How do you go about promoting your business? Many of you, I'm sure, rely heavily on word-of-mouth to build your business, believing that the most compliant patients come from your existing tribe. True enough, they do. But what about your start-up process and what about those of you that want to band together to create a bigger pool of consumers aware of the benefits Chiropractic has on their health?
I know how you're marketing now probably: you have a bad month or two attracting the new patients you'd like to see and you decide it's time to put an ad in the paper or do a screening or something that has worked in the past to generate the number of new patients you desire. It's a tactical response...reactive. You see the need and you implement something to fix it...kind of outside-in thinking if you ask me.
Why not implement a strategic marketing framework in your business? A continuously operating 12-month plan devised using several forms of media to build your business? Start with social media: send out a blog regularly, use facebook and twitter, do the things necessary to enhance your SEO strategy. Then make sure you're asking your existing patients for referrals, make sure you are holding a weekly health care class, schedule speaking events at local groups and other businesses at least once a month, hold quarterly events that create buzz in the community. Plan these events 12-months in advance, and ALWAYS 12-months in advance.
Perhaps the worst thing that can happen is that you have too many new patients to keep up with...
That'd be a tough problem to have wouldn't it?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Four Things an Investor Wanted...
My MBA team got the opportunity to present our business plan to a panel of venture capitalists yesterday...sort of the culmination of our program. One of the tougher panelists kept repeating the four critical things he wanted to see from all entrepreneurs. Mind you, this guy sees 20 business plans per week asking him for money, he is a multi-millionaire (if not billionaire!) and I thought his criteria for potentially giving people large sums of money was interesting.
Passion - he stated he wanted to see that ll of the participants were genuinely passionate about what they were doing. Not hard for us in that category, wouldn't you agree? Some of the most deeply passionate people I know are Chiropractors and their love for what they do is amazing.
Competency - he also wanted a team of people that held core competencies in certain areas. Marketing, finance, sales, customer service, etc. Having a team of people around you that are fundamentally competent in these areas are deeply critical. Do you know how to interpret the financial statements and pro formas of your business plan? The panelists all agreed that the most important financial statement they looked at was the cash flow statement. In other words, the asset most needed to keep your business a going concern. See here for a past blog to help you better understand these.
Trust - he wanted to be able to trust us and see that we trusted each other. That if somebody challenged us with a difficult question, the entire team would have our back if we were a bit perplexed. Patrick Lencioni wrote a great book called The Five Dysfunctions of a Team that I highly recommend for the fledgling entrepreneur. It discusses how to build a great team, with trust being the most important foundation of the enterprise.
Character - he wanted to see high degrees of integrity, commitment and discipline by those running the company.
Reflecting, I thought it was interesting to note that essentially 3 of the 4 key ingredients for this gentleman when giving money were on the softer side of business acumen. Of course, having the core competencies of finance, accounting, statistics, economics, marketing, etc are absolutely critical to the success of the company...but it emphasizes to me that who you are and how you build relationships with stakeholders weighed much more heavily in his mind...
Build a great team...surround yourself with the right people. Hold each other accountable. Work your tails off. Create a great marketing plan. Be transparent with your staff. Do what's right AND do the right thing.
Passion - he stated he wanted to see that ll of the participants were genuinely passionate about what they were doing. Not hard for us in that category, wouldn't you agree? Some of the most deeply passionate people I know are Chiropractors and their love for what they do is amazing.
Competency - he also wanted a team of people that held core competencies in certain areas. Marketing, finance, sales, customer service, etc. Having a team of people around you that are fundamentally competent in these areas are deeply critical. Do you know how to interpret the financial statements and pro formas of your business plan? The panelists all agreed that the most important financial statement they looked at was the cash flow statement. In other words, the asset most needed to keep your business a going concern. See here for a past blog to help you better understand these.
Trust - he wanted to be able to trust us and see that we trusted each other. That if somebody challenged us with a difficult question, the entire team would have our back if we were a bit perplexed. Patrick Lencioni wrote a great book called The Five Dysfunctions of a Team that I highly recommend for the fledgling entrepreneur. It discusses how to build a great team, with trust being the most important foundation of the enterprise.
Character - he wanted to see high degrees of integrity, commitment and discipline by those running the company.
Reflecting, I thought it was interesting to note that essentially 3 of the 4 key ingredients for this gentleman when giving money were on the softer side of business acumen. Of course, having the core competencies of finance, accounting, statistics, economics, marketing, etc are absolutely critical to the success of the company...but it emphasizes to me that who you are and how you build relationships with stakeholders weighed much more heavily in his mind...
Build a great team...surround yourself with the right people. Hold each other accountable. Work your tails off. Create a great marketing plan. Be transparent with your staff. Do what's right AND do the right thing.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Miracle of It All...
Last night, my little girl Quin fell asleep as I was singing to her...a thing that happens fairly often, but it was one of those moments that I paused for a bit extra and watched her sleeping, watched the gentleness of her breathing and the beauty of her and reflected back on her birth.
Mary and I had decided after Gabe was born (with the assistance of a lay midwife) that if we really believed in this vitalistic philosophy that Chiropractic is part of, and if we really wanted to live congruently with the concept of "nature needs no help, just no interference" that the next one(s) ought to be done alone. Unassisted. Just us.
