How to Bring More Moms to be into your Practice (Part 2 of 4)

So let's talk about some of the things I have coached doctors on over the years so you too can build the practice of your dreams.  With these tools and the right "why" you will be well on your way.   Let's get started....

Who you need to develop relationships with in your community.

It’s one thing to target our marketing towards pregnant women, but it’s quite another to market to the people who also market to pregnant women.  It’s so much more effective to do this.  Let me explain what I mean….

You can talk to moms to be and other practice members about pregnancy care and ask for referrals and that works really well.  Hopefully, you have good experience with asking for referrals from your own practice members.  If not, you better get moving.  It is by far the fastest, easiest and most cost effective way to get new practice members into your office. 

Simply identify the people who you like the most (the ones who keep appointments, pay for their care and just down right love you)  You ask these people because you want more people like them.  You don’t want the hemorrhoids of your practice referring more people like themselves right? 

Once you’ve identified the favorites, mention to them “Hey Bill, did you know that chiropractic care is an essential ingredient for a healthier pregnancy?”  Gee Dr. Karen I did not know that.  So Bill, who do you know that is pregnant that you wish was getting adjusted?  Nobody or my niece.  Great, here’s a gift certificate for your niece to get a chiropractic check up to make sure her and her baby are at their optimum best.  It expires in 2 weeks so don’t forget to give this to her.  This works great!!!! 

But what happens when you ask people for referrals who see & care for dozens of pregnant women each and every day?   You're practice can explode right?  If these people understand chiropractic and WHY (again, the why is very important)  they should refer to you, imagine the impact on your practice?  The midwives & doulas I work with send me 5-6 new patients every week!  Could we do that w/o their referrals, maybe?  But honestly, I don’t want to work that hard.  So in essence, these other professionals build my practice for me.  I do not pay advertise my chiropractic office yet I consistently get 5-6 NPMs every week.  I’d like to share with you how I do that. 

For the past 23 years I have had the honor and privilege to work very closely with 3-4 midwives and several doulas in my community.  In fact, for about 6 years, I saw women in a local birth center every week. They have referred literally hundreds of pregnant women for chiropractic care in my office.  The midwife who owns the birth center begged me to see patients there. So I did. Pretty cool, huh? 

So it’s vital to develop relationships with other professionals who will build your practice for you.  Got it?  Good.  Don’t worry, I’ll explain how I did it in another post, OK?

If you can't wait until then...just schedule a strategy session with me (100% FREE) and we can jump start your progress right now.

How to Bring More Moms to be into your Practice (Part 1 of 4)

How To Bring More Moms-To-Be Into Your Practice  

Since I started the Premier Pregnancy Practice, I get emails, phone calls, and instant messages from doctors all over the planet asking about how to get more moms in the office.  Let's take a look at this.  

I’d like to remind you that I am so happy & honored to share with you some key points in pregnancy care and how to build a pregnancy care practice. 

Like you, I am always striving to improve and upgrade myself and my practice so I study a lot.  Lately I have been studying the art of marketing and promoting business.  Yes, we are business men and women…we also happen to be doctors of chiropractic, but really we are in business. 

So , it's really important to learn about promoting a business. Ready? 

Let's look at some basics:

1. Finding your why.
2. With whom you need to develop relationships in your community.
3. Reputation. 
4. Press releases.

Finding your why

When I talk to members of of the Premier Pregnancy Practice, I always get the same questions from them.  Karen, how do I get more moms to be in my office?  How do I start a relationship with the midwives in my town?  Who should I ask for referrals?  My first question I ask is WHY do you want to serve more moms to be?  No matter what your goal, be it personal or professional, unless you can answer the "why", chances are you will have TOUGH TIME reaching your goals.

Let's start with identifying your why.

Just returning to practice after being out for 5 years while raising kids.  She was back in the office and requested my help to help her get started again.  Lucy didn't have a why when I first asked her.  When I asked her why she wanted to see the # of visits she chose, her answer was because that’s how many she thinks she can comfortably see during the hours that she works.  Now, please don’t misunderstand, I am not trying to make her wrong in any way I’m just trying to demonstrate why the WHY is so vitally important.  Then after 2 months of soul searching, she told me she found her why…she discovered she'd like to go on a vacation.

