Category — Marketing

Dr. Don Warren and his happy team of professional chiropractic assistants created one of the greatest and most fun special promotions I’ve seen a long time. They call it Spinefest.

One type of an effective Special Promotion  ties into a donation program, which in this case, was a food drive. Not only were they able to generate money for the “Feed the Hungry” program and get great publicity doing so, they also fostered good will in the community and as a result, saw their new patient numbers head skyward.

They do this every fall. A recent magazine article just came out featuring Dr. Warren on the back cover. (Note: The article states that Dr. Warren is president of his state association which is incorrect.)

Summer is a great time to promote your services.

While all marketing starts from the “inside” and internal marketing can be very effective, so can external marketing.  Internal, or in the office marketing, is a form of networking. The most effective form of external marketing, or marketing to non patients outside of the office, has also been networking.

In our world today, we are “spammed” to death.  It is estimated that we are hit over 2,000 times each day in the US with advertisement impressions. There is just too much “noise.”

One of the reasons social networking on the internet has grown is that it allows people to bypass the noise and network on a more personal basis.  But real world local networking opportunities exist right in your back yard: summer “block parties”, church socials, Lions Club pancake breakfasts, parades, 10-Ks and other walk/runs, donation drives - the list goes on and on.

You can just show up and meet people. Let them meet you.  Much like an elected official does when she runs for office.  You can also get a picture taken of the event and then use this in your internal promotions.

Here is a picture of me waving to the crowd with our state representative, Dr.Sheldon Wasserman, at our local 4th of July parade.

Get a list of upcoming community events from the Chamber of Commerce and schedule a screening, talk, an information booth, your own participation (volunteer your help), or just a visit. Be neighborly.

There is often a run or walk as part of a donation program during the summer months in which you and your staff can participate.  We have seen offices proudly wear their office t-shirts and recruit many patients to do the same.

When you are networking, you get to know people. Be interested in them and thier interests. Then you can hand out your cards. You an also hand out coupons for a screening or workshop at your office. And then, of course, there are on site screenings.

Screenings still work. You better believe it! But they have to be well organized. Most importantly, the people doing the screenings have to want to be there and have fun doing them.  We have been doing screenings for over 20 years and they can be as effective now as they ever were.  But whether you do a screening, or run, or just show up with your friendly conversation and cards, there are many summer events for you to get out and do some networking.

Here are just some of the benefits:

• Meet new people who can eventually become new patients or new referral sources.
• Meet active patients and strengthen your relationship with them in a different setting.
• See inactive patients and reactive them, or encourage referrals from them.
• Get out, get some sun and have some fun!

As Woody Allen is to have said:

Eighty percent of success is showing up.

 You can’t loose. It’s Summer. Get Outside.

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As we have said MANY times before, the number one problem with the marketing in most offices is that— it just doesn’t get done.What is the solution?A big part of it is just scheduling them.

To help you with this, you need a marketing calendar.

Once a month, take an hour off and plan some internal and external events over the next several months.

If you wonder where your patients are, make sure your front desk has them scheduled to come in.

Next, you better make sure you have your promotions scheduled to encourage new people to come in.

To help you with this, here are 4 great resources:

1. Essential elements about your chiropractic practice marketing plan.
2. Sample three month planning calendar for download.
3. Sample 12 month marketing calendar for down download (81/2 x 11).
4. Large, 2 foot by 3 foot marketing wall calendar for purchase.  Post this in your break room and to plan and coordinate your upcoming promotions with your team.

Just caught a minute of CNN Wednesday morning (June 25) about chiropractic and strokes.

The news anchor interviewed CNN’s resident M.D., Dr. Sanja Gupta, who reports on a specific stroke victim, Britt Harwe. He refers to an “advocacy group” for other stroke victims of chiropractic, and uses the term “Chiropractic Stroke.”  He also interviews a representative from the American Chiropractic Association who gives a pretty lame presentation.

So, to start off with, the piece is slanted negatively.

Then, the M.D. recommends that viewers only see chiropractors who have been licensed and who have attended chiropractic colleges, which are 2-4 year programs.  I may have missed something, but I have never seen, or heard of a chiropractor who has attended a two year D.C. program. Again, another slant covertly snuck in.

But then I checked: this  lady had a stroke FIFTEEN years ago! CNN is Cable NEWS network.  What about this is news?

To be fair, Gupta had a nice piece about chiropractic a few years ago.  And, not to pick on CNN, as I saw at least one negative article at another network’s web site.

While a stroke can be tragic, as in the case of Ms. Hawre, a quick glance at at least one study shows that chiropractic patients are no more likely to suffer a stroke following chiropractic treatment than they would after visiting their family doctor’s office.

Stroke victims deserve all the help, understanding, and care possible.  The chiropractic profession needs to always honestly review their standards of care for improvement, as does any profession or business.

But for a negatively slanted piece to come out 15 years after the fact belies the real motivation of the report. We have seen the medical establishment try to contain chiropractic in the past. This has been proven in the Wilk’s case.

The chiropractic profession is, and has been, the leader in the Wellness Revolution.  But it has not been easy.  There are and will continue to be sucker punches thrown at you and your patients.

Not supported by pharmaceutical funding, the responsibility of chiropractic public relations has to be shouldered by chiropractors and their professional staff.

I thought I would bring all this up because of your patients.  They hear garbage like this and it can dull their appreciation for chiropractic and what it and you have done for them.

You have to know what you are up against, as do your staff, as do your patients.

Educate them. Stay in the fight. Get a little outraged. It is good for you. Makes you strong. Tell your story and the chiropractic story. Improve your services and pursue your greater purposes.

