How These Market Changes Are KILLING Your Ability To Get, Keep And Have New Chiropractic Patients Refer!
- Why patients were so easy to get in the “good ole days” and SEEM so difficult today…
- Why marketing that worked not too long ago is producing goose-eggs today…
- Why everything you think you know about getting new patients and building a STABLE and PROFITABLE practice is rapidly becoming completely OBSOLETE (if it is not obsolete already!)…
- What you must do right now to capitalize on what is currently working to grow your practice and take away the stress and strain of practicing month-to-month…
I’m sure you’ve heard this before…
“The more things change – the more they stay the same.”
What does this famous quote have to do with you building a stable, profitable, low-stress practice? Quite a bit… allow me to explain…
And to start my explanation, I’d like to talk about…
Hairstyles!
And here is why: If you look at the history of hairstyles… you will find something very interesting. And that something interesting is that hairstyles keep repeating themselves.
For example… in the 1950s men’s hair was short on the sides and back and a little longer on top. Still short – but a little longer than on the sides. Often parted on the side with a little wave type thing in the front. And there were also the “greasers” who slicked back their hair.
The 1960’s and 1970 brought in long hair.
The 1980’s were pretty much a mess. I think we would all like to forget the 1980’s fashion all together! LOL
Anyway, over the last 20 years we have seen hairstyles very, very, very similar to the fifties, sixties and seventies. And yes… even the eighties! We have even seen clothing styles from all these past generations come back.
And if you look back in history even further – you will see this pattern over and over again.
What’s instructive is that having a haircut that was in all the rage in 1952 would get you laughed at and called a “nerd” in 1968. But that 1952 haircut made you cool again over the last decade.
What’s even more instructive is that the people wearing the different hairstyles have not changed at all. And by that I mean the PSYCHOLOGY of you and I and the rest of the world has remained very much the same.
They still have the wants, hopes and desires. The levels of those things may have changed somewhat. But they still have them.
For example… if you were practicing in 1975-1995, the average 65 year old was born from 1910-1930. This means they lived through the great depression, World War II and had watched family values television shows.
This was a time when morality and ethics meant something. People’s word meant something. Business was done on a handshake. Everyone knew everyone else in a neighborhood. And neighbors watched out for you and our kids.
The media and news were trusted. Government was portrayed in a very good light by the media. People got jobs at good companies and worked their way up. They got good health insurance and benefits… a great retirement/pension plan… they had security.
They believed what Doctors said. And they believed what Doctors said 100%. And they also believed claims advertisers made. Because the everything else in the media was perceived to be true… why not the advertisements.
They had FAITH that people were good
and telling them the truth
Now… the average 65 year old today was born in 1944. That makes him or her 16 in 1960. We all know the 1960s were a little different time than the 30s, 40s and 50s… and I’m not just talking about the haircuts!
An entire anti-establishment movement went on that change of country and society… good or bad… forever.
Trust went out the window. And this lack of trust has been past on to their children and in my humble opinion… has gotten even worse.
So what does all this have to do with your practice?
Here’s what…
Just like wearing the wrong hairstyle in the wrong time period gets you laughed at… using the same approaches today that worked 10 or more years ago will get you no results.
If you have any doubts… take a look at the grey box on the right. The headline is “Who Can I Sue.” I’m not going to give you all the details here because it’s all in that grey box… but… that’s the name of a website advertised by billboards all over south Florida and other states.
You should read that grey box no and then continue. It’s very interesting and a very important point.
Well?
Did you read it?
If you did, is their any doubt that the potential patient you are trying to get is very different than they were just 10-20 years ago?
That website and its success is a blatant example how things have changed.
The quick, easy way out has replaced hard work.
Many people think they are entitled to what someone else has and will sue them to get it.
Many people thing they have been cheated and lied to and that’s how they justify suing when they trip over their own two feet in a supermarket… or… sue their boss because he fires them for not doing any work!
But that’s still just a segment of our population. There are plenty of people who do not want to sue to get ahead. But these people are not immune to the times.
And they are as SKEPTICAL of just about everything. And after the recent economic crash… things got even worse.
And people got even more cynical. After you lose all the value in your house, your retirement portfolio just about vanishes overnight and you lose your job…
Who’s Left To Trust?
Especially anyone that is making any claims. For anything. And that includes YOU saying you can help them.
That’s why marketing with BIG claims worked not too long ago and does not work very well anymore.
People simply have the “YEAH RIGHT!” reaction.
They instantly turn off and thing you are just another Bernie Madoff.
Especially if you are relying solely
anything on the internet
The internet has become a very powerful tool for businesses. And at the same time… it is surrounded by the highest level of skepticism.
There is very little regulation on the internet and countless people simply say whatever they want without any of it having to be true.
As a quick aside – that’s going to be changing soon. The AP just published an article that said the FTC is going to start regulating blogging for the first time.
Under the new rules – Bloggers that post about a product must disclose if they are getting any money or “freebies” from the manufacturer. And the disclosure must be “clear and conspicuous.”
The new rules take effect December 1st and there is up to an $11,000 fine per violation.
Not something to sneeze at.