Ethel on the other hand, was rock bottom.  She was either going to make it or quit.  She HAD to be profitable or else.  Things got so bad for her, she had to borrow over $20,000 last year from her mom just to keep her practice afloat.  Then her dad just died.  When I asked her to tell me her why she shared she wanted to pay back her mom all of the money she has borrowed over the years and then take her on the vacation of her dreams. 

Who do you think doubled her practice this year? Who do you think was able to build a pregnancy niche in her community?

Now they both received the same instruction, coaching and materials from me, but only one was extremely pro-active AND successful because she has a strong enough "why".  Make sense?  She wanted to win when the other doc was just trying not to lose.  There is a difference. 

What's YOUR why? Is it to win big or just not to lose? Do you need help with finding your why? Let's chat and figure that out together. Schedule a free strategy session. .

Top 5 Reasons (Part 5) you aren't building your pregnancy practice (part 5 of 5)

Since creating the Premier Pregnancy Practice™

in early 2018, I have spoken to hundreds of chiropractors world wide and I've learned a lot about pregnancy practices all over the planet.

Here's what I discovered so far. Almost ALL of the doctors struggling in their pregnancy practices are struggling for the SAME five reasons and ALL of these reasons are a bunch of hooey!

The first "reason" is that many doctors believe that the midwives in their town ALREADY have a pregnancy care chiropractor to refer patients.

The Second "reason" I hear a lot is .... "I don't know any midwives"

The Third "reason" I will discuss is.... OB's don't refer to chiropractors

The Fourth "reason" is .....I don't have to do much because I'm certified in this or that and I'm on a list...."

The Fifth "reason" is There are already so many pregnancy chiropractors in my town.

Here's why THAT "reason"is a bunch of hooey

• So what? Have you ever been to a medical building next to the hospital that's 5 floors high with 60 doctor's office on each floor?
• Talk about saturation....yet, the dermatologist (one of 112) that you are going to see to have that wart frozen off your son's hand, is in there and you found her (and not the other one's) because your neighbor thought she was great and highly recommended her. Get it?
• Learn how to be that doctor that EVERYONE in your town knows and refers to.
• Re-read the last 4 emails in this series for a refresher on how to do that.
• ask for help if you need it.
• Be THE pregnancy chiropractor in your town....not just another one.

See? A bunch of HOOEY!

Have a great day!

Want more help? Let's chat. Set up a free strategy session (in your time zone) here.

Top 5 Reasons (Part 2) you aren't building your pregnancy practice

Since creating the Premier Pregnancy Practice™

in early 2018, I have spoken to hundreds of chiropractors world wide and I've learned a lot about pregnancy practices all over the planet.

Here's what I discovered so far. Almost ALL of the doctors struggling in their pregnancy practices are struggling for the SAME five reasons and ALL of these reasons are a bunch of hooey!

The first "reason" is that many doctors believe that the midwives in their town ALREADY have a pregnancy care chiropractor to refer patients.

The Second "reason" I hear a lot is .... "I don't know any midwives"

Here's why THAT "reason"is a bunch of hooey

• Who do you know that DOES know a midwife?
• Again, what about OTHER practitioners?
• Doulas
• Massage Therapists
• OB/GYNs
• Lactation consultants
• Childbirth educators
• Yoga instructors
• Pelvic Floor therapists
• yada yada yada - you get the idea.
• What about specialty stores (maternity stores for example) that cater to pregnant women?
• Don't forget classes and workshops. Go to them or, better yet, host them in your office.
• There are LOADS of other people you can connect with who aren't midwives - think outside the box.

See? A bunch of HOOEY!

Have a great day!

Want more help? Let's chat. Set up a free strategy session (in your time zone) here.

Top 5 Reasons (Part 4) you aren't building your pregnancy practice

Since creating the Premier Pregnancy Practice™

in early 2018, I have spoken to hundreds of chiropractors world wide and I've learned a lot about pregnancy practices all over the planet.

Here's what I discovered so far. Almost ALL of the doctors struggling in their pregnancy practices are struggling for the SAME five reasons and ALL of these reasons are a bunch of hooey!

