Here is an image of my promo card. I use this to hand out to people at health screenings and to my patients to hand to their friends and family members to get them to come on in to see me.

Let me know what you think!

There are two subjects that are required in order to move potential patients from a “no, I’m not sure that acupuncture can help me,” to “yes, I think that this is the right choice for my healthcare needs.”

Here are the Two Green Lights of Acknowledgement. Green is good, it allows things to flow well and when you have acknowledgement, you have agreement. When you have agreement, you have a new patient.

• Agree or Disagree. The first thing that you need to do is to get your patients to acknowledge and agree that they have a problem. Potential patients often ask what acupuncture is and what it can treat, and acupuncturists ask these potential patients what they have wrong. When asked what you do, or what acupuncture can do, you should answer their questions and then ask if they have had any health problems over the past 5 months.
• I have the answer for you. The next thing you need to do is to get them to realize that you have an answer for their problem(s). The goal is to get them to call you, or best of all, get them to come into your clinic for an evaluation. Once they are in your clinic, it is you goal to get them to stay for more care.

It can go like this:

Potential patient (PP): “Hey, you’re an acupuncturist! Wow, I know so and so, who knows so and so, who has tried acupuncture and it worked really well for them. What does it do?”

You: “That’s wonderful, isn’t it amazing how this ancient form of healthcare can help so many people in so many ways?” Tell me <their name here>, are there any health conditions that you may be concerned about?”

PP: “Well, not really. I feel fine, no problems here!”

You: “That’s great <their name here>. You must be the picture of health. Can I ask you a few questions? Do you sleep well? Do you ever get any headaches? Do you ever get any pain, stiffness or discomfort? Are you stressed out?” If they answer that they feel fine, give them a business card or a brochure that talks about what acupuncture is, and what it can treat, tell them that “it’s wonderful that they feel so well, and if they ever need any care or if you want to know if acupuncture can help with specific symptoms of signs, do not hesitate to contact me, and if they know anyone who may need to get well and stay well, give them my card and have them call me.”

The goal is to try and have them bring up a health condition that they are concerned about. If they do, then:

PP: “Well I have had a few headaches in my time. But no big deal.”

You: “Wow, let me share with you something that I think is important. You may think that headaches <or whatever condition they mention>, are no big deal. But, if you had tooth pain that came and went and came and went, on and off for months, would you ignore it? You may, but, over time, it may manifest into something more severe, like a cavity or worse, or the need for a root canal.”

“Now, I’m trying to change your mind, and I am not saying that your headaches are something to worry about, but if you knew that there might be a way to eliminate your headaches, and potentially detect what may be a small problem now, before it becomes a larger one, wouldn’t you want to know? I may have the answer for you and your health care needs.”

“Well, I invite you to come on in to my clinic so I can take a closer look at your problem. If I were standing in your shoes, I would do everything I could to protect my health before it got any worse. So, what I am offering is…<make an offer they can’t refuse-see our website in Tips and Free Stuff section and look for Health Pass Information>

The goal is to get them to acknowledge that they have some sort of health problem. Once you get them to the “Yes, I do have <headaches, digestive troubles, etc…>,” you then need to get them into your clinic for an evaluation, and eventually for care.

One of the tried-and-true ways to continually attract new patients, reactivate old ones and stimulate current ones, is through good old direct marketing mailings.

It’s a win-win. They receive something that makes their day, you spend little more than .70 cents, and few minutes of your time. Direct marketing mailings help you professionally share your message of health and acupuncture with your local community.

Below are a few sample letters to help kick your direct marketing mailing into gear and make it easier for you.

Send one of the 2 letters below out after your new patient’s first visit. It’s a warm way to welcome them into your practice.

Welcome Letter #1

Dear <patient name>,

Welcome to our clinic, and to the family and friends who have found success with the natural methods acupuncture care has to offer.

Most patients seek out acupuncture care for a variety of health concerns. My goal at this clinic is to help you, your family, and friends achieve and maintain optimal health with this safe, natural, drug-free, and holistic health care system.

The trust and confidence you have placed in selecting me as your acupuncturist is most appreciated.

It’s a great pleasure to welcome you to our practice, and a wonderful opportunity to work together with you to provide a life free of pain and full of vitality! I look forward to our next appointment together.

I want to thank you for investing in your most valuable possession—your health!

Yours in Health and Wellness,

<handwritten signature>

<printed name>

Include the following items with this letter:

• A schedule card reminding them of their next appointment
• Three business cards
• Acupuncture Question and Answer brochure
• Condition-specific brochure (if applicable)
• Acupuncture in a Nutshell

Welcome Letter #2

Dear <patient name>,

I want to take a moment to congratulate you for investing in your health – your most valuable possession.

I see many patients with a variety of health concerns, many of which respond favorably to acupuncture care. My goal at this clinic is to help you and your family, achieve and maintain optimal health with safe, natural and holistic acupuncture care.

The trust and confidence you have placed in the unique healing that acupuncture can provide, is most appreciated. Acupuncture works, and this ancient health care system can:

1. Help to prevent illness and disease
2. Activate the self-healing and self-regulating abilities of the body.
3. Adjust and balance the flow of vital life energy, called Qi.
4. Help you achieve optimal health, vitality, and well-being.

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to my practice, and a wonderful opportunity to work together with you to provide a life free of pain and full of vitality!

I look forward to our next appointment together.

