To say what you mean, and mean what you say, be mindful of these distinctions:

Motivate – As in “to induce to take action.”

To motivate someone is to urge or persuade them to behave in a particular way. This can be through words, social pressure, shame, facts, or other means. It’s an outside-in strategy.

And like virtually all outside-in strategies (drugs), its effectiveness often requires constant replenishment (nagging) to maintain the desired behavior. Motivation often appears in relationships where there is a difference in power, interest, or resources.

Inspire – As in “to draw forth or bring out; to incite.”

This is the inside-out counterpart to motivation. More challenging because to inspire another, you must uncover what the other person values.

There’s no exercise of power or social position. Instead, it’s about amplifying or helping manifest what is already desired by another. Inspire patients and you’ll see retention and referrals soar.

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Bill Esteb has been a chiropractic patient and advocate since 1981. He is the creative director of Patient Media and the co-founder of Perfect Patients. He’s been a regular speaker at chiropractic gatherings since 1985. His 12 books explore the doctor/patient relationship from a patient's point of view. His chiropractic blog, coaching program, patient focus groups and consulting calls have helped hundreds of chiropractors around the world. Since 1999 Monday Morning Motivation has been emailed to over 10,000 subscribers each week.