Staff Suggestions for Improving PVA and More

Dr. Jake Smith in Spain asked his team to come up with ideas to help improve the retention or PVA. In essence how do we get patients to stick around longer so they can get amazing results?

This was their response in black and in red are the comments I made.

Do you or your team have anything you would like to add to this?

If so please put them in the comments section.

Tasks to improve PVA and overall numbers (1-27 my C.A.’s ideas/ 27- 40 are my ideas)

1. 1. 1. If one of our patients has a business, try and use their services or purchase items from their businesses.
   1. 1. Believe in what we do and never give up on our patients.  Never stop encouraging them to continue with care.
   1. 1. Develop our Facebook page more.
   1. 1. If possible, reduce the frequency of care so that the patient does not “throw in the towel” due to economic problems.  (i.e.  I understand that you cannot come in 3 times a week, but due to your speedy recovery I believe we can go down to once a week and achieve your health related goals.)
   1. 1. Do not classify new patients as “new patients” if we know that they will only be here for a few weeks or if they are already under maintenance care with another chiropractor and want to switch to us (this happens often as I used to work for another chiropractor in town six years ago.  Some people are just finding out that I am still here, and others are unhappy with his new associate so they seek me out.)  The intention is to have a more realistic appraisal of our PVA.
   1. 1. Revamp our phone calls.  Our current system is that we call the patient 3 times.  If we do not get a response we stop calling.  If they are in the first phase of care we send them a letter within one month.  If they are beyond the first phase of care we send a letter within 3 months. Any ideas??? You can check out my system 4, module 1 REACTIVATIONS section. But for sure Listen to System 2 module 2 dive deep “Missed Appointments”
   1. 1. Inform our clients about our facebook page and tell them they can receive important info about their health if they “like” us.  Maybe there is a way we can request they “like” us, via FB after we inform them??? Create a tribe (Listen to Tribes,system 4 dive deep section) and community! Regular internal series of talks goes a long way
   1. 1. When I am the “runner” work harder to talk to the patient to figure out what their habits are, and how they could be affecting their progress.  (We could also find out positives as well.)
   1. 1. Remember to ask patients for recommendations when they tell me how happy they are with chiropractic and their results.
   1. 1. Insist more that patients schedule their appointments in blocks of 10-12.  Pre-paid plans should help with this (her words.) In Doc Handoff to CA use that scripting and form. Let them know up front that we will support them every step of the way but they need to do their part
   1. 1. When a patient calls to tell us that they are quitting care, insist more that they do not quit care. Use LAASR system 3 module 11. Find out why? See if there is anything we can do to fix or help? Get the doc to call and check in as he will be concerned.
   1. 1. Develop blog and social networks more. Write articles in first person. This will bond them to us more and condition them to ask questions. Post more photos of seminars that I attend, the Barcelona College of Chiropractic (I sit on the board) meetings, events etc.  Posts outside of chiropractic such as nutrition and exercise to get more hits on Google.
   1. 1. Post Big Idea video on website
   1. 1. Post other video (don’t know name but I have it) shows split screen of same older man.  One is sick the other healthy.  Emphasizes quality of life.
   1. 1. Once a year, hold a seminar for our patients (Saturday morning)  basically an advanced talk.  Also let patients share their experiences with others. Have the event catered. I did a few advanced talks a year. Biggest had 175 people. We can talk these down
   1. 1. Create more handouts on how to improve habits.  We have on sleep.  We should make one about diet, exercise, mental health. See the ones I have system 3, module right after overview
   1. 1. Encourage parents to bring their children.  Create a “Path to optimal health” for kids.  Make a game out of it.  Give them prizes along the way (we do a bit of this now)  Give them a medal when they reach maintenance care/optimal health. Go through system 4, module 4 no stress secrets to easy and instant referrals. And module 1, marketing, internal, family referral program. Brock did this and killed it
   1. 1. Order gowns for kids
   1. 1. Keep our patients engaged all year with nice touches and details such as:  Have a hot chocolate machine during Christmas, eggs for kids at Easter, Give out pens, t-shirts etc. with our name and logo to celebrate our anniversary. make it a fun place to come!
   1. 1. Nice gift when patients reach 5 years 10 years etc. under care
   1. 1. Give stretching exercises to everyone in first re-exam
   1. 1. In second re-exam re-visit their worst habit and see if they have improved it tons we can do on this…
   1. 1. Show them where they are on the path to optimal health keep talking about where they are, where they want to be and what they need to do to get there… and of course WHY they want to be there. Make sure we do meaningful re exams and re reports. Make sure the entire team utilizes the whole story brochure!
   1. 1. Third re-exam.  If they have improved a bad habit, praise them. If not inspire them to do so.
   1. 1. When patient achieves maintenance care (once a month) the whole team congratulates them and encourages them to continue care.
   1. 1. After one year of maintenance care give them a bottle of nice olive oil (it is common to give bottles of wine but many people do not drink so we found oil is better and is more in congruence with health) to show them we still care and are here for them on their path to health.
   1. 1. Force myself to ask everyone that accompanies a new patient to start care.  Sometimes I don’t do it because I think they can’t afford it or I feel like I failed to make a connection with them and they will say no. review no stress secrets to easy and instant referrals and learn HOW to ask for referrals
   1. 1. Network more.  Take advantage of opportunities to meet new people.
   1. 1. Improve Daily Interactions / Incorporate Path to Optimal Health.  Where do you think you are now? When patient wants to reduce care. And who do you know? And nail the TTAT Whole story brochure
   1. 1. Keep refining first visit.  Get it locked in. and keep reviewing it forever!
   1. 1. Schedule new patients better (i.e. so I am not rushed)if we are rushed or run behind people will put up with it until they are out of pain, but not after that
   1. 1. Improve re-exams and health talk
   1. 1. All of us need to watch Big Idea video and my health talk then critique them to make sure they are congruent and useful.
   1. 1. Help patients more with their habits. Publish info in FB
   1. 1. Start emailing patients once a month with useful info.  Encourage patients to “like” FB page.  This keeps us on their radar.
   1. 1. Be more consistent with making calls to patient after first visit to see how it went. 100% of the time, First impressions!
   1. 1. Be more consistent with keeping up with patients who dropped out of care for medical reasons (car accident, broken bones, in the hospital, surgery, heart attack etc.)
   1. 1. Have an annual event that coincides with bank holidays something like a 4^th of July BBQ.
   1. 1. Testimonial week! System 4, module 1, internal, testimonials
   1. In essence:

1. 1. 1. 1. if we all do our job, if we do a great job, if we continue to improve people will stay, pay and refer!
      1. 1. Get our patients to REALLY see the value of long term chiropractic care.
      1. 1. Make sure everyone on the team understands how to use the TTAT brochure and discuss the whole story and make it personal with each patient.
      1. 1. Make it about THEM vs. making about YOU or your “Numbers”.
      1. 1. Love these people, give them a Red Carpet Experience, (see Red Carpet article in system 3, first contact process, CA Communications)
      1. 1. Take the team through “Get the team to grow the practice” System 2 module 1. Get them philosophically on board and make sure they have regular quarterly objectives that you review in the brag session in your weekly meetings.
      1. Make sure your team has been to your talks and REALLY get the value of long term care.

Now obviously a lot of this feedback I gave Dr. Smith was referencing our 3 Pillars and 5 Systems content. If you don’t know what that is, take a look at this video introduction and start to learn about the program we have – it’s thorough, it’s constantly evolving, and it works.