Yours in Health and Wellness,

<handwritten signature>

<printed name>

Include the following items with this letter:

• A schedule card reminding them of their next appointment
• Three business cards
• Acupuncture Question and Answer brochure
• Condition-specific brochure (if applicable)
• Acupuncture in a Nutshell

Send referral letters out on a regular basis. This is a great way to get your name noticed around town. Go through the yellow pages, holistic directories, those business cards you collected, anything you have at your disposal. Make a list of medical doctors, massage and talk therapists, chiropractors, anyone whose practice will complement yours.

This letter is for your patients, asking them to help grow your practice. For other referral letters, visit our online store at www.acupuncturemediaworks.com. Click the “Tips and Free stuff” link and open the “Referral Letters to Grow Your Practice” file.

Referral Letter

Dear <Patient name>,

First of all, I want to thank you for being a patient of mine.

I have really enjoyed working with you over the past few <weeks, months, years>, and I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you choosing me as your acupuncturist.

I realized that I would love to have a practice full of <patient’s first name> if I could.  Since people tend to attract and socialize with like-minded folks, I figured that asking for your help may bring in more patients like you. To be quite honest, I’m figuring that you know others who may also benefit from acupuncture care.

So, short of cloning you, if you know anyone that I can help, let me know, or just send them my way. I will even provide them with a <complimentary, reduced rate, or discounted> initial exam, just because they’re a friend or family member of yours.

Thanks again for helping me help your friends and family, and having the trust and confidence in referring them to me. If there is any way I can be of service to you, don’t hesitate to let me know!

In Health & A Practice Filled With  <patient’s first name>.

<handwritten signature>

<printed name>

PS. I have included three discounted Health Passes. Please hand these out to your friends and family members who may also benefit from acupuncture care. Thanks again!

Include the following items with this letter:

• “Acupuncture & Modern Research” brochure
• Three “Acupuncture in a Nutshell” booklets
• Three business cards
• Three coupons or Health Passes

Well, first off, I want to thank each and every one of you for joining me in cyberspace the other day.  I just love sharing this information with you and especially enjoy your questions, feedback and kudos!

Here are the answers to most of the questions that came up during the webinar. Please make comments or ask me questions should they arise.

Here’s to your health and your practice growth!

Q: Where do you do your screenings? What type of locations/events do you set these screenings up at?

A: There are a few places where I do or have done screenings in the past – gyms, health food stores, local businesses, other practitioners’ practices, schools, you name it. Wherever large groups of people are either working at a particular location, or just passing through, to me, they are all viable options for hosting an acupuncture health screening. I’ve also done them at fundraisers for non-profit organizations and marathons.

Q: How do you schedule them?

A: I don’t, well, not anymore. We have one of our clinic staff members make all the calls for us. Here’s what they do: locate and identify local businesses within a general radius from our clinic, in our case, it’s the south end of downtown Seattle. (Seattle’s not that big for those of you who have never been here before) They would contact the human resource department or someone who is in charge of marketing and event planning, and ask them a few questions:

1. Do they provide benefits to their employees?
2. Who’s their insurance company or HMO?
3. If their plans cover acupuncture?
4. Have they ever done, or plan to do an employee health fair?

In some states, acupuncture may not be covered in insurance plans, when that happens, question 4 is the one to ask. If they say yes, ask them if you can attend the next one, if not, ask them if they would be interested in hosting one for their employees. (This is a whole other topic, I will get into this in a future webinar. But you can read about it in our Acupuncture Health Screenings for Practice Success e-book. http://www.acupuncturemediaworks.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=248&category_id=32&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 )

Q: Are these slides available for us to keep?

A: Well, yes and no. They are available for you to view online for as long as I keep them online. I am not sure how long that will be.

Q: Where do we get the visual aids such as education cards, ashi point charts, etc.?

A: Oops, sorry about that! I guess I didn’t make it clear enough that we sell them. J If you click on the links below, you can learn more about our products. We have over 80 items that help practitioners, like you, to grow their practice with patient education tools.

http://acupuncturemediaworks.com/

Brochures

Education cards

Laminated charts

Acupuncture in a nutshell

Q: Which brand of EMI do I use?

A: Acugraph 3, by Miridia Technologies. We will be hosting a webinar March 30^th featuring Adrian Larson, the man behind Acugraph,

Q: How much does it cost?

A: Well, it’s a pricey little thing, but ROI is well worth it. They start at $1,995. But if you contact me, directly, I can get you one for $300 off normal retail pricing. No kidding! J

Q: Do you have Alarm Point chart for sale?

A: We most certainly do. See below:

Laminated charts

Q: Would it be possible for you to send a couple of these slides by email? I missed the survey and health pass slides. Thanks.

A: I can’t send them by email, but you can see them in detail at the links below:

Acupuncture Health Survey

Health pass

Q: Where is the location of “Point Zero”? Is this different than ear Shenmen?

A: See link below:

http://www.yinyanghouse.com/theory/auricular/master_points

Q: How do I get an electro-imaging scanning device?

A: They start at $1,995. But if you contact me, directly, I can get you one for $300 off normal retail pricing. No kidding! J

Q: Are you open to answering questions later?

A: Of course I am. Please, feel free to contact me anytime or post a question here. I would be pleased to try and answer what I can. If not, I will point you in the right direction.

Q: Can you have people touch their own Ashi points?

A: Yes. That’s another way of getting a really good WOW factor, without making people feel uncomfortable. The thing is, you have to show them the exact location of the point. I’ve done it like this, and it works pretty well.

Q: How accurate is the EMI?

A: I think it’s pretty darn accurate. But, if you tune in next Tuesday, March 3oth, we’ll hear it from the man who owns Acugraph.

