MMM Summer 2006
This summer Bill has chosen to rebroadcast his favorite messages from the first six years of Monday Morning Motivation messages.
Monday Morning Motivation | In But Not Of
June 5, 2006
(From Monday, March 28, 2005)
In, but not of.
Profound. Hugely profound. It's how you become a force; an influence.
Ever notice how members of the family you came from are your worst patients? Ever wonder why you are more likely to take the advice of a lecture from out of town, rather than the advice of your own staff?
On many levels, it's hard to be a prophet in your home. Or your hometown
That's why, if you want to be influential in your patient relationships, you must be different, separate and "above the fray." How? Focus. Concentration. Knowing your purpose. Establishing clear boundaries. And the hard part: detaching from the culture. A powerful way of doing that is to reduce or discontinue your use of media.
This week (month) conduct a media fast. No television. No radio. No newspaper. No kidding.
Monday Morning Motivation | Useful Answers
June 12, 2006
(From Monday, May 31, 2004)
The more specific the question, the more useful the answer. Instead of, "How can I get more new patients?" ask yourself some of these:
Can patients recognize problems that can be helped with chiropractic care?
What is it that stops patients from referring others?
What questions could I ask to find out their ability to motivate others?
What kinds of difficulties do patients have when telling others?
What objections do patients face when referring others to chiropractic?
What could I do to help patients be more effective and persuasive when sharing chiropractic?
What are patients actually telling others when they say, "I tell everyone about you!"?
What would a patient need to be able to say and do to confidently introduce someone to chiropractic?
What tools or scripts could I supply patients so they'd be more effective?
What if I accepted a patient's inability to refer others as my fault, not theirs?
What kinds of questions do you ask?
Monday Morning Motivation | Giving Referrals
June 19, 2006
(From Monday, September 15, 2003)
Practices that get a lot of referrals, give a lot of referrals.
Those who are stingy with referrals and can't figure out why patients who get great results don't tell a soul about chiropractic often overlook this Law of Reciprocity.
Offices that enjoy lots of new patient referrals are always referring their patients to the best restaurants, the best pediatricians, the best health food stores and the businesses run by their patients. By being willing to refer, you send a signal of abundance to the universe--an essential prerequisite if you are to be a worthy recipient of referrals yourself.
This week test this simple but profound law for yourself. It's true: the hole you give through is the hole you receive through!
Monday Morning Motivation | Mystery Shopper
June 26, 2006
(From Monday, January 8, 2001)
You probably know someone that you could help, but they seem reluctant to begin care. No problem. Ask them to become a mystery shopper. Ask them to pose as a new patient and give them a list of things to evaluate and questions to ask your staff over the telephone. Have them come to your practice, tour the office and complete your paperwork. At what would be your consultation, have them give you a report of their impressions of your office, staff and procedures. Pay them a nominal fee and thank them for their help. MAKE NO OVERTURES TO BECOME A PATIENT.
Prediction: you'll get some valuable information and your mystery shopper may more likely become a patient someday since the "fear of the unknown" has been significantly reduced!
Monday Morning Motivation | Not About You
July 3, 2006
(From Monday, October 25, 2004)
It's not about you.
When a patient gets great results, it's not about you. It's not about you when patients place a different priority on their health than you would. It's not about you when patients discontinue care when they feel better. It's not about you when a patient cancels. And it for sure isn't about you when a patient raves about how wonderful they're feeling.
When your practice struggles to survive, you're making it about you. When a patient doesn't appreciate your talent, you've made it about you. When you behave in ways that produce a constant need for new patients, you've made it about you. When you see patients as income to feed your debt, rather than opportunities to serve, you've made it about you.
But it's not about you. Offices that help a lot of people; those thriving even as third-party reimbursement dwindles, make it about patients.
Monday Morning Motivation | Touch
July 10, 2006
(From Monday, March 4, 2002)
As you know, touch has a therapeutic effect. A simple approach that can begin the healing process in the reception room is to have the staff touch each new patient.
A welcoming handshake.
A compassionate touch on the shoulder.
A tap to the elbow, guiding a new patient to a reception room chair.
A reassuring pat of their hand.
When touch comes from genuine caring, these simple gestures can produce an instant sense of safety and comfort. Especially for new patients who are usually anxious or a bit apprehensive. It's one of the ways paraprofessionals can create a healing consciousness in the reception room.
Monday Morning Motivation | Features vs Benefits
July 17, 2006
(From Monday, March 24, 2003)
If you wisely conduct lectures, special presentations or instructional classes in your office, you already know that getting patients to attend can be somewhat challenging. That's often because these events are promoted by relying on the "features" of the program, rather than the patient "benefits" of attending.
Which description (of the same program) sounds more worthy of giving up your normal evening routine to attend?
