Building a successful practice is about creating and nurturing relationships with your patients. Eighty percent of your success depends on knowing how to deal with people; only 20 percent is attributable to clinical knowledge.

You are not only a doctor, but also a business owner and entrepreneur. People will choose and continue to do business with you only if they feel valued and appreciated. The need for recognition and appreciation is a basic human emotional need -- understanding this need can be the secret to practice success.

No business can stay open without a steady stream of new and returning customers. What separates you from every other chiropractor in town? Here’s a hint: It’s not your technique or fancy yellow page ads, but your skills at developing a human connection with potential and current patients.

How does a new doctor on a shoestring budget develop this connection? Two words: Thank you. More specifically, handwritten thank-you notes or cards.

Before you dismiss this as a bunch of fluff, think back to the few times you received a handwritten thank-you card or note. Didn’t it make you feel good? Didn’t it make you feel that the person really cared? Didn’t it make you feel good about the person who sent the note? Wasn’t it something special, a bright spot in your day? That’s exactly why they work so well. And the more you use them, the more referrals you will generate.

Remember why people recommend doctors:

• The law of reciprocity. If you do a good deed for someone, they are more likely to give you something in return. One of the things they give is referrals.

• The law of affinity. If people feel that you like them, they will often go out of their way to help you. When someone appreciates them they are likely to talk about it.

• It makes them feel good. People make a contribution when they refer business. When they do a good deed, they feel good about themselves.

Because of these three factors, thank-you notes are the ideal marketing tool and referral generator. They increase the level of enthusiasm, conviction, and delight in your patients. Appeal to a person’s emotions in order to persuade. If you don’t arouse emotions, you will have great difficulty influencing people.

A daily ritual

Saying thank you can help you develop a word-of-mouth business. The key, however, is consistency. You have to make it a daily ritual, putting it in the top five on your daily to-do list and monthly marketing calendar. It’s that important.

How to do it right
Do not use preprinted thank you notes with the standard “Thank you for choosing our office” tag line and blank space for the patient’s name. This shows no originality or personalization. Follow these suggestions instead.

• Handwrite the entire note or card;
• Use notes or cards with “Thank You” on the front and blank inside;
• Include two business cards with every note;
• Make your message sincere with genuine gratitude;
• Send notes as soon as possible. Don’t wait more than a few days;
• Challenge your staff to do the same. Get your staff their own business cards (with their name and title on it) and have them send out five notes per day. If a new patient comes in because of that card, give the staff member an incentive bonus of $25;
• Make the note about your patient, not you. The thanks can be for anything;
• Carry notes with you to leave on the spur of the moment.

Send the thank-you notes to everyone. There are no wrong times or wrong reasons to send a note. Here are some ideas of thank-you occasions. Have fun and try to think of new ones.

• New patients;
• Returning patients;
• Patients who refer;
• Patients who complete their care plans;
• Networking event attendees;
• Screening event attendees;
• Patients who send gifts to your office;
• Healthcare class attendees; and
• Anyone who performs professional services for you (postal carrier, hairdresser, dentist, cleaners, restaurant server, for example.)

You have an unlimited number of methods and variations to market your practice. Instead of searching for the ultimate marketing technique (a “magic bullet”), start implementing the simplest techniques and then expand to more sophisticated ones. You will find writing thank-you notes and cards will be one of the best.

Perry Nickelston, DC, is a 1997 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic and a master fitness trainer with over 20 years experience in the health industry. He practices in Ramsey, New Jersey, and can be reached for further information via his Web site at www.painlasercenter.com or 973-800-6570.

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