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
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, February 12, 2010
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 # 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
Monday, February 8, 2010
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
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
Thursday, February 4, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
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
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
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