Julie Duck

Having been involved with health care marketing for quite some time, I've seen plenty of doctors who truly found success through their efforts. I've also seen many who did not go anywhere, and some who even went backward. What made a difference for each of these people? When the doctor and his team believed in what they were doing, felt positive about it, and stayed away from the "what-ifs" that can plague any practice, then a level of success was achieved. However, even the most aggressive marketing campaign can fail if the doctor and his team succumb to the what-ifs.

Now, I come from a long line of what-iffers. What if we lose our jobs? What if we get sick? What if the economy tanks? With everyone looking at the possible problems and focusing on them, we never seemed to get where we wanted to go. Rather, we stood at a standstill, looking through the doorway toward wonderland, but always looking behind at the monstrous what-ifs that hid in our closets. I have found in recent years that by setting your intentions, letting things flow, and trusting that you will get what you want, your life and your business will thrive. Having this attitude in mind when you start a practice marketing effort can help you achieve what the marketing campaign aims to do … send more quality patients your way, help you achieve a thriving practice, and return you to doing what you love and letting the money follow.

As for how to market your practice, there are a myriad of programs, consultants, and health-focused advertising agencies that are available to set you apart in your market, focus on your "brand," and help you reach your practice goals. Maybe you want to target athletes or workers' comp patients. Or you desire to have a family-style practice that helps the people in your community to see the positive outcomes that chiropractic provides (which, of course, helps the chiropractic community at large). Even simple marketing tools that you can create yourself will work wonders when backed by positive intention instead of "what-if."

Julie T. Duck