Interview with Dr. Charles Webb by The American Chiropractor (TAC)
As a highly regarded chiropractor, Dr. Charles Webb (CW) felt frustrated by the lack of progress he saw with his traditional patients versus the results he saw with patients experiencing the new model he was creating. Sure, they were getting better in regards to their physical complaints, but overall, they remained the same — generally unhealthy, overweight, and aging faster than they should. It was very clear that people needed much more than chiropractic care; they needed guidance, accountability, and support to change their lifestyle. Offering “free” education through handouts and mini-conversations during visits just didn’t cut it.
That experience drove him to create Freedom Practice Coaching, a high-touch consulting group specializing in teaching health practitioners an entrepreneurial approach for running their practice. FPC helps practitioners adopt a model proven to be a better way to practice by hundreds of doctors across the U.S. The ingenious model is not dependent on insurance reimbursement; allows practitioners to spend more quality time with their patients; allows providers to finally receive the true financial value for their expertise; averages two to three times the revenue of the traditional chiropractic model; and provides much more freedom of time. The FPC service is a turnkey product; the practitioner needs only to be coachable and willing to step out of the outdated box.
TAC: What is the most obvious way that chiropractors are harming their own potential growth?
CW: Today, I see too many chiropractors just trying to survive rather than thrive. The heydays of a highly profitable insurance model seem well in the past, and it has left many owners struggling to make ends meet. For that reason, it seems much of the passion has left the profession, and many are finding contentment in what I call the “commodity model” (selling their stuff rather than their expertise). It’s hard to make a living selling a package of adjustments or therapies. I don’t believe in the high-volume practice, but I don’t find much purpose in the practice that serves very few with an outdated symptom-based, fee-for-service model. Those practitioners are in for a long haul of frustrations and struggles. Many are finding themselves with $200,000 in student loans while taking home less than $150,000 per year. The numbers just don’t work out well. I have empathy for those doctors because I don’t believe they are getting paid nearly their true value.
In summary, too many chiropractors are refusing to change with the times. Today, people are looking for more than just another commodity chiropractor that can adjust their temporary pain away. They can get that from the cheapest bidder. Chiropractors are placing their value in their services rather than the outcome, which is a critical mistake that devalues them. People are looking for a new breed of doctor — one that will not only act as their doctor but also as their mentor and coach. When they find that doctor, they don’t care whether their insurance covers it or not; they will happily pay because they see the relationship as an investment.
TAC: Do you see chiropractors doing things that they think will help but that ultimately sabotage them?
CW: If they continue to run their practice under the fee for-service, symptom-based model, I believe they will continue to be viewed as pain technicians, and their pay will reflect it. It’s really sad because, being a chiropractor, I know how much training they go through and how much they have to offer their community. As a whole, the profession has been indoctrinated in school and by many practice management groups to hold to this broken model.
TAC: Do you think chiropractors should take patients on a walk-in case?
CW: If they feel they are more of the wellness practitioner and focus on long-term results rather than a quick fix, then absolutely not. Taking patients as walk-ins teaches the prospective patient that you are another commodity doctor there to serve their immediate pain — period. It also screams, “I am not very busy and need every new patient I can get!” I believe that every consultation a chiropractor attends should only be with a prospect who has been fully pre-educated about their approach, how they’re different, what to expect, and what the relationship looks like. I’ve witnessed doctors refusing to try this approach because they believe that these individuals need to get in right away or they will go somewhere else. Perhaps. I also understand that many chiropractors are living from paycheck to paycheck and are making decisions based on fear. They feel that they have to jump at the opportunity to get another patient. This is not how to run your practice or your life. I simply didn’t need to worry about this because I had a system that generated a waiting list of pre-educated prospective patients for my practice who had no problem waiting to get in. It’s really a choice. How do you want to be perceived? As the needy, average chiropractor, or the expert in high demand? No system in place? Get help now!
TAC: Do you recommend chiropractors align themselves with insurance networks?