Q: What about point localizing on Ashi points?

A: I am not familiar with “point localizing.” Please do tell.

Q: If you have to leave a VM, how many times do you try calling to follow up after an event?

A: Twice. We pre-call the day before they are scheduled to come in, and you should get into the habit of pre-calling EVERY patient the day before EVERY appointment, or have someone else do it for you. If they fail to show up to their appointment we will call them to let them know that they missed their appointment and see if they wish to reschedule.

Q: I’d like to know about what you cover in a health care class and about how long you do them. What day of the week and time of day do you find is best for people?

A: Gosh, we can do a healthcare class on almost anything-seasonal foods, seasonal changes, meridian exercises, point location, self-care techniques, etc…but I have done them for each of the meridians using these handouts we have, see link below.

New Patient Orientation class and Meridian handouts

These are two great healthcare classes. The first is a powerpoint presentation and the later are handouts and a book that make for great tools to host 5 different healthcare classes-one class each season for each meridian. Does that make sense?

Q: What type of sign/lead in question have you found is the most successful in street fairs and health expos?

A: The sign is a picture of a meridian system or model that says, “Have you ever had an acupuncture evaluation?” The question is the same. I have also had signs that said, “Have you had your Qi checked lately?” I have found that the first one works the best, but I like the later one. Let me know what you wind up doing!

Q: You mentioned a “kit” that you had for sale that had all of the screening products in it, where can I find that?

A: Right here, we offer two types of kits.

Acupuncture Health Screening Kit #1

Acupuncture Health Screening Kit #2

Q: How has the Acugraph assessment compared with other diagnostic methods in your experience?

A: If you are referring to other computerized meridian imaging programs, I have used both Acugraph 3 ( http://acugraph.com/default.php?gclid=CO2I6Mqz8KACFQlZiAodz2H0Og )  and Electro-Meridian Imaging by Dr. Ammaro, ( http://www.emi4.com/product-overview.php ). I prefer Acugraph because:

a). It works with Mac and I think the EMI is only good for PC

b). The database and graphics on the Acugraph are nicer and easier to work with

c). It has more features

Q: How would you rate the assessment consistency (i.e, reproducibility of results)?

A: Well, good question. It seems reliable and consistent in the fact that when a patient has particular symptoms, the “out-of-balance” meridian does show up on the graph. I use it primarily as an adjunct to my dx., and most certainly as a patient gathering tool at health fairs. I do know that some practitioners use it for treatment protocols.

Here is the response from Acugraph:

“The reproducibility is perfect when measuring fixed resistances (i.e. in the lab.)

The translation is that I think AcuGraph measurement is at least as reliable as pulse palpation, and certainly reliable enough to be clinically useful.”

The time your patient spends sitting in your waiting room is valuable. Look around. What do they see? What do they read? What can they take with them to share with a friend or loved one? What do your walls say?

Educating your patients is a multidimensional project that does not stop or start in your treatment room. Everything from décor to reading materials and product placement can affect your clientele’s relationship with the healing process. Before you begin to treat your patients, they need to know that your business is legitimately concerned with their health and vitality.

Preparing your space does not need to involve a large expense or extended periods of time. Keep it clean and simple, and then let the environment you create help to promote and grow your business.

Here are some suggestions to make your office environment, from waiting room to treatment room, a place that not only educates your patients, but also promotes health and well-being.

What do they see? – When they walk in the front door, are they greeted with plants that have restricted Qi flow, outdated products and empty brochure stands? It’s easy to keep things simple and clean. Display only those products and materials that promote your current business, keep living plants and flowers trimmed, watered and happy, and never let your brochure racks and business card holders stand empty.  TIP: Consult books on Feng Shui to help you design your space and lay out materials.

What do they read? – Don’t display People and Time Magazines, where gossip and advertisements reinforcing the “symptoms = drugs” scenarios are rampant. Instead, display magazines about Yoga, Health, Spirituality and Nature, promoting healthy life-style choices and support the “health = no (serious) symptoms” scenario. Books on these topics, such Meridian Exercises or Energy Medicine, are great too.  TIP: Stay current. Don’t forget to get rid of old, outdated magazines.

What can they share? – Place literature, educational materials, recent articles and studies in an easy-to-see location.  Education cards are an excellent and effective way to introduce people to a new way of relating to health and wellness.  While your patients wait, they can read through education cards on topics such as “Acupuncture and Menopause” or “Acupuncture and Depression.” Everyone knows someone who can benefit from what acupuncture can offer. TIP: Create packets of information based on specific topics like Pain or Allergies, which include education cards, articles, studies and other literature. Attach notes encouraging your patients to take them home and to spread the news to family and friends. Make sure that your contact information is included on each item in the information packet, as well as on the packet itself.

What do your walls say? – Hang framed posters that promote acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. How about a Meridian Chart displaying meridian pathways and organ networks, or a poster expressing the Safety of Acupuncture? In this way, you can beautify your clinic while also educating your patients. TIP: Remember to change them often. After all, change is good and it keeps your office fresh, new and exciting!

These pointers will help you keep your space fresh, new, exciting and educational.  Knowledge is a powerful tool.  If used correctly, it can help you to grow an abundant and flourishing practice.

Testimonials are one of greatest forms of practice promotion, hands down! I would much rather seek out the care of another practitioner  that came highly recommended than to find a random practitioner on a google search. But, there are a few things that have changed when it comes to using testimonials that I think are important.

