The word on the street in the natural health community is what I was focused on last week when I attended the Parker event in Las Vegas.
This year’s event has very low attendance/participation from Chiropractors and as a marketer, I made it my business to find out what was going on since this event has traditionally been the largest gathering of Chiropractors of the year.
In a word, what’s happening in the industry is that uncertainty is causing doctors to take cover, literally. Instead of stepping out in their communities, many have chosen instead to grow smaller and have less of a footprint in their market.
Several years ago, I had this experience in my own business. I too began to shrink my presence, pulled my marketing, and thought that if I could just weather the storm, all would be well again soon.
It turned out that making the decision to seek cover almost cost me my business.
What I learned the hard way, I’m happy to share with you today because the last thing I want to see is an e-mail from you telling me that you’ve decided to close your practice!
Here’s the strategy that I now use in my business.
The strategy can be outlined in just a few steps:
1- Look at the reality of the situation 2- Decide what you want for yourself 3- Take actions consistent with your vision
Yes, I do look at the current reality of things, but I don’t get caught there anymore. The reality is just a moment in time and is a reflection of what past decisions have created. If I’m happy with the reality, I’ll keep doing more of the same.
But, if the reality that is in front of me is not acceptable, it’s time for me to make new decisions.
To do that, I begin by deciding what I would like to see as my reality instead of what I am seeing.
So for instance, if you’re seeing 10 patients a day and you’d be happier seeing 15, then you know that you need to make different decisions.
For me, I decided that I was tired of chasing clients for payment, so I decided that from that day forward, I would only work AFTER being paid, up front, and in full. That was not an easy thing to pull off, but I’m happy to say that 14 years later, I have no accounts receivable and have not had any for longer than I can remember.
Once you decide what you want, the final step is simply to begin taking action that will help create the reality you want to see.
Now, in your shoes, I would NOT be shrinking my practice, I’d be putting more effort into building it and promoting it. If things continue to be turbulent in the health industry, the best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to become strong financially.
The market favors the strong, just as nature favors the strong.
Make the decision that in 2014, you’re going to do what it takes to put yourself on a strong footing, build your practice, reach more people with your message of natural health, and be totally present with each and every patient you see.
While I can’t predict the future, what I do know is that if you make an effort to do what you can to take care of your practice and your patients, it won’t be as rough for you as it will for others who have chosen to seek cover instead.
In 2014, I’ll be hosting many more live web cast trainings and I will make sure to invite you to each and every one of them!
In the meantime, drop me a note and let me know how I can best support you this year.
Be outstanding!
Robert Imbriale