Top Five Things to Expect from a Rockstar CA
Shazia Pehlvi
Having a Rockstar CA on your team is like owning a hidden gem that shines and attracts anyone who comes into contact with it. Rockstar CAs will be a great means to draw in new practice members, provide exceptional service and care, and improve the success of your chiropractic office, all while having fun!
These are the top five qualities every Rockstar CA should possess:
1 Knowledge of Chiropractic and Sharing It Often!
"Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it."
— Lao Tzu
Many of you may have heard from your CAs that they are not comfortable or not sure about how to share the message of chiropractic with your practice members. This is usually because they are not sure about the information they are encouraged to share. Think of a speaker at a conference. Speakers usually spend time perfecting the material that they will deliver to the audience. If they have prepared well, it is very evident in the presentation. However, if they have not prepared as much as they should have, it is very apparent through their speech, their stance, and their expressions.
Similarly, once your CAs have mastered the content to the extent that they are able to share the message of chiropractic with others, it will be very evident just how knowledgeable they truly are, which increases the practice members' trust in your CA. This knowledge will also increase your CA's self-confidence and the fluency of the office scripts, which should be role-played until perfect. This benefits not only your CA's ability to educate your practice members, but also the overall performance in your office and your office procedures. ^
Knowledge is power. Not only is in-house training important, but attending training seminars is also beneficial. It's very valuable to attend a live event at least twice a yearto not only increase knowledge and get fresh ideas, but also to motivate and inspire your team members. By acquiring the proper knowledge and putting it into practice, your team members can be of greater benefit to both yourself and your practice members.
Always remember that the importance of having knowledge about chiropractic, your clinic, your team, and about your own capabilities will definitely give your business an edge.
2 Strong Communication Skills: Verbal and Written
"Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow."
— Lawrence Clark Powell
From first impressions to lasting impressions, strong communication skills are a must for all Rockstar CAs. Whether it is communicating with a practice member, other businesses, or the general public—verbally or in writing— communication has to be effective to benefit your business. In fact, proper communication can affect many referrals and whether new practice members begin and continue care in your office. It also will affect which other businesses want to partner with you to provide the best service possible.
With strong and effective communication, your CAs will inspire practice members by sharing not only their stories, but chiropractic stories from others as well. This in turn will increase your practice members' trust and encourage them to communicate these stories with their friends and family, which will lead to some potential prospects, resulting in many others benefiting from your chiropractic care.
Strong communication skills are important, not just between your CAs and practice members, but between team members too. With proper communication, the office tasks will be productively completed in a timely manner. By implementing office procedures with scripting and documentation available for every office procedure, the entire team will ensure inside and outside communication is consistent.
By organizing your office, you will also make the atmosphere pleasant and stress-free, making it very inviting to anyone who enters it.99
3 Organization Skills
"Organize, don't agonize."
— Nancy Pelosi
It is not just organization of the office we are looking at here; there has to be organization of oneself and any tasks or events in your office. Being familiar
with the administrative tasks and managing the office with ease will have a great impact on how your office runs and if your practice members want to be a part of it.
Just imagine walking into an office with files and paper cluttered all over the front desk, magazines and toys cluttered all around the waiting area, and wastebaskets overflowing in the adjusting rooms. All the while, the CA is busy doing paperwork and not paying much attention when you enter. Now, imagine walking into a clean office with the CAs having little paperwork on their desks, the waiting area is well organized with magazines and toys neatly where they need to be, and the adjusting rooms having no distractions so your practice members are able to focus on receiving the best care possible. The CAs are not huddled over paperwork or busy at the computer, but there, ready to greet and serve you. Big difference! Your team's organization skills will definitely influence your practice member retention. By organizing your office, you will also make the atmosphere pleasant and stress-free, making it very inviting to anyone who enters it.
A Rockstar CA will have the entire office organized with no clutter on his or her desk, in the waiting area, or in the adjusting rooms. Paper-time procedures should be different from office-time procedures, so your CA is able to focus on providing the best service to your practice members when they are in your office. A well-organized office gives reassurance w of a well-organized team offering excellent service.
4 Being Resourceful
"What makes you great is not what you do, but how you do what you do." — Constance Chuks Friday
To be a true Rockstar CA, your CA should be resourceful enough to deal with any situation that arises quickly and effortlessly, whether it concerns questions about payment, scheduling, ordering office products, or regarding a practice member's care. Knowing when to get the DC involved or when to handle the situation independently can drastically reduce stress in the office environment. Getting the requested information efficiently for practice members will also encourage them to stay and refer, as well as give them a sense of importance.
Again, if your CA has knowledge about the issue at hand, it will be easier for him or her to know where to search to get the information to satisfy your practice members.
5 Friendly/Approchable
"Don't wait for other people to be loving, giving, compassionate, grateful, forgiving, generous, or friendly...lead the way!"
— Steve Maraboli,
Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
This skill will be evident with first impressions, whether it's in person or on the phone. The impor-
"lf your practice members feel comfortable enough to approach your CA with any issues, suggestions, or comments, it is a great way to increase the success of your practice."
tance of creating a great impression, not only the first time but also at every interaction, can greatly affect how many referrals your office may receive and how long a practice member will stay under your care. If your CA creates a friendly rapport with everyone who interacts with your office, it is a great way to win trust and honesty.
A friendly character requires a positive attitude alongside it. It may be easy to fake a smile and say the right words to be friendly in order to create a great first impression, but if your CA is stressed or upset, those frustrations will eventually show through. Proper training and having a positive attitude will make it easier to make that smile authentic. To be welcomed by an open, friendly atmosphere is always pleasant.
It is key to remember that most practice members come to your office with some sort of symptoms or discomfort, therefore it is important to show enough empathy so your practice members know they will be well taken care of, but not to the extent that their symptoms become the main focus.
If your practice members feel comfortable enough to approach your CA with any issues, suggestions, or comments, it is a great way to increase the success of your practice.
Conclusion
A Rockstar CA has a great impact on the success of your office. Once your CA starts to master these five
skills, he or she will find that they go hand in hand. Improving in one skill will automatically help improve another. It will make your day go by more pleasantly and be stress-free. If your CA already owns these skills, you are already on your way to successfully serving your community!
ÉShazia Pehlvi entered the chiropractic profession and eagerly applied its philosophies to her personal life. NOM’ with 12 years of experience as a successful CA, she has acquired expertise in implementing systems and handling high-stress office situations that she now enjoys sharing with you as a CA Coach, www. drtompreston. com/chiropractic-assistant-training
