Issue 1 - January 2004

Converting patients’ wants to needs
By David A. Jackson, DC

Perhaps one of the most important concepts for a chiropractor to understand and master is that of conversion through conversation.

Your patients come to you with any number of different wants and goals — from getting rid of their headaches to achieving better health and wellness. Whatever their wants, it is critical that you discover their true motivation to seeking your care and then to convert their wants to needs.

Although initially they may seem to be the same, a patient’s wants and needs can be strikingly different. Let’s look at an example:

A patient suffering with migraine headaches tells you the reason for her visit is to get rid of her headaches. She wants to be headache-free.

But is that really what motivated her to come in to see you today?

How long has this person been suffering with migraines? Why now? What does she really need? These questions must be answered in order to begin the process of conversion. In this example, your patient may have been suffering for years with her migraines, but decided today to do something about it.

Was it simply that she was fed up with them and couldn’t take it anymore? Doubtful. If you were to dig a little deeper you might find that her true motivation is that her condition was now deeply affecting her relationship with her child. In fact, she might share that when she came home after work yesterday, she snapped at her 6-year-old son who was excited to share a painting he had done at school. But she couldn’t look at it because her head hurt and she needed to lie down.

The threat of losing the relationship she cherished triggered the visit to the office, not the headache itself. She wants the headache gone, but she needs to have a good relationship with her child.

Determining what a patient needs vs. what she merely wants, is one of the things that separates you from a technician. When you do this you truly act as a doctor.

Fulfilling needs

It has been said, “With knowledge comes responsibility.” As a chiropractor, you have the responsibility to educate your patients and your community to the truth regarding health and wellness and to lead your patients to make better decisions.

A key part of this process is educating your patients on the role of the nervous system, and positioning yourself as the expert in caring for this system. As much as our profession thinks it may be accomplishing this, we have not made big enough strides. If you were to ask any group of lay people to describe chiropractic, they would invariably say that chiropractors work on bad backs or that they “crack” bones.

Rarely, if ever, is there mention of the nervous system, outside of the occasional “painful pinched nerve.” This is a much bigger problem than you may think, because the niche of chiropractic is lost. If you are like most in our profession that understands the tremendous positive effect chiropractic has on the nervous system, it’s time you start telling the story and positioning the nervous system as the “centerpiece of your practice.”

Think of the last time you were in a fabulous hotel or restaurant. You can probably recall exactly what the centerpiece was, whether it was a beautiful piece of art, or an incredible signature dish. Either way, the centerpiece sticks in your mind, much like it should in the minds of everyone who comes to your office.

The question is then, how do you position the nervous system as the centerpiece of your practice at the same time as you convert a patient’s wants to needs? The answer is communication. The next time a new patient comes to see you, have a conversation that sounds something like this:

Doctor: “Mary, it sounds as if these migraines have really affected your life, and are now affecting your relationship with your son. I want you to know that I understand, and that I will do whatever I can to help you, and that this is one of my primary goals.

“I also want to let you know that my ultimate goal is to prepare you for wellness care and to teach you about the importance of your nervous system.

“Mary, you may have never thought of this before, but everything you experience in your life is experienced through your nervous system. From the beauty of a sunset or the joy of laughter to the pain of your migraines, everything in your life happens through your nervous system.

“What I am telling you Mary is that you live your life through your nervous system. You’ve probably never really thought of this before, but now that you do, does it make sense?”

Mary: “Absolutely.”

Doctor: “I’m glad you agree with me Mary. Now, let me ask you a very important question: If you live your life through your nervous system, which you just agreed that you do, how important is it for that system to function optimally, from this day through the rest of your life?”

Mary: “Very Important!” (What else could Mary say?)

Doctor: “I agree, Mary. As a chiropractor, I want to help you with what you want, but it is important for me to also tell you what you need. In a moment I will be doing a scan that will tell me exactly how well your nervous system is functioning, and I will be able to let you know how I can help you not only with your concerns, but also what it would take to maximize optimal function of your nervous system so you can live a life of wellness that you deserve. Do you have any questions before we begin your scans?”

This type of dialogue helps you convert your patient’s wants to needs and then allows you as a doctor to fill those needs. Additionally, you place the nervous system as the centerpiece of your practice where it belongs.

When patients begin care with this understanding in place, they view you as someone with whom they will partner over their lifetime — not as someone they go to for crisis management.

This singular understanding creates a dramatic shift in your practice and is one of the most important foundational steps in building the lifetime family wellness practice of your dreams.

Dr. David Jackson is the president of the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance (www.subluxation.com) and is an international lecturer respected for his vision, passion and commitment to the profession. As a practicing chiropractor for more than 15 years, he ran a high volume, highly profitable cash practice comprised of 50 percent children in just 17 hours per week He can be contacted at 800-285-2001 or dj@subluxation.com