Big Practices Change the World

In Chiropractic we must master 3 domains of learning to truly affect large numbers of patients.  Most Chiropractors barely master the first 1 or 2, leaving them largely ineffective for the last and most important domain.  It is in this last and highest level that we are the most powerful when motivating patients to start and continue through our care.  In our offices we overcome the first 2 levels by mastering scripts.  Scripts are carefully thought out, well researched, precisely articulated slices of communication strung together to provide the exact experience you want to pass on to the patient.  Scripts sometimes get a bad name, as the Doctor fears being a robot; however, done properly just the opposite actually occurs.

Academic Domain

The first level we must master in Chiropractic is the Academic Domain or as we like to call it the Philosophy and Science.  Depending on the school, we mostly get this learning from our academic institutions and by reading the Green Books.  We also get this information by reading Chiropractic Publications, reviewing current research and attending seminars.  Most of us get this on our eight year journey to become a Chiropractor then we continually build on it each year.

Psychomotor Domain

For a lot of us in Chiropractic we call this the art.  This is where we apply what we learned so that we can facilitate healing.  As you know, there many different techniques in Chiropractic, most of which trying to reach the same goal, to remove interference, but we just go about it in a different way.  We learn a great amount of this in school and a great amount of this learning occurs through seminars and conferences for years to come.  This is where we are probably strongest as Chiropractors.  However it leaves us extremely myopic to the rest of what it takes to make a big difference.

Afferent Domain

This is the most important part of the patient experience by far.  This is where huge changes are made and big practices are built.  This level of learning refers to the listening, assessment, decision, and communication we must make in the moment when with the patient.   We also know every moment is different, very few patient interactions are the same.  We get different presentations, different questions, different objections, different reactions, crazy stories and so on.  Often times this domain is referred to as being present, however it is much more than just that.  Don’t get me wrong, not being present is a sure practice killer.  What patients want more than anything is to know that their Doctor cares about them.  We see this when the Doctor goes through a major life stressor, their practice drops, almost always.  Likewise when they are on purpose, their practices grow, often time without doing anything different at all.  However, as we layer judgment, decision and communication on top of this we are then in the zone.  The end patient experience is that they feel incredibly cared for as you swiftly assessed and communicated what was wrong, made the correction and effectively managed their journey back to health. So why do we fail so much in this domain.

Too many Chiropractors don’t own this last Domain.  They are too busy struggling to recall,  research or even make up their communication on the fly.  They are continually thinking about what they are about to say next and how to say it.  Then when they do finally get it out it has little impact as usually not even the sentence structure is correct.  The patient then loses confidence, and it is hard to retain them.

The Power of Scripts

This is where the power of scripts comes in.  Through power of scripts we are able to boil down 8+ years of  the Academic and  Psychomotor domains into precise impactful slices of communication, write it out and practice it over and over to drill this deep into our pre-cambric brains so we can recall it automatically much like riding a bike.  By doing this you leave your pre-frontal cortex uncluttered and most available to the patient visit.

You are not alone

We aren’t the only ones trying to do this.  In media, it is referred to as soundbites.   In public speaking, it is called vignettes.  In presentations, it is called talking points.  In Theater, they are called scripts. For these people it becomes essential as they can easily be distracted by cameras lights, makeup, temperature, crowds, etc.

Start with something easy

We have found that there are only 12 reasons why a patient doesn’t start care.  Gather all of the objection you get.  Boil them down to twelve.  Then when you have time free from distraction begin to think, research and write out the perfect response.  Then this must be practiced aloud over and over.  We do this through role playing patient visits.  Just remember how often you come home after not being able to connect with a patient, then the next morning in the shower you say to yourself “Darn, I wish I had said…..”

Onward and Upward…

D…

It is always exciting when an equipment lease comes to an end and you have some extra free cash available that you were used to paying.  NOT TODAY.

I was looking over my bank statements last week and noticed that an automatic lease payment that was supposed to be finished in April was still being deducted.  I immediately called the bank to verify that it was in fact my lease payment.  I then call Priority Leasing, who by the way is now Priority Capital to ask them to stop taking out my money and to return my over payment.  They explained to me that they had sold the lease to someone else, Marlin Leasing.  I called Marlin leasing and politely asked for them to stop taking my money.  She explained to me that it automatically renewed for another term and that I now had another full year of payments before I am allowed out.  In fact I only have a very small window to “end” my lease each year.  She told me I had to submit my request in writing 90 days before, but not more than 180 day before, the lease term end date.  Otherwise it will keep “renewing” forever. Huh?  When I was sold the lease I opted for the 1$ buyout at the end of 3 years.  Now because I didn’t write some silly letter I get to pay an extra 8400 over an above paying off the equipment in full.

