The art of public speaking is a strong marketing tool employed by relatively few in the health care sphere in local markets
Using the art of public speaking in your marketing plan could be your avenue into bringing more patients in the door. If you gave 100 speeches each year — for example, let’s say that you spoke twice per week to different groups that had between 50 to 100 people in the audience — this would result in exposure to anywhere between 5,000-10,000 potential new patients each year.
The audience will see you as an authority figure in your field, and most groups will allow you to speak between 30 to 60 minutes, enough time to gain trust and answer questions.
Why chiropractors don’t use public speaking
If public speaking is such a great marketing method, why don’t more chiropractors use public speaking? Two reasons:
1. Public speaking is one of the most common fears that people experience.
2. Most people were never told that public speaking was a very effective marketing method for attracting new patients.
So most DCs have never looked into using public speaking as a strong marketing tool. In addition, it is important to mention that there are five very important factors that chiropractors will need to learn if they want to use public speaking successfully. These factors are:
Factor #1 — A specific goal or reason for giving speeches is needed
Chiropractors need to form a specific goal or reason for giving speeches. For example, you might have a goal of attracting 100 patients each year as a result of giving speeches. Or, you might want to earn an extra $100,000 in the next 12 months. Each chiropractor might have a different goal, but it is important to have a specific goal to aim at.
Factor #2 — A slow and safe way to practice your speeches is required
Practice or rehearse very short speeches in small groups. As you become comfortable with one- or two-minute speeches, you will have the confidence to try longer speeches. It is also important to rehearse in small groups and gradually try speeches in larger groups.
Here, you will find that traditional public speaking classes make the mistake of putting a new speaker in front of a large group of people for 15-30 minutes. This is the reason that those classes have a very high dropout rate. It is much more effective to practice public speaking in small groups that allow each person to develop public speaking skills at their own pace.
In addition, it is very important to practice speeches that will attract new patients to your office. Many traditional public speaking classes make the mistake of having you practice speeches about current events. This type of rehearsing will not prepare you to give important speeches about chiropractic.
Factor #3 — The intention or willingness to use public speaking on a regular basis
A chiropractor needs to have the intention or willingness to give between 50-150 speeches each year. At this point, you will need to commit to giving a specific number of speeches each week, so you can attain your yearly goal. Furthermore, in order to be motivated to give many speeches each year, chiropractors have to be sure that they have a specific goal that they want to achieve.
Factor #4 — The business side of public speaking
This factor deals with the need for chiropractors to think about strategies that will make their speeches more profitable. Here, the chiropractor needs to start thinking about the following:
- Where should I speak?
- What kinds of groups do I want to speak to?
- Should I speak to certain kinds of associations, corporations, organizations, conferences, conventions, colleges, churches, government groups, different industries, non-profit organizations, professional groups, etc.?
- Does my speech topic interest the kinds of groups that I am trying to contact?
- Why should different groups want to hear my speech?
For profitable speaking engagements it is very important for chiropractors to develop a smart business plan. This is also the point where you will determine if your speeches are producing referrals, more new patients, consulting jobs, and requests for you to speak at different groups and great business contacts.
Factor #5 — The decision to use public speaking as part of your marketing plan
This factor is where you make a commitment to either use public speaking or not use public speaking in your marketing plan. At this point, you will have to be honest with yourself and decide if you are “really” going to look for speaking engagements.
If you only give a few speeches in a 12-month period, then it is obvious that you have made the decision to only “dabble” with public speaking. But If you are giving 100 speeches each year, you will soon discover that public speaking is a very powerful marketing tool for your chiropractic practice.
Try a 6-month foray into the art of public speaking
Here is one extra marketing tip regarding the use of public speaking: If you decide to start giving speeches, be sure to use this marketing tool for at least six months. Many chiropractors try to give speeches for one or two months and then they quit. Public speaking, like other types of marketing, takes some time to figure out what works and what doesn’t work. Make the decision to become a successful and well-known chiropractor by using public speaking.
Edward Martin, DC, is a motivational speaker and a public speaking and marketing coach. He is the author of “How To Attract More Chiropractic Patients By Using Public Speaking” and can be contacted at 818-314-2054 or edwardm77@gmail.com.