Honestly, I am still wrapping my head around this one and have a call into our lawyer to help clarify this for me. Once I get in touch with him, I’ll post his response. In the meantime, I have included the link to the FTC’s new rulings. Have a look for yourself and PLEASE let me know what you think and understand about their new guidelines.

Thanks!

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

These are excerpts from various talks I’ve given over the years. Pick through the information and formulate some good analogies that you can use to tell your patients what it is you do and what you will do for them.

Then, feel free to let me know what you may already tell them and what you think of this information!

QUESTION: How many have heard the word Qi?

There is no one word in the English language that truly captures the essence of what Qi is.

The best way I have to describe it is by calling it Vital Energy. It’s the energy that animates every living thing.

Here’s a good analogy: Imagine a person (in my clinic I hold up a plastic meridian model and use that as the visual) that has lived to be 105 years old. They are upright and seem somewhat vitalized. Their body parts are functioning normally, for the most part. One day they pass peacefully on from natural causes. Inside of him, he still has all of his organs, blood, cells, etc., but there is something missing.

QUESTION: What do you think that is?

A spark, yes the spark that animates every part of his being, our being!

That spark is what we call Qi. The spark of life!

From the tallest tree, to the smallest cell, Qi is the Vital Energy that enlivens your entire being.

It’s an unseen energy that supports our body’s ability to function properly. It provides nourishment for every cell, tissue, muscle, organ and gland.

Our body uses Qi to accomplish everyday activities. Each organ and meridian pathway needs to be fed and filled with an ample supply of Qi in order to function optimally.

And it’s the quality, quantity and strength of Qi can be seen in your physical, mental and emotional health.

Qi has various physiological functions:

• Activates & animates
• Transforms & transports
• Warms the body
• Protects & defends
• Contains & retains

Health is maintained as long as each of us has a sufficient supply that freely travels throughout the body in order to provide proper nourishment.

Now that you understand what Qi is, how we get it, and what we use it for, let me ask you this…

QUESTION: Do you think it just sits there? How do you think it moves?

Over the past few thousand years, the Chinese have mapped out a series of pathways in the body and have called this the Meridian network. I like to call it our internal river of life!

Imagine little rivers of Qi running inside of your body. Meridians are a network of invisible pathways that distribute Qi to every cell, tissue, organ, gland and system within your body. They are long internal rivers, with many branches, that travel throughout your entire body, connecting cells, tissues, muscles and organs.

Qi is carried along these internal rivers, providing nourishment and sustenance for all of our life processes.

Qi is the invisible flowing current, moving around your body, energizing, nourishing and supporting every cell, tissue, muscle, organ and gland.

Your meridian system is extremely detailed and similar in complexity to the blood and nervous system.

I mentioned earlier that health is achieved as long as both Yin and Yang are in balance. It is also achieved when we have a free flow of Qi traveling throughout the entire body. When there is a blockage in the meridians, the supply of Qi that is required to properly nourish and support the cells, tissues, muscles, organs and glands becomes restricted.

I’ll use the simple analogy of watering a plant.

• Just like plant in your garden, the body needs adequate sun, nutrients, and water to grow and function.
• Imagine a blocked and constricted garden hose, that is unable to provide an adequate supply of water to the plant.
• Without water, the plant will be unable to grow, blossom and thrive. It will wilt, deform and decay.

QUESTION: Then what do you think happens?

You got it! You folks are really catching on. Illness, pain and disease!

******************************************************************************

Blockage of Qi = imbalance which leads to pain, illness, and disease.

When the Qi becomes disrupted, stuck or weakened, our body will not receive adequate nourishment of the life force, and over time poor health and disease can occur.

We have already established that Qi flows in a certain and specific way throughout the body.

QUESTION: Now, what if I were to block off Qi “upstream”, what do you think will happen “downstream” in the body?

Right! Something downstream will be affected.

What do you think the symptoms of having blocked Qi would look like?

fatigue, listless, low energy, low creativity, depression, pain, irritability, etc….

So illness and disease according to the medical theories of Acupuncture and Chinese medicine stem from Qi either becoming:

• Stuck or blocked- what kind of symptoms do you think will appear?  Bloating, pain, fullness, throbbing.

And it can also be due to:

• Deficient – what kind of symptoms do you think will appear? Depression, blurry vision, shortness of breath, fatigue, pale complexion, lack of energy, unmotivated.
• Collapsed – what kind of symptoms do you think will appear? Lassitude, dizziness, prolapsed, distending sensations.

QUESTION: What do you think  would happen if you had an abundant amount of flowing Qi?

Life feels good, happy, grounded, creative, bounce back from illness and pain easily, etc..

You’ll blossom and grow!

The difference between the proper quantity, quality and movement of Qi throughout our bodies, compared to an imbalance of it, can be dramatic. Resulting in various signs and symptoms.

Here’s a little mantra for you – Free flow and proper balance of Qi = healthy body, mind and spirit.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. The good thing is that as an acupuncturist my job is to detect and correct where Qi has become stuck, deficient or out-of-balance.

The bad news is is that you folks make my job easy because so many things cause a blockage and/or imbalance of Qi.

It’s a whole new New Years celebration all over again. In a little less than a month, it will be the beginning of Chinese New Year – this year it’s the year of the Tiger.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger, which begins on February 14, 2010 and goes through February 2, 2011. The Tiger is the third sign in the Chinese Zodiac and is a natural born leader, symbolizes power, passion, daring and bravery.

Chinese New Year is right around the corner and yet another opportunity to make contact with your patients, especially those who you have not seen in a while.

