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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
Build your chiropractic practice with proven self-promotion strategies
Book Yourself Solid for Chiropractors is a game-changing guide to attracting patients to your practice and turning them into loyal patients, for a solid business foundation. This hyper-targeted, step-by-step advice will help you grow your practice beyond what you previously thought possible. You’ll become inspired to put energy behind your self-promotion practices and you’ll learn exactly what you need to do to make your marketing efforts more effective.
In any service business, it’s essential to connect with the patients who are a perfect fit for you. For chiropractors, that means understanding what sets you apart from the competition, pricing your services appropriately, and communicating with prospective patients about how you can help them. This book helps you through all of it, with practical tips and strategic insights that will ensure you’re never short on the patients you want.
Co-authored by Michael Port—New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and visionary behind the original Book Yourself Solid business techniques—and Christine Zapata, experienced chiropractor and coach, Book Yourself Solid for Chiropractors covers the issues unique to the chiropractic world. By attracting patients who are in alignment with your vision for your practice, you can create a successful business that also helps you achieve your long-term goals.
- Understand your unique value proposition and brand and learn how to talk about it
- Create a likeable social media presence and a website that brings people in the door
- Learn step-by-step strategies for networking, direct outreach, generating referrals, and more
- Discover how the principles of sales and pricing apply to building your chiropractic practice
Book Yourself Solid for Chiropractors is a handbook for self-promotion that delivers results. This book shows you how to promote more than just your skills by creating an image that your ideal patients will resonate with. Build your reputation and keep business coming in over the long term.
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Seitenzahl: 504
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Michael's Note
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Module ONE: Your Foundation
CHAPTER 1: The Red Velvet Rope Policy
Dump the Duds
The Old Man, the Little Boy, and the Donkey
What to Do When You Don't (Yet) Have Patients
Pruning Your Patient List
Creating Your Red Velvet Rope Policy
Ideal Patients, the Duds, and Everyone Else
A Perpetual Process
CHAPTER 2: Why People Buy What You're Selling
Step 1: Identify Your Target Market
Step 2: Identify the Urgent Needs and Compelling Desires of Your Target Market
Step 3: Determine the Biggest Result Your Patients Get
Step 4: Uncover and Demonstrate the Benefits of Your Investable Opportunities
CHAPTER 3: Develop a Personal Brand
Branding
The Three Components of Your Personal Brand
Roma Non è Stata Construita un Giorno (Rome Wasn't Built in a Day)
CHAPTER 4: How to Talk About What You Do
Developing Your Book Yourself Solid Dialogue
Five-Part Book Yourself Solid Dialogue Formula
Getting into a Book Yourself Solid Dialogue with Ease
Module TWO: Building Trust and Credibility
CHAPTER 5: Becoming a Likeable Expert in Your Field
The Standard Credibility Builders
Standards of Service
Becoming and Establishing Yourself as a Category Authority
Do I Have To?
Where to Begin
Making the Mental Shift
The Power of Likeability
CHAPTER 6: The Book Yourself Solid Sales Cycle Process
Building Relationships of Trust
Turn Strangers into Friends and Friends into Patients
The Book Yourself Solid Six Keys to Creating Connection: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How
The Book Yourself Solid Sales Cycle Process
The Book Yourself Solid Always-Have-Something-to-Invite-People-to Offer
Use the Book Yourself Solid Sales Cycle to Unconditionally Serve Your Patients
CHAPTER 7: The Book Yourself Solid Keep-in-Touch Strategy
Relevant, Interesting, Current, and Valuable Content
Choosing Your Keep-in-Touch Tools
Automating Your Keep-in-Touch Strategy
CHAPTER 8: The Power of Information Products
Brand-Building Products and Easy-to-Follow Programs
The Five Simple Steps to Developing Your Product
The Simple Three-Step Product Launch Sequence
Joint Venture Partners and Affiliates
A Necessary Step in Your Business Development
Module THREE: Simple Selling and Perfect Pricing
CHAPTER 9: Perfect Pricing
Don't Buy into a Poverty Mindset
Pricing Models
Payment Models
When to Lower Prices, Discount, and Offer Specials
When to Raise Prices
Regulations on Pricing
CHAPTER 10: Super Simple Selling
Letting Go of Limiting Beliefs
Shifting Your Perspective
Successful Selling Needs the Right Amount of Trust at Just the Right Time
The Secret to the Book Yourself Solid System
Book Yourself Solid Four-Part Sales Formula
Cut the Crap Out of Selling
Prequalifying Patients Using the Book Yourself Solid Super Simple Selling System
Module FOUR: The Book Yourself Solid Six Core Self-Promotion Strategies
CHAPTER 11: The Book Yourself Solid Networking Strategy
Making the Shift to the Book Yourself Solid Way
The Book Yourself Solid 50/50 Networking Rule
Have You Got Any Soul?
