by Bill Esteb
Since others buy the messenger before they ever by your message, one of the strategies that I’ve often employed at seminars and speaking opportunities is to quickly review my 33 beliefs about chiropractic, patients and the practice of chiropractic.
If you should create a list of your beliefs designed for new patient consumption (highly recommended), it will be quite different from this, but hopefully this will inspire you to create your own list.
1. Long term relationships are more valuable and fulfilling than short-term relationships.
2. If you compromise your values at the beginning of the relationship, it rarely flourishes into a long-term relationship.
3. Power and influence in the doctor patient relationship comes from being authentic.
4. Leading and inspiring healthier patient behaviors is a higher calling than pain relief, restored spinal curves or correcting subluxations.
5. Due to the damage from neglected trauma, “supporting” an adult’s spine is more likely than “fixing” an adult’s spine.
6. The highest calling of a health practitioner of any type is to help prevent what it is that they treat.
7. The most effective chiropractors are physically, mentally and socially healthier than their patients.
8. Influential patient relationships are in direct proportion to the quality and depth of the relationship, controlled by the patient.
9. Whoever has the most compelling story, whether insurance company, friends, spouse, lawyer, chiropractor or the patient, is the one with the greatest patient influence.
11. Most patients lack the ability to explain or defend chiropractic to others, thwarting referrals and reducing retention.
12. Few patients understand or embrace chiropractic as a way of life on their first exposure to it.
13. Creating a safe place to fail is crucial if your intent is to enhance the likelihood of a long-term relationship.
14. Doctor enthusiasm, above almost any other indicator is the best predictor of patient volume.
15. Staff members are the “healers at the front desk” who can anticipate and neutralize patient fears and apprehensions.
16. Patients do what they do because they believe what they believe.
17. Patient’s do the belief changing, not the doctor.
18. Many doctors care too much, producing patient guilt, resentment and counterproductive patient behaviors.
19. Doctors who want to help more people make sure patients know they are buying the doctor’s talent, not the doctor’s time.
20. Patients can afford anything they want.
21. Patients find the willingness and ability to truly listen one of the most attractive doctor characteristics.
22. The first visit is about listening to the patient’s story. The second visit is about telling the doctor’s story.
23. How you say goodbye when a patient wants to discontinue care affects referrals and reactivations.
24. The only power a chiropractor has over a patient is the decision to adjust or not adjust.
25. Patients have little interest in subluxations unless you undermine their fixation on blood, their fear of germs and the implications of taking drugs.
26. Patients buy the messenger before they buy the message.
27. Practice is about patients, not you.
28. Motivation comes from being committed to something greater than yourself.
29. Adjusting patients isn’t your purpose.
30. The only reason to fear your debt is if you think you won’t be able to repay it by providing a valuable service patients will pay for.
31. There is an abundance of new patients. But a scarcity of chiropractors willing to tell the chiropractic story.
32. The chiropractors making the biggest difference realize they are in the belief-changing business.
33. The patient brings more to the table than what you do on the table. |