Whether through email, letters, newsletters or postcards, it’s important to make contact with both active and inactive patients as often as you can, keeping your name and clinic fresh in their minds

Keeping in touch means that your patients, as well as their family and friends, when faced with a healing crisis or in the need of some general balancing, will look to you for relief.

Keeping in touch reminds your active and inactive patients to schedule an appointment and re-educates them on the benefits of wellness care versus only responding to symptoms and signs.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Mail a postcard wishing them a Gung Hay Fat Choy
• Have your office assistant give a courtesy call. Better yet, call them yourself
• Draft a letter and include a bookmark with your business card attached
• Share a few resolutions that you’ve developed for the Chinese New Year and ask them to share some of their own
• Send your patients a letter that talks about what the year of the Tiger has in store for their body, mind and spirit
• Send them a seasonal or monthly newsletter
• Throw a Patient Appreciation Chinese New Year party at your clinic

These are just a few suggestions to help you kick off the year of the Tiger.

I would love to hear how some of you with be embracing the year of the Tiger more powerfully, passionately, daringly and braver!

Are you going to do more talks, health fairs, referral generating events?

Are you planning on doing anything to celebrate you, your practice, your patients and the year of the Tiger?

Post a blurb on the blog to share with others.

Blessings and good fortune in the Tiger year!

Jeffrey

Hello there!

A week or so ago, I sent off an email talking about a ragged 3×5 index card. When I say ragged, I mean it was well worn with much love and attention.  If you remember, I mentioned that my cousin turned me on to  “the ticket to my future,” my Dream Visualization Card (DVC).

After the email was launched, I was surprised to hear from as many of you as we did regarding sending you your own DVC and red envelope. (As I am writing this, I am sure more requests are coming in.)

That’s great!  It’s wonderful to see how many practitioners want to tap into the positive, powerful and universal creative energies.

A very wise man once said, “You can choose to set goals and realize your potential. Or you can choose not to set them.”  I am sure many of you have heard of Zig Ziglar, he’s the wise man I’m referring to. If you haven’t, Google him and you’ll find some truly inspirational stuff, or better yet, check out my blog for a video of his.

Anyway, he talks about the master structure of goal setting and here is how it works.  First you have to:

• Identify what your goals are.

• Write them down.

• Put an end-date on them, as in when do you want to have this goal realized? Don’t be too hasty, some things take time.

• List any and all obstacles that you may have to overcome in order to achieve the goal(s)

• Identify any groups, people and organizations that you will need to work with to get you where  you want to be.

• Devise a plan of action. What steps will you need to take to get you there?

• Identify what’s in it for you, or better yet, how will you benefit?

It’s only when you take each and every goal and apply the above structure to them that they can become a reality. It usually doesn’t happen over night. But when it does happen, you will have the capacity to achieve just about anything.

Look to your goals to give you the drive to move you toward the wealth and health you desire.

There’s an article I came across on the web a while back. It talks about the 8 Strategies for Achieving SMART Goals. Check out my blog that links to the article, if you do, it will only enhance the DVC card experience.  In a nutshell, it talks about setting “SMART” goals They need to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.

Setting goals is a powerful process that can help to create your ideal practice, ideal future and keep you motivated with your eye on the prize.  What’s cool about it is that you can choose where you want to go in life, and once you have that down, you’ll know what steps you need to take to get there.

Now, I should put a disclaimer here, and I will. Not all of your goals will manifest into reality, in fact some goals may very go unaccomplished. If so, it’s not to say that you didn’t try. As the famous W.C. Fields once said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a fool about it.”

When goals are properly set (see bulleted points above) they can be incredibly motivating. Especially when you get into the habit of setting them, and then watch them be accomplished. It’s very exciting.

Anyway, you get the point. If you want, visit my blog and you can check out Zig Ziglars video and the SMART goals PDF.  Feel free to leave any and all comments.

Thanks for taking the time to request your Dream Visualization Card (DVC). I have enclosed a few extra cards in case you wish to share them with your patients, friends or loved ones.  I’ll be blogging about the process of goal setting in the next few weeks or so.

Please let me know what you think about this. Tell me, what are your goals? Please do share, and whatever else you wish to tell or ask me, after all, this is a blog, and blogs are for sharing!

Here’s to manifesting your goals into dreams in 2010.

May your dreams come true in 2010 and may your DV cards become torn and well-weathered from looking at them ALL the time!

I hope you enjoy the vids.

Jeffrey

This blog post is a continuation from the email we sent out on 12/23/09. The whole email is here, if you wish to read it ALL over again, feel free to do so. If you want to continue where it left off in the email, scroll to to where it says “************************** START HERE **************************”.

I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to leave any feedback and comments.

Happy holidays!

From all of us here, we wish you a happy, merry and wonderful holiday season.

We want to thank you for supporting us through the years and giving us a great reason to continue developing new and super cool marketing and patient education materials for the acupuncture profession.

Thank you!

I plan on taking a little time off over the next week or so to relax, play and finish an inspiring book, Point for Profit. I wanted to share with you a blurb from it.

It’s loaded with very practical clinic information.

Every chapter is a goldmine in and of itself!

I really wanted to share some of this with you, so I called Honora Wolfe, one of the authors, to see if she would be willing to let me share a blurb with you folks.

Honora made my day when she said I could use the text from Chapter 11.

Yay!

It’s so dense with information that there is way too much to put in the body of this email, so I linked the rest to our blog.