This is the real point of this post: protect your patients by educating them.  Get them through their care and onto wellness care. Have them join the fight.

We put together a poster regarding strokes in case they bring it up to you for your use in patient education. Down load it and use if you want. You can get more data at the A.C.A. site here.

CNN link

We just finished our Minneapolis seminar and WOW! Not trying to exaggerate here, but it was great.

Highlighting our the seminar was Dr. Peter Kevorkian who gave a rousing presentation. Dr. Peter’s animated talk interwove science, chiropractic history, and practical patient education procedures that both inspired and informed.

Like many of you, I have been to scores, if not hundreds of chiropractic talks (not counting listening to Dave go on and on about insurance companies on our long driving road trips). Dr. Peter was masterful at integrating philosophy and science with the practical nuts and bolts our clients could use to develop their practices. One of the best presentations I have heard.

And like a true leader, he practices what he preaches, seeing well over 3,000 visits per month with his wife, in three days per week. He actually is achieving all three goals and represents our 3 Goals Program well.

Phyllis Frase gave specific tips for staff team members and doctors in her presentation that was energetic and passionate. Dave Michel and I also gave talks that provided sound business and marketing advice.

One doctor almost complained to us that the day after the seminar his staff were so on fire and motivated he could hardly recognize them.

One of the most glowing reports stated that the seminar was a “Good balance of hard facts and philosophy.”

New seminars coming up in Chicago and possibly on the East coast. Stay tuned…

Photos here.

Here are some comments:

Good balance of hard facts and philosophy.

There were many ideas that we could apply in our office.
The information was incredibly useful. We need to recognize that we are in a business.

I also liked the fact that you were punctual. This leaves a huge impression on your company.

Great seminar.

Learned many new ideas. Loved the focus on service — there were many example we can implement that were new and many great reminders. The information was absolutely useful.

Speakers were dynamic and to the point.

Information was entirely useful. I liked the 3 Goals Process and the 9 roles on it. It was a practical seminar – not too much info, not too little. Easily refreshed on some things and good reminders on what to implement.

Great speakers.

Information was very useful. Great job!.

Like the marketing ideas and positive energy.

Information was simple but useful kept short as not to lose focus. Great energy and from the heart .. can feel the passion.

Thank you for a great day of learning how to be better than yesterday. I have really enjoyed going to work so much more since we have joined PM&A these last few months. And, we have gotten busier – so fun!!

Last week I was in Elgin, Il, working with a chiropractor and his staff.

The doctor has a patient who is doing an independent film and used his clinic as a location for filming. The movie includes the actor, Larry Thomas, who is famous for his part in the Seinfeld comedy sitcom as the “Soup Nazi.”

Besides being a reminder to a very funny skit, the lesson here is that a chiropractic office has many uses besides chiropractic care. It can be used for meetings of local associations, workshops, yoga classes,  and many other types of events.  All of these position your facility as an inclusive public location and can get you better known. This film, even if it tanks, will definitly draw attention to Dr. Steve and his services. And if the film becomes a blockbuster… soup and adjustments for everyone!

Watch a clip from the Seinfeld series with the Soup Nazi. Clip.

As some of you have already heard, Medicare has revised the ABN form that patients sign. [What is the ABN form? From the American Chiropractic Association.]

The revised form, with a new title, “Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage,” can be found here.

Although the use of this new ABN form is not mandatory until September 2008, you can start now if you know the rules, have the new ABN form, and implement it properly.

So far, WPS Medicare (for Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota) has not mentioned the new form or implementation, but other states have already started the process.

Thanks to Bev for alerting us to this.

If you are aware of anything new about this form, or any insurance issues affecting chiropractic care that other offices might want to know, please feel free to post a notice here or email us at pma@pmaworks.com.

Just saw a greeting card and emulated their design and idea (thanks www.seltzergoods.com) to create a Kid’s Day promotion.

On Saturday, March 15th your office could offer a couple of hours just for kids. Or, you could spread the special promotion out over a few days and call it Leprechaun Appreciation Week.

Leprechauns are mischievous… just like most kids! (Sample poster.)

There are also other types of St. Pat.’s promotions you can do in your office that are fast, fun, and can be productive. For more ideas. (Link.)

And, just to get you in the mood, here is a little Irish Jig.(Link.)

(Will need speakers.)

Here is a simple promotion for your chiropractic office that you can do in conjunction with Easter. We’re doing this with some offices in Minnesota. (LINK)

Many mall stores, such as the GAP, Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, have as part of the office policy to create a party atmosphere in their stores. The idea is that potential shoppers passing through the mall will see happy faces in the stores with the music playing (sometimes extra loud) and feel like they want to join in the party.

The same concept applies to your office. It should always be friendly and inviting. And on occasion, it’s OK to go overboard.

Early this week, one of the chiropractic office’s I visited had a pleasant surprise. I made it through the ice, snow, and sub-freezing temperatures to the front door, took off my heavy coat, and walked into the reception area.

The staff were dressed in summer clothes. Marimba island music was playing. There were palm trees and a fishing net over the front desk. The staff were smiling and one of them asked me if I wanted a fruit smoothie, being told that they were not serving rum this morning.

The sign over the blender and freshly cut fruit said: “Welcome to Chiroville”, alluding to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. While enjoying my freshly made smoothie, I watched other patients come in from the cold and saw how pleased they were with the friendly change of pace of this special promotion.

The staff seemed to have as much fun with it as the patients. And, as did the doctor!

As a side note, the practice is having its best February ever for new patients.

The moral of the story? If every day was a party at your office, wouldn’t you want be there? Wouldn’t you want to invite all of your friends there too?