Share
Who
You Know,
What
You Know, and
How
You Feel
Networking Opportunities
Networking Events—What to Do
Networking Events—What Not to Do
You Are Always Networking
Creating Your Gang of Five
So You've Got Spinach in Your Teeth
CHAPTER 12: The Book Yourself Solid Direct Outreach Strategy
Direct Outreach Gone Wrong
You Will Connect More When You've Got the Skinny
Only One Link in the Chain of Destiny Can Be Handled at a Time
Socially Successful Conduct
The Book Yourself Solid List of 20
Making Your Case
Patience and Persistence Pay Off
CHAPTER 13: The Book Yourself Solid Referral Strategy
Quick Referral Analysis
Finding Referral Opportunities
Beginning the Referral Process
Practice Your Referral Presentation
CHAPTER 14: The Book Yourself Solid Speaking Strategy
Self-Promotion
Getting Promoted by Others
Booking Your Way Up
How to Find Your Audiences
Get Booked to Speak
Fifty Public Speaking Performance Tips You Can't Afford to Ignore
Many Rules Are Made to Be Broken
To Speak or Not to Speak, That Is the Question
CHAPTER 15: The Book Yourself Solid Writing Strategy
How to Get Out of Writing
The Five-Part Book Yourself Solid Writing Strategy
Help Editors Help You
CHAPTER 16: The Book Yourself Solid Web Strategy
PART 1: DESIGNING YOUR WEBSITE
PART 2: GETTING VISITORS TO YOUR WEBSITE
PART 3: BUILDING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM
Getting the Most Out of Your Social Media Content
Final Thoughts
References
Ready to Be Fully Booked?
About the Authors
Index
End User License Agreement
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Michael's Note
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Begin Reading
Final Thoughts
References
Ready to Be Fully Booked?
About the Authors
Index
End User License Agreement
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Book Yourself Solid for CHIROPRACTORS
The Fastest, Easiest, Most Reliable System for Getting More Patients Than You Can Handle, Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling
Michael PortNew York Times Bestselling Author
withDr. Christine Zapata
Copyright © 2024 by Michael Port and Christine Zapata. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-4470, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permission.
Trademarks: Wiley and the Wiley logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Names: Port, Michael, 1970- author. | Zapata, Christine, author.
Title: Book yourself solid for chiropractors: the fastest, easiest, most reliable system for getting more patients than you can handle, even if you hate marketing and selling / Michael Port; with Dr. Christine Zapata.
Description: First edition. | Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, [2024] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2023050479 (print) | LCCN 2023050480 (ebook) | ISBN 9781394222575 (cloth) | ISBN 9781394222599 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781394222582 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Marketing. | Strategic planning. | Chiropractors.
Classification: LCC HF5415 .P6367 2024 (print) | LCC HF5415 (ebook) | DDC 658.8--dc23/eng/20231207
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023050479
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023050480
Cover design: Paul McCarthy
This book is a love story disguised as a business book. It's a love story between you and all the inspiring patients you will serve.
Michael's Note
An unfulfilled vocation drains the color from a man's entire existence.
—Honoré de Balzac
In early 2000 I was utterly dissatisfied and completely disillusioned with my work as the vice president of programming at an entertainment company. The environment felt like a prison—long hours, unresponsive colleagues, and no personal engagement. Sound familiar? I decided to embark on a new career path as a professional business consultant: a service professional. I secretly passed the time reading, researching, studying, and honing my skills. After much planning, my freedom date was marked on every calendar in my apartment with a huge victorious smiley face. My resignation letter was signed, sealed, and ready for delivery. I could hardly keep my legs from sprinting out the door to follow my heart and head (both of which had checked out long ago).
On that auspicious day, I received the envelope with my bonus inside, ran to the bank, cleared the check, and proudly delivered my letter of resignation. The joy, pride, and satisfaction that I felt at that moment were incredible. I floated home and woke up the next day to plunge into my career as a business owner serving others.
I didn't bask for long in the glory, however, before I realized I was in for trouble.
Call me crazy, but I really thought clients were just going to fall into my lap. I expected them to meet me, fall in love with me, and trade their money for my services. Instead, I moped about my very costly New York City apartment, panicking, feeling sorry for myself, and doing trivial busy work that wasn't going to generate a dime of income.
Within six months I was desperate, which heralded a new phase of my life. I was fed up. I'd reached my limit. I was not going to throw in the towel and give up on my career as a business owner. My innate need to support and provide, to serve the people I was meant to serve, kicked into high gear one chilly New York morning. Plus, what choice did I have? I didn't think homelessness would look good on me. Rather than dwelling on the cold reality of my financial struggle and the bitter temperature outside, I worked every single day for no fewer than 16 hours just to pay the bills. (I don't recommend this as a strategy, by the way.) I poured myself into more resources and studied everything I could get my hands on about how to attract clients, communicate effectively, sell, market, and promote my services. First and foremost, I wanted to learn how to love marketing and selling by turning it into a meaningful pursuit.
Obviously, it worked, or I wouldn't be writing this, and you certainly wouldn't be reading it. Within 10 months, I was booked solid with more clients than I could handle. But the personal checks I cashed were not the most valuable part of my business. The real heart of what I was creating was the marketing system that propelled my business and income every month. I started sharing my marketing process with a small group of trusted clients, and I watched their success unfold before my eyes. I could hear confidence, pride, and accomplishment in their voices. Their businesses took off.
My clients, who were service professionals of all kinds, started to get booked solid: massage therapists, mortgage brokers, accountants, therapists, acupuncturists, dentists, hair salon and spa owners, bookkeepers, web and graphic designers, business consultants, professional organizers, financial planners, attorneys, personal trainers, photographers, Pilates and yoga instructors, coaches, and, of course, chiropractors, were getting more clients than they could handle. Well, not all of them. But most of them did—the ones who did the work.
