The key to growing a practice is to get out of your own way. All the gizmos, gimmicks and gurus will do you no good unless you wake up and realize you're holding yourself back. Stop looking for solutions outside of yourself - new systems, techniques, a new location, staff, wife, church, patients, the right words.
Read On and Become Attractive
I called my roommate a year after graduating chiropractic college. He complained to me, "There are patients everywhere, I don't know what to do." I asked him "What do you mean?" I couldn't believe my ears. He was helping over 100 patients a day from his small apartment. He is that charismatic. Everyone who knows him, loves him. He's that talented. Fortunately, for the rest of us who may not be as gifted, charisma can be developed. I'll tell you how.
There are lots of things you can do to grow. The key is to get you to feel differently about yourself. "The 90-day plan" is a classic in the practice growth arsenal, it gets practices unstuck. You might give up alcohol for 90 days. Three months is a good increment to challenge yourself and change for the better.
Doctors of chiropractic are extremely competitive. You might call a colleague and have a friendly competition. "What do you say we eliminate alcohol for 90 days and get some clarity. If we miss a day, we start again."
Can I Be Completely Honest With You?
The 2-5 percent who are leading the profession change readily. They light themselves on fire and move toward any program that offers an edge. There are endless variations on the 90-day program. You could pray or meditate daily, read for one hour a day, hire a personal trainer, avoid TV, visualize with emotion before and immediately after sleep, learn a foreign language, or read your goals three times a day.
Chances are, you know what you must do to grow. What will it be? If you don't change, nothing will change for you. Stop looking outside of yourself for answers; commit to working on yourself and go to the next level. Type what you're going to do, post it on your bathroom mirror and hold yourself accountable.
We have a fascinating philosophy that health comes from within. Unfortunately, we disregard this when it comes to our practices. This is insane. Your business should start with you. Work on yourself first. Get rid of anything that doesn't look or act like the world's best chiropractor.
If you've been in this profession long enough, you know practice growth is counterintuitive. The harder you try, the worse your results can be. Pushing your patients and staff for what you want as a clinic owner will not bring you the results you're after.
Look at the men and women in chiropractic you respect. What makes them outstanding? Why not work on yourself and decide to leave behind anything that does not look like the ideal doctor. What's the one commonality these outstanding individuals embrace; confidence, self-respect, inner strength, that something? It's in you, too! Decide to become that.
I'm Going to Share the Secret with You
I've met the great leaders in chiropractic. I've been to their programs and enjoyed adjustments from legendary figures. They are all artists and what we do is art. Every master will apply the principle in their own way. The one commonality is the excellence they develop over the years; and the deep conviction they have in their ability to reconnect people to the source of life and health. They lose themselves completely in lives of service. They get the "big idea."
When chiropractic is provided this way, miracles happen. It's transformational and extremely attractive. This is how big practices get bigger.
When you commit to the "big idea," your practice will grow to the next level. Stop looking around; deep down inside, you know what you must do. Stop trying to "figure it out." Decide to recommit yourself to your life's work and let yourself win.
A True Story
I know a man who quit Life University and regrets it terribly. He confided in me that when Dr. Williams would drop his keys (a metaphor for the reliability of the forces we work with), he'd lose his mind! It was too basic and simple for him, so he'd lose it.
I protested, "But that's the key to everything; it's a reminder that as chiropractors, we work with natural processes that are as reliable as gravity. The keys never fall up, they fall down. The most successful doctors attach themselves to this ‘big idea' just as sure as gravity and never look back!" He looked at me unchanged.
Eventually, we must get beyond the point of analyzing if, how and why chiropractic works, and apply the principle in full faith. Practicing this way, without hesitation, allows patients and practices to thrive.
Move! Go! With a sense of urgency and without holding back. Stop analyzing, stop thinking. In most instances, you already know what to do. It's time to get busy and let everyone win.
Dr. Steven Visentin, a 1982 graduate of National College of Chiropractic, is a solo practitioner and clinic director at Care Chiropractic in Denver. He is also the author of an e-book, Blow Your Head Off Practice Building Secrets. For additional information, contact Dr. Visentin via his Web site, www.carechiropractic.com.