Resource Centers:(News, information, and tools to support your practice)
April 2010
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Where have all the patients gone?
By Michelle Geller-Vino
All practices have them … patients who are missing in action. Regardless of what size practice you have, a common factor is not always about getting new patients, but how to keep existing ones.
Is it possible your inactive patient base is larger than your active one? Chiropractors are often frustrated and wonder why patients are dropping out of their care. The problem is no mystery. Committed and successful chiropractors know that patient retention is the key.
Sadly, however, many chiropractors are doing the same thing and expecting different results. Do you share their frustrations? If you want to have a high-volume, well-rounded practice with patients who are there for the long haul, you must educate your patients and your community.
It is time to take charge of your practice and make sure you are educating your current patients in a way that makes them understand the need for regular chiropractic visits.
Master the art
It’s time to master the art of relationship building. One key ingredient is realizing retention comes from the very first visit and how you educate them during that visit. It is about helping patients understand the importance of chiropractic care with or without pain and with or without symptoms. A person who understands this should want to receive chiropractic care continuously in order to gain a better quality of life.
Starting today, make sure all your staff members are responsible for patient retention, not just you.
Each staff member should be a chiropractic patient
Each staff member must focus on education and retention and everyone should be giving the same message to all patients.
Make a connection
It is important to make a good connection between you and your patient, and you have to be willing to listen and talk to a person. Talking to a patient should be similar to talking to a friend or family member.
Patients need to be able to feel your authenticity and know they can trust you. Initially, patients will come to you because of the benefits they will gain from you. Ultimately, you hope they will stay with you because of the relationships you create.
Teach them well
All patients want to be educated on how to stay healthy. Are you educating your patients in a way that is engaging and creative? Or are you providing them with the same old lecture and expecting them to just show up?
Make it easy for patients to get chiropractic information. Create multiple sources where your patients or potential patients can get information.
Keep the energy level of your practice up by having exciting, interesting, and unique marketing events. This will keep patients wondering what’s next and wanting to return.
One trick you can try is to think of two patients who are missing in action and ask your CA to write their name and number on a piece of paper. Call them on your way home and just tell them you were thinking of them. You may be surprised at your results. Patients will be more receptive than you could imagine.
The most important key ingredient to retention is taking remarkable care of the people you have. Teach them, stay connected to them, and make sure you have an extraordinary office with an extraordinary staff.
Michelle Geller-Vino is president of MGV Marketing Inc. and has more than 28 years experience training chiropractic assistants. She can be reached at 561-392-5206, chiromich@yahoo.com, or through www.mgvmarketing.com.
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