I immediately began to engineer a completely replicable system that I could pass on to you. That system is the Book Yourself Solid system, and you're holding it in your hands, the same system that more than a million people have used since 2003.
When the book was released in April of 2006, Book Yourself Solid was the number-two best-selling book on Amazon.com. Not in a category but number two in all books. No one was more surprised by that than me. It has since become an evergreen resource for professional service providers all over the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It's been translated into Spanish, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Polish, Bahasa Indonesian, Orthodox Chinese, Korean, and other languages. It's included in curriculums at graduate-level business schools and is touted as recommended reading by professional associations like the National Association of Realtors, which called Book Yourself Solid a “must-read.”
The thing about a published book is that once it's printed, it's done. Yet, over the years, I've found ways of improving it. As a result, I've changed important parts of the system, fine-tuned others, and added new, up-to-date material. Enter Book Yourself Solid for Chiropractors. For this edition, I wanted to do something different. Book Yourself Solid has always been a book designed to help service professionals build a profitable, meaningful, and absolutely booked-solid business, but this time I set out to create a version that was tailor-made for a specific profession, and chiropractic was right at the top of my list.
Although the core Book Yourself Solid principles remain intact, I knew that in order to create an edition specifically for chiropractors, I would need to find someone with a wealth of knowledge on the chiropractic profession who understood exactly what it means to succeed in the field.
When I met Dr. Christine Zapata and found that she had implemented Book Yourself Solid principles in her practice nearly a decade ago with tremendous success, I needed to know her story.
Christine confided in me that she had come across Book Yourself Solid during a very difficult period in her professional life. She was experiencing burnout, stress, and anxiety from many years in practice where she was working seven days a week just to keep the lights on. She was putting in the work but wasn't seeing the results. Feeling like she had nothing to lose, she began to transform her practice by implementing the very principles you'll find in this book. In a matter of months, she was seeing more ideal patients than she ever had before and was enjoying a highly profitable and thriving practice that filled her with joy.
As I spoke with her, it became clear to me that she was the perfect person to write this very special edition of Book Yourself Solid just for chiropractors. After all, not only was she a living, breathing, testimonial for the power of the Book Yourself Solid principles, but I also knew that she would be able to convey specific, proven insights on how to implement these principles into a chiropractic practice.
Together, we want you to know it is realistic for you to become a successful self-employed chiropractor. But you need to learn the skills necessary to promote your work and become the go-to chiropractor in your area before it's too late. There is no question that the Book Yourself Solid system can change your business and your life.
You love what you do. You're great at what you do. You stand in the service of others, you change lives, and you are a remarkable human being for doing so—now it's time to get booked solid.
This book offers a way toward a profitable, meaningful, and absolutely booked-solid chiropractic practice, overflowing with as many patients as your heart desires, patients who energize and inspire you, patients with whom you do your best work, patients who will pay you handsomely.
We hope you feel the same exhilaration in building your chiropractic business as Christine and the thousands of other chiropractors that have been supported and propelled by the Book Yourself Solid system do every day. We expect that this system will not only inspire you but also will keep you keenly focused on learning and relearning, experimenting, and honing all that is within you. We are certain the secret to your success isn't just in the work that we do together. It lies within you. Book Yourself Solid for Chiropractors will simply help facilitate your greatness.
We are all on this path together, learning from one another. We are all seeking joy, love, success, and happiness. Continue to trust that you are making a huge difference in the lives of your patients, yourself, and society as a whole.
Here's to you—to focusing on getting as many patients as your heart desires. Please come to the Book Yourself Solid system with an open heart and mind. Completely remove, or at least set aside, any preconceived ideas fluttering in your head. Let the process be revealed to you step by step.
The Book Yourself Solid way is one of abundance, joy, and meaning. It's our deep honor to serve you. As any silly, serious, significant, strategic, personal, or professional questions come up, please give me a shout. I'm always delighted to hear from you. Fire off any and all questions to Christine at [email protected]. If there is anything we can do to serve you, please just ask.
Now, let's get to booking you solid.
Warmly,
Michael Port
Foreword
Welcome to the transformative journey that awaits you within these pages. As you hold this book in your hands, you are about to embark on a path that will lead you to a profound shift in your chiropractic practice—one that will elevate your impact, your influence, and your success, without compromising your purpose.
Over the years, I have experienced firsthand the challenges and triumphs that chiropractors face in their quest to build thriving and fulfilling practices. From whether or not to take insurance to dealing with patients who only seem to frustrate your staff members and drain your patience. It can be a lonely and isolating pursuit—but it doesn't have to be. I stand for a world where health and success are known as fundamental truths rather than fundamental pursuits, and I believe there are no two better people to align with in that than Michael Port and Dr. Christine Zapata.
You may be asking yourself who I am and how I fit into this story. Allow me to introduce myself—I'm Dr. Shawn Dill. I am an entrepreneur, speaker, investor, and chiropractor. I started The Specific Chiropractic Centers, which has grown into a franchise with locations all over the United States. My wife, Dr. Lacey Book, and I founded The Black Diamond Club—a coaching and consulting business for service-based entrepreneurs. And, as of the beginning of 2023, I am one of the new owners of Book Yourself Solid.
