success" technique in a way that catches the public eye and propels them to the top rather quickly but that is the exception and not the norm.

The best way to become an overnight success to to create your a plan, develop your strategies, work your plan and then do it again day in and day out. If you have created a good plan and have stayed true to it on a consistent basis and have put enough energy and attitude behind it, you to will join the ranks of overnight success. The key is to stay with it!

There is an old saying which I have engrained into my children, my family and myself, simply, 'winners never quit and quitters never win." People have to see your message time after time. In fact, in the sales circles they say that a person has to see or hear your ad or sales pitch a minimum of five times before they will even notice it and then just maybe they will become interested.

So Tip #7 - Stay with it!

Tip 6

The life of Chris Gardner, another guest at the Take Control of Your Life Seminar was portrayed by will Smith in the major motion picture, "The Pursuit of Happiness." Now when your life is made into a major motion film and you are played by one of the hottest stars in Hollywood, either you have done something very bad or you have done something very good. In this case, Chris Gardner did something very good. He is the epitomy of the American Success Story and a role model for all those who want to achieve their life's visions and dreams.

As I had not seen the movie prior to seeing Chris speak, I was quite amazed at the many obstacles he overcame. From living in the bathroom of a gas station for over a year with his then 14 month old son to touring the world sharing his message of transformation, Chris showed how one can achieve success and happiness in life if they follow a few simple rules, namely setting goals.

Tip #6 - Set Goals

As a goal setter, speaker and creator of goal setting tools, I fully appreciated Chris' enthusiasm for this incredible life creation method and technique for creating abundance and success.

Goal setting is not a one time thing, it is an everyday thing and it is not something you just think about in your head or write on a cocktail napkin while you are out for the night. It is a systematic process which is done in an organized and methotical way. It takes work. A goal journal is a living document which changes as your life changes and it grows as you levels of thought and levels of achievements grow.

Chris put it wonderfully as he said that goals need to be

Clear - You have to be specific
Conscise - Short sweet and to the point
Compelling - They have to make you want to jump out of bed in the morning
Consistent - They have to agree with your values
Comitted - They must be written down

Both he and Bill Ransik, the winner of the first Apprentice and right hand man to Donal Trump agreed that all successful business people have written goals which they infuse into their spirit everyday and both also agreed that most unsuccessful businesses and business people do not.

So, as we go into the New Year, ask yourself - what type of business person you are? If you want to be a goal setter then the Ultimate Success Journal is a tool you should not be without (shameless plug). It can be ordered at www.successfuldc.com

Tip #6 - Be a Goal Setter

Tip 5

At the end of the Parker Seminar, instead of catching a Vegas Show, my wife, my staff and I were excited to catch a motivational seminar at the Hilton entitled, "Take Control of Your Life." It was the perfect way to end the weekend and recharge our batteries before returning home. As vendors, we spent the weekend empowering other chiropractors and their teams on How to take control of their lives and now it was our opportunity to soak up the messages of such superstars as Bill Rancik (The winner of the first apprentice), James Van Praagh (The Ghost Wisperer)and Chris Gardner (The movie, The Pursuit of Happiness was based on his life).

During the seminar, Bill Rancik said, one of the keys to success was to "think like an entrepreneur." Being about three feet from the stage, this information hit me like a ton of brinks and excited me to the point that I immediately wrote it down and had to share it so.....

Tip #5 is - Think Like an Entrepreneur

Part of the art of being a chiropropractor (fill in your occupation)is the art of being a successful business person and to that point thinking of ones self as an entrepreneur. Wickipedia describes an entrepreneur as someone who is in charge of a new enterprise, venture or idea and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and outcomes. Read more at wikipedia.org. But for now let's say that as chiropractors we are certainly entrepreneurs and that means that to run a successful office we need to develop an entrepreneural spirit and the business skills necessary to identify market opportunities and exploit them by organizing our resources effectively to achieve specific outcomes.

So how does one develop an entrepreneural spirit? Simply by understanding that they are in business not only to help people but also - to make money. Yes, I said it. You primary mission is to make money and in order to do this you must begin seeing yourself as an entrepreneur - a leader - an innovator and a business person well versed in business, accounting, and marketing. Now these are the major catagories and in the coming days we will break these down into subsections so they can be better understood and achieved.

Entrepreneurs do not sit around waiting for things to happen; they are self-motivated individuals who think outside the box and make things happen. Entrepreneurs are learners. They get up early and they work late. There is an old saying which says 'learners are earners and readers are leaders."

There is more to being an entrepreneur than just wanting to be one. You have to work hard, attend seminars, listen to people, get mentored, purchase materials which will help you grow and then utilize all of the above.

For today, let's just absorb the understanding that you are an entrepreneur by repeating the following affirmation over and over. "I am an entrepreneur and I posess and utilize every skill necessary to run a highly successful office and earn enormous income."

