Chiropractic patients do not choose doctors based on who has a website or who has a better website.
“SEO” is overrated. Even if you are on page one, you probably aren’t getting many (if any) patients from your website.

If a patient says they found you online, it’s because they were already looking for YOU. They would have found you anyway.

Most Chiropractic websites repel patients and virtually none of them attract patients.
My business doesn’t even have a traditional “website”.

Owning a website that has your name, rank, and serial number as well as a 3-D spine, a photo gallery, and a list of what you treat with all the bells and whistles may make you and your loved ones proud but it isn’t marketing.

Marketing is EVERYTHING that you do before, during, and after you attract, treat, and release a patient.

The good news is that it takes less money, time, and brain damage to do it right than to do it wrong.

The post Why Chiropractic “Websites” Are Vastly Overrated appeared first on Ben Altadonna.

No wonder consumers are so confused.

Most of these practice signs do a great job REPELLING patients.

…and here are the top 3 offenders:

1. Bad Name – “Chiropractor”, “Wellness”, or any cute name that is meant to “brand” or “educate” will REPEL patients.
2. Unnecessary Graphics, Logos, Fonts and Format – When a doctor spends more time on “The Look” than “The Message”, he or she is in trouble. What they end up with is a multicolor sign that is meaningless and hard to read that also REPELS patients.
3. No Benefit Statement/No Call To Action – Your sign should answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”; serve an existing demand and NOT try to create one; and also answer the question, “Why should I choose you over all the other Chiropractors and all other options… including doing nothing at all?

The post Top 3 Costly Practice Signage Mistakes appeared first on Ben Altadonna.

But what they fail to realize is that is their market isn’t.

People are people. They all want a fair deal. They all know what they want.

…and they all deserve a quality product, service, and experience.

A doctor’s practice will practically grow without effort when and if he/she can grasp that their market isn’t different and puts less marketing and “educating” emphasis on their technique or about themselves, and places more emphasis on creating and nurturing relationships and giving patients what they want and how they want it.

The key is narrowing your focus and creating as much simplicity and clarity as possible for yourself and your patients. This is a never-ending process of eliminating and tweaking… with the goal of spending most of your time only on your unique abilities and outsourcing and delegating the rest.

The doctors who chase “the next shiny object” in Chiropractic — the next seminar, the next piece of equipment, the next billing code, the next scheme increase case fees — are the doctors who never build a real business. They are slaves to their complexities.

Processing patients becomes “a numbers game”…

“Close” X% to make $Y … and let the rest walk.

This is a short-term business model that is not self-sustaining.

Not every way to make a buck in Chiropractic is ethical or right.

So, who are my best members?

The ones who make the most?

Nope.

The ones who have been with ChiroTrust the longest?

Not necessarily.

The ones who tell me what they think I want to hear?

No. No. No.

It’s the ethical ones.

…and I truly believe ChiroTrust attracts and creates a lot of them.

The post Every Chiropractor Who Joins ChiroTrust is Unique. appeared first on Ben Altadonna.

Their success is based on their own definition, not the definition of the masses.

Now, I’m not referring to those who “close” patients for as much money and care as humanly possible. Those doctors will eventually get what they truly deserve: living hell.

If this is you, no matter how complicated your practice or life has become, it is still not too late to do the right, healthy, and ultimately the most profitable thing and change.

Because when you choose to be your natural self, provide a service people want, and maintain the highest level of care, and back it up with your ChiroTrust marketing and affiliation, then you can ignore what everybody else is claiming they’re doing.

…and succeeding is virtually guaranteed.

The post Play Your Own Game appeared first on Ben Altadonna.

Advertising is expecting your discounted offer and your name, rank, and serial number to make your phone to ring.

Marketing attracts the right customers, clients, and patients at the right time, with the right message and solution, when THEY are ready to buy… NOT necessarily when you or I need them to buy.

…and when you market correctly, you’re never in a rush.

Understanding this creates better questions and attracts more elegant solutions.

One last thing,

I’ve never been able to grow a business by marketing less.

The post Market More appeared first on Ben Altadonna.

I’ve given away things that I no longer need. . (Approximately 30 suits, office furnishings, old bikes, computers, books, properties, and most complexities.)

I’ve eliminated non-productive habits.

I’ve created ways to keep toxic people at bay.

I’ve eliminated the T.V. , iPad, and smartphone from the bedroom and can no longer send or receive texts.

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time creating simple and elegant business processes and as a result, have eliminated the rest.

I’ve eliminated the temptation of helping those who should and could be helping themselves.

I’ve eliminated the need to be right, even when I know that I am.

I’ve eliminated all expectations and have replaced them with acceptance.

I’ve eliminated virtually all attention on the past and the future.

I’ve eliminated the need for an office all together.

I’ve eliminated all joint venture and business partnerships.

I’ve eliminated the need for most business-related travel.

I’ve eliminated the concept of retirement and have chosen a lifestyle that includes enjoying life now.

What can you eliminate?

The post Eliminate appeared first on Ben Altadonna.

It’s not about the “end game” because for me, there is no end game.

All I want is to keep doing what I am doing and continue ‘til my final day.

To achieve this, every day is a microcosm of my entire life.

Every day, I make time for everything that is important to me.

