July 2002

Make Your Reception Area Work for You
Step-by-Step Ideas to Educate Patients, Stimulate Referrals
By Peter G. Fernandez, DC

There is one area that every patient and prospective patient visits each time they come into your office: your reception area. So why not make it a place where people can learn, receive encouragement, and simply enjoy being there? Why not turn your reception area into one of your most valuable practice-building assets?

Here are some ideas to help get you started.

‘Our Patients Speak’ Binder
The “Our Patients Speak” Binder is a three-ring binder that you and your staff fill with patient testimonials and place in the reception area. When enough testimonials are collected, the binder is divided into specific health problem sections, such as headaches, sciatica, etc.

When new patients read these testimonials, especially those from patients who have the same health problems they do, they will be even more “sold” on you and your practice.

This binder will be one of the most-read pieces of literature in your reception area. Why? Because most people have a “want to know” nature. The first thing most patients will do, is look for anyone they know in the binder. If they find someone, they will read what was wrong with that person and how chiropractic has helped. In the process of reading these testimonials, your patients will become more and more convinced of the benefits of chiropractic.

Here’s how you make your “Our Patients Speak” Binder. Ask your patients to write up their testimonials. You’ll be surprised at the high regard they express for you and your practice. Have each testimonial edited for grammar and punctuation, then typed, leaving space for a 3 x 5 picture of the patient. Have the patient sign the typed testimonial.

Meanwhile, and at your expense, send your patient to a professional photographer to have a picture taken. Be sure to order at least one extra copy of the picture to give to your patient as a gesture of thanks. Take the office copy of the patient’s picture, affix it to the patient’s testimonial, and place the testimonial in a clear, plastic cover. Place this in the “Our Patients Speak” Binder. You’ll be surprised at how eager your patients will be to participate in this project.

‘Our Chiropractic Kids’ Binder
The “Our Chiropractic Kids” Binder is similar to the “Our Patients Speak” Binder, but the testimonials in it are about the children in your practice. This will be one of your most widely read pieces of chiropractic literature, most likely second only to your “Our Patients Speak” Binder.

Every parent or person responsible for a child, will want to read this book. Why? Because parents, and other guardians of children, are always interested in what is available to help their children, and many people don’t know that chiropractic can help children. After parents/guardians read this binder, the doctor or CA will be asked questions such as, “Do you think you can help my child’s asthma?” These binders can even help stimulate referrals from patients who may not have young children of their own, but who know someone who does.

To make your “Our Chiropractic Kids” Binder, follow the same procedure as the “Our Patients Speak” Binder, but have the child’s parent or legal guardian write the testimonial and sign the typed copy. Follow the same procedure in having the child’s photo taken for the testimonial.

Bulletin Board News
Place a 3-foot by 4-foot bulletin board in the hallway immediately outside your reception area, so your patients will pass by it going to and from the adjusting rooms.

On the bulletin board, display the latest pro-chiropractic articles from magazines. This bulletin board should also be used for special announcements, such as “Patient Appreciation Day - September 10”; “Don’t forget to have your children examined before school starts - the doctor will perform a scoliosis examination at the same time at no additional charge,” etc.

Don’t leave anything posted on the bulletin board that becomes outdated, dog-eared, or otherwise unattractive. Patients will take the time to read something that is visually appealing, but will be repelled by something old and tacky.

‘Thank You for Referring’ Message Board
The “Thank You for Referring” Message Board looks something like “The Special of the Day” boards found in restaurants. It should measure about 11/2 feet by 3 feet, with small plastic letters that you can easily position and reposition, as your “thank-you” list changes.

Place your “Thank You for Referring” Board in a highly visible spot in your reception area. Spell the following message out along the top of the board: “Thank you for referring your friends, neighbors, and relatives to our office. We appreciate you caring about their health.” Below that, list the people who have referred to you during the current month. Always make sure your CA places the referring patient’s name on the board the day he or she refers. By doing so, you eliminate the possibility of forgetting to do it later; and also, the patient may be coming in to see the doctor the very next day (almost everyone likes to see his or her name up in “lights”). Update your list each month by eliminating the names of those people who have not referred in the past 30 days.

Some doctors modify this procedure by placing their first, second, and third top referring patients as numbers 1, 2, and 3 on the list. All other referrers are listed randomly below the Top 3. Then, when a patient asks, “How can I get to be in the number 1, 2, or 3 position?”, the doctor or CA replies, “Number 3 referred 100 patients. When you refer 101, you’ll be number 3.”

IMPORTANT NOTE: Any public display of a patient’s name, including those in testimonial binders or on referral thank-you boards, must first be authorized by that patient (or parent/guardian if the patient is a minor), by way of a signed release form giving your office permission to do so.

News & Events Message Board
You can also create a News & Events Message Board for your reception area that is the same size and type as your “Thank You for Referring” Message Board. The News & Events Message Board is used to post chiropractic messages such as, “Chiropractic Takes Care of Headaches”; “Don’t Forget Our Health-Care Class: Tuesday at 7 p.m.”; “Dr. Smith is Available to Lecture to Your Civic Club... Please Talk to the Doctor,” etc.

Put as many messages on the board as you can without it looking “cluttered,” and change them weekly. If it’s necessary to display the same message for more than one week, be sure to change its position on the board each week. This will keep your message board from looking stale; and in turn, will keep your patients interested in reading it.

An Electronic Message Board
You may opt to use an electronic message board (about 3 feet long by 6 inches high) in your reception area, rather than the previously discussed News & Events Message Board. You can “stream” the following types of messages, so your waiting patients will read them all, one after the other: “Thank You For Referring”; “Special Health-Care Class on (topic)”; “The Doctor Will Be Out of the Office Attending a Post-Graduate Symposium on (date),” etc.

Reception Room Resumes
Your resume should fit on an 81/2 by 11 sheet of paper. Copies of this resume should be placed in a literature holder, located on the receptionist’s desk, or on the literature table in the reception area. This resume includes your picture, name, and curriculum vitae, noting the chiropractic college attended, specialization, and any specialized courses you have taken.

This resume should also contain a brief discussion of the various conditions you treat. If it’s your office policy, a sentence should be placed at the end of the resume stating, “In an Effort to Hold Down Health-Care Costs, Dr. Smith Does Not Charge His Patients for a Consultation.”

Have copies of the resume available for patients. The patients will take these resumes home with them. When they talk to their friends/relatives about their doctor’s office, they will show them your resume. The prospective patient will review the resume and be impressed by your qualifications.

These strategies will help get you started when it comes to patient marketing in your reception area. Most of the ideas require only a minimal investment in time and money. Every doctor of chiropractic should be able to turn his or her reception area into a place where patients are not only warmly received, but where they receive the education and stimulation that keeps them coming back and referring others.

Dr. Fernandez has more than 20 years of experience as a practice management consultant. He has written hundreds of articles and 17 books on practice-building. He is a 1961 Logan College graduate and past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association. Dr. Fernandez is based in Seminole, Fla., and can be reached at 800-882-4476; drpete@drfernandez.com; or visit his website at www.drfernandez.com