Follow these 4 steps for your next screening promotion
By John Heggie, DC

Meeting the public to promote your office is one of the quickest ways to build your practice. One vigorous way to jumpstart your practice is to conduct health screenings at companies and retail establishments.

Regardless of what your screening involves — posture analysis, blood pressure readings, or neck and shoulder massage — the following elements will ensure a successful in-store screening:

1. Do your homework

Learn as much about the people you would screen prior to arranging the screening.

For a corporate screening, find out:

• What types of jobs do employees do? Is it physical labor that puts stress on a particular part of the body (such as the back)? Or is office work, which puts high demands on proper workstation ergonomics?

• What are the typical lunch hours for the company (the best time to do screenings)?

• Do employees typically take breaks during a particular time period in the morning and afternoon?

For a retail screening:

• Do most of the customers live a short distance from your office?

• Is the store’s foot traffic sufficient to ensure many prospective patients for your screening?

• What are the peak hours of the busiest day?

• What are the slow times of day (so you know when to request a five-minute meeting with the manager)?

2. Emphasize the benefit

Identify the decision-maker, usually the human resources manager or the store manager. Schedule an appointment, show up on time, and make your presenta-tion quick and to the point. Your presentation should show a benefit to the company and employees or its customers.

Guard against being self-serving; you want the manager to see that you’re doing a community service not soliciting his employees or customers.

Your goal is to excite the manager with a benefit for the employees or customers during their shopping experience and in return, you are getting your name out to the community. Notify the manager if you will offer a special discount on a chiropractic checkup to their customers and employees.

One type of screening that works well is a free neck and shoulder massage. The company views it as a great benefit for their employees or customers and a luxury service. But as you give the massage, you will be able to palpate the customers and quickly connect with them while discussing their health concerns or conditions.

Practice your presentation with several friends and ask them for their critique before you schedule your first meeting with a manager. Then go to smaller businesses first to fine-tune your presentation before approaching larger stores.

3. Be prepared and be portable

Be organized, prepared, and portable to be successful at screenings. Don’t rely on the company to provide you with any necessities. Plan to utilize the least amount of space possible at the business.

The following is a list of supplies many successful chiropractors use when doing a neck and shoulder massage event:

• 4' x 2' folding table;

• 2 folding chairs;

• “Free Neck and Back Massage” sign;

• Appointment book or PDA;

• Special discount certificate with map to your office on the back;

• Business cards or magnets; and

• Your nametag.

4. Close on a high note

As your screening session ends, you need to close the discussion. Think of your close as a four-step process. Each step is a comfortable way of guiding the individual you are screening from being concerned about his (or her) condition to taking action and making an appointment with you. Assume that every customer is waiting for you to ask him or her to come in for an exam.

• Ask if the person’s condition is concerning him. If yes, recommend an office visit to examine their condition thoroughly.

• Give details of the special offer you have put together for this company. “This is a special we put together for this company that enables you to come into our office for a reduced price. We are offering these certificates today only. Is this something you are interested in?”

• Schedule an appointment with the customer. Offer one morning time and one afternoon time within the next two days for the customer to choose from.

• Collect the money for the certificate. “The special you are purchasing is $xx. We accept cash, checks, and credit cards for payment today.”

If a customer says “no” during any of these steps, simply hand them your business card and let them know it was nice visiting with them and that your door is always open.

The sequence of these steps is very important. It gives those individual who only want a free back massage a painless way to notify you that they are not interested in chiropractic care. The sequence allows you to schedule new patients without pressuring them.

Focus on customers who are interested in their health. Seek patients who have the same ideals you have. Understand that some people are not interested in chiropractic. In these cases, just leave them with a positive impression of you and chiropractic in general.

John Heggie, DC, is co-founder of the continuing education and license renewal company, Lakeside Chiropractic Seminars, Inc. He can be contacted via Lakeside Chiropractic Seminars, Inc. Web site, www.LakesideSeminars.com.