Virtually no aspect of my life is put on ice ‘til a later day, week, month, year, decade, etc..

In order to achieve this and enjoy the process, I have taught myself to eliminate multitasking from my life and to slow down.

I breathe slower.

I walk slower.

I think slower.

I’m slower to judge.

I chew my food slower.

I am more patient.

As a result, I overreact less; I make better decisions; I create better products, services, and experiences for others; I feel less rushed; and am more pleasurable to be around.

It has made me more successful.

The post Slow Down appeared first on Ben Altadonna.

What should you do?

Well, most consultants would tell you to show them their x-rays and scare them into compliance.

Others would tell you to educate them about Chiropractic philosophy and the damaging effects of the subluxation.

Both are ineffective.

See, what you and I think is irrelevant because ultimately, the patient does what they want to do.

So, this is the real question…

Is the net effect of “selling”, “persuading”, or “educating” increasing or decreasing compliance, referrals, and reactivations… or is there a better way?

In over 17 years of studying how to build businesses and practices, I have found that there is a more effective, elegant, and professional way to go about it and here it is…
Find out what the patient wants.
Give it to them.

Maybe you give them options, maybe you don’t.

You have to figure out what works for you.

I have found that the vast majority of D.C.s who give patients options have discovered that the vast majority want to get out of pain and out of the office as quickly as possible.

I also know that most patients are confused, repelled, or uncomfortable with having to learn about something that doesn’t interest them.

So, why sell long-term care if it isn’t working or if most don’t choose it, refer, or come back?

Is being right and frustrated and/or broke more important than giving the marketplace what it wants?

Bottom line:

REVERSE ENGINEER how you process patients.

Base it solely on what patients respond to.

Then, ELIMINATE everything else. ( Multiplication through subtraction. )

Pushing a string uphill doesn’t work.

The path of least resistance doesn’t make you crooked, it makes you attractive to the marketplace.

The post When Patients Need More Than Relief Care appeared first on Ben Altadonna.

Free online exposure.

Sounds cool, doesn’t it?

Years ago, over here in the San Francisco Bay Area, people invested tens of millions of dollars attempting to build entire online-only businesses.

Some made it big. Really big… but, the vast majority went belly up and many investors lost their entire life’s savings.

You must remember, these were online businesses run by extremely brilliant people who targeted consumers or businesses across the nation (or world), NOT just locally.

So, if the majority of THOSE entrepreneurs couldn’t make it work, can YOU successfully target only LOCAL consumers?

The answer is yes, you can for occasional “base hits.” But, you definitely shouldn’t solely rely only on the internet.

What do I mean by “The Internet”?…

• Social Media Marketing (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
• Email
• Websites/Landing Pages
• Search Engine Advertising

How should you use it?

As a LOCAL business, the absolute best use of the internet is to maintain communication with current and past patients via email.

Without a doubt, for Doctors of Chiropractic, this is #1 use of the internet.

It is NOT by a long shot better than snail mail (mailing to them using paper and stamps) but it is something you should do IN ADDITION to snail mail.

Actually, I’ll go as far as saying that NOTHING is better than communicating OFTEN to the list you already have of active and inactive patients.

I recommend mailing your list twice a month and emailing them even more often. (As you ChiroTrust members know, sending them emails is completely done for you.)

As for Social Media Marketing for Chiropractors?

It’s so far behind snail mail, email, and websites that I wouldn’t waste your time or money if I were you; it’s even less effective than time-consuming (and degrading) spinal screenings.

The post Social Media Marketing For Chiropractors appeared first on Ben Altadonna.

Want a “cash practice”?

Want to have a PVA of 60-100 or more?

Want to be able to close patients on $2,500-$5,000 case fees?

It can be done and there are many good-looking, charismatic, funny, entertaining, and persuasive consultants out there who can show you the way.

All you need to do is find out what your closing rate is and then get enough new people in the doors each month to make the math work.

For example, if you can close 6 out of 10 patients on a $5,000 treatment plan, you WILL collect $30,000 a month.

Want to collect $60,000 a month?

Simple. Just get 10 more people in the doors and close 12 out of 20.

$120,000?, Get 40.

NOW HERE’S WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU…

1. Your reputation will take a nose dive… quickly.
2. You’ll have high staff turn-over.
3. You’ll have an extremely high overhead and feel stressed all the time.
4. You’ll be making claims that you cannot substantiate.
5. Virtually all of your patients will never come back or refer others.

So, if this type of relating to the people in your community works for you and if you are willing to push, push, push everyday of your practicing life, then go for it.

But don’t think you’re blazing a new success trail.

This common practice building strategy has been around for many decades but due to the economy, the media, the internet, local, state, and federal regulatory agencies, insurance companies, and more sophisticated consumers, the days of it working over the long-term are long gone.

Any D.C. who has been practicing 10 years or more knows that I’m right and with the help of ChiroTrust, they reinvent their practices and get their lives back.

Sadly, some have to virtually start from scratch. They’ve pushed a product nobody really wanted for so long that they must start fresh, one new patient at a time.

But the good news is that it takes time but it can be done… and the feeling that comes with doing the right thing is something money can’t buy.

The post What Chiropractic Consultants Don’t Want You To Know appeared first on Ben Altadonna.