solutions and benefits they offer.” Per-sonally, I make it a point to explain what I am doing to each patient so that I can relate it to almost anyone in terms they can understand. I do this by using prac-tical everyday objects that people can re-late to, too. When I explain the effects of medical acupuncture on the nervous system, I compare it to resetting a com-puter by pressing “Control, Alt, Delete.” The acupuncture resets the nervous sys-tem. When you use familiar examples, patients become more comfortable and you have earned their trust. Organization Barriers Organization barriers are situational lim-iting factors that prevent us from being booked solid even if we have patients waiting to see us. These factors are typi-cally problems such as having one treat-ment room to practise out of, or not hav-ing a receptionist to answer the phone. These may seem unbelievable but orga-nizational barriers are very common in chiropractic practices and it’s best to cor-rect them early, so you can grow. Personal Issues When speaking with Michael Port he said that, in his experience, a business problem is almost always a personal problem in dis-guise. These obstacles affect our concen-tration, energy and overall health. It can be difficult to overcome such barriers but until they are corrected or accepted your practice will not be able to reach its full potential. Philosophical Differences This area of our conversation stuck with me. He said many chiropractors who work for themselves can’t book themselves solid because they are unable to define the focus of their practice. Most chiropractors focus most of their time on the chiropractic part of their practice and too little time on the business management portion of it. For ex-ample, Port said, Starbucks is not in the cof-fee business, but in the franchising business. What we need to remember is that being a chiropractor is only a small part of our big-ger picture; that is, we are in the business of making people feel better. We must invest as much time into our business practice as we do into our clinical practice. For example, for every seminar we take on assessment we should be taking one on business develop-ment such as management, team building and public relations. Port suggests, and I agree, that because this method of think-ing is not taught in schools, it can affect the overall performance of chiropractic practic-es. In order to build a successful practice we must make it a priority to invest in all facets of our business. FINAL THOUGHT We need to learn how to be consistent in all areas for our businesses to run smoothly. This includes growing not only as a chiro-practor but an entrepreneur, a manager and a business owner. In order to be in the business of making patients feel better, we need to remember that we are also in the business of building a brand. Book Yourself Solid can be found on Am-azon.com or at any major bookstore. Mi-chael Port will gladly answer any questions you have through questions@michaelport. com and you may follow him on Twitter @ michaelport. • Our Technique is: Innovation. What’s Your Technique? CE LE YEAR O 10 BRA OF VATIO S TI NG Techniques Tables Techniques Tables.com in Call 1.800.618.2253 made Canada TT500-P treatment table www.canadianchiropractor.ca Canadian ChiropraCtor | SEPTEMBER 2012 • 27 N INN
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