And I’m sure this is just a foot in the door. Soon the internet will be heavily regulated.
Ok… back to the task at hand…
your skeptical prospects and patients!
Not only are prospective patients super skeptical when they see and marketing clams from you… they are just as skeptical when they are in your office.
One of the worst things you can do is make a bold claim to a patient in an effort to try to make them start care with you.
They don’t know you. They don’t trust you. And they don’t believe a word that you tell them.
And the minute you say something that seen even the tiniest bit fishy… they run for the hills. Literally.
And the hard part about all this is that you may not even know what you are saying is “fishy.”
For example… statements you made to prospective patients 10-20 years ago that were completely ok… can be perceived today as an over-the-top claim that turns them off.
So what should you do about all this?
Thank goodness the solution really is simple…
It’s All About
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING & MAINTAINING!
Listen… this is extremely important: The things your prospects want have not changed. And they have not changed one little bit.
For example: People with back pain want relief just as much today as they did 10, 20 or more years ago. People want to be healthy, pain-free and feel good.
What has changed is their attitude towards the people telling them they can help them.
The term “Dr.” does not carry half as much cloud as it once did.
So the real key to make things work TODAY is to NOT make big claims. Low-ball what you can do for them.
And instead… what you really want to do… is…
Offer Them Something Of
REAL VALUE For FREE
Or For A Very Good Price!
Now take it easy! I’m not telling you to give away your services. Which may be illegal in our state. Who knows… this is not legal advice.
What I am talking about is proving to them you do what you say you do. And better yet – you do MORE than you say you are going to do.
And you do it consistently.
Commitment and consistency is an entire chapter in Robert Cialdini’s book, “Infuence: The Psychology of Persuasion. If you have not read this book… get it and read it ASAP.
It will open up a whole new world to you. For my long time members and newsletter readers, they have heard me mention this book countless times. And if they have read it – they know how powerful it is.
I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have read it and the impact it has had on my life.
Anyway… Consistency is one of the most influential traits you can have today. This is because almost no one actually does what they say they are going to do.
And this consistency must be present in all aspects of your practice. For example, I don’t know how many businesses I have tried to give money to that lost thousands from me… simply because….
They Never Called Me Back!
Or they did not call me back when they said they were going to.
One of my members had a problem with his pool filter. He called the service that he had already spend thousands with… and they never called him back. They showed up at his house 4 weeks later.
My member laughed at them. Someone else had fixed the problem and gotten paid.
That’s a blatant example – but there are so many things you can do that sent up red flags in people who are actively looking for them.
And are CONDITIONED TO SEE THEM.
So… running a tight ship is the first key. Running your practice like a REAL business. Going the extra mile.
I think the best way to describe all this is…
Having a 1950’s Practice!
Yes… 1950s hairstyles came back in. And I believe the old-school 1950s practice is one of the ways to win in today’s super-cynical society.
You see, most people don’t believe that old-time doctors still exists. The one that put them above money and treated them as if they were his or her mother.
Yes… I know doctors are not supposed to treat their own mother… but you get my point!!!!
If people don’t believe these doctors exist anymore… how does this help you?
Here’s how: Yes… people do not thing they exist… but they want them to exist.
Let me give you an example: Weight loss products that don’t work have been around forever. And do you really thing people keep believing that the newest weight loss product actually works?
No… they don’t.
But they want to believe it will work. And that is good enough.
In this skeptical age people want someone to be that old-school doctor. They want someone to be different. To be there rock that they can count on.
And you can be that rock for your entire community if… and only if… you do what is necessary on a consistent basis.
The problem is…
you must actually be that star
There is no faking it. Not in the society we live in today.
Simply doing a lot of great marketing will only quickly alert your entire community that you are just like all the rest.
What you really want to do is find a way to EARN THEIR TRUST. And do it in a way that their in no or extremely little risk to them.
It really all boils down to this: if you were going to buy a car tomorrow and you could either buy one from your best friend that you have known for 35 years who has never lied to you and never done anything bad to you… or…
…you could buy one from some random car salesman in your ton that you have never dealt with and don’t know anything about….
…which one would you choose?
The answer is crystal clear.
And so is the answer to growing a stable, profitable and stress-free practice.
BIULD A RELATIONSHIP WITH PROSPECTS BEFORE YOU ASK THEM TO COMMIT TO YOU AND SPEND A LOT OF MONEY.
My business is all about relationship building. I would have been gone a long time ago if it was not.
When you really are a super-star all you really have to do is let other see you shine.
If you are not a super-star… I’ll bluntly ask you: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Why aren’t you and what are you going to do to make yourself that super-star?
It really is a choice. Success is a choice. Make that choice right now.
Ben Altadonna, D.C.
Altadonna Communications, Inc.
Founder of “The Practice Building Alliance™”
And check out Ben’s blog at:
Please understand that there are many legal issues that are always present in any business. If you feel that you cannot interpret the laws in your state, please consult an attorney. The content in this article is merely an opinion and not legal or compliance advice.
©2010 Altadonna Communications, Inc.
I never really thought about how important the points you brought up are. But I absolutely can see how relevant they are to a successful practice. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Ben.