And they were which is another story for another time. In fact the labor for Quin was approximately 1.5 hours from start to finish. (Mary, you can correct me if I'm wrong here, I was a bit groggy) It was just extraordinary...words can't begin to describe it.
And recalling these amazing events in my life only confirmed and strengthened my conviction about what we do as Chiropractors...it only enhanced my belief that the intelligence within is the miracle of our lives. It's not just the birth process, or the sperm finding the egg, or differentiation and specialization, or growth and development...the miracle is everything!
And we get to work with that EVERY SINGLE DAY! Name another profession that is involved in working with Innate Intelligence that often...
You get to do it! You are afforded the privilege to do it! And get paid for it! Wow, right?
Today, spend an extra moment with your patients, with your kids, with your loved ones expressing a deep gratitude for the life you have and the career you have been chosen for.
Did you get that?? YOU were chosen for it...maybe that's the miracle of it all.
So lucky.
Mary and I had decided after Gabe was born (with the assistance of a lay midwife) that if we really believed in this vitalistic philosophy that Chiropractic is part of, and if we really wanted to live congruently with the concept of "nature needs no help, just no interference" that the next one(s) ought to be done alone. Unassisted. Just us.
And they were which is another story for another time. In fact the labor for Quin was approximately 1.5 hours from start to finish. (Mary, you can correct me if I'm wrong here, I was a bit groggy) It was just extraordinary...words can't begin to describe it.
And recalling these amazing events in my life only confirmed and strengthened my conviction about what we do as Chiropractors...it only enhanced my belief that the intelligence within is the miracle of our lives. It's not just the birth process, or the sperm finding the egg, or differentiation and specialization, or growth and development...the miracle is everything!
And we get to work with that EVERY SINGLE DAY! Name another profession that is involved in working with Innate Intelligence that often...
You get to do it! You are afforded the privilege to do it! And get paid for it! Wow, right?
Today, spend an extra moment with your patients, with your kids, with your loved ones expressing a deep gratitude for the life you have and the career you have been chosen for.
Did you get that?? YOU were chosen for it...maybe that's the miracle of it all.
So lucky.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
See, Feel, Change...
How do we create change? Most people think the steps are: analyze, think, change. In other words, we need to take a look at a situation, analyze all the things wrong with it, figure out what components we need to add to enhance it, think about the pros and cons of implementing, whether or not the change we make will benefit us or not, and then after awhile we either get frustrated that it takes too long or we actually make the change. A very analytical way of looking at it.
Analyze, think, change is not the way it really works though. At a presentation I was lucky enough to get to this morning, Dan Heath, who along with his brother Chip wrote Made to Stick and Switch, explained that its not analyze, think, change but rather see, feel, change. He stated that in order to create change we must approach our intended change on an emotional level.
He made the argument that the emotional side of us often overpowers the rationale side of us and that change really isn't that hard to make happen.
So how do we get people to change? How do we get people to better understand the vitalistic point of view regarding their health? Just what Dan and Chip and change guru John Kotter tell us...our patients need to see the amazing benefits of chiropractic care for their lifetime, that it opens up the possibilities of their life and enhances their ability to LIVE. They must feel many things...they need to feel your tender touch, they need to feel a bond to you and your staff, they need to physically feel better, emotionally feel better, and need to feel that their needs are met above and beyond. These two things will lead to a massive change in their lives as well as a monumental shift to your practice.
If you get a chance to see Chip or Dan I highly recommend it...if nothing else, go get the book...and learn how to create the change you need to get to the next level. Just know, that its gonna take time...but well worth it!
Analyze, think, change is not the way it really works though. At a presentation I was lucky enough to get to this morning, Dan Heath, who along with his brother Chip wrote Made to Stick and Switch, explained that its not analyze, think, change but rather see, feel, change. He stated that in order to create change we must approach our intended change on an emotional level.
He made the argument that the emotional side of us often overpowers the rationale side of us and that change really isn't that hard to make happen.
So how do we get people to change? How do we get people to better understand the vitalistic point of view regarding their health? Just what Dan and Chip and change guru John Kotter tell us...our patients need to see the amazing benefits of chiropractic care for their lifetime, that it opens up the possibilities of their life and enhances their ability to LIVE. They must feel many things...they need to feel your tender touch, they need to feel a bond to you and your staff, they need to physically feel better, emotionally feel better, and need to feel that their needs are met above and beyond. These two things will lead to a massive change in their lives as well as a monumental shift to your practice.
If you get a chance to see Chip or Dan I highly recommend it...if nothing else, go get the book...and learn how to create the change you need to get to the next level. Just know, that its gonna take time...but well worth it!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Playing Not to Lose...
I love football. During the season, it's hard to remove me from the couch. I would consider myself a first-string Monday morning quarterback. I like breaking things down, seeing plays develop, watching the X's and O's...I'm fascinated by how complex the game can get and the intricacies of it all.
