Q:

Dr. M,

I recently heard of a marketing program I wanted your opinion on.  You hire someone as a 
marketer.  Hire them as an independant contractor so you don't have to pay them a base or 
report them as an employee.  They get money for production.  I know you can't pay for a 
patient, but can you pay them a flat fee for say every 1-4 qualified patients they send in?  
They are basically "birdogs" out in the community with their ears open to tell anyone they 
meet 
about you.  If this is wrong, how about no flat fee, but you hire marketers, again as 
independant contractors, and evaluate them on a monthly basis.  If you are satisfied with 
what they have done, you pay them what you deem appropriate.  If you aren't, you don't 
pay them anything.  Any thoughts?

A:

Thanks for your e-mail. The position you wrote about is called a PRCA .. Public Relations 
Chiropractic Assistant .. or whatever you wish the title to be. There is no problem paying 
someone for patients as long as their method of acquiring new patients is ethical .. no 
runner or ambulance chasing. Screenings .. workshops .. community networking .. 
corporate ergonomic programs are all fair game and there is nothing wrong with having a 
PR person as an advocate for your office. You if wish to pay them via production .. you 
can word the contract to say they are paid a flat fee and bonus per goals .. which would be 
either time allotted for their acquiring a patient .. such as how many workshops or 
screenings.. as well as the number of new patients. Go for it.

Dr. M