Saturday, December 20, 2008

Beware of Chiropractic Coaching Fraud

By Matthew Loop, DC

Within the last two years I've been a speaker at countless chiropractic seminars and homecomings, and I hear countless horror stories of recent grads and experienced doctors who have been victims of bad chiropractic coaching and useless management consulting. If something sounds like it's really too good to be true, then we have to trust our instincts on these things. When a DC joins one of these useless companies for fear of failure, it can have some serious consequences. There are some real "piranhas" out there that feed on desperate chiropractors, and it's time someone put a stop to it.

This isn't just to warn good chiropractors, it's to warn the consulting groups as well. If you don't have something worth consulting about, get out of the business because you're taking money from innocent people. For all of you that charge too much and just are out there to support your own interests. take a hike. You know why these consulting groups aren't worth their weight in salt? They still use ancient marketing tactics that didn't even work when they were used in the 1970's, that's why. The world of marketing is constantly changing, and if you're working with a consultant that doesn't care enough for you to be up-to-the-minute in their practice, then they're just no good.

So ask yourself: what isn't working for your chiropractic practice right now? You can't blame it on the economy because there are a lot of chiropractic practices that happen to be thriving right now. No doubt, you'll find that marketing and new-patient acquisition are areas you want to improve. This is common. Your first plan of attack should be to get new patients through free marketing strategies, not paying through the nose for a consultant that won't do anything anyhow. Don't let anyone lie to you; the best advertising today is absolutely free. When you take advantage of putting videos up on YouTube and dominate search engines, your whole chiropractic practice will transform. Sites like MySpace, YouTube and Facebook have enormous potential for branding yourself and exploding your business in your immediate area.

In times of economic uncertainty, more innovative and strategic methods like the ones mentioned above are needed to make your office recession-proof. However, there isn't a single chiropractic consultant that teaches these tactics, though. Reason being, most have not been adaptable and are still stuck in the past. A word of advice, if you encounter a chiropractic coaching firm that claims to know it all and does not have to learn more, stay away!

Here are a few tips to consider when choosing a practice management company. Make sure they have real-life testimonials from previous clients. Secondly, see if they specialize in what you are looking for. You don't want a "jack of all trades, master of none" chiropractic coaching group. If you want to market your practice via the internet, don't choose someone that focuses on screenings are dinner-talks. Lastly, make sure they are adaptable and staying abreast of new trends in the internet and the world. Not only that, be clear that they have an exact, proven strategy to implement them within your practice.

Here are a few places you can go to today to begin to advertise for FREE on the internet. Go to YouTube.com, Myspace.com, Wordpress.com, Sphinn.com, EzineArticles.com, and Twitter.com. Trust me; you're going to be really happy that you did.

There are so many websites with just as much potential, but these are the best to start with. These sites are totally free, and the marketing power is the strongest in the world today. Within no time, you're going to have countless new patients walking through your door. Not only that, you'll have the opportunity to create multiple streaming income from other sources, only adding to the power of your business.

I'm not saying that every chiropractic consultant is a complete fraud. There are some who deserve their respect and their techniques are proven. When you want to find one that's truly worth their weight in salt, ask your colleagues for recommendations. That way you know you're getting someone who is the real deal. However, make sure they're experienced in today's new and thriving market; otherwise, they're a waste of time and money. - 16463

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