The Book Yourself Solid system gave Lacey and me the start that we needed to build everything we have today. Back in 2010 Lacey and I lived in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment with our two daughters. We were broke as a joke. Our daughters had to sleep on a tiny hand-me-down green velvet couch. We had no money and no real vision or path for what we wanted to achieve. One day, I told Lacey that we needed to hire Michael Port—but we couldn't afford to pay for the training. However, we knew that if we could simply find a way to come up with the money, it could result in far-reaching potential. And we did. Everything I learned after that first training set in motion all that I have today. It was also where I met Matthew Kimberley, an incredibly smart business mentor who is now the CEO of Book Yourself Solid Worldwide and a cherished friend.
Book Yourself Solid teaches the importance of relationships. Because of this, I remained close with Matthew and Michael over the years as I continued to experience success in business. So when I heard Michael was looking to pass the Book Yourself Solid torch to the next generation of successful entrepreneurs, I threw my hat in the ring. It is one of my greatest honors to come full circle all these years later as the new owner of Book Yourself Solid and I plan to continue building on his foundation and vision as we move forward.
One of the most significant challenges we chiropractors face is bridging the gap between our passion for helping others and effectively communicating the value of our services to potential clients. This book addresses that challenge head-on. It equips you with the tools, strategies, and mindset shifts needed to confidently and authentically communicate the benefits of chiropractic care to those who need it most—and actually enjoy it.
Gone are the days of spinal screenings, giving away free care and playing the dizzying game of alphabet soup created by third-party insurance. Book Yourself Solid for Chiropractors is a practical system designed to help you transform your practice by mastering the art of attracting your ideal clients, nurturing meaningful connections, and experiencing the joy of a thriving chiropractic business.
As you delve into the chapters that follow, be prepared to be challenged, inspired, and empowered. Embrace the insights shared by Michael and Dr. Christine, for they have the power to transform not only your practice but also your life. The principles found in this book have the potential to elevate your chiropractic journey to heights you may not have thought possible.
Remember, the road to success is rarely linear, and challenges will inevitably arise. However, armed with the wisdom contained within these pages, you will find the resilience and clarity needed to overcome obstacles and emerge stronger than ever before.
I commend you for investing in yourself and your practice by exploring these pages. Your dedication to growth and learning is a testament to your commitment to your patients and your passion for making a difference in their lives.
So buckle up and get ready for a transformative journey—one that will forever change the trajectory of your practice and your life. The impact you are destined to create is immeasurable, and I am honored to stand beside you every step of the way.
Yours in service,
Shawn Dill, DC
Founder and CEO, The Specific Chiropractic Centers
Founder and CEO, The Black Diamond Club
Owner, Book Yourself Solid
Preface
The Book Yourself Solid system is supported by both practical and philosophical principles.
From a practical perspective, there may be two simple reasons why you don't serve as many patients as you'd like to today. Either you don't know what to do to attract and secure more patients or you know what to do, but you're not actually doing it. The Book Yourself Solid system is designed to help you solve both of these problems, including the information you need to book more patients. If you already know what to do but aren't doing it, we'll hope to inspire you into action and help you stay accountable so you build the business of your dreams. Moreover, you may be surprised to learn that marketing isn't really what gets you patients. It's what you do once someone becomes aware of you that books you the business. The Book Yourself Solid system is designed to show you how to create the awareness you need for the services you offer and then exactly what to do to book the business once someone becomes aware of you.
From a philosophical perspective, we believe that if you have something to say, if you have a message to deliver, and if there are people you want to serve, then there are people in this world whom you are meant to serve. Not kinda, sorta, because they're in your target market … but meant to. If this doesn't resonate for you now, we believe it will when you have read this book and begun to follow the Book Yourself Solid way.
The system is organized into four modules:
Your Foundation
Building Trust and Credibility
Simple Selling and Perfect Pricing
The Book Yourself Solid Six Core Self-Promotion Strategies
We will begin by building a foundation for your chiropractic business that is unshakable. If you are truly serious about becoming a successful chiropractor, you must have a steadfast foundation on which to stand. You will then be ready to create and implement a strategy for building trust and credibility. You'll be considered a credible expert in your field, and you'll start to earn the trust of the people you'd like to serve. You'll price your offerings in the sweet spot of the patients' desires and you'll know how to have sales conversations of the highest integrity that work. Then, and only then, will you execute the six core self-promotion strategies, thereby creating awareness for the valuable services you offer by using promotional strategies that are based on your talents—strategies that feel authentic and honest.
To help you design a service business overflowing with patients who inspire and energize you, this book includes written exercises and Booked Solid action steps that will support you in thinking bigger about your business. We walk you through the actions you need to complete on the path to serving as many patients as your heart desires.
You will want to retain your responses to the written exercises for regular review. We have prepared a complimentary downloadable workbook that includes all of the written exercises and Booked Solid action steps contained in this book. Simply visit the Book Yourself Solid website and download the workbook so that you may begin today to take the necessary steps to get more patients than you can handle.
Go to www.bookyourselfsolid.com/workbook and download your free copy of the workbook so you have it in your hands before you turn another page. So, your first action step is to get your workbook. Although you'll no doubt get great value just from reading this book, the true value—and your success—lies in your decision to take an active role and to participate fully by doing the exercises and taking the Booked Solid action steps we've outlined.
