Why is Your Percentage of Child Patients so Low?

The issue of having a low percentage of child patients bamboozles many doctors. They do not see many kids, but want more child patients. Everyone clearly understands that the profession is heading toward family practices with tons of kids and their parents! That is what most doctors want, and that is what your community wants. So if that is the case, why aren't these two "wants" in synch? Let"s get to the answer! One of my favorite questions that I ask all doctors who first enquire about my program is what percentage of children they see in their practice, which seems to be a simple question. The answer I hear most often is either fewer than 5% or somewhere just above 10%. and both answers are very low. Win would that be? The answer to that question has two parts: 1. The percentage of children you see in your practice is a direct reflection of the level of trust your patients have in what you do! Ouch! It is an issue of trust. pure and simple. Essentially, it means that your patients do not really trust what you do (what you do. not who you are—this is not personal). Think about it for a moment: Would you ever take your children to a doctor you did not trust? Right. Stephen Barrett would become a DC first! However, that is exactly what we expect our patients to do. don't we? We expect them to bring their children to see us. Why would they? They really don't trust what you do. and it makes them feel uncomfortable to bring their children to see you when their own internal bells are alarming them to think otherwise. They will never tell you that this is a problem for them, though. Instead, you will hear the following excuses: "My kids are just so busy" "There is no time. They have piano lessons and Kumon math and soccer after school. They are just so busy. " "My husband feels that they don 't need it. " "We haven't planned for this. " "We don't have the money. " Ever heard any of these? I'm sure you have! The translation is that there is an issue of tnist in your office: they simply do not tmst what you do. 2. Your patients and community see you as a very nice, average, chiropractor—wonderful hands, great family, nice home, nice car. but average. And that is the problem. Average. Would you ever take your kids to a doctor who is average? I don't think so. This is how people in your community would talk about you: "Bob, you need to go and see Dr. Jeff with that crick in your neck, hum leg, and back pain. He 'II fix you right up! He s a fix-it guy! But for your uncle s kidney failure, your mom s colitis, your son's asthma, or your daughter 's infertility, I wouldn 't see him!" Your community sees you as average, that there is nothing special about you. So that is why you don't sec the number of children you want to sec in your practice. It also is why you don't see all of those referrals. Parents do not want to subject their children to the care of someone they consider average, and you wouldn't either! That perception will not cliange un­less vou do. Ergo, you need to change. You need to recreate yourself as a doctor who the com­munity sees as incredible and amazing. This is not related to increasing tasteless marketing, flashier ads and websites, of­fers for free grills or dinners, etc. It is related to only one thing: you becoming the most ama/ing doctor your community lias ever seen! The community does not need to think you are the best at marketing, the best salesperson, the best at executing fear tactics in the name of Christ, and not the best at BS. No. They need to think you arc the best at being an incredible doctor. You are someone who everyone trusts implicitly. You arc someone everyone wants to see. You are someone held in high esteem by everyone in town. That kind of doctor. Wouldn't it be wonderful if that were you? Wouldn't it be phenomenal if you were "sought after"? You absolutely love the sound of that—sought after! You are all over it. It comes at a price, though, and it's your willingness to embrace change. When that happens, you will need a bat­talion of ninja CAs to protect your practice from the onslaught of new patients. You might also need a fire-breathing dragon and a moat around your office. Why? Because you are now the doctor even-one wants to sec. You arc now "sought after"! If you are not sure how to go about becoming "sought aftcr."please feel ven- free to call me. Dr. Ogi is a Practice Coach and teaches the Practice Evo­lution Program. He is an inter­national lecturer, a pediatric and x-ray specialist, researcher and clini­cian. It was Dr. Ogi and Dr. Larry Webster who started the whole pediatric awareness and movement on the planet - when it comes to kids, he has no equal. He can be reached at: drogi'upracticeevolution. com or www.practiceevolution. com