I'll even walk their dog, by Dr. Ogi Ressel

Tuesday, January 13th 2009

Warm hellos to everyone!

Ok......This is fantastic!
Oh, the cards and letters and calls! My last THOT pushed lots of buttons!
Fabulous!
I am waking you up from your stupor! Exciting stuff! Yes, you're up on
your feet now and ready to think! Atta boy! You are ready to rock! Simply
breathtaking! Yes, you can do this - think all by yourself and for yourself!
WOW! What a concept! I am referring to the idea I covered last week:
Fear of Change! That THOT struck many of you - wonderful!

Let's rock again: I covered the following idea in a past THOT, but as it is
incredibly important I thought that I'd develop it further:
I've talked about the idea that there is really only one way to have a patient
stay with you under your care AND refer their children to you. And that is
if they want to. Simple.

So....the question of the century is this:

"How can you have a patient WANT what you do?"

How can you have a patient want to be under your care, refer their whole
family and children to you, AND stay under your care and tutelage for a
lifetime of Wellness?
What a brilliant concept!

"Dr. Ogi....Somewhere I think I've heard this idea but it has never applied to me!
I didn't think this was possible!"
Right!

Many of you are totally stymied because you are thinking with your marketing
hat in hand!

Ok.....here is what I am hearing:
"Dr. Ogi,....I know, I know! It's the cookies with each adustment that will do it!"
"I'll have my staff wash their car while they are waiting" - I've mentioned this one before!
"I'll wash their car!"
"It's my glitzy ad in the yellow pages that will do it. You know the one. The one
with the massage therapy, and the rehab, and the stretch-'em table, and the tire
rotation station on the side! That will surely bring 'em in"
"I'll have them bring in their used car as a trade-in! That's a real good one! I
should have thought of this one earlier!"
"I know what! I'll get a real slick website with the scrolling banner and flash that
subluxations kill and maim and destroy! I'll have them make it very real -
I'll have blood dripping from the computer screen when the open up my page -
that will surely convince them!"
"I'll give 'em a discount they just can't refuse - the 80% off special. That'll do it!"
"We'll sell 'em all the vitamins they can swallow! Yes! That will absolutely do it!
"I'll show up at their baseball game - hell, I'll even play!"
"My staff will walk their dog"
"My mother will walk their dog."
"I'll walk their mother!"
"Hell, their mother can walk me!"

Listen....I am certain you can add your own amazingly astute and entertaining
ploy to this glorious list! I already know that some of you will write down
some of these ideas actually try to use them.

You need a life!
None of these are it!

You see, there are hordes of doctors in Chiropractic who have bought the
idea that marketing is the only way of getting new patients. That in order to
have the practice of your dreams you have to sell and stress the hell out
of your staff and yourself and your family and market morning, noon,
and night. That there has to be a better mouse trap out there to capture
these elusive New Patients!
...And this is the main reason why much of Chiropractic marketing wizardry
comes up empty. People are simply not moved by flash and glitz and your
brilliantly executed selling spiel. They are surrounded by it. You are just
another salesman - just another cog in the giant marketing machine of life.

If you understand this - now you're getting somewhere!

 And then there's the Let's-Make-a-Deal bunch - here's where you really shine!
Here is where your integrity is the carpet you walk on! - But that's another
topic I'll cover at a later date!!

 Think about it: there is only one way that a patient will decide to see
you AND decide to stay under your care. And that is if they WANT to do so
of their own free will.

WOW! What a concept!

"I've heard of Free Will, Dr. Ogi. I've read about it somewhere, but not at the
marketing seminar I'm taking."
YES, no pressure, no preaching, no religious hype, no BS, no selling,
no prostituting your integrity and theirs, no slick, and no nonsence!

Listen... you have already figured this out - a patient who is marketed
will generally not stay with you because it was not his idea. No. It was yours!

I've mentioned this concept earlier - patients will only decide to see
you AND ASK you to please check their children, if they see value in
what you do - most often to the point where they have an absolute WANT
what you do. Ergo, you must be able to provide them with something of value.
Massage therapy is not it. Neither is rehab.
Or Vitamins. Or your slicky office. Or your shirt and tie. Or your wobble boards,
Or your traction units, Or, your comatose elevator music, Or your computer
terminals at each table, Or your new patient raffle for that plasma TV,
Or....please fill in your own entertaining ploy.

So.....what will?

What will do it is if you can demonstrate to your new patient how their body is
malfunctioning - doing its own thing - in a way that they have not previously been aware.
AND demonstrate to them how what you do will correct their condition. That is first
and foremost!.

The second is that they see you as absolutey the best doctor they have EVER seen.
Ever!
These two will give you the practice of your dreams! Simple!
This is what I teach.

Warmest wishes,

Dr. Ogi Ressel