Please work through Book Yourself Solid in sequential order. No skipping, jumping, or moving ahead—the Book Yourself Solid six core self-promotion strategies are effectively implemented only after your foundation, credibility-building, pricing, and sales strategies are in place. One of the main reasons that chiropractors say they hate marketing and selling is that they're trying to market without these essential elements, which is like eating an egg before it's cooked—of course you'll hate it. So, no matter how compelled you are to skip ahead, we urge you to please follow the system and watch the process unfold. Remember, self-promotion just creates awareness for the products and services you sell. It's what you do once someone becomes aware of you that earns you the business. All the marketing in the world won't do you much good if you have a weak foundation (or none at all), can't demonstrate credibility, don't know how to earn trust, price your offers, or have an effective sales conversation.
So many talented and inspired chiropractors like you run from marketing and sales because they have come to believe that the marketing and selling process is pushy and self-centered and borders on sleazy. This old-school paradigm is not the Book Yourself Solid way. It is the typical patient-snagging mentality. And you must never fall into this way of thinking and being. If you do, you'll operate in a mentality of scarcity and shame as opposed to one of abundance and integrity.
Ask yourself these questions:
How can I be fully self-expressed in my work to create meaning for me and those whom I serve?
How can I work only in the areas of my greatest strengths and talents so that I can shine?
How many relationships with people of purpose did I make and deepen?
How can I better listen to and serve my ideal patients?
How can I wow people with substance?
How can I over-deliver on my promises to my patients?
How can I cooperate with other professionals to create more abundance?
If you keep asking yourself these questions, set a solid foundation for your business, build trust and credibility within your marketplace, learn how to price and sell your offerings, and use the six core self-promotion strategies, you'll be booked solid in no time.
Acknowledgments
The first line of the Acknowledgments section in virtually every book goes something like this: to list everyone we want to thank for their contributions to this book would be a book in itself. You really don't know how true that is until you write your own book. It seems like books are written by one person in solitary confinement in a cabin in the Berkshires or the French Alps. But rarely is that the case. This book is better because of the people around us. Family, friends, colleagues, and clients offer their ideas, relentlessly, at times. So, if you determine that what we've put on paper has merit, you can thank the people around us. They're the ones who deserve the credit. We just form the sentences.
Module ONEYour Foundation
To be booked solid as a chiropractor requires that you have a solid foundation. That foundation begins like this:
Choose your ideal patients so you work only with people who inspire and energize you.
Understand why people buy what you are selling.
Develop a personal brand to make you memorable and unique.
Talk about what you do without sounding confusing or bland.
Over the course of Module One, we'll step you through the process of building your foundation so that you have a platform on which to stand, a perfectly engineered structure that will support all of your business development and marketing, and—dare we add—personal growth. That's because being in business for yourself, especially as someone who stands in the service of others, requires constant personal reflection and growth.
Over the years, we've found that many people want to hurry through the foundation and just get to the marketing. Please resist this temptation. Remember: marketing rarely gets you patients. What you do once someone becomes aware of you is what actually books you the business. We're aware that we've said this three times now. We'll say it again later. It bears repeating. You need a solid foundation on which to stand first.
Building your foundation may seem like a lot of work. Maybe it is. That all depends on your definition of work, we suppose. But having a solid foundation that feels secure to your potential patients is the first key to business success.
Building your foundation is a bit like putting a puzzle together. We're going to take it one piece at a time, and when we're done you'll have laid the foundation for booking yourself solid.
CHAPTER 1The Red Velvet Rope Policy
He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away.
—Raymond Hull
Imagine that a friend has invited you to accompany her to an invitation-only special event. You arrive and approach the door, surprised to find a red velvet rope stretched between two shiny brass poles. A nicely dressed man asks your name, checking his invitation list. Finding your name there, he flashes a wide grin and drops one end of the rope, allowing you to pass through and enter the party. You feel like a star.
Do you have your own red velvet rope policy that allows in only the most ideal patients, the ones who energize and inspire you? If you don't, you will shortly. Why?
First, because when you work with patients you love, you'll truly enjoy the work you're doing; you'll love every minute of it. (Well, almost every minute of it. It is work, after all.) And when you love the work you do, you'll do your best work, which is essential to booking yourself solid.
Second, because you are your patients. They are an expression and an extension of you. Do you remember when you were a teenager, and your mother or father would give you a hard time about someone you were hanging out with? Your parents may have said that a particular kid was a bad influence. As a teen, you may have thought about how unfair that felt, but the truth is that you are the company you keep. The people you spend time with make a significant impact on your state of mind and how you feel about yourself. Let this be the imperative of your business: choose your patients as carefully as you choose your friends.
The first step in building your foundation is to choose your ideal patients, the individuals or businesses with whom you do your best work, the people or environments that energize and inspire you. I'm going to help you identify specific characteristics of individuals or organizations that would make them ideal to work with. You will then develop a rigorous screening process to find more of them. I'm also going to help you prune your current patient list of less-than-ideal patients.
