This is just sick (pun intended).

Isn’t this telling us something?  I think so. Two things:

1. Americans are sick.
2. Something is not working.

Americans are Sick

I believe the average American adult is ill.  I have a friend who is a medical transcriptionist.  Instead of taking notes by hand, doctors dictate patient notes and she types them up.  She’s “amazed” at how many people are taking 5 of 6 drugs.  Some of them are taking drugs to counteract the side effect of drugs!

In 2007 there were 3.8 BILLION prescriptions filled.  This is 12.6 for every man, woman, and child in the US.  As far as I’m concerned, if you’re taking a drug, you’re still sick.  The illness is there, but even if the symptoms aren’t.

Something is Not Working

Obvious.  If they’re not getting better, of course healthcare isn’t working.

This is why I like acupuncture and Oriental medicine so much.  It works, it works well, and it’s usually a true cure.

This is also why I’m annoyed with the “Obama” healthcare plan - The Healthcare Reform Act.  The whole debate is misleading. It’s not addressing the true problem - “modern” healthcare is behind the times.

What do you think should be in “The Healthcare Reform Act”?  What would you like to see happen in your country?

Obviously… getting some!

I offer business building coaching, but right now I don’t have ANY coaching clients. There’s a good reason why.

Almost without fail, the folks that want coaching aren’t focused on getting patients. If they ask me for coaching, I’m going to ask what they’ve been doing.

If the answer is “nothing”… well, part of the coaching requirements is to take action. Disqualified. I could charge money just to tell people what they already know they should do. Easy money for me… but it’s not my style.

So I’ll tell them…go ask for referrals, give talks, set up a website, something, anything. Only then we’ll talk.

Funny thing… They don’t come back. Don’t need to. My work is done, even if I never got paid for it.

Sometimes it’s not a lack of action though . Focusing on less effective ways of getting patients is almost as bad as taking no action at all. If you want effective, word of mouth, and websites are very low cost and low effort. There’s also more methods that take more effort but also work. If you’re not doing these first, then you’re probably wasting time and money.

Also, focusing on your clinic as a business doesn’t mean you’re focused on getting more patients. In just this past month:

• A new acupuncturist said she’s getting incorporated and making a logo and business cards before getting patients.
• 3 acupuncturists asked me if they should “finish” their website before publicizing it in Google and to their patients.
• An acupuncturist really, really made his website fancy, but accidentally “hid” it. I didn’t know it was hidden and when I found out, we started working on fixing it. The next week he got 2 new patients. He’s also on the first page of Google for his area.
• An acupuncturist told me about one new patient via Twitter (it’s like text message facebook). She’s been doing this for months!

Now, none of these things are necessarily the wrong thing to do. For example, I’m almost positive the Twitter acupuncturist does it because it’s fun for her, not because she thinks it’s going to get her all the patients she needs. (She’s a social person, and already doing very well.) Some people really enjoy fiddling with their websites (our service makes it easy).

So all of this is fine, if you realize what’s a distraction, and what’s not.

If you’d like to read more on this idea, I suggest reading a book called Ready, Fire, Aim by Michael Masterson. I just read it, and it’s really good. Michael (a pseudonym) is a centimillionaire publisher, who has started many, many businesses and coached people to start many more. He makes a good case for putting sales first. He also makes the point that if it’s not perfect, the feedback from actual customers will help make things even better. If it’s good, if it’s a fair value, it doesn’t need to be perfect yet.

He’s right.

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who spend lots of money on incorporating, logos, office furniture, a lease, brochures etc. before they have their first patient. Stuff just adds to overhead - monthly expenses you have to pay whether you have patients or not.

I did this. About 17 years ago, I started a small business making rubber stamps. This was WAY before it became easy or common to personalize things - I knew the technology through my work with a wedding invitation/stationary manufacturer. I could put people’s names on the stamps, graphics, etc. I was thinking big, and here’s what I did.

• I incorporated in Delaware.
• Created a lot of brochures, materials etc. that no one saw.
• Opened a business bank account.
• Got a Business Reply account at the post office.

After all this work and expense, I only found ONE store to to carry my stamps -and there was only about 1 order a week.

If I had to do it over again, it would be easy - I’d get the sales/stores before anything else. Talk about putting the cart before the horse!

What saved me is I didn’t have high overhead. I spent money I didn’t need to, but I had no ongoing expenses/overhead.