The first "reason" is that many doctors believe that the midwives in their town ALREADY have a pregnancy care chiropractor to refer patients.

The Second "reason" I hear a lot is .... "I don't know any midwives"

The Third "reason" I will discuss is.... OB's don't refer to chiropractors

The Fourth "reason" is .....I don't have to do much because I'm certified in this or that and I'm on a list...."

Here's why THAT "reason"is a bunch of hooey

• Many certifications don't mean a lot to pregnant women or their caregivers. THEY are not educated as to what that means. So, it does nothing for your practice.
• I hear from docs all of the time that they thought they'd get A or B from certification, but left the seminars they attended with nothing to show for it - no real changes in strategy or clinical skill and surely no more confidence than before.
• I know that's not true for everyone. No commentary necessary
• I also know that is IS true for a lot of the doctors I spoke to.
• Having a certification is great. Don't get me wrong. It just doesn't help you when you are on a list with dozens of other doctors in your town who are also certified.
• Being one of many, does not grow your practice
• Having clinical excellence, experience, and confidence will make you stand out - whether or not you're certified in a technique.

See? A bunch of HOOEY!

Have a great day!

Want more help? Let's chat. Set up a free strategy session (in your time zone) here.

Top 5 Reasons (Part 3) you aren't building your pregnancy practice (part 3 of 5)

Since creating the Premier Pregnancy Practice™

in early 2018, I have spoken to hundreds of chiropractors world wide and I've learned a lot about pregnancy practices all over the planet.

Here's what I discovered so far. Almost ALL of the doctors struggling in their pregnancy practices are struggling for the SAME five reasons and ALL of these reasons are a bunch of hooey!

The first "reason" is that many doctors believe that the midwives in their town ALREADY have a pregnancy care chiropractor to refer patients.

The Second "reason" I hear a lot is .... "I don't know any midwives"

The Third "reason" I will discuss is.... OB's don't refer to chiropractors

Here's why THAT "reason"is a bunch of hooey

• Some OB's do not refer to chiropractors, but to say that ALL do not is simply not true.
• Ask the doulas and midwives in your town, which OBs do they enjoy working with.
• Chances are good that if the OB works well with midwives and doulas, then they are more likely to be open to working with DCs as well. You've got nothing to lose, so ask.
• Why do you think they don't refer? What blocks need clearing up? Do they really know what you do? Can you teach them?
• Again, what about OTHER practitioners?
• Doulas
• Midwives
• Massage Therapists
• OB/GYNs
• Lactation consultants
• Childbirth educators
• Yoga instructors
• Pelvic Floor therapists
• yada yada yada - you get the idea.

See? A bunch of HOOEY!

Have a great day!

Want more help? Let's chat. Set up a free strategy session (in your time zone) here.

Top 5 Reasons (Part 1) you aren't building your pregnancy practice

Since creating the Premier Pregnancy Practice™

in early 2018, I have spoken to hundreds & hundreds of chiropractors world wide and I've learned a lot about pregnancy practices all over the planet.

Here's what I discovered so far. Almost ALL of the doctors struggling in their pregnancy practices are struggling for the SAME five reasons and ALL of these reasons are a bunch of hooey!

Let me explain...

Every single doctor I spoke with this year complained about one of five different things in their way and couldn't see their way past that "thing". It's not their fault, no one ever showed them, but once I put on my captain obvious hat and pointed out the hooey...MAN, were they angry.

In no particular order, I'm going to point out the hooey AND I'm going to share with you how to delete that stinkin' thinkin' to help you to build, grow, and perfect your Premier Pregnancy Practice. No sales pitch. No strings attached. Just good old fashioned information to help you.

The first "reason" (I put "reason" in quotes because it's really not a reason at all. It's an illusion and needs to go.) is that many doctors believe that the midwives in their town ALREADY have a pregnancy care chiropractor to refer patients.