When Christine began her career as a chiropractor, she would work with anyone who had a pulse and a checkbook. But soon her days began with a sense of dread as she looked over the schedule. She bristled at the thought of working with certain patients whom she knew were not going to be a pleasure to work with. Some would show up late (if at all), others did not seem to value her services and support, and many more stubbornly refused to follow the prescribed recommendations. As a result, Christine would usually leave the clinic feeling drained and exhausted.
Eventually, Christine realized what was happening and began to implement her own red velvet rope policy. It was a total game changer, a complete transformation. She began her workday with hope. She was excited to see her patients and each day became more enjoyable than the last. This excitement and enthusiasm spread to her team members. They too were excited to start each day. Christine and her team were simply having more fun. Reducing the dread of working with dud clients will do that. Like Christine, you too can have the joy that comes from taking care of your ideal patients. Much more joy.
Another interesting thing happened when Christine started working only with ideal patients. Their results improved. Because she was more energized and excited about her work, she was able to spend more time performing at her best, delivering better adjustments.
Live by the red velvet rope policy of ideal patients. Doing so will increase your productivity and happiness. Plus, it enables you to do your best work, which means your patients get the best results possible, which in turn leads to more clients and referrals than you can handle by yourself.
For maximum joy, prosperity, and abundance, think about the person you are when you are performing optimally, when you are with all the people who inspire and energize you. Now think about all of the frustration, tension, and anxiety you feel when you work with patients who are less than ideal—not so good, right?
Wouldn't it be great to spend every day working with patients who are ideal for you, patients whom you can hardly believe you get paid to work with? This ideal is completely possible once you identify whom you want to work with and determine with certainty that you will settle for nothing less. Once you do that, it's just a matter of knowing which of your existing patients qualify and how to acquire more just like them.
1.1.1 Written Exercise: To begin to identify the types of patients you don't want, consider which characteristics or behaviors you refuse to tolerate. What turns you off or shuts you down? What kinds of people should not be getting past the red velvet rope that protects you and your business?
Dump the Duds
Let's take this a step further. It's time to dump your dud patients. We can just hear your shocked protestations and exclamations. “I thought this was a book about getting patients, not dumping them!” We're referring to the dud patients—not all of your patients. It sounds harsh but think about it. Your dud patients are those you dread interacting with, who drain the life out of you, bore you to tears, frustrate you, or worse, instill in you the desire to do them—or yourself—bodily harm, despite your loving nature and desire to serve.
The vast majority of chiropractors are servant leaders. They choose chiropractic as a profession because they want to help others. It's admirable, but over time, many of these same chiropractors experience extreme burnout from working with too many dud patients.
Christine found herself in this situation and, at first, was terrified at the thought of dumping her dud patients. She thought if she got rid of even one dud patient, her business would crumble. After all, a chiropractic practice requires many patients to be successful.
There are likely many reasons you think you can't dump your dud patients, and we know this can seem really scary early on, but hang in there with us. Embrace the concept and trust that this is sound advice from loving teachers and a necessary step on the path to booking yourself solid.
Why have patients, or anyone for that matter, in your life who zap your energy and leave you feeling empty? You might decide to dump 10 dud clients in one week or you may decide to dump one per month over the next year. The red velvet rope policy may be provocative. It might not feel like an easy thing to do. It requires a leap of faith (faith in yourself), but the emotional and financial rewards will be transformational. Within a few weeks of dumping your duds, you may add a dozen or more delightful patients. Sure, you'll increase your revenue if you add more ideal patients to your roster, but you'll also feel at peace and at ease as a business owner and chiropractor. You'll enjoy your work more. It may not happen overnight. But over time, your red velvet rope policy will serve as a protective moat around your castle. It'll keep the duds away and ensure you choose your ideal patients. People who inspire and energize you and, more important, enable you to do your best work.
Ask yourself the following: “Would I rather spend my days working with incredibly amazing, exciting, super cool, awesome people who are both patients and friends, or spend one more agonizing, excruciating minute working with barely tolerable patients who suck the life out of me?” Any initial discomfort or loss you may feel when dumping your duds will pay off in the long run.
Using the phrase “dump your dud patients” suggests that there is something wrong with them. But that's not necessarily the case. Well, in some cases you may have a real nut job on your hands, but most of the time, they're just not right for you. Patients who are not ideal for you could be ideal for someone else. Keep in mind that you don't need to create conflict and fire patients. You just need to help them find a better fit. You can be tactful, diplomatic, and loving. You can even attempt, when appropriate, to refer them to a colleague who might be a better fit. Whenever possible, keep it simple. Try “I'm not the best person to serve you.” Or “I don't think we'd be a good fit.”
Are you always going to get a positive response when dumping your dud patients? Maybe not. If the first thing that comes to mind is “I don't want anyone out there thinking badly of me” we're with you. We love helping people, and we want people to think well of us. But living life fully can require difficult conversations and you can't please everyone. To even try is an exercise in futility, as the following Aesop fable demonstrates.
The Old Man, the Little Boy, and the Donkey
An old man, a little boy, and a donkey were going to town. The little boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked beside him. As they went along, they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking, and the little boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.
Later, they passed some people who remarked, “What a shame! He makes that little boy walk.” They then decided they both would walk.
Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey. Later, they passed some people who shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The boy and man said they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal. He fell into the river and drowned.
The moral of the story? If you try to please everyone, you might as well kiss your ass goodbye.
