May 2002

Climbing to the Top of the Marketing Mountain
By Ivan Delman, DC

How successful do you want your practice to be? Since we market a service, what our patients think of us and our services will either keep us busy or close our practices.

To know how to raise the value of your services higher on your patients’ priority list, you first have to figure out where they now see you as a provider of chiropractic services. That’s called “being in a position.”

Your position is a statement of cold, hard facts. It doesn’t describe what you want; rather, it describes what you are. It’s an honest description of what your patients think of you and your services.

After you’ve figured out where you are, you will then construct a statement describing how you want to be perceived by your patients and community. That’s called a “positioning statement.”

Therefore, positioning describes how you want your practice to be perceived in the community, not how it actually exists. Your success at becoming a significant chiropractic presence in your community does not happen by chance. It happens by choice. As the owner/manager, you are responsible for making that choice. You decide how the community sees you and your practice. That’s how you establish a solid position.

In Al Ries’ and Jack Trout’s classic marketing book, “Positioning,” they outline four basic tenets for establishing position in a market:
• You must position yourself in your prospect’s mind.

• Your position should be singular: One simple message.

• Your position must set you apart from your competitors.

• You must sacrifice. You cannot be all things to all people; you must focus on one thing.

Starting the Process
The first step in the positioning process is to determine the “best” DCs in your area. Ask yourself, “Why are they considered the best?” If you can provide the same or better services, go for it! You will immediately raise the perception and position of your practice.

The next step is to survey every person who is or might be a patient. You can do this during talks to groups in the community; meeting people socially; and when talking to friends, family, and definitely your office staff. When talking to these people, make a list of all their likes and dislikes related to seeing a chiropractor (and in some cases, when seeing other doctors). Be detailed, and above all, be honest, when compiling this list. You need this information.

Next, analyze the information you have gathered. You should see a pattern emerge from the gathered data. Eliminate ideas not applicable to your style of practice.

You will want to make note of the most relevant information. You may be surprised at some of the things people tell you.

Now That You Have Data…
With all your new information, it’s now time to look at your current operations.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself:
• How easy do you make it for a patient to be your patient?
For example, a new patient calls and you’re too booked to see the person during your regular hours. Do you find time for that patient during lunch, or after you’ve finished your regular appointments for the day? If a patient with a problem calls on a weekend, are you available whenever possible?

• How difficult is it to get in to see you? Are you open hours convenient for patients - or for yourself?

• How long do patients wait after arriving on time for their appointment?

• Does your staff greet your patients in a welcoming way as they walk into your clinic?

• If there are patients waiting in your reception area, is your staff cognizant of internal communications and being sure to present a professional image?

Using Your New Information
Here are some possible solutions to handle common patient concerns:
• To handle the waiting issue, closely watch your scheduling. Instead of trying to jam everyone into the “normal” schedule, meet with your staff and agree to stretch your office hours to better accommodate patients whenever needed.

• Re-evaluate your time with patients. Chiropractic should be the main topic discussed during treatment, with less socializing.

• Have your staff help by reminding you when you’re running late. If you’re running super-late, take a minute to come out and apologize to your probably impatient patients.

An immediate reception area apology has much more impact than one later in the adjusting area.

• Re-evaluate your new patient intake procedures. Consider having your new patients see a video explaining chiropractic and the reasoning behind taking X-rays.

• At the report of findings, cut out the $38 words and concentrate on the patient understanding. If, during your ROF, you see your patient’s eyes glaze over, you aren’t getting through. Be cognizant of body language. To keep the educational process going, on each treatment day, present your patient with a piece of your original ROF. Note the subject on the patient’s chart so it won’t be repeated.

• When advertising your clinic, emphasize convenient clinic hours, minimal waiting times, and doctor availability. Be sure to live up to your promises.

The above ideas are not set in stone. You may want to make totally different operational revisions. The point here is to push your thinking towards the importance of taking a second look at how you’re managing your practice.

Now Is the Time
There’s a lot more to marketing than placing a newspaper ad or being on a radio show. Marketing also includes positioning yourself and your practice as the special place in your community to receive chiropractic care.

The time is now. Gather your chiropractic forces and occupy a strong marketing position in your community.

Dr. Delman is the author of “The Business of Chiropractic: How to Prosper AFTER Startup.” He has degrees in both business and chiropractic. His experience includes 20 years in business management, and then 20 years as a chiropractor before retiring to write and travel. He can be reached at ivan@businessofchiropractic.com; or sign on to his website at www.businessofchiropractic.com.