Manage yourself to manage your practice
By Susan Hoy

The calendar of the new practitioner will look substantially different than that of a veteran chiropractor. The veteran may be busy from the moment he or she opens the clinic door in the morning, but a new practitioner may have hours without having a patient visit.

New patients do not miraculously appear once you hang up your “open for business” sign. So, how do you procure new business?

Here are some suggestions:

• Manage your mentality. If you have a negative image of marketing, change your attitude. Marketing is necessary. And it can be fun and exciting.

Enthusiasm, confidence, and belief are key ingredients in success. Your energy will either attract or repel potential patients. Make sure you are in the proper frame of mind when in marketing situations.

• Get out of your office. Making telephone contacts is OK, but nothing beats the personal touch. Personally introducing yourself to businesses in your area, participating in health fairs and spinal screenings, attending chamber of commerce events, and knocking on doors in your neighborhood are just some of the ways to meet people.

• Manage your schedule. Nothing will de-energize you faster than spending too much time in your office because you have few patients to fill your time.

Cluster booking your patients at the beginning and end of the day (when most patients prefer to come in) is the best way to create better energy. Clustering your patients also creates a better perception — a busy office suggests a good doctor.

Organize your schedule into adjustment times, report times, and marketing times. Most of your “unclaimed” hours should, however, be spent marketing.

• Manage your time. More time does not mean better patient care. Become efficient with your treatment techniques. Spend the amount of time it takes to give the patients what they need and no more. Subscribe to the adage that sometimes less is more.

• Manage your patients. Ethics rules. Overtreatment is unethical and results in patients losing respect for you. Be willing to let patients go if they are not responding to your care.

Be honest with your patient care. Don’t recommend more care than the patient really needs just because you don’t have many patients. Do what is right for your patients and they will reward you by recommending their friends and family.

• Manage your mental state. Just because a patient drops out of care doesn’t mean you’re not any good. Every practitioner has patients drop out prematurely. Don’t take it personally and don’t allow it to destroy your confidence.

• Specialize. Specialize in a particular technique or condition. It will differentiate you from the multitudes and allow you to speak with confidence and knowledge.

• Become a mimic. Look for upbeat, successful people to mimic. Network with other successful chiropractors. Don’t associate with negative people.

• Motivate yourself. Listen to motivational tapes while driving. Go to motivational seminars. Read motivational books. They work!

• Never stop learning. There is always more to learn and to improve. Attend specialized seminars and practice management conferences because you have to develop business skills and knowledge as well as chiropractic skills and knowledge.

Success is an ongoing process. Creating forward momentum and maintaining that momentum is paramount. Some people dream of success; others wake up and work for 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.