When considering whom you want to work with, look for qualities in a person with whom you resonate; don't limit yourself to just thinking about the patients you don't yet have. Your red velvet rope policy is a filtration system that lets in ideal patients. However, you can choose to loosen or tighten the rope at will. We're not (necessarily) asking you to turn away your very first patients. We understand what you're up against. When you start your business, if you feel that you'd like to keep your red velvet rope a little looser so you can work with more patients, go right ahead.
For example, a recent graduate who is just venturing into practice for the first time should have some non-negotiable traits built into their red velvet rope policy, but it could make sense for them to keep their red velvet rope closer to the ground so they can build a patient base and, critically, generate the revenue necessary to ensure profitability for the practice.
Just make sure you know what is ideal and what isn't ideal about the people you're letting into the VIP room. As you become booked solid, you'll tighten your red velvet rope and become even more exclusive so as to work only with those who energize and inspire you—and most important—enable you to do your best work.
1.1.2 Written Exercise: Now take a good, hard look at your current patients. Be absolutely honest with yourself. Who among your current patients fits the profile you've just created of people who should not have gotten past the red velvet rope that protects you and your business?
1.1.3 Booked Solid Action Step: Dump the dud patients you've just listed in the preceding exercise. It may be just one patient, or you may need another two pages to write them all down. Is your heart pounding? Is your stomach churning at just the thought? Have you broken out in a cold sweat? Or are you jumping up and down with excitement now that you've been given permission to dump your duds? Maybe you're experiencing both sensations at the same time; that's totally normal. Do it and you'll feel better.
Taking a Booked Solid action step is a bold action and requires courage. And courage is not about being fearless—it's about owning your fear and using it to move you forward, to give you strength. There is no more rewarding feeling than the pride you'll feel once you've moved past the fear to do what you set out to do. Maybe you'll find it easier to take it one step at a time. Start by dismissing just one of those dud patients. The feeling of empowerment you'll have once you've done it will motivate you to continue pruning your list of patients until the duds have all been removed.
What to Do When You Don't (Yet) Have Patients
But, Michael, what if I just started my business and don't yet have patients, let alone dud patients? Ah, yes, excellent point. Consider yourself lucky. You'll never have to worry about dud patients because you'll put your red velvet rope policy in place on day one.
In just a moment, you'll begin to create your red velvet rope policy. If you're starting a new business, and don't yet have many, or any, patients to speak of at this point, as you're working through the exercises, think about current or former coworkers, friends, or even service providers whom you've hired in the past. To create your future red velvet rope policy, you'll be able to draw on your past experiences—who inspired you and who made you want to do them bodily harm. Refrain. Rewind. Remember: love and kindness. Love and kindness.
Pruning Your Patient List
If you're struggling with the idea of pruning your patient list, keep in mind that it's for your patient's benefit as much as it is for yours. If you're feeling empty and drained, or frustrated and dreading the interaction with the patient, you're giving that patient far less than your best, and it's both of you who are suffering for it. You owe it to these patients to refer them to someone who can, and will, do their best work with them. If you are working with people with whom you do not do your best work, you are out of integrity. And as we discussed, you are your patients. When your patients go out into the world and speak of you to others, they are representing you.
With whom do you want to be associated—the duds or the ideal patients? It's also the ideal patients, those who are wildly happy with you and your services, who are most likely to go out and talk about you to others, to refer other patients like themselves, more ideal patients. The fewer duds you allow to hang around, the more ideal patients you have room for, the more referrals you'll get, and so on.
Patients are like family, so we know this can be hard and can cause a period of intense and painful negative energy worrying about those challenging patient relationships. It's exhausting and takes away from providing the best chiropractic care for your patients. It is impossible to be your most effective, most attentive, and most precise self when working with less-than-ideal patients.
Christine admits that she has been a less-than-ideal patient herself. For a variety of reasons, she and her acupuncturist (let's call him Mark) were not a good fit for each other. One reason was that every so often Christine would have a last-minute travel obligation requiring her to reschedule her acupuncture appointment with just a few days' notice. It turns out that Mark really didn't like that. He knew Christine wasn't his ideal patient, but rather than tell her so, Mark continued to work with Christine while getting more and more annoyed until he became so upset that he blew up, sending Christine a hostile email. More than likely, Mark didn't feel comfortable dumping his dud patients, or the idea had never even crossed his mind. Had Mark not allowed the situation to deteriorate and end on such a bad note, Christine might have been able to refer other patients to him who would have been ideal for him. This acupuncturist's inability to take the Booked Solid action step of letting his less-than-ideal patients go respectfully left both him and Christine dissatisfied with the situation, jeopardizing her reputation in the process.
This is what can happen when you work with patients who are not ideal for you. At some point, you're going to create a conflict, whether intentionally or not, because you're going to be frustrated with those patients. Those patients will think you're not providing them with good service, or even worse, good care, and they'll be right. It doesn't serve you or the patient when you stay in a less-than-ideal situation. Please don't make the same mistake my landscaper did. If you do, you'll have former patients going out into the world telling anyone who will listen that you're the worst person to work with.
Creating Your Red Velvet Rope Policy
The benefits of working with ideal patients are many and meaningful:
You'll get to do your best work.
You'll feel invigorated and inspired.
