New Renaissance Newsletter 11-6-02 newsletter@thenewrenaissance.org Welcome to the November edition of our newsletter. Thank you for the great feedback and kudos on our October edition. There are so many Chiropractors just like yourself who are looking for first class patient education and office procedures that cut through patients' objections, lack of compliance and skepticism. Patient education and office procedures are the keys to increasing your patient visit average (PVA) and referral stimulationä there is no substitute. We hope you not only enjoy the contents of this newsletter but also implement the patient education tools and office procedures available from The New Renaissance. Enjoy! Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks Sometimes you have to take a step back and reflect on how fortunate we are to be Chiropractors, today. It wasn't that long ago that the penalty for helping people as a Chiropractor was going to jail. We don't just remove VSC in all people from birth to deathä we change lives and the planet. Everyone in our offices have their lives changed. Sometimes the changes are dramatic and other times the changes in the quality of their lives are silent. Recently an African American 89-year-old woman entered one of our Mentor IV offices and had a story to tell. It seems that she had been regularly visiting Chiropractors' offices since the 50's. Now remember, DC's in that state didn't even have a license and segregation was in full effectä even in the Northeast. She recounts how she had to shop for groceries at the black grocery store, she had to have her hair done at the black hairdresser, she had to buy her household goods at a black only store. She stated that, "there was no color at the Chiropractor's office." By that she meant there was every kind of person in the Chiropractic office. Black, Hispanic, Oriental, Caucasian, young, old and everything in between. He was interested only in one thingähelping people. Doctors, our legacy is one of courage, determination, and helping people. Guard this sacred trust called Chiropractic and guard it well. Don't forget our past and don't forgetä we are creating the future, today! Need and consequence Tip #1 you need to create a need in the patient's mind for removing VSC and a consequence for not removing itäSubluxation Degeneration. Everything in the world revolves around this fact of human nature. It's called avoiding pain and going toward pleasure. If you ignore this fact, you have to pay the price of lowered PVA and lowered referral. Let's leave the Chiropractic playing field for a moment and look into man/woman relationships. Everyone has the need for love. However, if you don't nurture this need it will create painäthe pain of loneliness, poor relationships, etc. Now back to Chiropractic. Suppose you were able to communicate to a mother that by removing layers of spinal injuries (Vertebral Subluxation Complex), as they happen, you can prevent Subluxation Degeneration. You have now established a need to remove the layers of VSC (pleasure) and the consequence of not removing these layers (pain). Welcome to the big leagues of Chiropractic, doctor. The first thought she would have after you have communicated the need of removing VSC and the consequence of not removing VSC isä you guessed it, her children. There isn't a mother out there that won't do everything in her power to allow her kids to develop in a natural and healthy way. Next she thinks of herself, and then her husband, and her parents, etc. When you speak the language of spinal injuries that have healed wrong, you don't speak the language of symptoms. You are finally free from symptom talk. Everything we do at The New Renaissance is to assist you in creating an office environment that supports the language of spinal injuries (VSC) and not symptoms. All of our patient education, including our report of findings videos, New Patient Orientation, office forms, exams, our new Talking Walls, pamphlets, etc., have this concept woven throughout. Everything we design works as part of a complete system, not a mix and match system. What excuses do your patients tell you? Take a pen out and draw a circle about the size of a quarter with circles the same size at the 12, 3, 6, 9 o'clock positions. Label the inside circle as emotions/inspirational the 12 o'clock circle time, the 3 o'clock circle distance, the 6 o'clock schedule, and the 9 o'clock money. There you have it, the diagrams of many Chiropractors who are stuck. They know they can help more people, want to help more people, they just don't know how. Tip #2 failure to learn communication skills leads to frustration, burnout, lowered income and lowered income. These skills must be developed and practiced like any other newly acquired skill. Anytime you hear a patient utter the following words: time, distance, schedule, or money; you didn't communicate to them on an emotional basis. This form of communication is unique to The New Renaissance. Everything we do is with this intent in mind. When you are able to communicate to a patient about the need to remove VSC on a lifetime continual basis and the consequence of not doing thisä you will not get the usual patient excuses for not following through or even getting started. The excuses fade away. They will find a way to make it happen. Let's go undercover for a moment in this true-life story of a Chiropractor that found himself in a terrible situation before joining the Renaissance family. He was constantly cutting deals with patients to make his already affordable fees almost giveaway. This Chiropractor has a daughter that has special talents in theatre and arts and he and his wife wanted to check out private school education. At the open house this Chiropractor met to his horror not one but 8 of his former patients that had discontinued or not started Chiropractic care because of money! The DC was in a mixture of shock and horror. Basic tuition (not room and board) for this high school was $29,000 a year. The private school had as a mission statement something like this: We seek to attract those with education as their number one priority. We also seek those people who are willing and able to utilize their own resources to make this dream a reality. At The New Renaissance we believe that health is everybody's number one priority. We don't play the game called let's make a deal. Your fees are your fees, doctor, there is no negotiation. Tip #3 There is no place for Monty Hall in Chiropracticä don't make deals. You are worth your hire and then some. When you learn to communicate to the heart of the patient the excuses fade away once and for all. Of interesting note the Chiropractor took the mission statement from the private school for his office's financial statement, changing the word education to health, of course. We seek to attract those with family health as their number one priority. We also seek those families willing and able to use their own resources to make this dream a reality. CA Corner One of the first things to slip in Chiropractic offices is the staff meeting. If the office gets busy there is less time for the meetings and they may fade away. If the office is not busy they naturally erode. Tip #4 you must have weekly staff meetings for continued growth. In the words of the supernatural CA trainer Sherry Hodge "if you don't train, don't complain." The staff meeting is not a time for gripes or personality conflicts. It's a time to refine, improve, and grow. Most Renaissance staff meetings begin with a story of empowerment, or an inspirational patient story, and then the nuts and bolts of the topics to be discussed. Finally, get the staff's input on all patient matters. Sometimes as DC's we don't allow our CA's to show their true potential by micromanaging. Give your CA's projects and responsibilities and watch the incredible results. The happiest and most productive offices always have the best teammates.