Graduating from a chiropractic college is filled with mixed emotions: happiness, joy, and elation about what you have accomplished – but also anxiety, apprehension, and confusion about the future. The key to starting a successful practice is to stay focused on your goals, stay positive, and never lose sight of the most important thing: quality patient care. The following building blocks will assist you on your journey to success.
Debunk the myths
New graduates entering clinical practice encounter a flurry of reasons why starting out will be difficult, but you’ll find that many of the discouraging words you hear will have more myth than merit.
Two myths to debunk before you move forward into the world of business practice are that you need
- money to start your own practice, and
- confidence to be successful.
Money is not necessary to start your own practice. In the beginning you will be able to leverage your skills to obtain space within an existing office or practice for no money at all. By working on percentage you can join an existing health team or practice where you step in and earn right away. The amount of income you generate is based on the number of patients you see. You are running your own practice and over time you will grow, save money, and create opportunities to expand.
Learn to get outstanding clinical results
What do Sidney Crosby, Tom Brady, and Lebron James have in common? Between their salaries and endorsement contracts, they are among the highest paid professional athletes in their respective sports because they consistently produce outstanding results.
When you consistently produce results, you create a culture of buzz around you that others begin to want to be a part of. Many chiropractors lose sight of this fact. You can have the best marketing campaign, or you can learn the most up-to-date promotional techniques, but if you cannot produce consistent clinical results, your patients will not refer.
Get a mentor
How do you learn to produce great clinical results if you’re just getting started?
Make the commitment to find a chiropractic mentor you admire. Seeking out a mentor will allow your practice goals to take on a specific direction through the guidance and support you receive. Having a mentor means putting your ego aside and being open to improving the way you assess and treat your patients, even if it differs slightly from the way you were taught in school.
Be sociable
Social media is the most effective form of business promotion today. And it’s free. From a chiropractor’s perspective, social media can build awareness, create and encourage community involvement, and provide enhanced customer service. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are dominating how we do business today.
Ideally, you want to create a culture among your followers. As a DC, you need to identify and appeal to the culture of your target patients. Then provide constant opportunities for your online community to be heard. For example: Poll your Facebook fans with the question, “Would you be open to requesting patient appointments by text messaging?”
Debunking the myths, learning to achieve top-quality results, getting a mentor, and using social media are not the only things you need as a new practitioner but they will give you the solid foundation you’ll need to get ahead.
