E-mail message this week .. New Patients

 

During my Army basic training in Fort Dix, New Jersey, there was a session on how best to use camouflage. I remember this clearly as it blew me away. We sat in bleachers looking at a forest of trees with the sergeant demonstrating various ways to use nature to hide your existence. In a pinch, with enemy surrounding your location, a twig and leaf may save your life. After an hour or so, showing how best to be creative hiding your location, he asked us to find soldiers hidden in the forest. He asked any of us to point to a person versus a tree but no one stood up and pointed. He whistled and lo and behold at least ten guys stood up. Unbelievable. On demand, that’s how the army works, they hid themselves again and slowly stood up. How many new patients, potential networking and community good will have you missed when they are right in front of you. Trust me, they are out there, most without twigs or leaves.

 

Do you have a standard procedure, a practice commitment to increase patient volume via referrals? Established and new patients are right in front of you, in speaking distance and ready and usually able to help others if they knew the mechanics of doing so. The life of newness and excitement of the new patient is short lived, probably the first 3-5 visits. If you want to take advantage of this, get your house in order with either knee to knee discussions, new patient orientation workshops, paper handouts, e-mail and text messages as well as the most important first visit phone call. Create scripts for each staff member introducing referral concepts, the importance of Health and Wellness with Chiropractic and how easy it is to schedule their examination, office or community workshop and more. If every patient were to refer in two or more, your practice numbers and your obligation to help others will be satisfying for sure. New patients should quickly feel comfortable with you and your staff and feel confident they made the right decision asking you to help them, therefore, they will feel comfortable to refer their family or friends, help you network where they work, socialize or practice their faith.

 

Start with new patients. Again, the life span of excitement is just a few visits. Do what chiropractors do best, get them well, reduce their level of pain, explain clearly their structural issue and how wear and tear is inevitable but with spinal balance managing it is the wise decision. Have them visualize someone, some place where the inevitable become real, possibly where they work, where the play and pray. Have them visualize a specific person who would benefit with chiropractic and the circumstance such as there their work and this will lead to more leads and referrals become easy and the practice grows exponentially. Family referrals are best the minute you see improvement or they acknowledge that chiropractic works. Now have them bring their spouse, children in for a consultation/examination and once they start care and acknowledge the wisdom of their first adjustment introduce referrals and by nature itself, you too will grow and increase your bottom line.

 

Doctor, now visualize places you frequent and those close by at the local supermarket, gym, library, school cafeteria or wherever and consider how many would benefit from an adjustment.   A steady stream of new patients are out there and right before your eyes .. Open Them