Q: Hi Dr. Margolies, I stumbled upon your website with all its wonderful resources, and I need to say thank you a hundred times over before I can bring myself to yet trouble you with a few questions and take up your time. I had a nice rendezvous with your website until wee hours of the night last night. One of the areas that interested me the most was reading through your suggestions to an individual on workshops/screenings/ergonomics, etc. to businesses. Our practice has been working on this for the last year and a half, and has finally made some headway. We're giving a stress talk at a 3,000 employee size company, and just finished giving a health series talk and health fair screening at another. But, I'm having a hard time figuring out how to take next steps of having future programs. Did you wait to build a relationship, say after a few workshops and they got to know you, or did you offer something initially and then followed up later when the timing was right to bring it up again? I've been kind of re-inventing this wheel, and when I came across your process of calling and following up with companies in the initial phase before doing the workshops (a letter that's copied below to refresh your memory) I just thought you probably would have some feedback to give on the continuing process after the initial workshops have been done. We have also approached the manufacturing and construction/heavy labor industry (some of our patients suggested), and I was hoping you could take a look at our flyer and give us some constructive feedback from your experience. Would that be OK? Thanks for your e-mail and visiting my webpage. When time allows scrool through the Cyberconsulting and Practice Management areas of the site. Lots of stuff there. I also added your e-mail address to my address book and will send you next my Welcome Aboard e-mail to get you started with my weekly e-mail newsletters. As far as your question. I applaud you for beginning community education. Ergonomics is a great entry point and workshops always bring in new patients. First, always ask for letters of thanks after any community activity. Each letter is credibility and an invitation to another company or group looking for assurance that you have something to offer. I recommend you handle the numbers you talk to. 3000 employees were the number of AT&T employees offered to me during my first ergonomic workshop way back in 1987. I realized quickly that this would not work both for me and for those that would attend. I asked for 30 people and three classes a day and was able to extend my invitation there for two years. I also had some students at Life College come with me and between my classes they took interested folks with them for an evaluation. The numbers of new patients from these events were fantastic. The smaller classes, the evaluation, the offer of complimentary evaluation and the value of chiropractic for their concerns won the day. As far as how to proceed, don't wait. Take advantage of any momentum from any workshop or screening. Discuss with the coordinating person how best to offer more workshops and events and have dates prepared prior to discussing it with them. Offer to provide two classes per day with dates extended over months, including Screenings etc. Focus on the Proactive Approach and how Proactive corporations provide Wellness and Ergonomic programs to their employees and taking 5 or more employees per supervisor per class with 3-5 supervisors offering their employees make it easy for them to have employees working while others take advantage of your class. This handles the łoff-line˛ or employees not working while attending your class. I looked at your impressive handout but it is too wordy and if provided as a two page introduction it may require another sheet to direct them to what you want them to know. One, menu of your programs, workshops, screenings etc. Two, this is when you offer the programs. Three the cost (usually free) and Four, how to contact you and advising them that is a few days you will call them. This could be a simple one page flyer along with your two page pamphlet. Nonetheless, you are on the right track. Dedicate time per day to develop this portion of your practice and daily send letters and phone back with the attitude that you will capture dates throughout the year. For urgency, when you send them a letter of call them let them know that you are scheduling your Summer Workshops Dates and later in the year your Fall and Winter dates etc. This is why you are calling them, you donąt want them to miss out. The letters that you will acquire sure help to open the doors. Please reply with other questions. I am sending you an article I wrote in 2001, which may help. My Workshop and Marketing Books also will help.