Community Screenings .by Joel E. Margolies, DC .. joel3639@aol.com Screening Purpose Statement: Outside events usual result in some form of public confrontation. Often people are down on what they are not up on. They may not share our enthusiasm towards wellness with chiropractic. Meeting the public requires skill with an ability to accept rejection. The great reward are those that take advantage of your skills and knowledge. Don¼t be intimidated. Instead be encouraged that the one or twenty people you reach will greatly benefit. This is your opportunity to evaluate as many people as possible in a public setting. No matter what you call the screening .. Biomechanical, Blood Pressure, Chiropractic, Fitness, Postural, or Stress .. the evaluations are all the same. Your purpose and your goal is one and the same -- evaluate and reach as many people as possible. General Rules and Observations: Ä Most people walking by will be too busy or not interested Your booth or table must be appealing enough to have them come by Ä Be sure someone is available to introduce your program Standing behind a table will not attract them .. have someone bring them to you Be sure you have a quick response if someone asks what you are doing there „we are evaluating postural stress¾ .. „this is a stress and posture evaluation.¾ Ä Create some attraction (energy) at your station Work with a massage therapist drawing people near while they wait .. $1 a minute Work with a local health spa for people to fill out free memberships and advice If there is a local sports event .. have a television hook up for people to watch If possible, a local celebrity can be persuaded to attend if charity is available Call the PR sports and media departments .. rookies may be available If possible .. location and you create free media attention .. flyers .. posters .. radio Ä Place attractive posters and banners for quick recognition nearby Decide what your screening title is and create a large banner from a sign company Ä Work with a local charity Contact the Red Cross for Blood Pressure screenings .. helps get in the door Food Banks, United Way, Children Miracle Wish are charities they write checks to Contact these institutions and have them send you endorsement letters To insure the potential patient comes to the office have them donate $10+ to charity If the screening location has a special charity collect for them Ä Purchase a round goldfish bowl for door prize drawing Create a simple survey form with name, address, phone, e-mail addresses Include specific postural stress conditions and your workshop information Have check off areas for their interest in your mailings, workshops, evaluation For those that are in a hurry and wish to participate in the door prize or evaluation can complete the survey and place it in the fishbowl and you call/send them later Ä Those that show interest and are local should be evaluated Concentrate on local residents or employees .. if successful time will be limited Spending time convincing or debating is best left for another time People presently going to a chiropractor should be encouraged to continue care Ä Have enough props to help explain Purchase anatomy and nerve chart pads .. place in plastic sheets to show and tell Bring enough charts to quickly make a visual statement Create specific wellness and chiropractic handouts or purchase pamphlets Be sure you stamp or display your address and phone number on all handouts Purchase and give away unique promos .. crooked pens .. magnets .. office cards Where and How to Screen: Types of Screenings: Educational Promotions .. In-office Screenings: Screenings are public evaluations and/or promotions. If you have a location ripe with potential new patients but are unable to physically screen people, provide educational material and offer those interested an evaluation within your office. This may open the door when often it is shut. Once permission is available to offer this assistance .. set up a table with a number of symptom and chiropractic oriented pamphlets. Be sure to have visible something chiropractic .. such as a spine or neurological charts. They must recognize you as a professional and offering a valuable service for them to take the time to visit your station. If you are in an office (clerical) setting .. possibly print up a banner or poster with the words „Carpal Tunnel Information.¾ If you are in a general location such as a Mall or Civic Center .. print up a stress oriented poster such as „Relieve Headaches Naturally.¾ Be creative. Be available to discuss their concerns and offer them an opportunity to have their evaluation within your office. Again .. tagging their evaluation with a charity and dollar amount will make their follow through much stronger. Although technically these promotional programs are not screenings, they can eventually be as effective. This is especially true during Health Fairs if information is the only thing you can provided. Where to Screen: As far as where to screen. Look for Business Parks .. Office Atriums .. Retail outlets such as Sam¼s or Walmarts .. Supermarkets .. Outdoor Events .. all these are successful. Driving within your marketing area will alert you to various venues. Often churches have bazaars and civic organizations have special events open to the public. You¼ll be surprised to find labor organizations, veteran¼s groups, men and women¼s associations as well as garden clubs anxious to invite you for talks or screenings. If you pair yourself with other health professionals .. those doing cholesterol checks etc. .. it make for a mini Health fair and the possibility of extending your reach even further. Where you practice and the demographics of your Marketing Farm will also determine where to screen. Some Flea Markets are heavily visited on weekends as are Sports Centers. Consider evaluating Bowling leagues or Soccer Mom and Dad¼s as they wait for their kids to finish their games. Gymnastic .. Dance .. Karate studios and professional sports teams also await you. If you are active with Public Relations, you can set aside certain days per month or quarter for return visits allowing you continued community exposure. First Step .. Getting Invited: The first step and the most important step is contacting the right person. Once you determine where you wish to screen, find out who is in charge of making it happen. It may be the leasing agent of an office building, a patient who works there and just gets an okay, a manager of the store or the program chairperson for an outside event. If you have to pay for a booth and the area is close to your office, the cost may be minimal compared to the potential new business, just use proper judgment. I recommend you have a relationship with a number of local charities. Call these charities and request a letter of endorsement from them. When you meet with the responsible person .. you can be an advocate of the supermarket if you combine collective energy. have a table and chairs set up in an area with some room. Place on the table some handouts and flyers of general health concern button issues such as stress .. headaches .. muscle cramps etc. Flyers should include something about your availability to provide workshops at their place of work .. church .. civic club etc. on these subjects as well as ergonomics. Have a small round goldfish bowl on the table where they can place survey forms or cards that you will provide to win a door prize such as dinner for two at a local restaurant ..this will provide you a data base of local folks to send newsletters and keep your office in their mind. Also .. what helps get you into these areas is an affiliation with a local charity .. the Red Cross always welcomes you to do BP screenings for the public .. give them a call and see what is required .. usually not much. A local charity also helps to get the people from the screening into your office .. a small donation $10+ to the local charity will secure their appointment .. usually money finds them following through. In a supermarket .. you can go down the aisles and choose items that are low in fat or low in salt and set a table of items found in the supermarket that will improve their overall health and then tag it with chiropractic .. the supermarkets love it. You can align yourself with local food bank and ask for a can or non perishable food donations for their appointments. Be creative. What you need: