Coach CJ posted on October 01, 2008 09:41
More than half of the adversity we experience is brought upon ourselves. The rest can be effectively managed, but usually not prevented. Succeeding in the face of adversity is what separates those who keep winning from everyone else.
Success starts with a superior game plan, which makes it easy to win and hard to lose. The first “preventable” adversity is an unfruitful marketing strategy. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever to promoting from the seat of your pants. Attracting new patients in this decade has only gotten easier every year. More people are turning to “alternative care” than ever before. However, it has never been more important to your practice (and to your prospective new patients) that there are frequent opportunities to find out about the benefit of your services.
Do you have a banner out front that says “Now Accepting New Patients, Call Today”? Are you scheduling at least one screening and one outside talk each month? Does your workshop generate at least two new patients per week? Is your newspaper ad drawing new patients every month? Are you putting at least ten referral packets per week into the hands of your patients? Do your patients receive an “article of the week” to pass on to friends and loved ones? Or does it feel to you like your practice is waiting for new patients to call (and that strategy isn't working so well). Now is the time to do something about it and improve your game plan.
The second preventable adversity is an inconsistent patient management process. It should be easy (highly expected) to see patients follow you through corrective and wellness care and hard for them to “drop-out”. When patients are allowed to dictate the process, it always breaks down. When you care enough to predict the results for your patients, you begin to lead. Nothing takes the wind out of your sails more than starting new patients who discontinue (not because chiropractic didn't work), because your patients lose direction, focus and/or intensity. Teams who are winning right now in practice have re-invented their process to predict the outcomes of their patients journey through care.
The economy is not the problem! Thousands of people in your town are actively seeking solutions to problems affecting themselves or their families. Chiropractors across the country are currently producing record breaking growth in their practices (including best ever, pre-payments for care). Don't get sucked into the black hole of thinking times are bad and “they” cant afford your care. It's not affordability, rather priority of how they spend their money. If you position their health needs and chiropractic care properly, the value rises to top investing importance for their family. One hundred percent of your town needs you - ninety percent of your town can afford you - eighty percent of your town has a positive image about chiropractic. The economy merely accentuates any incongruities that may already be causing you challenges to growth.
The third preventable adversity is hiring (or keeping) anyone on your team who doesn't “fit”. This also includes a veteran who may have simply got “stuck” in the old ways of doing things and has now become resistant to change. The right fit team can help you leap frog your practice by over two years of growth, overnight. Conversely, the wrong fit team (though good people) can derail you by more than two years of growth before you decide to correct the problem. FPL is the fastest growing coaching program I believe because we put so much energy into building world class teams. The right team prevents missed visits. They fill up workshops week after week. These teams inspire patients to refer again and again. The right team sees prepays happening one after another. Twenty years ago, chiropractors seemed to hang-on to team members that were no longer producing (because many practices could still get away with it). Today, the most successful chiropractors are those who understand the life and death value of a right fit team.
Most practice adversities are preventable, your success lays in your commitment to anticipate doing the right things. Your practice can achieve winning form, however time is always of the essence. Keep moving your practice towards a predominantly cash position. Remove “fringe like” services that can confuse patients from making long term chiropractic care toward their optimal health. The most successful chiropractors in the world are receiving weekly advice to build their practice. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Until next time, practice with passion.