Enjoy the clinical pearls of chapter 11 that this book has to offer. If you like what you read here, remember, we are having our annual 20% EVERYTHING SALE, so, you can save a pretty penny or two, and certainly glean a few great practice growing nuggets.

Here is the excerpt from her Points for Profit book:

Chapter 11 – Patient Management, or, How Do You Keep Them Coming Back Happy?

Communication and confidence are the most important tools you can have when it comes to patient management, but there is quite a bit more to consider here. This aspect of running your clinic is, possibly, the most important function you undertake, second only to managing your finances. Oftentimes, you will find that getting new patients is easier than maintaining them and keeping them on your active roster for years to come. When you can do this, however, you will also be welcoming their referrals to your clinic on a regular basis. We wish there were magic bullets for this skill. There are not. Like most things in life, it is a group of co-factors that make you successful at managing your patients’ feelings about you and their interactions with your clinic. In Chapter 6, we discussed the importance of the look and feel of your clinic. In addition to these relatively subconscious responses, there are many other aspects of clinic interaction where you may “guide” your patients’ feelings into the most positive zone possible.

Initial responses

Remember that patient management begins before the person walks through your door. It starts with the first phone contact, how prospective patient questions are answered by your front desk staff, what it’s like to find a parking space near your office, even the response to your brochure that they picked up at the health food store. Assuming you have done a good job with all these preliminary pieces, the next part of your work in this area includes the appearance of your clinic and lobby, the professionalism of your front desk staff, and even the quality and appearance of your initial paperwork. These things can have that potential life-long patient thinking either that you are a good addition to their medical toolbox or that you are a quack. Since keeping patients is essential to the survival of your clinic, you need to think about these initial prospective patient interactions that will happen long before they’ve seen the inside of your treatment room or experienced the insertion of a needle.

Close encounters of the telephone kind

Whether referred by a business colleague, a free lecture at the library, or a business card picked up at the climbing gym, most of the time people’s initial contact with your clinic will be on the telephone. Whether you are the one handling phone communications or you have a front desk staff, this contact needs to be scripted, at least to some extent. You can write down several ways that your phone could be answered and allow your front desk person(s) to choose the option they like best. Whatever you have them say, it is most important that:

They (or you) don’t mumble or speak too quickly. This is a very common problem with Asian receptionists speaking in English because Chinese and other Asian languages are spoken at a much faster tempo than English. This can be a difficult issue for Chinese coming to the U.S. to understand and is a common experience with Chinese product suppliers (i.e., you-call-them-but-you-are-not-sure-what-company you- called-because-the-person-answering-the-phone-speaks too- quickly-to-be-understood.)

They sound upbeat and helpful, not bored, preoccupied, or surly.

There is actually someone to answer the phone during normal clinic hours, such as 8-to-4 or 9-to-5. Would you expect any doctor’s office to have only an answering machine with music in the background that says, “I’ll get back in touch with you within one working day”? If we wish to be perceived as professional medical care providers, we have to act, at least in some ways, like other care providers in our culture. That means having normal business phone hours during which people can reach a real person, even if that person is not you.

They have some scripted answers to commonly asked questions so that they sound competent and professional.

They have some idea what to do with people calling about a problem or complaint.

They know approximately how long various procedures require, what initial paperwork needs to be completed and signed, and if there are any other information you need from a new patient prior to their first visit.

When writing these short scripts to answer these and other questions, remember that you want each answer given by your front desk person speaking to a prospective patient to lead to: “We could see you at 2 PM on Friday or at 10 AM on Monday. Would either of those work for you?”

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Forms and paperwork

Your new patient has just arrived, grabs a clipboard stuffed with paper and sits in your comfortable lobby to read, check, circle, and sign. Everyone in this country who has ever seen a medical practitioner in their life is used to going through this process. Don’t apologize for it and don’t cheapen it with homemade-looking forms that leave large gaps in a necessary medical history. As well as gathering information from your patient, this process is designed to tell your patient how you do business, how their account with you is to be handled, what your rates are, and any other information that you wish to give them. An informed patient is a keeper. Remember that people don’t like to feel confused.

Forms you need for an initial exam and visit:

• Patient information – Name, address, phone number, email, emergency contact, etc. How do you get in touch with this patient? What do they prefer to be called? Who referred them?
• Health history – Chief complaint, secondary and other more minor complaints, medical history, prescription drug and supplement use, last medical exam and reason, recent surgeries. This form is designed to flesh out why the person is there, what they have done about it in the past, gives you a social and family history, and points to any communicable or life-threatening disease or disorder they may suffer concomitantly.
• Financial policies – What you offer, how much it costs, and accepted forms of payment. If you have a sliding scale, describe the process here and how they must prove hardship if requesting lower fees. If you bill insurance yet want patients to know they are responsible for any unpaid balance, tell them here. If you offer a payment at time of services discount, describe it in detail here. It is very important that you have people sign this page signifying they understand your policies. Some clinics take an imprint of a credit card in the case of non-payment; if this is your policy, describe it here. The more you tell people on this form, the less difficulty you will have in getting paid later.
• Office policies – Do you have observers or interns from the local acupuncture college? Do you have a required cancellation window of 24 hours, or 12? How should changes in appointments be handled and with what notice?
• Privacy policy – If you are abiding by HIPAA rules, you are required to tell patients how you will protect and use their Personal Health Information. Please see Section 2, Chapter 9 for more details on this.
• Insurance form – If the patient presents you with an insurance card, make a copy of it and then present them with a form designed to gather all of the necessary information for you to bill said insurance company. Make sure to include information such as the insured’s name, date of birth, address, and Social Security number. Do you accept assignment of benefits? Even if you are compliant with HIPAA, add a release of information block so that there is no misunderstanding that you will share information with the insurance company.
• Consent to treatment – If you do not have malpractice insurance that requires the use of a certain form, make one up. Consent to Treatment form is designed to tell people what the risks associated with your services are: acupuncture, herbs, tuina, cupping, gua sha, moxibustion, and the like. This is not to try and scare people. However, if you list that a possible side-effect of acupuncture is bruising, and they read and signed the form telling them this, then they will be less likely to be upset about getting a bruise.
• Arbitration agreement – Although a touchy subject, some malpractice companies will cut you a break on pricing if you have patients sign an arbitration agreement. This form waives the patient’s right to a jury trial, saying that they can sue you if they want, but they will arbitrate instead of going to trial. More and more professionals are using this type of form, including medical practitioners and even real estate brokers. The more information you give to your patient, the less reason they have to claim ignorance or, worse, to be ignorant. Tell your patients up front everything about how you expect the exchange of your services for their green qi is to take place. Tell them their information with you is safe. Tell them, without saying it, that you are a well-trained medical professional.