High overhead causes cash flow problems… and cash flow issues are the #1 cause of bankruptcy.

Focusing on getting patients/making sales will actually help AVOID cash-flow problems. It will help avoid spending money you don’t need to.

So do you have enough patients? If not, what have you done in the past week to get some? How can you get more patients, faster, and if possible, automatically?

This “Ready, Fire, Aim” concept is something I’ve been thinking about lately. You may have noticed I haven’t written much lately. I’ve been slaving away building a new and improved version of the website service. I can now serve chiropractors, naturopaths and massage therapists in addition to acupuncturists.

It’s -almost- perfectly ready. I could put it off for another month or two while I test and perfect it. But that wouldn’t be smart of me. Instead, I’m offering you a deal. If you’re willing to help me test out the new website system, so everything can be ready sooner, I’m willing to give you a huge discount.  See if you qualify.

But first, would 5 new patients a month make a difference for you? Last week I talked to my original website client. He’s in a VERY competitive market (has an acupuncture school in his town) and asked me for some anonymity.

Way back when, I set up the website for him, but didn’t provide ongoing support. So his website floundered for about two years. I noticed this so I asked him if he wanted to set up a subscription with me where we manage the website for him.

Now his website is bringing him 5 new patients a month.  He’s #1 in Google, Bing/MSN, and Yahoo.

Since each patient spends a few hundred dollars with him, it means that 1 or 2 of his patients will pay for the website for the whole year. The other 58 or so new patients are essentially free.

So what does it have to do with you? And why would I offer a website for so cheap?

Simple. I created an improved version of our website system. It’s just about ready, but I need to test a few things, such as:

• Trial periods
• Improved payment methods (some people don’t like PayPal, and it doesn’t do coupons)
• Coupons
• If you currently have a website, but want a better one. We have a method of helping you move seamlessly to your improved website with us.
• If you’re a chiropractor, naturopath or massage therapist, we have different pre-written pages as a starting point. We need to make sure they’re all working properly.

Chances are all these improvements will work just fine. I’ve already done a lot of testing, but I may have missed some things. If something happens during your test, either I’ll fix it by hand, or you’d have to enter a couple pages of information again.  Things like your clinic name and address.

No big deal, right?

So if you don’t mind helping us test, and are willing to give us a testimonial if we deserve it, you probably qualify.  If you know of an acupuncturist (or chiropractor or naturopath) who needs a website, I’m sure they’d appreciate it, but top priority goes to people already receiving my emails. They may get lucky and pay even less.

If you qualify, you could have a beautiful website, and have an automatic way get 58 or so new patients almost for free. The most you would have to pay to help test things out is $60, but some people will have coupons etc. so it’s even less.

I’m not quite ready for testers yet, so please don’t contact or email me yet.  I’ll be announcing it later this week.  Keep an eye out!

The answers seem to be divided between people who:

1. Charge high fees and want to put their fees on their website. Their reasoning:  They don’t want to waste anybody’s time if their fees are too high.  The people with this line of thinking get most of their new patients through referrals anyway.  I’m not sure if their website is a major source of new referrals.
2. Charge low fees and put their fees on their website. Their thinking: by charging lower fees, they’ll get people who are worried about affordability, or price shoppers.
3. Don’t want to put fees on their website. These acupuncturists seem to want to focus on healing and getting better.  Can’t put a price on that, and they want to avoid being a commodity.

All of these acupuncturists have well-reasoned opinions.  It seems to depend on your specific situation.  I’ll write up something interesting about it on Friday, but I wanted to ask you a question first.

You see, there’s one thing you should add to your website if you possibly can.  Testimonials.

So far having testimonials on your site seems to get really, really good results - period.  I’m not sure of the specifics yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if having them can more than double your results. So far every acupuncturist I’ve talked to with testimonials is seeing results.  I’ve only heard from one acupuncturist who’s not getting patients from his site.  It’s not the testimonials though - it was due to a problem with Google.

So, inquiring minds want to know…

Do you have testimonials on your website?  Have patients mentioned them to you?  And have adding the testimonials made a huge difference for you?

Leave a comment below!  Thanks!<–>

It occurred to me that you may have problems or questions that I’ll answer only by accident.  Why not make it happen on purpose?

