Putting the Patient First.

Have you ever thought it odd how inversely snob we are as a society, thinking that people only make it in life at the expense of others and that to get rich you must have trodden on a few people along the way?

You see I find this so interesting and really quite frustrating when you think about it. And my purpose form bringing this up is to give you permission to thrive. Permission to be abundant, wealthy, and successful without expense and harm to others.

To really grasp this notion we must think about how people get rich? Well quite obviously it is through the accumulation of money.
Then we must consider what money is? An exchange of value. You give your money to another person to get something that you value more than the money itself. You saw their product or service as worth more than the money to you.

So that said, someone can not accumulate a lot of money without providing a product or service that is of value to another person.

And what does this have to do with a successful practice and ‘putting the patient first’?

Everything! Putting the patient first is the only way to be successful in practice.

With saturated market out there of coaching, training, tricks, and marketing to grow your practice. It is a surprise that anyone is struggling to thrive in practice?

So with that said and with all the paid and free advice out there, why do chiropractors still struggle to be busy and successful?

Simple, they are not solving the problem of the customer. They are putting marketing and ‘getting patients’ above solving problems and creating customer experience.

Your practice, any practice, indeed any business only exists to solve the problems of the customer. The more problems you solve, and the better you are at that, the more money you make.

So, if you really want a thriving, abundant and successful practice, you must get brilliant at putting the patient first. And at the same time give yourself permission to make great money in the process.

Let me be clear to you (if you struggle with it), making money in healthcare is NOT unethical. It is a duty. You have a skill and a gift to help others with your hands, and if you do that well, you will make great money, no shame whatsoever.

And how can you practically put the patient first?

Here are my Top 3 Tips to help you.

1.      Listen.
No one ever listens anymore, patients go to doctors all the time, only to be ignored and pushed a pill. Many therapists don’t listen to the patient, instead they lie them down and simply go to work with no interaction.
The best way to show listening and help the patient feel heard is simple. At the start of their new patient appointment ask them ONE question; “Why now have you come to see me”. This allows them to open up to the real reason for their visit. Not the pain, but the emotion behind it. For once, they feel heard.

2.      Do more.
Don’t just adjust them and do nothing else. Now I am not talking about other therapies. I am talking about outside their visits. How are you showing them you care, how are you doing more than expected.
Simple examples for this are a phone call after their first visits. A postcard halfway through their care. Or some flowers on their birthday. I am big on this nurture process, and it is no coincidence that I write may letters to patients each week to congratulate their 100th, 200th, 300th visit.

3.      Community.
At the heart of putting a patient first is creating a welcoming and belonging environment. Marketing does not grow a practice, community does. Results don’t grow a practice, patients talking about them and inviting others to come see does.
Welcome your patients into your community. Create a core of loyal and raving fans. These people support you all the way. If you let down your guard and invite them to be part of your community, and they will let down theirs and see you as ‘family’, and we all know it is family first.
For this I suggest celebrating patients and referrers of the month. Hosting private Facebook groups for patients, doing tea mornings and summer walks.

Putting the patient first is your duty as a chiropractor. Assessing and adjusting them with skills and certainty, getting results is paramount. But in a world saturated with therapists, what can you do to stand out.

With love,

Tom