The Evergreen Clause

After having her fax over the contract I signed, I realized that in the very small print it did in fact state that it would renew if I did not notify them in writing 90 before but not more than 180 days before.  Fired up, I decided to do some research.  This is known as the Evergreen Clause.  It is a nasty clause put into agreements hoping you won’t notice or remember until it is too late.  Worse then that, it is legal in most states!

The “Evergreen Clause”, the Industry term for contract language that automatically renews a lease or finance obligation beyond the original lease term.  The contract language varies by lender (see some actual examples below) but the common thread is that the monthly payment obligations automatically renews for additional periods of time (often 12 months) unless specific notification is provided to the Lender.

This obligation is rarely emphasized to you when you sign the contract and likely you are unaware of this provision.  Because of this, many customers do not realize their contract has extended beyond its original term.  Most Business Owners are busy running their companies, not complying with the “fine print” in their contract.

Read Carefully

Below are some examples;

… you must notify us by certified mail between 90 and 180 days prior to the end of the Lease Term if you intend on returning the equipment.  If you do not notify us, the Lease will automatically extend for 12 months…

…No more than 180 days and no less than 90 days prior to the end of the Term, Lessee shall give Lessor written notice of Lessee’s intention… If Lessee fails to so notify Lessor or, having notified Lessor, Lessee fails to return the Equipment at the end of the Term… at Lessor’s option automatically renew for another 6-month period under the same terms and conditions…

Action Steps

1. Go check any current leases to make sure that clause is not in there and if it is make sure you write the letter NOW and put it in a place you will remember to send it during the proper time frame. Then send it certified mail with signature.

2. NEVER sign a lease with that language it.  There are plenty of leases out there without this language.

Well, I hope my $8,400 lesson saves you some money and keeps your blood pressure in check.  Of course if anyone has any ideas how to get out of this let me know.  I sent it over to my attorney today, will keep you posted!

Onward….

I have been underground for a while but finally emerged with some great news.  We were able to get a hold of some great technology that will transform the way patients interact with the Chiropractic office.  I am very excited to share this with you.  It won’t be fully released until October but there is a opportunity to help us finish it up.

Kaizen Wellness Goes Beta!

Kaizen Wellness in an Internet-based wellness platform designed to enhance and maximize your patients’ access to vital wellness strategies, tools and information, especially in between office visits.  The Kaizen Wellness experience begins with a comprehensive assessment of the six dimensions of well-being.  This provides the patient with an overview of their strengths and weaknesses, which allows them to set and track relevant goals as well as receive additional information and resources as determined by their doctor.

Connect Your Patients To Wellness

Dramatically improve the overall health of your practice by connecting every one of your patients to the wellness resources that you have defined.  By so doing your practice will experience an immediate increase in sales of the varied products and services that support your wellness programs.  Kaizen Wellness features built-in behavioral tools to promote change along with unlimited access to a Certified Health Coach.  Patients will stay engaged through regular challenges issued to motivate and stimulate participation in various in-office programs.

Be A Part of History

Kaizen Wellness is currently in Beta Release.  This means that the entire platform is fully functional and we are making minor adjustments over the next few months in an effort to maximize the patient experience.  We are allowing 30 clinics to participate in the Beta Release before we move into regular licenses.  As a Beta Release participant you will receive full access to the platform and can begin to optimize your practice experience immediately.

The Beta Release will be offered at a substantial discount as compared to our regular offering.  In return, all we ask of you is to provide us with your feedback.  We will have regular electronic surveys that will help is incorporate your feedback into the final version of the product.

The Beta Experience

Kaizen Wellness is completely built out and very functional.  What is left is all the little nuances that will make the user experience simple and elegant.  The beta member will receive huge discounts in exchange for valuable feedback.  When kaizen is fully released there will be a configuration and customization fees starting at $1000-2500 and monthly fees of $499.  As a beta member we will wave the configuration and customization fees and lock in a rate of $299 for 1 year after full release.

Click here to get started…

2009 Blair Chiropractic Conference

Powered by PRINCIPLE

Atlanta, Ga

Sept 18-20, 2009

September is just around the corner and we are preparing for the most powerful weekend we have had at any Blair Conference.  Year over year the energy and excitement just gets better and this year is already no exception.