To make it more interesting - I just happen to have an extra copy of both the DVD and Book of Try It On Everything, which is about EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique).  EFT is an acupressure technique that is amazing at getting rid of emotional issues, and “other things.”  That’s why the book/DVD are called “Try It On Everything” - people try it on those “other things” and are often surprised.

The case studies for Emotional Freedom Technique are unbelievable.   The EFT website was actually much better and more accessible a few years ago - the number of case studies were much more manageable.  Now, it would take you at least a week to read them all.  I suggest going there and searching for any condition.  You’ll probably be surprised.

Many, many acupuncturists use this as an additional therapy, and it works well. The basics for EFT were originally invented by a chiropractor named Roger Callahan, and caused him to go bankrupt. His patients were getting better too quickly!

I’ll send Try It On Everything to whoever submits the best question.   No limits on questions, but please do submit complete thoughts and think through your questions. Quality is much more important than quantity.

Don’t stop there.  Get your patients, family and friends involved!

The Details

The AAAOM (National Acupuncture Association) is issuing a call to action letter writing campaign in support of HR 646. We are at the forefront of a momentous change in U.S. healthcare, and acupuncture and Oriental medicine is an important part of this crucial transition. In supporting and passing HR646, we are creating a firm foundation for our profession to propel from alternative medicine to mainstream, and we need everyone’s voice to make it happen!

WHAT IS HR 646 AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

This is a decisive moment for acupuncture and Oriental medicine. HR 646, also known as “The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act of 2009,” amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of qualified acupuncturist services under part B of the Medicare Program, and to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for coverage of such services under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The passing of this bill will open acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) to many more patients who could benefit from its effectiveness. For practitioners and students, it will open the doors to new patients to serve. It will provide us all with more affordable healthcare choices and create a firm foundation for further integration into U.S. healthcare.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Write a letter to your Member of Congress. If you are a patient, practitioner, student or professional partner in the integrative health fields: Write a letter in support of HR 646! Ask each family member, friend, classmate, colleague, and, most important, each patient to write a letter to their Members of Congress.

CONTACT CONGRESS NOW!!!

To have your letter hand-delivered by AAAOM’s lobbyist in Washington, D.C., use the letter-writing tool.

Unfortunately, if you don’t stand out, people will try to pay YOU the minimum. Everyone can compete on price, and try making up for the lower price by selling more. It’s a horrible way to make a living.

So how can you stand out? Here’s a few ways:

Specialize.
I’ve already written about this, but specialization almost always justifies a higher price and commands more respect. The only downside is if you’re excluding too many patients who aren’t seeking your specialization – especially if you live in a sparsely populated area.

Your Message.
A message that resonates with people gets attention. It could be as simple as giving a talk at an organic grocery store, and saying “If you’re buying organic food, why wouldn’t you want organic medicine?” There’s always a way to make people think. Find it.

Patient Experience
Pay attention to all parts of your patient’s experience. Paying attention to small details makes people think. Dan Clements at Alternative Health Practice.com talks about doing this with quarters.
http://alternativehealthpractice.com/2008/05/the-unexpected-joys-of-great-service.html

Have an Enemy
Controversy gets attention. Having a shared enemy bonds you with your patients. Many patients try acupuncture after being severely disappointed with the Western model of medicine. Why not explain just why they were disappointed by drug therapies and surgery?

Personality
I know quite a few acupuncturists that succeed mainly through their force of personality. Some are people persons. Some are not. But all of them convey excellence and that the patient is in good hands.

How do you stand out?

Jones pointed out that GoDaddy’s terms of service say the company “reserves the right to terminate your access to the services at any time, without notice, for any reason whatsoever.”

Avoid GoDaddy and Register.com at all costs – because they’ll cost you.

So what’s the alternative? I personally like namecheap.com. They offer domain names at a good price, and you can always search for “Namecheap coupon” to get a further discount. Also, they’ll offer you one year of privacy for free.

What would you be keeping private? Well, every domain has contacts for administrator, technical, registrant and billing. Usually all four are the same – and they include your email address. Of course, there are automated programs to scan your domain contacts, and save your email address for spamming!

(This is one of the main ways that your email address can be collected for spamming. Another good way to get spammed is to put your email address on your website, instead of using a contact form.)

Namecheap’s privacy after the first year is just $3 or so a month. GoDaddy charges about $11, and they make it darn near impossible to remove. You MUST remove GoDaddy’s privacy registration before you can choose another registrar – they probably make this difficult on purpose.