Here's something that irks me beyond belief though: the prevent defense. You know when your team is up towards the end of the game and they're trying to "preserve the win." Ugh. They're playing not to lose. Never understood it...the defense is giving up huge gains, the opponents are marching down the field into scoring position, and often end up scoring and tying or winning the game. Heartbreak ensues.
The difference is in the attitude of those playing and coaching the game...some coaches are aggressive and play to win, some too conservative and play not to lose.
Which one are you in your community? Are you playing to win? Are you aggressively seeking opportunities to speak at local events, clubs and businesses? Are you getting on the local TV and radio talk shows? Are you branching out in your marketing efforts to establish yourself as the premier health care provider in the area? Are you promoting yourself and your practice using social media and other avenues that build your brand? Are you the name everybody is talking about?
One suggestion...create a Chiropractic group in your area and band together to create an advertising campaign that raises the level of awareness and increases the pool of patients into all of your offices?
Cooperate and team up with like-minded brothers and sisters to win!
It's a game-changer.
Here's something that irks me beyond belief though: the prevent defense. You know when your team is up towards the end of the game and they're trying to "preserve the win." Ugh. They're playing not to lose. Never understood it...the defense is giving up huge gains, the opponents are marching down the field into scoring position, and often end up scoring and tying or winning the game. Heartbreak ensues.
The difference is in the attitude of those playing and coaching the game...some coaches are aggressive and play to win, some too conservative and play not to lose.
Which one are you in your community? Are you playing to win? Are you aggressively seeking opportunities to speak at local events, clubs and businesses? Are you getting on the local TV and radio talk shows? Are you branching out in your marketing efforts to establish yourself as the premier health care provider in the area? Are you promoting yourself and your practice using social media and other avenues that build your brand? Are you the name everybody is talking about?
One suggestion...create a Chiropractic group in your area and band together to create an advertising campaign that raises the level of awareness and increases the pool of patients into all of your offices?
Cooperate and team up with like-minded brothers and sisters to win!
It's a game-changer.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Service at the Next Level...
When was the last time you looked outside your business at service models to learn from? And not just from service industries like ours, but from manufacturing, retail, automobile, etc?
Why do companies like Zappos, Amazon, Lexus and The Ritz-Carlton consistently rank in the top 10 among companies ranked as having the best customer service? What kind of culture have they developed that breeds this kind of success?
Here's some of my thoughts on the key's needed to create a highly successful customer service to be remarkable.
Why do companies like Zappos, Amazon, Lexus and The Ritz-Carlton consistently rank in the top 10 among companies ranked as having the best customer service? What kind of culture have they developed that breeds this kind of success?
Here's some of my thoughts on the key's needed to create a highly successful customer service to be remarkable.
- Be the model. Your business starts from you and is modeled after how you show up. You show up grumpy and distracted, your business suffers...you show up on fire and with Lasting Purpose, your business explodes. High levels of service starts with you...when you give this kind of service to your employees, they will follow with the same level of service to your customers.
- Create the culture. First you must select the right people to provide extraordinary service. Then, you must systematize your its delivery. Like Ritz-Carlton,you need to have meetings with your staff before every shift talking about your customers and anticipating their every need. Ask yourselves, "what can we do in the next few hours that will create lifelong fans committed to this office and to Chiropractic?" Then do it.
- Always follow up. How many times have we told a patient you'd research something for them and failed to follow through? How about calling after their first adjustment...have you stopped doing that? One of the things that distinguishes great service from good is that you always do what you say...and it might be something small, but it makes a huge difference to that person receiving it.
- Deliver above and beyond. A few weeks ago, I ordered a shirt from Zappos after 3:00 pm on a Tuesday afternoon, thinking I would get it a few days later. Not only does Zappos never charge shipping fees, but they made sure I got my shirt the next day. Overnighted it to me...wow! Make your patients say wow! and watch the referrals light up.
- Go to other sources. As mentioned above, learn what other companies are doing and incorporate it into your business. Take your staff to stay at The Ritz and then have a staff meeting centered around the things you learned from it and what things you can incorporate into your business.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Burn Baby Burn...
I heard Dr. Sharon Gorman once say that "when you're on fire, people are going to show up just to watch you burn..."
I love it!
And it's so true...if you take it half-literally (not a person really being on fire!!), we are mesmerized by a fire. I've spent many nights at our family's lake house in northern Wisconsin sitting at the campfire just entranced by the flames and the smell and the sounds of the crackling wood and the wind whispering through the trees.
Well, it's simple enough right? Set yourself on fire today and exude passion, love and energy. Be outrageous on every level...skip around your office knowing that what you do brings health, joy and happiness to everyone you touch...
I guarantee people will be entranced by it and show up to watch you burn.
Ignite.
I love it!
And it's so true...if you take it half-literally (not a person really being on fire!!), we are mesmerized by a fire. I've spent many nights at our family's lake house in northern Wisconsin sitting at the campfire just entranced by the flames and the smell and the sounds of the crackling wood and the wind whispering through the trees.
Well, it's simple enough right? Set yourself on fire today and exude passion, love and energy. Be outrageous on every level...skip around your office knowing that what you do brings health, joy and happiness to everyone you touch...
I guarantee people will be entranced by it and show up to watch you burn.
Ignite.
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