You'll connect with patients on a deeper level.
You'll feel successful and confident.
You'll know your work matters and is changing lives.
You'll feel fully self-expressed.
My ideal patients have these qualities:
Bright (quick thinkers)
Resilient (don't give up when it really matters)
Punctual (value their time as well as mine)
Open-minded (to alternative health care)
Reliable (make and keep appointments)
Committed (to themselves and their care)
Positive (naturally optimistic)
Your list might look completely different.
Take heed: how much money a patient has or doesn't have is not what this is about. Your red velvet rope policy considers what kind of person you're dealing with, not how much this person has or doesn't have. People with fat wallets are often the primary consideration for many chiropractors who wind up working with patients who are less than ideal. Notice that my list considers the qualities of my ideal patients first—who they are rather than what they have or the circumstances they're in.
1.1.4 Written Exercise: Define your ideal patient. What type of people do you love being around? What do they like to do? What do they talk about? With whom do they associate? What ethical standards do they follow? How do they learn? How do they contribute to society? Are they smiling, outgoing, or creative? What kind of environment do you want to create in your life? And who will get past the red velvet rope policy that protects you? List the qualities, values, or personal characteristics you'd like your ideal patients to possess.
1.1.5 Written Exercise: Now let's look at your current patient base. Whom do you love interacting with the most? Whom do you look forward to seeing? Who are the patients who don't feel like work to you? Who is it you sometimes just can't believe you get paid to work with? Write down the names of patients or people you've worked with whom you love to be around.
1.1.6 Written Exercise: Get a clear picture of these people in your head. Write down the top five reasons that you love working with them. What about working with them turns you on?
1.1.7 Written Exercise: Now go deeper. If you were working only with ideal patients, what qualities would they absolutely need to possess for you to do your best work with them? Be honest and don't worry about excluding people. Be selfish. Think about yourself. For this exercise, assume you will work only with the best of the best. Be brave and bold and write without thinking or filtering your thoughts.
How different were the last two lists? You may have nailed it the first time. Maybe you're right on track, or maybe you have some perfect patient opportunities to uncover.
By knowing who your ideal patients are and selecting only those who have at least 75% of the qualities you identified, you will have more fun, accomplish greater results, and experience incredible joy and fulfillment in your business.
This is beneficial because you'll be able to identify other ideal patients you'd love to work with. People enjoy knowing how important they are to you, and if they know you do your best work with, and for, people like them, they are much more inclined to work with you. It raises the stakes for them.
Look at these requirements and think about how you can start to turn them into filters. As for me, I'm like a giant generator—the more gas (meaning projects or patients) I take in, the more power I create. But the wrong kind of fuel causes me to sputter and conk out. Think about a hot sports car running on diesel fuel—not pretty. Neither is this roadster when he gets the wrong kind of energy. Every engine needs a filtration system to keep the system running smoothly and cleanly, just as you need a red velvet rope policy that will filter out the imperfections.
Christine's patient filters include these considerations:
She feels more energized and excited after working with her patients.
Her patients seek her feedback and recommendations, and better yet, they take action when they get it.
Her patients have faith in the process that leaves some people bewildered and astonished.
Her patients are not victims. They hold themselves accountable on their journey to improve their health.
Her patients make their care a priority and are committed to showing up for their appointments.
Her patients love the office environment and get along well with her team.
Her patients are naturally optimistic and do not complain (much).
1.1.8 Written Exercise: What filters do you want to run your perfect patients through?
Ideal Patients, the Duds, and Everyone Else
As you eliminate the duds, you'll open up room for ideal patients. As you use the Book Yourself Solid system to attract more and more ideal patients, you'll discover that you're happier, more vibrant, more energetic, and more productive. You'll be on fire. You'll be giving your patients the best of yourself and your services, and you'll love every minute of it.
1.1.9 Written Exercise: Draw a simple table with three columns. Label the first column “Ideal Patients,” the second “Duds,” and the third “Everyone Else.” Now divide your patients into these three groups. Don't hold back or leave anyone out.
As if that weren't enough, you may begin to notice that many of your mid-range patients, those who made neither the ideal patient nor the dud list, are undergoing a transformation. Why? While you were working with dud patients, you weren't performing at your best. If you think that wasn't affecting your other patients, think again. The renewed energy and the more positive environment you'll create as a result of letting go of the duds will most likely rejuvenate the relationships between you and some of your mid-range patients, turning many of them into ideal patients.
1.1.10 Written Exercise: Brainstorm your own ideas for reigniting these mid-range patients. Contemplate the ways in which you may, even inadvertently, have contributed to some of your patients being less than ideal patients. Are there ways in which you can light a new fire or elicit greater passion for the work you do together? Do you need to set and manage expectations more clearly right from the beginning? Can you enrich the dynamics between you by challenging or inspiring your patients in new ways? Go ahead—turn off your left brain logical mind for a moment and let your right brain creativity go wild.
Carefully observe the ways in which your relationships with your patients begin to shift as you embrace the Book Yourself Solid way. Some of your mid-range patients may fall away. Others may step up their game and slide into the ideal patient category.
When you're fully self-expressed, fully demonstrating your values and your views, you'll naturally attract and draw to yourself those you're best suited to work with, and you'll push away those you're not meant to work with.