Intakes that WOW

Your initial intake is like a first date. This is where you can possibly make up for the cramped lobby and poor lighting conditions in the bathroom. You have a chance here to really impress this person who has possibly never had an acupuncture experience. Dimes to dollars, however, they have seen a doctor at some point in their life. It is for this reason that doing an intake that WOW’s , something that really knocks their socks off, is crucial. Being that we are performing a medical service, we all know that asking all about the chief complaint is one of the first steps in this process. Next, the nature of our medicine stipulates that some of the questions we ask are those that no person has ever had asked of them before, unless they are suffering from some sort of bowel or sexual disorder. Just by this alone, we are already spending more time face-to-face with our patients than most physicians spend in a day with all of their patients combined – a definite plus.

Take their blood pressure. Obviously, in some cases, this is called for (such as headaches and dizziness). But take it on the first visit no matter what. (In some states this is a requirement before every treatment.) This is also a great tie-in to what patients are used to from their previous life in the Western medical system. Does the blood pressure fit into your Chinese medical diagnosis? Probably not. Does it convey a sense of professionalism and show that your medical techniques have some feeling of being grounded in a reality they are comfortable with? Definitely. A thorough exam on a patient’s first visit to your office will go a long way into wowing them back again. You may also consider weighing them and doing a simple urinalysis to check for sugar content if you feel comfort a b l e with that.

Let the patient talk, but control the flow of the conversation. When you begin your intake, you may start with some open ended questions that allow you to get some general information, some of which the patient does not even know they are giving (such as general energy level, tone and strength of voice, and body language). Then, as you whittle your choices of pattern discrimination down, ask more “yes/no” questions that leave little room for explanation but give you the specifics you need (“Is the nasal mucus clear and thin or yellow and thick?”). If and when the patient veers off course into some story about their brother George who choked on a hamburger at the family reunion last summer, pull them back gently to the process at hand. Remind them again of the question you require an answer for and give them another chance.

Be an active listener. Don’t just stare at your chart and make notes as they talk. Make eye contact and look as though you are listening as well as actually hearing them. Repeat their statements to them when you are looking for confirmation. Patients really appreciate knowing that you have heard them. “So, Mr. Johnson, you’re complaining of left lower quadrant abdominal pain that eases once you have a bowel movement. Is that correct?” Once the intake is over, you have another chance to really shine.

Explain your actions. That’s something that you rarely get in a doctor’s office. What are you doing and why? Why do you need to touch me there? My pain is over here. Why are you looking at my tongue? What do you feel when you take my pulse? By telling your patient what you are looking for during a physical exam or what you are trying to accomplish with your treatment, you give them more power over their own body. Remember, we like smart patients, and most patients like to feel that they are participants, not passive receivers of care. The more you tell them, the more educated about their own body and health they become only make your job easier.

Allow the patient to ask questions. While you may want to control the flow of the intake, allow your patients the opportunity to fulfill their need to acquire information about what it is you think is going on, what you think you can do about it, and how many needles you are going to stick into them. Again, knowledge is power. Answer whatever questions you feel comfortable with, especially about the needles. It seems everyone has a question about those. Keep your metaphors as simple and straightforward as possible. It is easy for people to understand analogies from the natural world, but Chinese or quasi-spiritual jargon may turn them off or scare them away. Finally, be sure to explain to your patient what side effects they can expect after the treatment and then give them some treatment options from which to choose. Some practitioners prefer to simply tell people to come back X number of times in the next X number of weeks, but it can work better to give the patient the option to choose from a couple of treatment plans. Another form you may want to use is a written assessment of the patient’s condition and how you think you can help. List a few treatment options such as “band-aid,” “good,” and “best.” Who in their right mind doesn’t go for the best treatment plan when it comes to their health?

Communication

Most of the section above has a common thread— communication. Talk to you patients about everything you are doing. Let them know where you think you can make a difference and even let them know when you’ve made a mistake. If you really botch something up, take care of the problem and see it through to satisfactory resolution. Don’t let someone walk out your door angry, upset, or frustrated. It may come back to haunt you in court.