Here's why THAT "reason"is a bunch of hooey

• Do ALL midwives ALL have one single doctor they will refer to? REALLY?
• If yes (and it's never completely a yes) what about OTHER practitioners?
• Doulas
• Massage Therapists
• OB/GYNs
• Lactation consultants
• Childbirth educators
• Yoga instructors
• yada yada yada - you get the idea.
• What about getting to know the other pregnancy chiropractors in your town and be the overflow doctor? I have a waiting list 6 weeks long. If I have a patient that won't/can't wait to be seen by me, I refer to a nearby doctor that I KNOW can handle her. Capice?
• Additionally, many chiropractors don't want to care for pregnant patients, offer your assistance here, too. Offer to manage another chiropractor's pregnant patient and dismiss their case once their postpartum care has ended.

See? A bunch of HOOEY!

Have a great day!

Want more help? Let's chat. Set up a free strategy session (in your time zone) here.

Building a Pregnancy Niche (Part 4 of 4)

Building a Pregnancy Niche

Free Strategy Session

Part 4 of 4

Testimonials

Have you ever watched an infomercial?  These mini-programs are pure marketing genius. Here's what I mean:

• They ALL list benefits of the product. Sure they mention what this "thing" does, BUT they also tell you WHY & HOW this "thing" will improve your life.
• They ALL include testimonials from real people - the host of the "show" talks bout benefits and feature and then, satisfied customers relate their own personal experience how how the "thing" benefited their lives. 

Infomercials are all EXACTLY the same for a reason.  Because they work.  Millions of dollars have been spent by these companies in market research.  Use their tools to work for you. 

I was watching about a cordless sweeper on day.  Of course they demonstrated it’s effectiveness on pet hair and paper clips.  But that’s not a benefit is it?  It’s supposed to suck things off of the floor. 

The benefit portion of the infomercial came when the old lady with crippling rheumatoid arthritis was able to maneuver this sweeper under chairs without moving them.  

When the toddler disassembled the handle to make it a hand held version of the same sweeper for the stairs, we got the idea that it was easy to use.

The mother or 4 was using it with one hand, while holding an infant in the other arm and talking on the phone.  She said, it’s so quite and easy to use…I love it!

You see these marketing geniuses are not telling you of the benefits of their own product.  Real, satisfied customers are telling you.  Of course the company paying for the ad will say it’s a great product…they want to sell it to you.  But when an unbiased 3^rd party shares their views and comments, it is now more believable.  Get it?  

In your practice, your patient or an OB or Midwife might not necessarily take your word for it when you say you are very experienced with the special concerns of pregnant women…. but they will believe the women who have given you testimonials of their experiences in your office. 

If you need help in asking for testimonials and using them to showcase your pregnancy practice, let's chat. Book your free strategy session and figure this out! 

You have to be THE solution!

Doctors ask me all of the time when attempting to build a pregnancy practice, "Where do I start?" You start with OWNING the most common complaints that would bring a pregnant woman to your office. THAT's where you start.

This four minute video will tell you how. 

Want to build, grow and perfect your Pregnancy Practice? Let's get on a call to discuss your strategy. The first call is on me! Schedule now

Building a Pregnancy Niche (Part 3 of 4)

Building a Pregnancy Niche

Free Strategy Session

Part 3 of 4

Cross Referral Relationships

Remember it is far better to market to people who ALSO market to pregnant women, than to simply market to the moms-to-be only.  You can reach MANY, MANY more expectant women this way and build your practice exponentially. 

Who should you target (for lack of a better word.)

• Midwives in my area the midwives are generally very pro-chiropractic and very natural.  There are medical midwives out there who tend to shy away from the natural approach…so choose who you work with wisely.   Midwives are present for the entire active labor, delivery and immediate postpartum period. 

