The much used quote of Ghandi’s “Be the change that you want to see in the world” is very relevant when it comes to considering the challenge of moving your practice members into the “Best Customer” category that we spoke of last week.
The fact is that most practices spend most of their time, money and resources on getting new people and rolling out the ‘red carpet’ for them in the initial stages of their care only to lose the focus on continually upping the standards throughout their relationship. This approach sees the practice member steadily working their way out of the practice as they perceive that the practice or the chiropractor is indifferent to them and what is important to them. Because people aren’t using chiropractic at its highest level of application there are gaps in the appointment schedule that need to be filled and therefore the search for new people is a constant process. This results in most practices having category 2 and 3 clientele with a practice member visit average of up to 30 at best. Category 1 practices are very rare.
The reality is that just about every person out there (and in your practice right now) are “Ideal People” deep down. This presupposition says that deep inside everyone is a resonance with the song that chiropractic sings. People have been subjected to a lifetime of bombardment of fear based, outside in, medical propaganda that drives people into the subservient position of Categories 2 and 3. The qualities that chiropractic espouses lie within and there is always the potential to awaken it in people with the appropriate intention and skills. It is just a question of how and most importantly, where to start.
The chiropractic Category 1 “Best Customer” is the person who utilizes our services for lifetime wellness care over the long term. These people utilize chiropractic care as a separate and distinct facility in their health care regime. It is neither complimentary nor alternative care. They know that optimum human performance is reliant upon (amongst other things) a well functioning brain, spine and nerve system and that chiropractic delivers on that.
My viewpoint on why Category 1 practices are very rare is because Category 1 Chiropractors are very rare. As we begin to nurture the invisible category 1 within the people we already serve (be they categories 2 or 3) we start to realize that it is us who is the limiting factor. People will not come to us in large numbers for lifetime wellness care until we, the practitioners make the shift to category 1.
The key to cultivating a practice filled with people who seek the best in what we have to offer is for us to be able to communicate and deliver the vision. In order for us to do this we must have the vision. Look at your practice statistics and you will know which category you are in and then assess what you must do to be the change.
