Responding to the critics

After practicing for several years, I found my true passion in a unique facet of chiropractic marketing. My mission has been to schedule fellow chiropractors onto the speaking calendars of their local schools and businesses, so they can deliver their lay lecture, increase their credibility as a speaker, and become THE chiropractor to see.

But here’s the trick: in order to do this, you have to figure out what to say to get past “The Gatekeeper,” that naysayer who will try to stand in your way, who says they don’t believe in chiropractic, and gives you the runaround.

How does this relate to you, at the very beginning of your career? The faster you learn how to effectively respond to a naysayer, the more successful you’ll be as a practitioner. So many doctors respond defensively, or become too emotional.

The answer is to have pre-planned but natural sounding responses, and to say them with calmness and certainly.

Without further ado, here are the best responses for the “Top 2 Most Annoying Anti-Chiropractic Comments”:

#1: “All chiropractors do is go around saying how much they hate medical doctors!”

Your response should be: “We don’t hate medical doctors. Most anybody who grows up thinking they want to be a doctor, does it because they want to help people, and that’s always a good thing. And hey, if I’m in a car accident and my arm is severed, take me to a surgeon! The problem we have with MDs comes into play in other non-emergency situation. Medical doctors are trained to treat people with a different paradigm, and with different tools, than what the human body requires for optimal health. It’s a fact of human physiology. Thankfully, more MDs are starting to realize this, which is why some are now opening their minds to natural healthcare. “

#2. “Chiropractors try to brainwash people into getting adjusted forever! They just want to make more money.”

Your response should be: “When people choose to receive adjustments on a long-term wellness basis, it’s the greatest compliment a chiropractor can get! It’s funny that you see us as brainwashers and only caring about money, because all you have to do is pick up any magazine, or turn on the TV, and a minute won’t go by before you read or see a drug ad. Millions and millions of dollars are poured into these ads, to come up with clever jingles and pretty packaging. If you’ve noticed too, these ads are happening more often, and they’re even giving free sample offers, because the pharmaceutical industry is trying to recapture the growing number people getting tired of medicine. People want to pay for natural healthcare, because they see the value.”

Off Campus

As you’ve already probably noticed, when you leave the comfort of campus, naysayers are everywhere. They’re strangers, or (in so many cases) your own family members. But remember this: naysayers are skeptical because they don’t understand the truth. They’ve heard a bad story about chiropractic, or it’s just too unfamiliar to them. The best way to change their outlook is to respond to their objections with peace and logic. A heated debate will only fuel their fire.