You don't have to wait for the holiday season to show gratitude to your patients and staff.

By Bryan Laneville, DC

What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things for which you are thankful? How often do you focus on gaining more patients instead of expressing gratitude for the ones you already have?

Gratitude is something you should focus on every day of your life. Since this topic is so important and relevant to everyone, why not feature it as a theme in your office and host a “gratitude week”?

You can take the theme of gratitude and turn it into a marketing strategy and fundraising activity all at the same time.

Planning a gratitude week

Step 1: Determine what month and how many days it will be. Though it can be done any time of the year, consider doing it a few weeks before Thanksgiving because that’s when people are already thinking about gratitude.

Step 2: Next, consider partnering with a charity that you would like to support. Choose one that is aligned with your office values and willing to promote this event with you.

The charity may be able to send out the details of your event to their email list. You can also make a special offer in conjunction with your state board that provides some benefit to potential new patients or existing patients for the charity. You can also donate a certain dollar amount or percentage of your services to the charity.

Step 3: Consider other fun ideas including gathering prizes to raffle off during the week. You could turn it into a referral contest or give patients a ticket for a chance to win a prize for every appointment they keep.

Raffle prizes can include an iPod, flat-screen TV, massage package, gas cards, movie tickets, or gift cards to a local restaurant.

Showing gratitude to your existing patients and involving them as much as possible is an important activity. Hand something out to all your

patients to let them know how grateful you are to have them as members of your practice.

For example: Hand patients a gratitude stone as an ongoing visual reminder of your relationship to them.

Step 4: Decorate your practice with balloons, streamers, posters, etc., or post gratitude quotes all over the office.

Besides the visual, you want to touch as many senses as you can. Place some healthy snacks out for patients to enjoy as well as some water or tea.

Step 5: Promote the event internally and externally. This includes updates to your practice’s Facebook and Twitter social media pages and posting video updates to your YouTube channel or website.

Send an e-blast to all your patients letting them know about the details of your gratitude week and post flyers with a short description about the charity you are working with.

Create certificates to give to patients that can be handed out in the community to promote referrals. Put together a press release and send it to all of your local media outlets.

Above all, have fun with this event. If you and your staff are excited about it, that energy will be transferred to your patients.

Step 6: Perform some post-event marketing and show your own gratitude to everyone who helped you with the event.

For example: Get a photograph of you handing over a check to the president of the charity and send that picture with an article to your local newspaper.

Show your staff some gratitude at the end of the event by taking them out to lunch or giving them a gift thanking them for their hard work. Hold a meeting with your staff discussing what worked well and what didn’t so you know how to improve the event next year.

Bryan Laneville, DC, owner of Laneville Family Chiropractic in Willowbrook, Ill., runs a wellness-based NUCCA practice with his wife Ellie. He can be reached at info@chicagolandnucca.com or through epicpractice.com.