Screenings Are Only the Beginning: THE 3 Dimensions of Practice Expansion

In a world of confusion labelled "modern-day promotion", it can be difficult to see through to which type of promotion will suit your needs. Of the day-to-day concerns you face in your practice, promotion may be but one-too-many. Perhaps you're one of the many doctors who are spending money on promotional campaigns but just don't get out of them what you think you should. Then again, perhaps you've shied away from promotion altogether or feel you "just don't have the money" or decided it's something "only large practices do". Regardless, the subject itself is sufficiently confused as to give you a "one-dimensional" view of it, leaving it at the bottom of your list of your priorities. But, what if there was a way you could break down this huge generality of "promotion" into simple, organized categories which make it clear what you should do? Forget about how "too good to be true" this would be and understand one thing: These categories DO exist and you CAN use them to lower your outlay and up your return.

It has been a long-standing known for chiropractic practices that there are basically 2 types of practice promotion which are "new patients" and "reactivation". This is pretty obvious but still leaves a few uncertainties. When you look at the various promotional CHANNELS available, you will quickly find that the confusion soon sets back in.

To answer this, I found a key distinction. There are various factors which comprise this generality of "practice promotion" which make it confusing and when taken as component parts can simplify things considerably. Here are the most basic components I see:

1. Who are you marketing to?
2. What are you selling them?
3. How do you reach them?

"Who are you marketing to?" This would be former or prospective patients. "What are you selling them?" This is something you've known inherently and is what you deliver every day. "How do you reach them?" These are the various promotional media channels available to you to utilize. Now we're getting somewhere. As you can see "promotional channels" is easier to break down than the broader category of "practice promotion".

Considering there are several types of the MEDIA CHANNELS used to promote your services to former and prospective patients, I set out to categorize types of promotional campaigns for simplicity and better, more efficient use. In other words, I wanted categories to distinguish between spinal screenings, lectures, newspaper advertising, direct mailings, patient mailings, yellow pages, etc. This broken down, I was able to develop a "3-dimensional practice expansion" approach and was able to help doctors relatively quickly at a much lower start-up cost. These campaign categories were found as follows (not necessarily in this order):

1. Past
2. Present
3. Future

Now that we've observed them, in what order do we apply them? How do you utilize each one? Where do you start? All good questions but, first, allow me to define each.

What is the first thing most practices need? NEW PATIENTS NOW! That's a "Present" promotional campaign. This would be doing talks or spinal screenings, health fairs, etc. - even telemarketing which is usually used to make appointments. It's direct contact with people to get them into your practice now, now, now! This is my most-demanded service and comprises the majority of doctors of chiropractic I service. It could be any activity which gets people through your door right away. Therefore, this does not include, print advertising or the like.

Unless you're building a new practice from the ground up, your existing practice was built on patients already serviced. You have a database of them right in your office. This is the most under-rated, valuable, gold mine of promotion potential most doctors overlook. After all, who is the easier "sale" to get under care? Someone who never saw a chiropractor or someone who has seen you? Let's categorize this under "Past" promotional campaigns as in converting "past" patients into present ones. This is a little bit longer of a process but not the longest of all. This would involve post cards, newsletters, weekly tips, reactivation cards/letters, etc.

So, how will you guarantee a future for your practice? Further, how can you create an "automatic" practice expansion tool that will work for you? Joe Minimizer has a dull ache in his back. He doesn't think he needs you now but, in three months or so, when he "throws out" his back, who will he think to call? It is "Future" promotional campaigns which will place your name in his thoughts. A regional newspaper in which one of my clients advertises calls this "Top of Mind Awareness"(TOMA) advertising. It's an answer to the question "who do you think of when you think of chiropractors?" and it includes repetitive promotion such as small frequent newspaper ads, bulk mailers to general public (not patient database), billboards, yellow pages, etc. This is usually more costly and results are much longer term however, used properly, it can be very effective. It frequently gets ruled out, I found, because it has been used in the "Present" category instead. Example: A doctor gets desperate for new patients and lays out a couple thousand for a mailer. The first mailer goes out to 25,000 people. He gets no phone calls and pulls the plug on the program. No patients and thousands wasted. Stats stay low. Enough said.

Now that you know these 3 dimensions of promotion, the next thing would be to know all about YOUR practice and establish how these could be used effectively and efficiently. This is where many advertising reps who solicit you to advertise in their publication can fall short and steer you wrong. They can inundate you with statistics and demographics which may not apply directly to YOUR situation. This is not to denounce all advertising media. Much of is it valuable when used properly and WITHIN YOUR CONTROL. I am merely putting things in sequence. Selection of promotional media channels comes LAST.

Using the 3 Dimensions, my approach is to get a "snap-shot" of what's happening in your practice and where it's headed. I also would like to know where you would LIKE IT TO BE headed as opposed to where it is ACTUALLY headed. I, first, find out all about you and your practice. Where are you now? Where have you been? Where do you want your practice to go? What types of marketing do you do? Etc. Using my Free Practice Analysis, I get a good picture of your current situation and potential future. Based on the results, I am able to evaluate your situation and calculate 7 basic things:

1. Doctor/Practice Goals - What it will take to attain them
2. Current Production Volume - What it will take to increase
3. Operating Costs - How they relate to your bottom line
4. Past/Current Effective Campaigns - How they can be improved
5. Ineffective Campaigns - How to cut the waste
6. Marketing Budget Overage/Underage - Your correct budget
7. Barriers to Expansion - How to eliminate them

You need to have an organized view of your practice before making effective use of the 3 dimensions to expansion. These 7 calculations allow a better assessment of which channels you should be using, how much you have to spend as well as in which order you should implement them.

My approach is usually "Present", then "Past", then "Future", in that order. First we establish a strong screening program which delivers at least one chiropractic spinal screening per month. (Present) Then we establish a patient database promotional campaign. (Past) I have a really successful monthly mailing which is quite cost effective and results-driven. With both "Present" and "Past" campaigns FIRMLY ESTABLISHED and the practice is steadily expanding (based on rising office visits), THEN we look for an appropriate "Future" promotional campaign.

There are so many possible combinations which vary depending upon your exact situation. Hence, a unique Free Practice Analysis for every doctor who contacts me. For instance, perhaps you presently do talks or already have a patient newsletter. Perhaps you aren't getting anything out of spinal screenings you're doing. My area of expertise is to find and get implemented an effective campaign. I use the 3-Dimensional approach to this after an intense evaluation of your practice. Frequently, I am able to get some instant revitalization going by simply starting or improving a non-existent or non-working screening campaign. Most times, just by the shear momentum of such a campaign, this affects an increase in practice statistics. I had a chiropractor in PA who was at 80 visits per week and jumped more than 40 visits to over 120 in less than 6 weeks just working in a screening/lecture schedule and my patient monthly mailing campaign.

It's important to me to continue to find ways to reduce your costs while increasing results. I diligently work toward this end and firmly believe that the secret to my own success is to continually improve this more and more. I developed this approach, the Free Practice Analysis, in order that I would not sell chiropractors a bunch of things that they just don't need, so I could provide them real, tangible help. It ultimately led me to establish this controlled, 3-dimensional approach to promoting chiropractic practices and stimulating their expansion. The 3 dimensions of practice expansion is THE principle I use to do just that. You can follow this principle and win - and I would like to help!

Frank Sardella
Chiropractic Screening Experts
for more information on Chiropractic Spinal Screenings
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