Again this year The Society is focused on making the Conference the best value of the year.  You pay the regular price of one of our technique seminars and we throw in the technique seminar, powerful speakers, awesome networking opportunities and a  huge banquet all while extending deep discounts to the Blair Society’s partnerships like Coaction Software, American X-Ray and the Upper Cervical Store.

Register at

www.regonline.com/blair2009

FREE LODGING FOR STUDENTS!

As always the Blair society has a strong commitment to the students.  The Society will again offer the first 40 student who register, free lodging for 3 nights!  This year we are staying at a BRAND new “W” Hotel!  The W Hotel is a very hip, swanky hotel located in downtown Atlanta.  You won’t be disappointed. Register right now there are only a few spot left!  www.regonline.com/blair2009

When I first jumped into this arena I easily found myself intensely engaged in the learning curve till the wee hours of the morning.   Even with easy step by step directions there is still a lot of tweaking required to get it “live.”  We must keep in perspective what we do best and make sure we are operating from that place.  We need to make sure this opportunity enhances our practices and lives not keeps us up all night.

The Dream Team

You might look at someone like Brandon Harshe, Shawn Dill, Michael Dorausch and other great Bloggers in Chiropractic and wonder how do they do that AND practice?  PlanetC1 does SO much for Chiropractic, and though I don’t know him well, through twitter and the like I “see” he still has a huge practice.  How do they do it?

I wondered the same question as I have been on this journey and below I have compiled my “leverage list.”  I have learned to leverage currency and timezones to get things done while I sleep and for a fraction of the cost.

All of the sites below have a few things in common.

• Low Bids – Most of these sites will generate 30-50+ bids for your project posting allowing you to examine their portfolios and see who is a great match.  Also because there are so many bids they are forced to keep their prices very competitive.

• Currency – Most of the bids do come from India, Pakistan, Russia, Eastern Europe etc., therefore our dollar goes a lot further.  It is not uncommon for someone to do great work for you for less than $5-7 per hour.

• Timezone – Lastly because they are usually  12 + timezones away, they are working in their day while you are sleeping in your night!  Just before bed you write out a project….you awake to find it DONE!

Elance.com

This site allows you to post a job or project.  Pretty much any job or project.  These for me have ranged from helping me customize an excel spreadsheet, cleaning up my Quickbooks, creating websites, creating blogs, fixing glitches and the list goes on.

Odesk.com

This site is great for managing a team of people you hire for ongoing projects.  This is by far my favorite site.  It allows you to post your job, interview candidates, manage their work by seeing their screen shots and activities and most importantly it allows them to communicate between other team members you hire.  This gets addictive because it is so easy to manage a whole team and odesk.com works out sending them a 1099 so you don’t worry about payroll problems.

Crowdspring.com

LOVE this site.  Used it many times for logos.  I have written about it before and they always continue to impress me.  Here you post design projects like logos, landing pages or even entire website then you will receive 40+ designs to choose from.  The CEO @rosskimbarovsky is also a great person to follow on twitter as he tweets the conferences he attends.  You will learn a ton from him.

Asksunday.com

This is a great site for a personal assistant.  They have English speaking project managers that help you leverage economy while still being able to communicate clearly.  I use them mainly for research projects.

I still do most of the work myself as I love it.  This blog post was written from my front yard on a sunny Seattle Sunday morning with a great cup of Earl Gray Tea!  However, to really move fast you must outsource your weaknesses and the things you dislike.

PLEASE comment below if you have any other great resources you would like to share!  Or just comment a thumbs up if you liked this post!

darren…

1. Reach – the amount of people that will get the information
2. Accessibility – ease of access to technologies that publish information, biggest barrier being money
3. Usability – ease of use of the technology
4. Recency – time line from creation to publication
5. Permanence – how long will the information stay in front of us

The below video is the perfect example of all 5 factors above.  Think about each of them as you watch the video.

After exploring these factors we discover that the mediums inside of Social Media completely allow us to tell the Chiropractic story and reach just as many if not more people than a Super Bowl ad for a fraction of the cost.  There is NO doubt that if we embrace technologies such as blogging, twitter, facebook, linkedin, etc that we can reposition and brand Chiropractic exactly how it should be.

Be Aware

Just as easy as it is to get information out really fast it can be just as easy to backfire.  For example you may have a blog where you post great information and research on the benefits of Chiropractic and you may even include some testimonials of patients that received great results but a quick Google search of your name now produces a myspace page that shows “other” recreational habits that you also enjoy.  The internet is very transparent!  Remember this as you are positing.  We don’t need to muddy our image any worse.

