The Second Impression
  
By W. Karl Parker, B.A., D.C., F.I.C.C., F.A.C.C. 
behapy@karlparkerseminars.com
  
  
Part of the object of this "Impression" training series of 
Professional Patient Procedures is to help DCs create the best 
impression that will result in the greatest motivation for their 
patients to follow-through with their recommended program and to 
refer others to chiropractic for care.  Developing this impression is 
like drawing a target.  First, we draw a circle for the center or 
"bull's eye" of the target.  That represents the "first impression" 
which is usually the phone contact with the CA.
  
The next step is to draw another larger circle around the bull's-eye.  
This represents the "second impression" which expands and 
reinforces the first impression.  If the "first impression" the CA 
created was perfect, you have a perfect "O" shaped bull s-eye 
properly sized for your target.  If not, unfortunately, in the game of 
life, you cannot go back and do it over, although you can always 
improve your skills and make the next one better.  You still have a 
chance at having a decent target by getting the "second impression" 
right and still end up achieving the objective of retention and 
referrals.  That is, unless your "first impression" was so bad that 
the patient never shows. 
  
In another "Impressions" article, we talked about the CAs voice and 
tone forming the patient's first impression of the DC, the office and 
chiropractic.  Even if the first impression was poor, if the patient 
shows up for his/her first visit to your office, you did something 
right.  You now have a second chance to make a good impression even 
though you never have a second chance to make a first impression. 
  
Patients' second impressions are usually formed when they first 
visit your office, walk into your reception room and meet your 
Control Assistant, the front desk CA.  What they see, hear and feel 
may make the difference between a long lasting or a very short 
doctor/patient relationship. 
  
This experience the patient is about to have is the first one that 
involves the visual senses.  The "first impression" phone contact 
was formed by auditory input.  The second impression is formed by 
visual, auditory, external kinesthetic (touch) and even smell primary 
senses.  The impressions made upon these senses result in the 
attitude or state of the all important decision director of your 
patients ... their feelings.  Let's discuss some of the things you can 
do to insure the best "second impression' possible. 
  
Put yourself in your patients' shoes.  Pretend you are a new patient 
with an appointment.  Drive by your office. 
  
Does the physical appearance of the outside of your office enhance 
or take away from the patient's first impression?  It is nice but not 
necessary to have a large freestanding beautiful building in a choice 
location.  It is necessary that the property and building be well 
maintained so that it makes a good impression, or at least doesn't 
make a bad impression.  Are the lawn, trees, and shrubs well 
manicured?  Is the building in good visual shape without any sign of 
dilapidation such as chipping paint, mildewed brick, or deteriorated 
shingles?  If so, great.  If not, do what is necessary to make 
improvements. 
  
Park in your parking lot.  Was it easy to find a parking space?  Does 
the parking lot have chuck holes, cigarette butts everywhere,  grass 
growing through cracks?  Is your office clearly marked with a 
professional looking sign? 
  
Walk up to your patient entry door. Is it clearly marked with your 
office name and easy to find, especially if you are in an office 
building?  Are your office hours clearly displayed? 
  
Walk into your reception room. Look around.  Does the room have a 
pleasant appearance (and odor)? It doesn't have to be plush and 
expensive--It does have to be neat, clean, and organized (NCO).  Are 
there signs instructing the new patient where to go and what to 
doo?  Is there appropriate chiropractic reading material?  Are the 
magazines up to date?  Is there a warm smiling person to greet and 
help the patient?  The appearance of your reception room and how 
the patient is greeted is as important or more important than the 
outside appearance of your office. 
  
What do you feel when you walk into your reception room?  Does it 
feel warm and friendly or cold and sterile?  The "feeling" of your 
reception room is more important than the appearance, although the 
appearance does help form the feeling.  But mostly, the "feeling" is a 
reflection of the doctor and the staff.  If doctor and staff are warm, 
loving and caring, the whole office will feel that way. 
  
At KPS, we call this TAP, which stands for The Agape Principle.  It¼s 
our symbology for truly caring about your patients.  It's the essence 
of true success in practice, which, simply stated, is caring for all 
your patients as if they were your own mother, brother, father, 
sister, or child.  These subjects would easily take a series of 
articles and are the object of much discussion at KPS Seminars.   
If the staff or any member of the staff is not warm, loving and 
caring, expressing TAP, the doctor and other staff can encourage and 
train them to be that way.  The biggest challenge is when the doctor 
does not express TAP or is simply not a loving and caring person.  
The only way to change this is for the doctor to make personal 
changes.  It is worth any effort it takes to make the necessary 
changes to have a warm, loving, and caring doctor, staff and office. 
  
How a patient is greeted is also extremely important.  They should 
be greeted with a friendly voice and a smiling face.  If the layout of 
the front desk and reception room allows, the CA should shake hands 
with a good firm, but not overpowering grip, making good eye 
contact at the same time when introducing themselves. Do not hold 
eye contact longer than the patient does.  When the patient breaks 
eye contact the CA should break eye contact-some patients think you 
are staring when you hold eye contact for a long period.  On the other 
side, don't break eye contact until the patient does.  Some patients 
think you are not to be trusted if you don't "look them straight in the 
eye." 
  
The CA should do all things necessary to alleviate the patient's 
initial anxiety.  Believe it or not, most, if not all, new patients are 
at least subconsciously anxious because they have "fear of the 
unknown." Fear of the unknown is the worst kind of fear because you 
don't know what you have to fear.  Patients have this fear because 
they don't know what's wrong with their health or if they can be 
helped or what the doctor is going to do.  
  
The patient should be courteously guided through each step of the 
office procedure.  Each form should be explained and help offered in 
filling it out, if necessary.  The patient should have no questions 
about "what's next?" or "how long will it be?" 
  
The importance of the first few moments of the patients' first 
visits cannot be over emphasized.   By the time patients meet the 
doctor they are already favorably or unfavorably impressed.  If 
patients are favorably impressed, it is much easier for the doctor to 
build rapport and every procedure thereafter becomes easier.  If 
patients are not favorably impressed, every procedure becomes 
progressively more difficult.  A great percentage of patient "drop 
out" can be attributed to failure of the doctor's office and staff to 
make a good first and second impression. 
  
If you have blown your first two chances to make a really good 
impression, don't despair-you still have a chance.  If the patient 
makes it to the consultation room, the doctor still has a last chance 
to make up for previous unfavorable impressions made by the office 
and/or staff.  The doctor/patient first encounter-the consultation 
(or interview)-is possibly the most important procedure in patient 
management.  It sets the stage for all the procedures that follow.  
We will discuss the all important consultation next in this training 
series.