Features:
45-minute new patient lecture
Held Wednesday evening at 6:00 PM
Covers stress reduction, proper nutrition and other helpful topics
Informative presentation
Benefits:
Learn simple ways to get well faster
Take home practical, money-saving ideas
Discover how to avoid a needless relapse
Prevent the most common new-patient mistake
Entertaining for you and your guest
Big difference. The "features" approach is practice centered. The "benefits" approach is patient centered. Remembering this simple distinction can improve virtually every patient communication. Even your report of findings.
Monday Morning Motivation | Forgiveness
July 24, 2006
(From Monday, December 13, 2004)
Whom do you need to forgive today? A patient? A staff member? A spouse? A child? Yourself?
Forgiveness is a powerful healing tool that everyone has access to if they're willing to put pride and the need to be "right" behind them.
Holding on to the anger, the hurt, the personal slight or the "should have" is a poison we administer to ourselves, hoping it will change the other person. Our unwillingness to release our attachment and forgive, actually causes it to persist!
At a time when our culture has turned being offended into a fine art, begin the healing process by letting go of the emotional charge and offering the gift of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Monday Morning Motivation | Small Idea
July 31, 2006
(From Monday, November 21, 2005)
"Get the small idea and all else follows."
No. Going from small to big changes everything. Small ideas, along with petty people, micro-managing and majoring on the minors are common characteristics of small, struggling practices.
Survival: small idea.
Paying the bills: small idea.
Being liked: small idea.
Moving bones: small idea.
If you'd like to help more people, make a greater difference in the lives of those you touch and enjoy the practice of your dreams, think big.
Serving others: big idea.
Saving lives: big idea.
Restoring vitality: big idea.
Creating possibilities: big idea.
Playing small, holding back, being distracted by the opinions of others or imprisoned by fear keeps your life and your practice comfortably manageable. This week, live large, practice big and show up huge!
Monday Morning Motivation | Self Talk
August 7, 2006
(From Monday, April 1, 2002)
If your numbers are down and you'd like to help more patients, avoid the temptation to tell yourself, "I need more new patients."
What you think about and give attention to is what is manifested in your life. Thus, repeatedly telling yourself, "I need more new patients. I need more new patients. I need more new patients," your wish will be granted: a continuing need for more new patients.
Instead, think abundance. Repeat a mantra more like... "I'm helping more new patients. I'm introducing more people to chiropractic. I'm saving more people from drugs and surgery." "I'm attracting new people to my office." "My staff and I like seeing new patients."
Don't underestimate the subtle linguistic shift! It's a common theme of virtually all success literature: act as if you have--be as if you are.
Monday Morning Motivation | Time or Talent
August 14, 2006
(From Monday, November 19, 2001)
Are patients buying your time or your talent?
It's an important distinction. If you don't actively manage your patient's perceptions on this matter you can get accused of "herding patients through" or at the other extreme, placing a profit-crippling cap on the number of people you can help.
And while there are exceptions, for many patients these days, time has become more valuable than money. Changing the "rules," that is, suddenly shortening visit time with existing patients is difficult. However, you can start with your next new patient, shortening your visit procedure with a more focused patient experience.
If there's a big discrepancy between how long it takes you to adjust your spouse and how long it takes you to adjust a typical patient, you could be helping more people.
Monday Morning Motivation | Staff Motivation
August 21, 2006
(From Monday, September 17, 2001)
What motivates your staff?
You might be surprised that it's rarely money or some statistical goal.
While these objective measures may be convenient, and up to a certain point essential, to enjoy the emotional investment from your working partners requires more.
A couple of points that I've seen many DCs overlook include:
1. Treat your staff with respect. (No more, "I'll have one of my girls call you" unless your staff is all under the age of 16 and came from your own loins.)
2. Recognition for doing a good job. (Saying thank you and other thoughtful signs of appreciation are important.)
3. Working with efficient managers. (Among other things, get to the office on time for your first patient. If you don't seem to care, why should the staff?)
4. Being well-informed about what's going on. (Regular weekly staff meetings are essential. Even if all you do is discuss the new patients that began care this week.)
Monday Morning Motivation | Fear-Free Zone
August 28, 2006
(From Monday, September 17, 2001)
Fear means you're not living in the now.
The powerlessness that accompanies fear is because you're invested in something you can't control: the future. In the same way you can't change the past (the source of guilt), you can't do much about the future (the source of fear). Our power and influence are totally limited to the present.
We are deceived by the notion that what we do now affects the future. Of course, it does. But the consequences that manifest in the future are out of our realm and assume a mechanistic, linearity of cause and effect that just isn't true.
Consider for a moment the countless patients who had miraculous recoveries that you couldn't have predicted. Or the patients who didn't respond but should have. The lie is in denying our vitalistic nature and spiritual possibilities. We're not some pinball whose path can be mathematically predicted!
All we really have is the present. Now. And now. Stay here. It's a guaranteed fear-free zone.