Think like and entrepreneur in all you do. Discover new ways to run and market your business more effectively. Ask yourself focus questions everyday such as "how can I attract more new patients or how can I streamline my procedures?" Even if you do not have the answers right now, by conditioning your mind with forward thinking questions on a consistent (daily) basis, your mind will begin to provide you with the answers - them all you have to do is implement them.

See you tomorrow with more tips.

Tip 4

I am going to admit it. I am a unique kind of person. I walk to the beat of a different drummer (as do mst chiropractors) and I love to do things my way. I have been through different careers, I have accepted different roles and through all of the ups and downs what has always carried me through and made me the happiest (and the most money) was when I was just being me. true to myself

Tip 4 - Just Be You

Probably the biggest tip I will ever give, the one which if accepted, internalized and acted upon; the one which will make you the happiest and will make your practice more fun and much more profitable; one which will give you a sense of relief and a sense of fulfillment is Tip #4 - Just be you!

Ten years ago I wrote the Creative Principle which speaks about beginning with the end in mind (a great principle for achievement. In it I wrote that we must all stop seeing with our eyes (because they lie) and being seeing with our hearts. When you look with your eyes you see yourself with judgement ie. fat, ugly... you get it. However, when you see with your heart, you see the true beauty. The beauty of the person. You are perfect just the way you are.

Throughout life we have taken on different roles. We have been molded by our parents, teachers, mentors ... and that is well and good but to live and practice in a true state of happiness requires that you find out who YOU are and then to live in that form. Right now (if you need it) I give you permission to Just Be You! It's okay. It's okay to be who you are and to practice the way to want to practice and to live life in the manner which is best suited to YOU. You do not have to be, live or act the way others want you to. You do not have to practice the way you were taught. Patients will come to you because if you are being true to who you are, you will be happy and patients will want to be in your presence. People see through phoney.

I could wear a suit and tie to work or a white coat and stethoscope, but that is not me. I am a blue jeans and polo shirt kind of guy. I like to love my patients and in return, they like to love me. My office is not fancy but it is full of patients from opening until closing. They certainly do not come for the fancy trappings, they come because when they are there, their doctor loves them, cares about them, educates them. He is philosophical, funny, educational, fast and is pretty darn good at what he does.

The point here is that you do not need the fanciest office or the nicest clothes (unless that truly is who you are and what you love). The point is, that if you discover your brilliance and what makes you happy and then work under that light, you will have an amazing career and everyday will be a joy.

Just Be Yourself.

PS. - No time to check for errors this morning as I have to rush off to Toastmasters. Sorry, I am just being me. I am not a detail person and I accept that as a part of who I am. I am a big picture person, however, I surround myself with people who are detail oriented. Just Be You! Have a GREAT Day.

Tip 3

Well we are back from the Parker Seminar in Vegas and everyone had a great time. There is always so much to learn and so much to do that you can easily overload your senses which leads to today's tip.

Tip 3: Get some Rest

As chiropractors we like to consider ourselves as super humans and in many ways we are but there is one thing which will affect every part of your practice and your life and that is not getting enough rest.

After the weekend and the travel back and forth I noticed I was getting a little bit cranky and that my attitude was a little bit sour. I always pride myself on being a positive, motivated and upbeat person. In fact there is not much that can get me down but lack of rest can knock the smile off of my face, ruin my "sunny" disposition and send my great attitude into a tail spin.

The 12 step programs have an acronym called HALT. That means never let yourself get to hungry, angry, lonely or tired. When you are out of balance, you lose your focus and your ability to motivate your staff and everything in your world seems to go wrong.

So, today's tip is simple. Get some rest and recharge your system. It's a new year, let's energize our bodies, our minds and our practices.

Tip 2

This morning I was awakened early (before 5 am) by my alarm clock, Every morning I set it early enough to allow me time to get up, do my prayers, meditate, set my goals, blog, do my morning correspondence, get a good breakfast while watching sports center, shower, dress and get to work by 7:10.

This morning, like many, I lied in bed thinking about not getting up but then I did any how. It is dark and cold and another hour of sleep would feel great but..........
I am comitted to my rituals and that is tip number two. "Rituals"

Rituals are what you do (the steps you take) day after day at the same time each day to put organization and consistency in your life. These two items, above all else are the cornerstones of success. The dictionary describes a ritual as "any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner." Rituals are so important because they allow you to turn tasks into behaviors and behaviors (positive ones) into habits and successful habits will propel your practice throught he roof.

Tip 2 - Create your own rituals for success. Beginning right now, commit to the positive steps you will take in and out of your office. Steps which will create forward momentum in your attitute, behavior and health. Start from the morning and work your way until the evening.