I [ES] have a perfect example of this. I know an acupuncturist (who shall remain unnamed) who was doing some cupping on a brand-spanking new patient. The patient had read his forms and disclaimers and signed all of his paperwork, but what happened was not covered on that form. He lit the patient’s inordinate amount of back hair (slathered in Tiger Balm) on fire. Not just a little singe of hair – three foot flames licking him in the face. The practitioner and the student observer from the acupuncture school quickly extinguished the flames. The patient was not harmed, but it was more excitement than any practitioner really wants! After the treatment was over, the practitioner explained what went wrong but did not apologize. The patient rescheduled for the next week. He was fine and his back pain was much better even if his back hair is a little less thick.

This situation could have been a nightmare. In fact, when I first heard of the encounter, I got out my Rolodex of attorneys to give him a referral. However, after speaking with the practitioner and getting a good feel for how the situation was dealt with, I felt relieved. It also helped the next week when our hapless practitioner put a fire extinguisher in the treatment room just as that patient was arriving. Laughter is the best medicine, you know!

Getting the second appointment

It is important to remember that most patients need several appointments to get well. When you read Chinese journal articles, you virtually never see a protocol that was successfully completed in only one treatment. Most of us will, rightly, suggest a plan involving 4–8 treatments for an initial course of treatment. It is up to you to help your patient follow through with this plan. Advise the patient that you really believe you can help them (unless you don’t believe you can) but that, to restore the dynamic balance in their body, they will require a course of therapy that is sensible and manageable. Make them aware that they can get appointment times more suitable to their schedule if they make them in advance. Some practitioners sell an appointment “package” at slightly reduced pricing. While it is technically illegal to do this in some states, it works well to motivate patients to come in for a series of treatments. Check with a lawyer or your state board about this type of practice before you leap into territory that may be illegal. Secondly, you should simply assume that patients will be coming in for a series of appointments because that is what they need to get well. Explain to each patient that this is how acupuncture works and that they can expect improvement in their problem only with several treatments. Otherwise, you are probably short-changing yourself and your medicine and not meeting your patients’ needs either. If you have internal questions about whether a patient will ever come back to see you again, your patients will subconsciously pick up on this lack of confidence and you probably won’t see them again. Don’t even go there in your mind. Either take courses to improve your Oriental medical skills (and thereby your confidence in yourself ) or find a mantra or affirmation to help yourself get past this imaginary monster in the closet.

As a course of treatment is coming to an end, you should have a short consultation, either on the phone or, better, in person, to decide whether treatment is completed or, if not, how much and in what way it will continue. While it is important not to string people along unnecessarily, it does not serve a patient to give them fewer treatments than they need. If you have done 10 or more acupuncture treatments, it may be useful to let the patient rest for 2–3 weeks before continuing therapy.

If you are largely an herbal practitioner, you should explain initially to your patient that you are giving them a one week supply of medicine after which time they will need to come in for a short appointment for you to take their pulse, ask a few questions, and adjust their formula. After that, they can call in to have their formula refilled for up to one month without a revisit, unless there is some problem or change in their situation that arises. You may have to change these parameters depending upon what type of patient you are treating or the nature of their problem (for example, infertility patients may need a different formula each of the four weeks of the menstrual cycle). If you are doing largely herbal medicine, it is assumed that you are managing many patients and that a goodly portion of your income is coming from filling your patients’ prescriptions. Another pointer for the largely herbal practitioner is the issue of dosage. Just as acupuncture usually requires adequate numbers of treatments closely enough spaced to have the needed effect, herbal medicine requires adequate doses to do what it is meant to do. I [HW] can’t tell you how often I have seen patients who were properly diagnosed and the proper medicine prescribed but treated with such low doses that they came to believe that, “Chinese herbs don’t work.” This is useless for the patient and even worse for our profession as a whole. Think carefully about how much medicine a patient would be getting with a standard decocted formula in China. If you are not doing bulk herb decoctions, take a look at the type of medicine you are giving the patient (whether pills, powders, tinctures) and the concentration ratio of that medicine. If you don’t know the concentration ratios from the bottle, call your supplier and find out. While powders or pills may be easier for your patients, you need to make sure you are getting something close to a daily dose that would match the standards of care in China down your patient’s throat. Otherwise they may be wasting their money and not getting better. This will do nothing for your reputation or the reputation of our medicine. This is especially t rue in the case of acute or serious disorders. So re m e m b e r, good patient management with Chinese herbs means giving the right dose.

What to do about the disappearing patient

If a patient comes in once or twice and then never makes another appointment or does not show up for one that is already scheduled, it may be that you “cured” them in one or two sessions, but it is more likely that something in your newpatient procedure needs improvement. You must try to reach that patient and learn from them what you could be doing better. This may be difficult in that they may be embarrassed to tell you what was wrong with their experience or they may not really be able to articulate it. They may not return your messages or, if they do, you may not get honest answers to your questions. However, if you can get them on the phone, we suggest the following approach that may disarm them enough to actually try and tell you about their experience of your clinic and your care. Hopefully, you already did a standard bonding call with the patient. So you know how they seem to have responded to the first visit to your office. If not, this may be the first thing you need to add to your procedures.

In any case, first ask them how they are doing. Ask them if they would like to reschedule or if they have any questions about your exam or treatment. Tell them you are sorry if their experience was not everything they expected it to be and that you’d be happy to assist them in finding another practitioner or another type of service to solve their health problem. That should disarm any “armor” to some extent. Explain to them that, as a health care practitioner, it is your responsibility to close their file with some “release from care” and you need to know that they are better or have determined another way to manage their problem. Depending upon how they respond to this, ask them if they have any advice about what you or your clinic staff could have done better or differently that would have allowed them to make the decision to return for further treatment. Thank them for trying Oriental medical or acupuncture.