OBSERVATIONS ‘06

Q&A OF BLUNDERS, CAUTIONS AND STRATEGEMS IMPACTING THE PRACTICE SALE THROUGHOUT 2006 (PART III)

by Sam Reader

Compliments of S.G. Reader & Associates, Inc.

 

Q:  Do I have what it takes to succeed with a startup practice?

 

A:  Two years prior to entering chiropractic school, Doctor A made the wise decision to contact a chiropractic consultant.  He asked him if choosing this as a career was a good idea and did he have what it took to be successful.  The consultant did not candy coat the opportunity, but did not want to put this young man in a jeopardizing situation – much like a “lamb going to the slaughter.”

 

The consultant proceeded to ask this innocent optimist if he could visualize himself in a large retail store doing spinal screenings and/or doing lectures in front of groups of interested, as well as skeptical, audiences.  The young soon-to-be chiropractic student was eager to reply that he had no fear and that he was a people person.

 

The consultant continued by asking if this young man had any practical experience in sales.  The young man replied in the affirmative – with confidence he told the consultant he could sell “ice to an Eskimo.”  The consultant replied by saying to the young optimist that selling chiropractic, in most cases, was far more challenging than selling “ice to an Eskimo.”

 

Some six plus years passed with no contact between the young man and the consultant.  To the consultant’s surprise, he received a call from a bit more weathered, less optimistic young doctor.  The doctor proceeded to share with this consultant that

 

 

 

 

 

trying to build his chiropractic office was far more challenging than he had ever imagined.  The consultant reminded the young doctor of their previous conversations and his statement that he was a “people person” and could sell “ice to an Eskimo.”

 

The consultant proceeded to share with this concerned young doctor that chiropractic was a far more challenging sale than “selling ice to an Eskimo” because from the mind of most potential patients, chiropractic would be considered a belief purchase, whereas an Eskimo purchasing ice had something tangible they could actually see, handle, and store away.  In fact, the purchaser of the ice could occasionally check in on his/her investment and see and feel that it was still there.

 

The confused and anxious doctor challenged the consultant that a patient relieved from pain has experienced and felt something tangible, and therefore must qualify or be measured as a tangible purchase as opposed to a belief purchase.  The consultant agreed in theory; however, he reminded this desperate entrepreneur that if his goal was to build a wellness clinic – something beyond pain – most patients would be making a belief purchase.  The consultant also reminded the young doctor that it really doesn’t matter how we in the industry want to paint the picture of what the purchase should be, but rather how we assess and complement how the customer perceives  the purchase.

 

If the customer wants to perceive that this purchase is based upon a belief that it will work, then so be it!  If it’s true that the “customer is always right”, then it’s usually not a good business practice to tell him/her otherwise!

 

The consultant shared an example of how deep and broad this belief concept was with his young doctor’s potential patient customer base.  The example was simple:

A patient will always say “they go to a dentist, but they believe in chiropractic.”  They will never say, “I go to a chiropractor, but believe in dentistry.”  Again, the consultant reminded the young doctor that there is no sale more difficult than that of chiropractic – simply because he is selling an intangible product, unlike a house, auto, furniture, clothing, or ice cubes.

 

He also shared with the young doctor that those doctors who tend to do well in this type of business are those who favor the right brain.  In other words, those who are naturally expressive and personable vs. those who favor the left brain – those who are naturally gifted in math and science, strong academically; hence, a strong left brain doctor may find it extremely difficult to sell an intangible product, much less sell anything that is not black, white, and tangible.

 

Although a left-brain doctor may not be naturally wired or gifted for this type of work, he certainly has every right to succeed as his right-brain contemporary, who (probably) worked harder than most to succeed academically.

 

The young doctor conceded that he may have been overly optimistic in those early years about his natural tendencies or abilities.  He was determined, however, to overcome any weaknesses blocking his opportunity to succeed.

Epilogue:

Some 15 years have passed.  The journey was not easy; however, today he is considered one of the most successful chiropractors in the East by his peers and absolutely adored by his patients.

 

His simple advice to any person thinking about starting a clinic from scratch, or even thinking of entering the profession, is “Do not enter blindly.  Know the animal.  Be in tune with your inherent abilities.  Quickly identify weaknesses and move like a storm to change them.”

 

Be Smart.   Be Strong.   Be Helpful.   Enjoy!