Morning Ritual
Ride to Work Ritual - Fill your head with a motivational tape or perhaps some good music. I love the comedy stations on my way to work. Whatever peps you up and puts you into "State" do it. Make your ride to work fun, educational and motivational.

Pre-opening ritual - Morning huddle with staff, go over your schedule, look over daily financials and upcoming promotions.....

You get the picture.

Now for a word of warning - In order to be effective (listen close because here this is the mac-daddy of recurring themes in the success game) they must be done consistently and they must be done will all of the conviction in your heart. You never miss a day of doing your rituals. Nobody said this was going to be easy. No whing or complaining, if you want to be successful - do what successful people do - all of the time - every day - day in and day out - no exceptions. When you feel like you do not want to do your rituals is when you desperately need to do them.

So have a great day, I am off for some goal setting.

If you need more help or direction visit www.successfuldc.com I currently have slots open for my new VIP One-on-One Web Based coaching program. This is a personalized one-on-one coaching program where you and I work together directly to answer your most burning questions on how to run a successful practice and become a better businessperson.

Hope to see you at Parker. Please note that I may not post again until we get back on Monday. That should give you plenty of time to work on your rituals and goals. I look forward to hearing how it is going?

Dr. Steve

Tip 1

Good Morning Everyone

As doctors of chiropractic we not only have a deep desire to help people but we also have an entrepreneurial spirit. As entrepreneurs (business people with free spirits) we are free to create our practices any way we desire. We can be straight based, therapy based, sports, PI/WC... you get the picture. There is a lot to running what I call a really cool practice, one in which you the doctor are achieving high levels of success and financial freedom in an office environment which is fun, happy and creative. As we go through the days we will discuss what it takes to create the practice you desire and we will go through it together. Over the next few day and years, I will give you a behing the scenes look at what really happens and I will give you the success steps doctors, entrepreneurs and free spirits from all walks of life use to create really cool, high profit practices and business ventures.

What does it really take? That is a loaded question because there are so many things which go on behins the scenes to make a really cool practice run flawlessly; ie; the staff is trained and motivated, the patient flow is smooth, the collections arre being made and collected, the patients are happy and referring and the doctor(s) are truly happy. There are procedures and systems, marketing and meetings, trainings and a million little behins the scenes checklists which need to occur on a daily, consistent basis (key words there). For today, lets start with the most important one.

Tip 1 - Discover Who You Are

Take a few days to get to know who you are and what type of practice you should be running. What I have discovered is that many docs are in practices where they are not happy. They did not initially create the type of practice they desired. Either they did not know, or they associated with someone and became a part of their plan. Bottom line, like many of us, they were just happy to be out of school, but without a business background or a Life/Practice Plan it was just, fling the door open and see what happens. Unfortunately, this leads to getting trapped into any style which may not work for you. Instead of creating the practice of their dreams, these docs are led down the wrong path by some management groups, technique salespeople or whatever gadget is new and hot that day. It's simple, if you don't know what you want - you will never get it and if you do, how will you know?

"If you do not have a plan of your own, you are destined to become a part of womeone elses plan."

As entrepreneurs (yes, chiropractic is a business and you have got to realize that) you get to control how everything in your office runs; from dress code to the color of pens you buy, every decision you make in your office is yours. Choose decisions which make you happy and your day more fun and watch how things suddenly seem to shift. On my biggest day, 141 patients, all by myself, I was wearing a pair of shorts and a chiropractic t-shirt. That's my style somedays. Don't judge me and I won't judge you. The point here is because you can be you and you can practice any way you like and you will attract patients who want to be in your presence. I was doing what made me happy and obviously the patients like it also because a lot of them keep showing up.

There is an old saying which says "my how you have changed since I have changed." Well your practice will change when you implement change or change yourself. So for today, have a heart to heart with yourself and ask yourself a few questions such as:

1. What would make me happy in practice? I know of many docs who want to run family style practices but are stuck in a medical style office. They talk a big show but never seem to make any dough. How come? Incongruency of thought and action. They are always looking to make a fast buck or they are just modeling what they learned in school. They are not right or wrong, the point is, if you do what is in your heart,your happiness and success will follow.

2. Implement change. Once you have discovered areas of change, take the next step and implement them. Change is scary in the beginning. What if my patients don't like the changes; they will leave me.... Don't go having a big lie fest inside of your head. You know that negative self-talk... If I do this... they will do that ...NEVER happens! Instead turn your changes into positive experiences for your patients. As always, it's not what you say it is how you say it. Most patients will love your changes because they will see you as a happier doctor and they love that. Yes, realistically some will leave but that is a small price to pay for your happiness and a joyful place to work in for the next however many years. We all know patients come and patients go... that's life. When you make changes that make your office a happier place - when you are true to your sense of, value, purpose and truth, you will attract the patients who are like you and who like you.

