From: Dr. Margolies

Considering there are various obstacles to practice growth, especially us !!!!!!!!!! there 
must be a concerted effort to increase community and patient awareness of our sacred 
product .... chiropractic .... that is both relentless and on-going. With the start of a new 
class quarter, I reviewed many of the class surveys that I ask my students to complete. This 
survey, available for download (it¼ll be encrypted and somewhat awkward when it gets to 
your computer) asks the students to determine their level of understanding .. where they¼ve 
been and where they need to go. A student wrote that she would feel imposed if she had to 
take of her time to present patient orientations, workshops, care classes, lay lectures, or 
whatever you wish to call it. She felt that for patient¼s to „impose¾ on her private time 
would be more than she¼d bargain for. But, in her defense, she did say she¼d try to give 
personal attention to her patient¼s and in this way get the message of chiropractic out. It will 
be my mission and goal to reach her and the others this quarter, who after three+ years of 
chiropractic college still have not received the „Big Idea.¾ It is an idea whose time has come 
.... it is a product that is never duplicated .. often imitated ... but .. as a means to a 
complete end .. it is a way of life. Chiropractic is not meant to be a 9-5 job (I don¼t know 
about you but I spent the entire weekend in the office catching up) .. it is not meant to be a 
profession in turmoil .. a vessel without a base .. instead we should agree to disagree as we 
have done since 1895 .. but on this we must never compromise ... we must always tell the 
story ... the why of chiropractic ... the how and in terms of you ... the where. Therefore, 
whether your practice is at rock bottom just starting out .. petered out .. or you¼re sailing 
way above water .. you must still set a goal .. have a game plan and reach for more. Not 
for you .. but for them. By the way, this isn¼t philosophical mumbo jumpo .. it is pure 
unadulterated business 101. Our product is patients .. getting them well is the by product .. 
and a given. Having fun doing it is the trick and if you figure that out  ... you¼ll find joy 
and happiness each and every day of your life .. both professional and social.  

Now the goal is and always will be education. Our time within the office is meant to 
enhance our office product. You may be spending time reading the latest info on your 
technic .. catching up with paperwork .. reviewing cases with the CA .. cleaning the office 
etc. etc. but the time within the office .. save moments here and there .. should be to 
enhance your service .. your product .. your livelihood. What a great challenge it is to 
realize that our end product in patient wellness .. no .. community wellness .. begin to 
think beyond the one towards the many. What a challenge to create awareness for those that 
are lacking .. to create an opportunity for others to experience the more to life than a shell 
of existence .. what a challenge it is to charge the people you meet and greet and turn their 
lives around. If these statements ring hollow to you then you need to recharge your 
chiropractic battery .. or if they were never charged when you last left your college campus 
.. get a new battery .. a turbo .. equipped to weather the storms of managed care .. non 
responsive patients and the myriad of blocks that confront our daily mission. Once charged 
.. the one area you must set your sails and sights on is patient (community)education. 
Never feel as if it is an imposition to relate the story of chiropractic to your patient .. if not 
to them .. then to who?  Start your new week with a plan. How many patients will you 
survey this week concerning their knowledge .. their level of service within your office .. 
their understanding of the chiropractic story .. their interest in referring a friend or family 
member .. their willingness to network you into their church, civic or professional groups 
.. the list is endless. Hey .. you may feel that it is an imposition to ask them .. maybe you 
feel it is unprofessional to request their assistance in your practice growth .. but give it a 
second thought .. if they have friends needing help .. if their fellow employees are having 
chronic structural problems because no one took the time to go over basic ergonomics .. if 
they have church members that are contemplating life threatening medications and surgery 
for problems that chiropractic care would help but no one took the time from their precious 
day to tell them the incredible chiropractic story .. then who will tell them .. and turn their 
lives around?

Action Step: Have a quick staff meeting. Determine topics that would interest your patients 
.. Stress .. Wellness .. Nutrition .. etc. Place a Sign Up sheet at the front desk. Spend a 
moment or two with each patient and tell them the class will be on Wednesday at 7 PM and 
they should come to the office around 6:30, get their adjustment and stay for the class. Ask 
them to bring a few quests .. a friend .. their spouse. It may start with a few .. or many .. 
but it is a start. Oh, you already give these workshops to new patients .. Great .. now 
expand this to extra workshops .. expanded subjects .. be a beacon of education for 
wellness within your community. Call the local paper, ask if they have a community 
bulletin page each week .. will they note your topical classes. Visit your local library. Do 
they have community meeting rooms .. will they make it available to you for free. Can you 
advertise with flyers in the library and with posters of some type to the local mom and pop 
shops. Ask the local churches if they have groups that request outside speakers .. ask the 
health food store owner if they would collaborate with you to set up a mini health fair .. 
maybe have the local health spa join in .. even if it costs a few bucks to rent a hotel room or 
the library again .. for free. Make it a community event .. education attracts people because 
they innately need to know. What is that phrase    „...build it and they will come.¾ Build 
community awareness and they WILL COME!

Dr. M