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Secrets of the Goldmans’ success When it comes to opening and building a successful practice, Drs. Rita and Arnold Goldman prove that there is no single answer to “where” or “when,” but they certainly have some pretty good theories as to “how.” The answers to the first two questions can be succinctly answered: “Anywhere, any time.” And the answer to “how?” “Do something,” they say. “If it’s not the right thing, it can always be changed.” The Goldmans did not even begin attending chiropractic college until later in life: Arnold was 50 when he entered chiropractic college; Rita, 36. Yet, they have started six successful practices — four of which (all in Kentucky) they still own. The Goldmans estimate these practices have experienced hundreds of thousands of office visits since their inception. They built their four-office juggernaut — with three more currently on the drawing board — in little more than a decade. They’ve done it with hard work and perseverance, and by adhering to the belief that where there are people, there are patients to be had. “We’re a full-service chiropractic house,” says Rita, summing up the overall philosophy of the practice. “We’re a broad spectrum clinic. We service everyone and everybody. Our doctors are trained in everything.” MULTI-MEDIA MARKETING They built the practice through an aggressive multi-media marketing program, bombarding their rural Kentucky locales with information and education about the practice and profession. They give away a lot of freebies, and go out of their way to get themselves in front of as many people as possible. It all adds up to a practice that sees as many as 800 patients a week and gets more than 50 new patients per month at each of its four locations, in spite of not having a large population from which to draw. “There are a million cities in this country where people could make small fortunes or do very well,” Arnold says. “Some people are not willing to do what it takes to get the job done.” When they opened their first office in Kansas City, the Goldmans joined a management group that gave them the idea of taking services to people, lots of people, rather than wait for people to come to them. Armed with an early version of a spinal analysis machine, they hit the road. “They told us this was the curve, the edge of the coming wave, and that we needed to get on it,” Arnold says of the advice the management group gave them. “We got the 42nd machine that came off the assembly line of the manufacturer. There was a flower show in Kansas City shortly thereafter; we went there. We were the only chiropractors who had this machine.” At the show, the Goldmans bought space that was so costly they had to share it with three other DCs. It was well worth it. They attracted 65 new patients out of the original screenings and also discovered what would be their greatest and most effective marketing tool. From that point, they went wherever they could to market themselves and their services directly to the masses. FROM FESTIVALS TO FAIRS They still do it today, hauling equipment with them to show the curious public. They believe in using state-of-the-art equipment, and they want potential patients to know they have the best and newest equipment. “We looked all over to find out any time there was a festival or any place we could go with our unit,” Arnold says. “We try to stay on the cutting edge of new development. We believe in letting people know what we’ve got.” The Goldmans go to county fairs, tobacco festivals, and even the local Miss Germantown pageant. There are always people who have not been exposed to chiropractic, or even existing chiropractic patients who haven’t see the newest technology. The Goldmans expose the public to new and different things, the hope being that something will impress a person enough to take the step toward care. “Whenever there was a gathering of people and we could get in there and do it, we took our machine and we were there,” Rita says. “When you start out and you don’t have enough patients to have a patient-appreciation day, you’ve got to go out and do spinal screenings.” STANDARDIZED OFFICES They train their staff to the point at which an office could function just as well without them there, allowing them to move on and pursue new projects. They all follow a plan similar to the one they used to grow their original Kansas City office, which was running successfully when Rita decided she wanted to return to Kentucky. They closed the old practice and started fresh in their home state. Their first practice in Kentucky was in Maysville, and it wasn’t long before the Goldmans decided to open some more stores. Shops in Morehead, Georgetown, and Cynthiana, all rural hamlets, followed. When they were ready to head to another town, the marketing formula preceded the move. Folks knew the Goldmans were coming. The doctors never have to wait long to see patients. Contributing to the overall success of the practice building was the interchangeable nature of things. The Goldmans’ offices are formulaic and people can be moved from one to the other if the demand pops up. That includes using the same equipment, the same advertisements, and offering the same goods and services in each of the clinics. Staff size varies office to office, based on need, but the philosophies and methods of operation stay the same. Soon to be among those services will be physical therapy. STAFF SELECTION CRITICAL Key to the growth of a multi-office practice is a good staff. The Goldmans can only be two places at once, and prefer being in only one. They have been meticulous about hiring over the years. They like people who “resemble” them: Individuals who are happy to be in the field and enthusiastic about the business and the patients’ well being. “We just hired a new person to do therapy,” Rita says. “When she brought her resumé, she was laughing and bubbly. She was somebody who was going to be happy with everybody. If someone doesn’t feel good, she would just give them a hug. We want our staff to be happy.” The Goldmans find staff in a number of ways — including referrals from current patients, word of mouth, and Internet advertising. They’re pretty picky about things, but usually end up pleased with their hires. They attribute that to instincts and experience as much as anything. They pay special attention to whom they hire to deal with insurance matters, perhaps spending a little more money to get more experienced people there. “The mistakes they make can cost you a fortune,” Goldman says. “It’s better to pay the dollars up front, get the experienced person, and know the business is being taken care of. Then you can sleep at night.” EXTREMITY ADJUSTING ADDS REVENUES The Goldmans have grown their practice by offering a wide variety of services, not the least of which is the subspecialty of treating extremities. That all started years go when the Goldmans dealt with a large number of carpal tunnel syndrome patients. That led them to working with patients’ upper extremities. Eventually, they started taking a much closer look at patients’ feet, via x-rays, and seeing that faulty feet are indeed a cause of many health problems. Such conditions as heel spurs, or plantar fasciitis, bad ankles, or even just poor posture, were contributing to poor musculoskeletal health. The Goldmans wanted to address these things and even take their employees to lower-extremity seminars to learn more about related treatments. “Usually somebody comes into us, even if they’re going to a podiatrist, because they’re not getting help with their problem,” Rita explains. “If they’re going to another chiropractor, they maybe haven’t done anything to check out their knees or their feet.” The Goldmans practice what they preach, in a sort of “do as I say and as I do” manner. They examine and fit their staff members with orthotics, for instance, when needed. They want their own employees to be able to share experiences and treatment success stories with patients in a “been-there, done-that” sort of manner. And, of course, a little dumb luck never hurts, which the Goldmans got in the form of a nearby Toyota plant, whose CEO happened into their office one day. That one patient connection has led to dozens of patients. But while the Toyota plant connection was certainly a nice break for the Goldmans, it is not why their practices have thrived. The Georgetown office, which is closest to the plant, was not their first. They had a thriving practice in Maysville before expanding. The affiliation with Toyota only began about five years ago. It certainly didn’t hurt their bottom line, but they believe their growth would have been similar without the business from Toyota. Many of the concepts the Goldmans take to the Toyota fairs — along with as many as 15 people — are just the basic things they employ in their practices. They are available to the general public with every bit as much tenacity: • The doctors have implemented orthotics into all their practices, which has allowed them to increase patient revenue by $14 a visit. • They offer more than 700 nutritional products. • And as many as 90 percent of their patients use some form of ancillary product. Add it all up and you have a growing practice that shows no signs of slowing down. The Goldmans, meanwhile, are living proof that there is life after 50 and old dogs indeed can learn new tricks. SIDEBARS:
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Todd
Stumpf is a freelance writer. He can be contacted at Advertising | Classifieds | Cardpack | Datebook | Past Issues | Chiro History
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