Issue 4 - March 2004

Team Tips By Susan Hoy
Base your supplement program on 4 success concepts

When you recommend nutritional supplements to your patient, you are treating the whole patient, not just the patient’s symptom.

I am a passionate believer in nutritional supplements because I have witnessed the positive results that proper nutrition has on the body. I have also witnessed the economic results that nutrition has had on practice statistics. And, since insurance companies do not reimburse for nutritional supplements, the value added goes straight to the bottom line. Nutritional supplementation is a cash business.

Certainly, you would not recommend supplements just to boost your revenues: You do it because you are serving your patients. Make your recommendations from your heart, not from your wallet! Once you gain your patients’ trust, they will believe in you and trust your recommendations.

As in every other aspect of practice management, four success concepts must be present to make offering nutritional supplements a positive and successful aspect of your care.

• Believe. We communicate at a deeper level than our words convey. Only 6 percent of communication is the spoken word. Body language is a large part of communication, but even more important is your core belief in your product or service. Belief underpins words and gestures.

Unless you believe in the product you are recommending and make your recommendation with unfaltering confidence and certainty, your success will be limited.

• Be enthusiastic. I like to use the word passion because that is what transfers into the space around us. The people around us absorb the energy we emit. Become excited about your recommendations — and show it!

One way to show your enthusiasm is to share success stories. The way you present your product to your patients will make a huge difference in how they receive it.

• Educate. Educate on three levels — yourself, your staff and your patients. First, educate yourself by attending seminars on nutrition, reading articles pertaining to the topic and learning from your nutritional representative.

Second, educate your staff. Include them in your seminars. They will have a big impact on your patient but only if they exude confidence and knowledge.

Finally, educate your patients. Give them handouts (usually available from the supplement company) with your dietary supplementation recommendation. Conduct nutritional seminars in your office. This is a great way to grow your practice: Invite the general public to your office for your seminars.

Nutrition is big business and your patients and their family and friends deserve to know the facts.
• Focus. Good intentions achieve nothing; focus and application do.

Create a theme — such as “Anti-aging for young-minded baby boomers” — for the month and prepare your entire educational program around that theme. Then approach the topic holistically. Explain how chiropractic care, diet, nutritional supplements and exercise can help.

Showcase a product-of-the-month and make sure you and your staff can discuss its benefits with patients. Create a seminar around the theme and track your practice growth.

If you incorporate these suggestions into your supplement program, your practice will slowly gain renewed momentum. Americans are spending upwards of 70 billion dollars on nutritional supplements each year. Once they are educated and understand the benefits of nutrition, they will readily pay cash and feel good about it!

Susan Hoy is an award-winning team trainer and consultant. She can be reached at 215-674-0130; suzzhoy@aol.com; or through her Web site at www.beefitup.net