Be aware – don’t be overcharged by something you don’t quite understand. Pay the right price for your domain name!

Here’s what Jeffery says:

Acupuncture Happy Hour sessions are 20-minute ear acupuncture treatments, for $20, given in a group setting. I started doing it for a few reasons.

1) It’s a great way to show people how quickly acupuncture can reduce stress and anxiety and,

2) It’s a great way to break the “I never had acupuncture and am afraid of needles” ice.

The first time I held an Acupuncture Happy Hour, 6 people showed up and 3 of them opted for further treatments! With such a great return I decided to do one the next day. This time 10 people showed up and 4 of them opted for more care.

So, in two days, just by putting out flyers and not much more than that, I got 7 new patients. Not bad for a few hours of business canvassing with flyers.

Here’s what I did:

• I created a flyer (we have a few promotional templates on our site)
• I went to local businesses within walking distance and told them about the event and invited them over
• I asked local businesses if I could place a few flyers near their cash register where they would easly be seen
• I had a local massage therapist stop by to give chair massages
• I had the Acupuncture and Stress PowerPoint playing in the treatment room

Everyone left with a special envelope including a few friends and family health passes, top 8 reasons to try acupuncture bookmark, and the referral stimulators. Having your de-stressed patients spread the word is a sure way to long-term referrals.

Through education, marketing and holding an Acupuncture Happy Hour you will be able to help shift that paradigm and provide a calmer, more peaceful world, one patient at a time!

Yours in health, practice growth and a stress-less world.

Good luck and make it fun!

Jeffrey Grossman, L.Ac.
Acupuncture Media Works

“I am looking to sell my acupuncture and herbal medicine practice, due to my spouse’s relocation to another state for work.  Since I have not bought or sold a practice before, I don’t know how to decide what it’s worth.  I don’t own a building, so in essence what I am selling is my patient records.  Questions I have include the following:

How much do I charge for a patient file?  Should I ask a different amount for active and inactive patients?

Do I need to ask my patients if it is ok to sell their files?  Do I need them to sign release forms?  Or do I just need to notify them that I have transferred their records to the acupuncturist who buys my practice?

Do I need to keep a copy of all files?

What do I need to do, to be HIPAA compliant in transferring patient files?

Are there any other legal issues I need to be aware of?

I have been in practice for 4 years in northern Arizona rural town, close to Sedona, with a good reputation and a growing association with local doctors, chiropractors and nurse practitioners who refer patients to me, mainly for pain relief.  I have done much outreach with stress relief clinics and public events, and have generated a fair amount of goodwill in the community through my involvement with the local chamber of commerce and other networking organizations.  I am also a member of my state acupuncture association, and several other professional organizations.

I began to explore relocating a few months ago.  During this time, I have held back on promotion and focused on readying my patients for my departure.  I currently have over 200 patient files, and am currently treating 10-15 of those, with new patients calling me every week.  The reason I have so few active patients, is my patients tend to “get better” rather quickly.

Most of the patients who come to see me are seniors, with a smaller percentage ages 40-65.  I treat a lot of knee, low back, shoulder and neck pain, fibromyalgia, headaches (migraine, tension and other), trigeminal neuralgia, neuropathies, post-herpetic neuralgia, etc. as chief complaints.  Secondary issues that commonly come along for the ride include smoking cessation, menopausal complaints, menstrual disorders, PMS, weight gain, stress, diet, heart health, exercise, and digestive issues.

I have tried to integrate more “artsy” elements into my practice as is more commonly accepted in Sedona, such as acugem therapy and essential oils, but my town is a bit more conservative for that.  Local docs are willing to refer for acupuncture, but hard to sell on herbs.

My schedule has been by appointment between 10 am and 6 pm weekdays, except Thursdays.  I have a cash-based practice and charge $85 for an initial 90-minute visit, and $65 for 45-minute follow-ups, plus herbs as needed.  For the rare patient who has insurance that covers acupuncture, I do provide superbills for their reimbursement.  I recently relocated my practice into my home from a chiropractic office, and my patients enjoy the “less clinical” feel of my treatment room.  I have not gotten into a website and blogging, but do send quarterly newsletters to my patients and have 3-4 public outreach events annually in my office, plus some kind of promotion most months.

Any feedback from those who have sold or purchased a practice would be very helpful.  Thank you.”