Branding YOU!

As we are setting up profiles on facebook, twitter and linkedin be sure to assume that anyone and everyone will have access to this information and that this will paint a picture of you.  Your “Brand,” which is your image combined with your  messaging, should be consistent across all of your technologies.  Your bio’s should be similar, your mission should be similar and your pictures should be clean.  As you are creating and contributing, imagine all the possible audiences not just the one you are writing to.

Again, we have an unbelivable opportunity, let’s do it right.

…darren

CoAction Software, American X-Ray and The Blair Chiropractic Society have teamed up this year to bring you the most amazing student opportunity yet.  This years conference will be in the swanky, upscale W hotel in Atlanta, GA.  You will be immersed in the most dynamic Technique seminar of the year.  You will learn the Blair Technique from Blair Instructor Icons such as Dr. Tom Forest, Dr. Todd Hubbard, Dr. Michael Lenarz, Dr. Meg Banitch, Dr.Drew Hall, Dr. Art Addington and Dr. Perry Rush all under one roof.

This year we are also focusing on the communicating the Blair and Upper Cervical message to create lifetime patients.  We are recruiting from outside the Chiropractic Community to present the most advanced system of communication specifically designed to stimulate a YES.  This is going to be a 2 hour workshop with specific takeaways that can be implemented on Monday.

This is also a great opportunity to mingle with the Blair Chiropractors that are out there making it happen.  Friday night we will gather in the loungy atmosphere of the W Hotel which is always a great opportunity to get to know your colleagues out in the field.

2009 Blair Chiropractic Conference

W Hotel

Atlanta, Georgia

September 18-19

FREE lodging to the first 40 registered students

Killer Banquet with an Awards Ceremony

www.regonline.com/blair2009

$75

Register NOW at www.regonline.com/blair2009

As soon as we hit 40 students Molly will email you regarding room assignments.

Looking forward to seeing you all there again!  I love Atlanta!

This year is shaping up to be the best year for Upper Cervical Chiropractors.  There has been great media attention, great research attention and the list of MUST see seminars this year is growing and just simply awesome.

I just got off the phone with Dr. Shawn Dill, founder of “That Something” Coaching Program, who just shared with me that Dr. Joe Dispenza will be the Keynote Speaker at this year’s Synapse.  Amazing.

Dr. Joe Dispenza is a personal hero of mine ever since I first became aware of him in “What the Bleep.”  He will be sure to change the way you perceive your reality.

Joe Dispenza, D.C., studied biochemistry at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. He has a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in Neuroscience from Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. Dr. Dispenza also received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree at Life University in Atlanta, Georgia, graduating magna cum laude.

Over the last 10 years, Dr. Dispenza has lectured in over 17 different countries on six continents educating people about the role and function of the human brain. He has taught thousands of people how to re-program their thinking through scientifically proven neuro-physiologic principles. As a result, this information has taught many individuals to reach their specific goals and visions by eliminating self-destructive habits. His approach, taught in a very simple method, creates a bridge between true human potential and the latest scientific theories of neuroplasticity. He explains how thinking in new ways, as well as changing beliefs, can literally rewire one’s brain. The premise of his work is founded in his total conviction that every person on this planet has within them, the latent potential of greatness and true unlimited abilities.

“That Something” Coaching

Agenda

Saturday, July 11th

9:00 to 9:30 – Welcome – Dr. Shawn Dill
9:30 to 1:00 – “The Neurobiology of Change” – Dr. Joe Dispenza
1:00 to 2:00 – Lunch
2:00 to 6:00 – “The Neurobiology of Change” – Dr. Joe Dispenza

Sunday, July 12th

9:00 – 10:30 – Dr. Darren White – “The Worksite Wellness Revolution”
11:00 – 12:00 – Ms. Sumaya Kazi – “Social Media in Chiropractic Marketing”
12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch
1:00 – 2:30 – Dr. Gerard Clum – “The Future of Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic”
3:00 – 4:30 – Dr. Shawn Dill – “The Specific Vision”

You will also notice Dr. Gerry Clum and Ms. Sumaya Kazi on the agenda to help round out the perfect weekend.  I’m even in the mix there somewhere with some exciting news on the Worksite Wellness front.

To register for this event contact Dr. Shawn Dill or register on his website

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Don’t forget to also reserve your space for the Upper Cervical Evolution this April in Vegas.  Both Dr. Dill and myself will be there.  I think there might still be FREE student lodging. Check out www.uppercervicalevolution.com