• Doulas – Remember that there are 2 kinds of doulas.   Birth doulas and postpartum doulas.  Find a doula near you www.dona.org
• The birth doulas helps mom cope with labor and make decisions while she is in labor.  Doulas are great especially when mom is using an OB because the doctor isn’t there until it’s time to push.  The doula can keep mom calm and comfortable and helps with meditation and relaxation, etc. 
•  A postpartum doula helps after the baby is born.  They can live with the family or stay for hours at a time and provide assistance with baby care, mom care and often do cooking and cleaning so mom can recover and care for herself and baby. 
• Childbirth educators – there are many childbirth classes available ALL over the place.  I generally focus on Bradley instructors as they are EXTREMELY pro-chiropractic.  You can locate a Bradley Method instructor in your phone book or online at www.bradleybirth.com .   or call 1-800-4-a-birth you may also look under the heading of The American Academy of Husband based childbirth. 
•  Massage Therapists- there are many M.T.’s out there who claim to specialize in pregnancy and labor massage.  Go out and find them and start cross referring.
•   Ob/Gyns - There are some OB’s out there who are very open to alternatives and some who aren’t.  Keep in mind that all certified nurse midwives must have an MD for a backup in case of emergencies.  These MDs are generally more open because they agree to work with midwives.  For me, the MD’s that worked with “my” midwives were extremely receptive and curious about us and even sent their wives to get adjusted.  The other thing to remember about MD’s is that they can charge more for a c-section than a vaginal birth.  Some doctors may not care if the baby turns or not based on finances alone.  Midwives, however, typically lose money if there needs to be a c-section because they have to share the insurance payment w/the surgeon. 

This list is by no means inclusive of ALL people with whom to start a cross referral relationship. We talk about this constantly in the Premier Pregnancy Practice. 

Do want to talk about how to start the conversation about a cross referral relationship? Book a free strategy session and let's figure this out!

Building a Pregnancy Niche (part 2 of 4)

Building a Pregnancy Niche

Free Strategy Session

Part 2 of 4

Talk about Benefits NOT Features

First Of All, You Need To Put Together A Brochure Or A Single Page Of  (I like rack cards) Info Of The Service You Offer And Their Benefits.

Let’s say I am a car dealer and I want to sell more cars equipped with On-Star.  I can say “Joe, when you buy this model, you will get On-star at no additional cost.”  Joe may or may not be moved to make that purchase.

What if the car dealer listed the benefits of on-star like this. ….

“Joe, I know you are a father and as a father you must worry about your daughter when she is driving, right?  Well, Joe, this car comes with on-star.  With On-star, you’re daughter will NEVER be alone.  She will on-star if she ever need assistance.  Now, Joe, let’s say you’re daughter is driving through Philadelphia on her way home from college and gets a flat tire in a not so savory neighborhood.  On-star, will not only pin point her location, but will dispatch help immediately so your daughter is not waiting around for the auto club to show up.  Doesn’t that help to put you at ease?   So Joe, these models here are a little more expensive, but they ALL have On-star.  Which car would you like, Joe? “

Do you see how benefits can make a BIG difference?  You must list benefits. 

If you want some help in figuring out how to relate the benefits of chiropractic care in your office to your patients and potential new patients, let's chat about that!

Book your free strategy session and let's get started!

Building a Pregnancy Niche (Part 1 of 4)

Building a Pregnancy Niche
Free Strategy Session

Part 1 of 4

Press Releases & FREE Advertising

Remember newspapers? They seem to be a thing of the past when it comes to a source of news for most people. BUT - press releases can be used in the exact same way they that used to be and forwarded to ONLINE outlets with the same (or better) results. 

If you belong to the Premier Pregnancy Practice  - Elite or the Premier Pregnancy Practice - Practice Building Edition, you already have access to dozens of press releases already written for you - waiting to be customized with your contact information.

Premier Pregnancy Practice

Press Releases for Download

Important things to realize about Press Releases no matter the outlet  

• There is a format to follow - Follow this format. Always. 
• HEADER AT TOP
• 3 ### at the bottom center of the page.  
• THIS IS THE FORMAT that will put you on the top of the pile.