So tip 1 is - Have a heart to heart with yourself. Face down your potential person (TM) and discover your greatness by discovering and converting to a way of practicing which makes you happy. Some of you will make a major overhaul and some will just need a few tweaks. Whatever it is, you are the captain of your ship and the creator of your destiny.

Have a great day!
Dr. Steve
www.successfuldc.com

Welcome to Successful DC

Welcome to the Successful DC blog. This blog is an extension of Successful DC Seminars and Consulting and has been created in order to help my fellow chiropractors reach higher levels of success and happiness in lives and in practice.

In the coming days and years I will post a daily(or as often as I can) message pertaining to chiropractic, the success principles or some area of life or philosophy which you will be able to implement immediately to achieve a higher level of fun and profitability in your life.

Please feel free to respond and share your wisdom for the benefit of the other doctors who belong to this blog. This site is for the exchange of information, philosophy, technique, and success principles. Let others know how you are doing and what you are doing.

What we do NOT do here is discuss politics, religion or anything offensive. If you are considered outside the rules, you will be warned and given a second chance - there will be no third. Everyone has something to share no matter their technique or practice style and all opinions are valuable. Here, no technique is better than another, we are all here to learn.

Enough of that stuff.

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Here is a little background on me. I grew up Long Island, dropped out of High School in the 12th grade and joined the Navy where I earned my flight wings as an H3 helicopter crew chief. I got my GED while I was in the Navy. I left after 4 years with an Honorable discharge and began working at Sikorsky Aircraft in Connecticut where I was a part of the final inspection team for the Black Hawk helicopter and a member of their field modification team. After leaving there I worked at Grumman Aerospace for a number of years. I left Grumman when the entrepreneurial bug bit me and I have never looked back. I owned a commercial cleaning company, a Real Estate office and a mortgage brokerage firm before deciding to follow my dream and become a chiropractor. During my time in banking I was a founder and president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers for two years. One night after a particularly grueling day in NYC I drove home in the snow (got home about 2 am) and I woke my wife up and told her I wanted to go back to school - 3 months later we were living in SC and I was finishing my prereq's for Sherman College. This was no easy feat - a 1 year old, a 3 year old, a mortgage and we were broke. In fact, we had to file bankruptcy to make our vision come true. I would go to school from 7:30 am until 4:00 pm and then would rush home, grab my clothes and go wait tables until about 11:00 pm. While in school, I created the Ultimate Success Journal as a way to condense the Universal Laws of Success into one creative Life Planning System. It worked! I graduated on time and was licensed to practice before I graduated. I rented an office 6 months before I graduated and before I was even licensed to practice and rented it to a chiro who had graduated a few months before me. I graduated on Saturday and was open on Monday. The Monday I opened, my wife Nancy started Sherman and if was great to see her follow her dream. Once she graduated we moved to the mountains of NC. Nancy opened our practice there until I could sell the one in SC and for the past 9 years we have practiced together in the wonderful little town of Brevard.

We have been members of practice management groups and have learned from many great mentors. the Ultimate Success Journal has become a standard for many chiropractors and entrepreneurs and has sold in book stores, colleges and is being used in over 11 countries.

I received my ordination as a non-denominational minister in 2007 and I use it to help in hospital and prison ministries. Always involved in the field of human potential, I have worked as a graduate assistant for Dale Carnegie and I am on the advisory board of 3 speaking and coaching groups. My goal is to simply help people achieve their highest vision.

Currently my new book "How to Run a Really Cool Practice and Make a Really Big Profit" is now on the market. It is a compilation of many of the success tools I have learned over the years and was written so my fellow chiros can glean this information without paying a fortune for it.

All of my products are designed to simplify the process and be affordable. I consider myself a systematizer. I like to take complex information and reduce it to its simplest form so everyone can understand it and get the true value of it. My latest product is the Ultimate Marketing Calendar.

I started Successful DC as a way to help my friends who were struggling in practice. I give straight forward practice tips and mentoring advice. Running a great practice is fun and easy to do if you follow a few simple steps.

I love to fly airplanes, ride my motorcycle and spend time with my family. I am a pilot with the Civil Air Patrol and a member of our local toast Masters Group. I have 4 dogs, live on the golf course, have homes and investment properties at the beach and practice 3 days a week.

I come from a broken home and have been in recovery for almost 25 years. As you can see, if I can do it - so can you.

Enough about me.

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Beginning tomorrow and carrying over for the next 100 days, I will be sharing tips from my latest book and from there, we could go anywhere. Please forward this blog to everyone on your list and get active by sharing your wisdom.

In health and prosperity,

Steve Cagen

PS - Sometimes my spelling is a little bit off. My mind works faster than my fingers.

Lesson One

Things do not have to be perfect before you begin implementing. Sometimes you have to take your foot off of the brake pedal and just get going!

See you tomorrow,

Steve