CW: Understanding the penance that insurance companies are willing to pay chiropractors for their services, this would be a strong no. Again, I feel dependency on insurance reimbursement is based on fear. I get it. The young new doctors just starting off, knowing literally nothing about business, are trying to hedge their bets. However, that is not a wise way to enter practice. For those veterans who continue to moan and groan about insurance, I can only shake my head in disbelief as to why anyone would choose to continue on that path. If those doctors would wise up and recognize that they don’t know what they don’t know, it would be a great starting place. If you don’t know how to run a business, you should learn from those who do before you open your doors. We’re certainly not the coach for everyone, but everyone needs a coach. I’ve hired coaches throughout my adult life, and I continue to invest highly in those who know more than I do. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
TAC: How can chiropractors position themselves in the community to better serve the public?
CW: A few things here. First, separate from the herd of commodity chiropractors. Become a “category of one” doctor that your community identifies as the “guru” or “the doctor to see” if you want real results. Understand that you don’t have to be the doctor with the most credentials behind your name; you don’t have to be the “best” adjustor. Your community is not impressed. You have to be the doctor who listens, who can help guide patients to their desired destiny, who completely educates patients through a structured curriculum, and who holds patients accountable for the term of their program. You must be more than the person who delivers treatment. Your patients shouldn’t be paying for your adjustments but investing in their outcome. Offer a “priceless opportunity” through a customized plan that includes your treatment(s), your educational curriculum, and anything else to help them reach their destination.
About Dr. Charles Webb
After Graduating from Cleveland Chiropractic Kansas City 1986, Dr. Webb enjoyed building several clinics through 1996, at which time the fee-forservice and insurance game burnt him out. He sold to a public company and began another career. Returning to Practice in 2004, he established a functional medicine /chiropractic model which paved the way to Freedom Practice Coaching. Dr. Webb created a practice model that focused on empowering his patients to live an optimal lifestyle by providing a complete Optimal Health curriculum, group classes on detoxification, nutrition and fitness along with customized programs unique to each individual. He ditched the fee-for-service model of selling adjustments and therapies for an "all-inclusive" model; offering a "priceless opportunity" to those seeking a better state of health. No more selling! This was a whole new paradigm that both the patient and the practitioner could place value on and find purpose in. Since Freedom Practice Coaching's inception, over 700 practitioners have enjoyed this new model, also called the "destination" model as it's all about taking the patient to their perceived dream destination of health.
You must step out of your practice to educate your community. Show them you really care and are willing to go to them with a message of hope. It is there, in this education, that you will create your ideal clients for life!
TAC: What do you think of the primary spine care physician model?
CW: If that model truly fits your purpose, then that is what you should do. If you identify yourself as a wellness practitioner, then you’re going to have to open up to a broader scope to include caring for the body as a whole. That means to first live the life you preach. Wellness cannot exist without nutrition, exercise, mental health, and more. Unfortunately, “turning on the power” does very little in the long term for the individual who continues to live an unhealthy lifestyle.
TAC: What is one change that a chiropractor could do today to their clinic to dramatically enhance their end-of-the-year performance?
CW: Invest in a coach. I know this might sound like a knee-jerk reaction or a biased response coming from a coach, but here’s the deal. The one position that must be filled in your practice before all other positions — even the doctor because the astute entrepreneur can hire doctors — is the professional who has the experience of driving a thriving practice. The money invested in a good coach or team of professionals who can often double or triple revenue in as little as a year is often less than what the typical chiropractor pays their front desk. Think about that. The opportunity cost of not knowing what you’re doing is staggering, both financially and in personal time.
TAC: What are your goals for the chiropractic profession?
CW: To pull as many of them as I can off the burning ship before it goes down. These are my colleagues, and I see them as a dying breed. Personal trainers, physical therapists, and other practitioners are providing similar services and actually getting paid better for it. If chiropractors continue to be dominated by other health professionals who are keeping with the times, I’m fearful for their future. Again, you can’t invest $200,000 in your education and expect to make things work out earning the pay of the average chiropractor of today. Either invest in your entrepreneurial skills or perhaps consider working for a practitioner who has done that already.
TAC: What is the most common problem you see among chiropractors today?