Get FREE Press Release on the Dangers of re-using single use water bottles

•  What do I mean by pile?   
•  Your press release will ONLY be put in the paper (or magazine, or online, or wherever) when there’s physical room for it.  
• These companies sell ADS FIRST.  This is their bread and butter.  
• Once all of the ads are sold and placed, they then fill in the “blanks” with news. 
•  They get their news, from The Associated Press, their reporters, free lance reporters and press releases. 
• The publication will then go through their pile of news and put in timely news first…this includes your press release. 
•  For example: EVERY year after Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France, (before the scandal) we submitted a press release regarding his use of chiropractic care and how that helped achieve excellence....again, this was before the scandal. 
• This was EXTREMELY timely and was ALWAYS published.  It probably wouldn’t have been if we sent it in during the Super Bowl.  Make sense?
• Timely Press Releases with the correct format go to top. 
• What’s timely?
•  Back to school
•  Back pack safety
•  Vaccine laws
• Tiger Woods
• Other relevant info you can turn into a press release.
• Seminar you just took to increase your knowledge in the special care of ….
• Local doctor donates $2000 to homeless shelter (put your info in there about your open house proceeds being donated)
• Silent auction raises $5000 for local family who lost their home to fire. 
• Local Brownie leader (Scout leader) takes her troop to _____________. 
• NEVER advertise you or your service in a press release.  That will get you into a different pile where you will be hounded to place ads in that publication.
• Pictures help to get you noticed… send them in. (E-mail is best for this)
• Get e-mail addresses.  Nowadays, digital stuff is the ONLY format these outlets will accept because it's easier. Make sure you make it easy for them.  It increases your chances of getting picked up.  Make sense?
•  Keep press releases and re-send if they haven’t been picked up.  
• If your press released on Back to School whatever isn’t placed this year, use it for next year.  It’s possible that there just wasn’t room for it so it wasn’t printed. 
• Once you identify yourself as a good source of info….your name alone will get you to the top of the pile. 
• Once at the top of the pile, don’t be surprised if they CALL YOU to ask for story ideas, articles and editorials.  They do it me all of the time. 
•  Also, don’t be surprised when a reporter calls you and wants to do an interview.  They should call you for follow up info.  Your press release is essentially an invitation for them to call you.
• Invite them to your office for the interview…even if your press release is about Girl Scouts. 
• They will take pictures of you IN YOUR OFFICE.  That’s advertising, but it’s the reporter doing it and NOT you, so it will be put in.
• Having a picture of you adjusting would be awesome! 
• When sending out Press releases, don’t forget radio, local cable and TV as well.  
• ONLY send to them if you want to be on the air.  If this thought freaks you out, don’t do it.  But if you want to be seen and heard, then by all means. DO it.
• You can tweak your press release into a new Blog post to reach more people. Do that. Share it on social media - make it public.

4 Step Framework for Becoming THE Pregnancy Chiropractor in your Town.

Sign up for instant access to the 60 minute webinar and audio download as Dr. Karen shares her 4 Step Framework to becoming THE Pregnancy Chiropractor in your town - not just another one.

It's FREE and there's no sales pitch at the end. Just great info!


Gain instant access here. https://coursecraft.net/c/4steps

Are you one of MANY prenatal chiropractors or THE prenatal chiropractor in your town?

Over the past 2 months, I have had about 50 phone calls with doctors who want to be pregnancy care doctors. MANY of them already invested a ton of time and money to become a pregnancy care doctor (even certified in various techniques and programs). Yet, they confessed they are still stuck where they were before they started the whole process.

Here's what I learned from these calls.

• Even though these docs learned some great info, they are stuck in how to leverage this training to actually build their pregnancy practices. They feel like, "Thanks. Now what do I do?"
• Most docs that I spoke to, felt that the programs they took fell short in the area of building a pregnancy practice. There was some info on prenatal care, but nothing on how to share this knowledge and promote themselves as prenatal care docs.
• Many docs shared that the pediatric portion of various programs was stellar, but the prenatal portions left them wanting for more. They left wanting more case management and are looking elsewhere for that information - even after spending LOADS of time and money.
• Many docs paid for programs that didn't give them what they thought they were paying for... which left a bad taste in their mouths. I learned that some programs were just PPT presentations and nothing more.
• New docs coming out of school were very discouraged because they didn't learn what they needed in school in in these other programs. 

Do any of these ring true for you? Are you disappointed in the information (or lack thereof) that you paid for and received in building growing and perfecting your pregnancy practice?  

If any of these sounds familiar, let's strategize and figure out how to enhance and use the information you already have to make you a standout pregnancy care chiropractor in your town.

Learn how to be THE pregnancy chiropractor, not just another one. 

Schedule a call bit.ly/drkarencall I'd be honored to talk with you!

Watch a the FREE replay of the 4 Step Framework to Becoming THE Pregnancy Chiropractor in your town.