Go to a marketing event put on by a local chiropractor — a mall screening, county fair, or Kids Day America (www.childrenswellness.com/kids-day-america-international.html), for example. Your purpose is to find out how doctors use these types of events, how the events are planned and funded, and what benefit they provide, in terms of new patients. Here are some questions to ask:

1. How far in advance was this event planned? How much did it cost to register?

2. How did the doctor determine the value of this event? In other words, why did he or she decide to participate? How does this event fit with the doctor’s USP?

3. How many years has the office been participating?

4. How much time does it take to prepare? How many staff members participate? What is the budget for the event?

Issue 3 > Finding a neighborhood for practice > What is an Independent Contractor? > Get the Facts > Teaming up: A chiropractic alternative > Project No.3 > Understanding the Licensure Process > Download this Issue in pdf format

5. How are new patients solicited during this event? How are potential patient leads followed up — by phone? E-mail? Postal mail?

6. How many new patients does this doctor typically gain from this event? Would he recommend this type of event to gain new patients?

This is just a beginning list of questions. Spend some time observing the event and come to your own conclusions. Do a cost/benefit analysis: Was the amount of time and money expended worth it in terms of gaining new patients? What would you have done differently? What was the most valuable information you gained from this project? This is a great opportunity to study a marketing event in action and find out whether you would want to run this type of event in your practice.

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