By Dr. Paul Hollern
[Editor’s note: Dr. Paul Hollern presents a theory of practice management
in this article that may or may not be synchronized with your personal philosophy.
We offer it up as one system of practice management that may work for some practices,
but not others.]
Currently, on any given day, only 6 percent of the American population is actively
seeking chiropractic care. This leaves an untapped market of 94 percent of the
population. While these statistics make the number of potential chiropractic
patients seems endless, the truth is a lack of marketing and business skills
by chiropractors means the market will remain untapped. This fact is proven
by other statistics showing that up to half of chiropractors do not make it
past the fifth year of practice.
From a strictly business point of view, there are nine common marketing mistakes
made by chiropractors that prevent the chiropractic profession from moving beyond
a market percentage of 6 percent. The intention of this article is to bring
these mistakes to light so that more chiropractors and chiropractic itself may
move beyond survival by obtaining an appropriate percentage of the health care
marketplace.
The Nine Most Common Business Mistakes
1 Prospecting the Wrong Way
Nine of the 43 socioeconomic classes described in the American marketplace account
for 80 percent of all chiropractic visits. Thus, not everyone buys what chiropractic
has to sell. A simple example of this is reflected in statistics that continually
show blue collar workers utilize chiropractic services at higher rates than
white collar workers. Since blue collar workers outnumber white collar workers
and they have a higher utilization rate, chiropractors should focus their marketing
efforts primarily on labor, as opposed to management. Putting the chiropractic
message in front of the people who do not typically buy chiropractic decreases
the effectiveness of the message.
2 Branding or Gateways
Consumers remember firsts, not seconds. The public associates a business with
the one thing that it is best at, not two or more. Deviation from this violates
the consumers perception of the rules. Our marketplace buys based on pain motivation.
This is evident in the fact that 84 percent of chiropractic patients seek care
for neck pain, headaches and lower back pain. Only 7 percent seek care for extremity
problems. Other problems have even lower percentages. With this in mind, chiropractic
should use neck pain, headaches and lower back pain as the gateways to our recognition
in the marketplace. The chiropractic brand then becomes associated with the
gateways of neck, headache and lower back pain as Kleenex is associated with
tissue.
Some will argue that this sells chiropractic short because we can, and do, treat
more than neck, headache and lower back pain. Unfortunately, in the rules of
marketing a business must give up something to get something else. Business
marketing rules differ from the rules of chiropractic philosophy. Once patients
enter chiropractic offices through branding and gateways, other benefits can
be offered. This is referred to as a line extension. Advertising wellness care
and that chiropractic can treat everything from disc problems to hang nails
violates the rules of branding and gateways. The public simply will not believe
that chiropractors can be everything to everybody.
3 Unfamiliar Terms
Subluxation, Diversified technique, Innate intelligence, Gonstead technique
and Activation technique are terms specific to chiropractic. These terms are
known as industrial language. The chiropractic marketplace is typically unfamiliar
with these terms. Lack of understanding creates a lack of trust and increases
the public’s resistance to buying chiropractic services. Unless your patients
have had these terms explained to them, reserved these phrases for intraprofessional
communications. Chiropractors must be able to describe a diagnosis, treatment
options and other complicated methods in laymen’s terms for effective
patient communications and care.
4 Stressing Features and Benefits over Need
If a patient does not see a need for chiropractic care, all of the bells and
whistles in the world will not sell them on care. The need must be established
and care initiated before benefits and features can be described.
5 Being Pushy
People have a natural tendency to withdraw or push back if they are told what
they need to do or should do. After a need is established, features and benefits
should be presented as options, not mandates.
6 Selling Pleasure instead of Pain
Humans are motivated by pain. In fact, 80 percent of all human activity is related
to escaping present or future pain. Only 5 percent of human activity is said
to be motivated by pleasure. That is why the constant marketing of wellness
care is futile. People do not want to feel good, better or stay healthy. They
want the pain to stop. Think about this. People are conditioned not to think
about their health in the absence of pain.
7 Failure to Clear Obstacles
Consumers will not act if obstacles are present. Thus, when an obstacle arises,
and the doctor does not clear the obstacle, the patient will not begin or continue
care. If the patient perceives chiropractic care is expensive and time consuming
and the practice cannot offer financial options and run on time, the patient
will be lost. Most chiropractors fail to address obstacles because they are
fearful of confrontation. This must be overcome. Remember both successful and
unsuccessful doctors hate confrontation. The difference is successful doctors
can manage to follow through despite their discomfort.
8 Time Management
Since acute pain is the greatest motivation for seeking chiropractic care, most
prospective patients want immediate availability of care. If a practice cannot
see a patient within 48 hours, the patient will seek care elsewhere. Priority
is said to drop by 50 percent every 24 hours. Care must be initiated quickly
to avoid this factor. Since chiropractic care is a process and rarely a single
event, efforts must be made to inform new patients of the real time involved
in each visit and the course of care. If an office has a one-hour wait for a
two-hour initial visit, patients will avoid the practice. They may perceive
this as the time required for each visit and a 25 visit treatment schedule would
seem overwhelming. Initial visits must be efficient and the time for a typical
appointment following the initial evaluation must be stressed to the patient.
America is a drive-thru society. Everyone is busy.
9 Getting a Commitment
The average conversation between a chiropractor and a prospective patient ends
with the doctor providing the interested party his business card and a handshake.
A commitment from the patient to move forward with care is rarely obtained.
In some cases the prospective patient is less interested in chiropractic care
after the conversation than he was before the conversation. He has received
a free consultation and either thinks he can now solve his own problem or thinks
his problem is not severe enough to warrant his time or money.
Doctors must focus on scheduling the prospective patient and obtaining commitment
to that appointment, not on offering free advice.
Failure to apply the information above and avoid the pitfalls described are
the keys to chiropractic success. The key does not rely upon location, the community’s
level of health consciousness, insurance companies, the medical profession,
the technique a doctor uses or any other of the many common excuses frequently
given for chiropractic failures.
Many chiropractors are struggling. And, the truth is, the struggle will only
end for doctors of chiropractic if they apply proven marketing and business
principles to their health care practices. Clinical skills and philosophical
principles while important, are only two pieces of the puzzle that make up a
successful practice. Chiropractic and chiropractors cannot move forward without
putting all of the pieces of the puzzle in place.
About the author: Dr. Paul Hollern is a graduate of Logan Chiropractic College
and has been in practice since 1988. Currently, he serves as CEO and President
of UnclePaul Chiropractic Business Training in Louisville, Ky., and has trained
and financed over 90 offices in 18 states.
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