From: Dr. Margolies

For those of you who presently take my class or have in the past, you realize that what I am about 
to say I do not practice ... and that is to keep your words to a minimum and consolidate your 
thoughts into a concise package for any presentation. I recently received an e-mail to review an 
article about back pain for a local newspaper catering to the elderly. The article was very well 
written but was way too long. It started perfectly .. a quick and concise definition of problems 
relating to the back, but quickly went into definitions too complicated and boring for a lay 
audience.  Remember communications means just that .. communicating. If you wish to be invited 
back for the next talk or to write the next article, it¼s best to keep it simple at first and add to their 
knowledge in quick clips of information at a later date. To expend all your knowledge at once and 
overwhelm them with information overkill will not only lose the people you are attempting to 
attract, but possibly cut your links with them forever. Therefore, review what you are writing or 
the outline for your talk with these ideas in mind:

Who is your audience? What is the best topic to attract them to you? How can I get the message out 
with the least amount of effort? What buttons can I push and phrases can I emphasize to make my 
point? What is the goal of the program? How can I close it with the option to have a sequel? Can I 
be assured they will desire my product? Did I make it easy for them to contact me? If I have a 
promotion .. was a value set and an expiration date given? In the final draft .. edit out anything that 
seems to overlap another and gets long winded. If you think you better get as much information in 
as you can .. as you have just this one shot .. save that shot for another target .. presentations that 
are planned correctly get results!

The article that was sent to my attention started perfectly .. „4 out of five people will have back 
problems during their lifetime¾ (that¼s a catching phrase  .. a button to push). „Will you spend your 
retirement years on the golf course or the couch? (another perfect button to push). „Just as the car 
needs regular maintenance to ensure it¼s peak performance, people need proper diet, exercise and 
chiropractic care for a trouble free back.¾ (I may have left out the diet and „chiropractic care¾ 
(initially) and replaced it with „proper care to ensure mobility and stress free movement as you 
mature¾ .. a larger button and one that is on the minds of all those getting up in years). 

The article goes on to say that „discs are our internal shock absorbers and the main cause of back 
pain.¾ (I disagree with that, but this doesn¼t push the proper button. Can a person do anything, at 
an elderly age for sure, about a disc problem? Maybe .. but they can visualize doing something .. 
even at this late date .. for a muscular problem .. a postural problem .. a neurological stress 
problem .. this is the buttons that have to be pushed and our phrases will have to fit .. let¼s see .. 
rather than „discs are our internal shock absorbers and the main cause of back pain.¾ why not say 
that „over the years normal wear and tear forces our backs to respond defensively .. producing 
misalignment of the spinal joints .. a decrease in the padding between the bones .. called discs .. 
that may irritate nerves resulting in what many people unfortunately know as sciatica (leg pain), 
chronic pain upon arising in the morning, or pain upon normal activity during the day. 
(Remember, we know up front this is an article for the over 50 crowd and they each either have 
had or know of someone who has had a disc problem, leg or back pain and can visualize as they 
read what they either wish to correct or prevent .. now your article should go into solutions if they 
have it and options to prevent it). 


The rest of this e-mail article dwells on anatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacology. These 
all have their place but by the time the mention of „communication between central nervous system 
and the end organ¾ shows up they are either looking between their legs or turned the page. Further 
editing is necessary .. especially at the end of the article or speech outline .. the close .. the offer .. 
the catch .. the final thought .. let¼s see what this e-mail says: 

„Back pain is a signal that something more serious could be affecting the function of our body. The 
best way to arm ourselves is with knowledge. Everyone has an inner wisdom that tells us what the 
body needs to be perfect. Adjusting subluxations (which was technically discussed within the 
article) will release the body¼s innate wisdom to heal. Regular chiropractic check ups are essential 
to allow the expression of health. By eating a healthful diet, exercising, strengthening muscles and 
receiving chiropractic care, your back can last a lifetime.¾ 

Now, did that grab you? (as a chiropractor is was great .. told the whole story ..but) Would you 
have sent money for that telethon campaign? Would you have followed through with a call to a 
chiropractor? I don¼t think so .. (as a philosophy article it wins the prize) but it¼s my opinion. This 
was the e-mails close, instead it should be solid and to the point. If the message was concise and 
complete the end should be as well. I might end it like:

„In conclusion, everyone has a choice. It is my impression that we should strive towards wellness 
.. and there are some preventive steps that will help. 

First, it¼s wise to evaluate your level of postural stress. We offer this in our office as a public 
service and will be glad to assist anyone reading this if they call by _____. This evaluation, 
normally costing over $75 covering over 50 orthopedic, neurological and chiropractic tests and is 
offered at no charge (or with a donation of $10 to the _______charity), if you call by ________ 
and mention that you are responding to this article. 

Second, it is recommended you begin a program of exercises .. especially stretching. After our 
evaluation, we can assist you on the best approach to regain flexibility and strength and offer you 
exercises that would be best for you. 

Third, learn as much as you can about „Aging Gracefully.¾ We have health talks on a regular 
basis and offer these as a Community Outreach. You are welcome to attend ours or ask if we can 
provide one for your church or civic group.  

We are located __________ convenient to __________ and our office hours are __________. If 
you have any questions, or wish to schedule an appointment for this complimentary fitness 
evaluation, or attend our health talks, call us at ________.  

MEDICARE COVERS CHIROPRACTIC CARE  

As I write these e-mails, I do not have the time to edit it myself .. it¼s a wonder they are even in the 
shape they are. Therefore, what I have written isn¼t a final product either .. but the message is. 
Consolidate .. be specific .. keep your foot in the door .. and you¼ll be available for them 
forevermore