CW: As a whole, they are trying to sell their community the subluxation story. They expect their prospects to be fascinated with the chiropractic philosophy and buy into it. As a chiropractor, I get the philosophy and recognize the value of a subluxation-free spine. However, I know that those who came to see me had no interest in becoming a chiropractor and very little interest in exactly how and why chiropractic care could provide better health beyond just pain management. The public is looking for safe and natural approaches to optimized living and is open to including chiropractic care. Whether it’s chiropractic adjustments or any other type of service or treatment, people just want results and the empowerment to take control over their life. Chiropractors should not be selling the subluxation story or even their adjustments but should be selling their expertise in their ability to find the underlying cause of distress, to mentor, and to act as a guide to work with their patients in taking them to their desired destiny. Chiropractic care will surely be a part of the plane ride, and brief discussions should be made with their patients to help them understand the role that it plays, but humbly steer away from attempting to convert them to the philosophy.
TAC: What is the biggest problem or challenge you see in the chiropractic profession today?
CW: There is no foundation to provide support to the profession as a whole. Chiropractic colleges continue to pump out students through their curriculum with virtually no preparation of what’s to come after these students graduate. “You’re on your own.” Multitudes of chiropractors are entering practice with absolutely no clue for how to ensure a thriving business. They go into business with a thought process of, “I’ll open my doors, and then I’ll learn how to build my practice. And, hopefully, I’ll make a profit within the first six months.” That is madness and the leading cause of doctors failing in practice. I do not believe the chiropractic colleges are putting the interest of their students first. At least in my perception, as long as they get their tuition, they’re good. If things don’t change and chiropractors continue to default on their loans, chiropractic colleges are in trouble. Colleges should start by offering entrepreneurial training to properly prepare these doctors for the real world. Successful business in the real world requires business knowledge, such as marketing, communication, team training, decisions by statistics, finance, and sales. Being the best chiropractor in your community, unfortunately, will not guarantee or entitle you to earn a good living.
TAC: Do you have any recommended marketing strategies that chiropractors can do to attract new patients? And to keep current patients?
CW: The thought process by the average person in your community is, “I’m the patient, so I must be sick. You’re the doctor, and you need to fix me, and I’m entitled to your care because I have insurance.” Please understand that this mindset cannot be blamed on the prospective patient as they have been trained to think this way by the traditional fee-for-service model. If you accept walk-ins, your model is fee-for-service, and you have no long-term commitment plans uniquely built for your patients, then you are also training this mindset. Understanding this is the mindset, then prior to having them come into a consultation, you should disrupt it by pre-educating them through community talks, webinars, or in-house orientations. With that being said, all marketing should drive the patient into a pre-education event rather than a consultation. Now, you have an entire 60 to 90 minutes to have a conversation with your prospects on how your approach is different, why you’re not another commodity doctor, and how your approach leads them to not only the resolution of their current symptoms but also empowers them for life-long optimized living. Those who now come into your practice for consultation will be more in line with what you see as the ideal patient. They will see you as the expert and guide and be more than willing to invest financially into your expertise.
TAC: Where do you see the future of chiropractic headed?
CW: As I mentioned earlier, my perception at this time is that chiropractors will have to move with the times and provide a level of service that the masses are now demanding. There are too many options, with many of them covered by insurance, if the chiropractor limits their niche to pain relief. I believe personal trainers are beginning to take care of a great number of those individuals who would have sought out chiropractic care in the past. They are choosing personal trainers because these trainers are providing mentorship in nutrition, exercise, detoxification, and other lifestyle skills that empower their clients to take ownership. In the end, their client feels better, loses weight, and gains muscle, confidence, and a general feeling of well-being. Their clients are not expecting insurance to cover their fees, and they don’t care. They see that time and mentorship as a very good investment.
TAC: Any final words for our readers?
CW: I know how hard it is to build a successful practice, especially if you don’t have the knowledge of entrepreneurship. Commit to your practice and commit to building yourself as a “category of one.” That means you’ve got to hang out with people who know more than you do. Get a coach! Do your research and find who best resonates with you and your purpose. Once you’ve identified two or three, start your due diligence by reviewing client comments and actually get permission to speak to a few clients. Ask about their success rate, how many chiropractors they have worked with, and if they guarantee their service. The right coach or team of coaches will pay off in dividends. The average chiropractor is losing tens of thousands of dollars per month trying to figure things out on their own. When you have the right systems in place, your patients get better results, your profits increase every month, and now your practice can continue to grow, even while you’re on vacation.
For your Free Coaching consult you may text or call a member of our team at 210-394-3953 or at freedompracticecoaching.com.
