Make 3D scans a part of your patient report of findings and correct imbalances with custom made foot orthotics

I opened my practice in December 2017. I had previously been a custom made foot orthotics salesperson as an associate in a practice for many years. I had worn custom made foot orthotics myself for a long time and gotten successful results with them.

When I was choosing which equipment from my previous practice to purchase for my own first clinic, one of the initial purchases I made was to order a 3D foot-scanning kiosk.

I chose that over other equipment because number one, it was a revenue generator. And the fantastic part is that a big component of my report of findings is using the laser 3D scan as exam findings. It has definitely helped me educate my patients on how long they have had this condition beyond just their back hurting last month by explaining how their arches have affected them for many years.

Bledsoe Chiropractic has become the “foot chiropractor” in our town and even gets referrals from other chiropractors who do not offer custom orthotics. This has helped us to be able to talk about feet in our social media marketing — and some of our biggest successes have been our foot posts.

The value of visibility

In our community outreach, we show our staff treating the feet in our rehab department using tape and massage, along with rehabilitation. We take pictures of every patient who receives their new pair of custom made foot orthotics, similar to how I have seen people posting a picture with their new car.

This helps us attract new patients to our practice who are already being referred either from another patient or from our Facebook page for foot-related conditions. This has created better compliance with our patients and a better practice fit from the beginning.

They know immediately from the signage in our office, the custom flip-flops and sandals sitting on the consult desk, and the sample orthotics that this is going to be a part of our practice. From the beginning it has been a hugely successful part of the practice with improved patient outcomes as well as revenue for our clinic.

Dependable and consistent revenue

Thousands of dollars each year come from custom orthotics consistently every month, even throughout the pandemic year of 2020. We have not sold less than 40 pairs any month this year. Patients still have flexible spending and health savings account money that they have used throughout the year.

I have found that a stranger could walk in off the street after hearing about our free foot scan and order and pay for custom made foot orthotics that first time they come to our clinic. This is a win-win for us, being able to help patients as well as run a successful business. I’m always looking for a win-win and this is a great one.

Every single patient who comes in our clinic gets a custom laser foot scan with our two-foot kiosk. On day one every patient watches a short video. Afterward, we talk about orthotics before they even meet the doctor. We go over the scan with every new patient. As patients return to care, if it’s been more than a year, they do a new scan. We even invite them to bring their family in for a free scan and have a consultation to go over those results.

Whether you’ve been in practice for a month or 20 years, I would highly recommend considering custom orthotics for your business. I believe this tool helps patients sustain their healthy changes, is a great addition to your initial exam procedure and will generate revenue.

Any time I’m looking to add a new tool or equipment to my office, I judge not only the product or service that I’m going to be selling, but what kind of support I am going to get. Is the company going to hold my hand and make it easy for both me and my staff to explain the product or service and sell it with success? They do and have for many doctors, and you gain support from fellow custom orthotics chiropractors also.

Marketing support helps sell custom made foot orthotics

We have foot posters in every room of our office, which generate conversation and questions from patients and their guests from the very first visit. Even the front window of our clinic has information and posters.

Make sure your custom orthotics maker has a great marketing department that helps cross-promote with your logo and brand. Mine sends lots of emails that you can then share on your Facebook page. We have a foot section on our website with a digital catalog. They couldn’t make it any easier for you to have success with selling custom orthotics. You do not have to be a trained salesperson to help your patients get this product in their shoes.

For most of my 10 years as an associate at another practice before branching out on my own, I recommended custom orthotics. A big change happened when I opened my own practice and went to additional training. I realized that in order to get the maximum benefit, that I, my family, my staff and my patients needed to have enough pairs to wear orthotics 24-7. Like glasses, they don’t work if you’re not wearing them!

My team loves our own custom orthotics

I’ve encouraged patients I had seen for years who wore a pair in their athletic shoes to get a second pair that would fit in slim dress shoes or clogs. I then also realized that custom flip-flops were fantastic for the lake and the boat and year-round as my house shoes in Arkansas. So, for most of our patients we recommend at least two pairs, if not three. This has given, of course, greater revenue to our clinic as well as greater short- and long-term success to our patients and our team.

If you have staff, they can be a giant resource when it comes to both educating, scanning and selling custom orthotics. All of our staff receive a free pair of orthotics after they’ve been with us for 90 days. That way they can experience the benefits of custom orthotics while working hard standing on their feet serving our patients each day. Then they tell our patients how wonderful they are and encourage them to both buy them and wear them.

Custom made foot orthotics also can help expand your reach. We are a busy multi-doctor practice. I found that I could not sell orthotics by myself, so I have a key staff person who works at our front desk and manages most of our sales in addition to them being recommended by their treating doctor. Information is noted in the report of findings on day two, and they get prompted in their second and third phase of care to make sure they have purchased those orthotics.

We have a flyer with our pricing structure and information on the back about their one-year money-back guarantee. The company does webinars and helps train our associates.

My fantastic staff person Gail was even featured in a webinar because she’s been so helpful keeping up with our goals and helping our patients. There are so many ways that custom orthotics can help your practice and your patients.

As we embark on a new year in 2021, we highly recommend custom orthotics when you are considering ways to grow your bottom line with a great product that your patients will love and find great benefit in.

AMANDA BLEDSOE, DC, is a 2005 graduate of Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, Kan., who writes for Foot Levelers. She also earned a B.S. in Science from the University of Central Arkansas. She is the owner of Bledsoe Chiropractic Clinic of Conway, Ark., founded in 2017.