How is your enrollment?

By Sharon Gorman, D.C.

Back in the old days (early 80’s) I experienced several seminars that were known as EST at the time. They were seminars that were geared toward creating transformational growth in their participants. They exist under another name at this point. Anyway my point is that one of the concepts I learned at that time, and keep in mind this is my interpretation of what I experienced many years ago, is that of enrollment. So much of life actually ends up falling in the category. They set out to teach the people who participated in their seminar how to sign up more people to take their seminar. Many people got angry that they did this and stopped participating because they thought that they were being too pushy. I thought it was annoying and very forward in the beginning but then I realized that this was actually one of the greatest lessons that they could have taught me or anyone else. Life is all about enrolling people, it’s all about selling other people on you and signing them up for something. I know I make this sound over simplified but think about it for a minute.

Most Girl Scouts just finished their yearly ritual of learning to enroll people. We sell cookies. I always help, I’m the enrollment coach AKA Mom. I order dozens of cases of cookies in anticipation of selling them to my patients. Next I put them on the counters of the offices and instruct my paid thugs AKA CA’s to sell cookies. Initially they do pretty good but then a few weeks into it the initial novelty wears off and all the most popular varieties are sold out and then the cookies start gathering dust. Then we send in the guns, AKA my daughters. They come in uniform (on a good day) and make up a sign with magic marker and stand by their product. All of a sudden the boxes start flying out of the office like the patients never noticed we were selling them. The girls sweet high pitched voices motivate the patients to buy cookies because they want to please the kids and participate and it only costs $3. They then tell the patients that they are using the profits to go to sleep away camp (yes, I get to go too). The girls are enrolling the patients on their mission. The response from the patients is very good and they love to do it. Key point! They get positive reinforcement and they love to do it!

When the office is slow they take the cookies out in front of the office (the one practice is in a storefront) and sell out there. Then they decided to sweeten the pot. They gave each person who bought a box of cookies a chiropractic sticker ( a valuable gift in a kids mind.) Their strategy worked and they started selling more cookies. They used their imagination to make the game fun again. It isn’t fun when you are not selling cookies if that is what you set out to do.

Now let’s take it back to your practice. How is your enrollment? Are you selling enough cookies to keep things interesting? Are you developing new customers and new ways to present your product? We all know you have the best cookies in town. Are you convinced of it? Are people convinced that you are convinced? Do you take action to have patients feel good about what they have done when they sign up other people for your office? Are you creating a game that they want to participate in, are you still excited about participating? How do you create chiropractic ambassadors? Not all patients could or would become enrollers yet some could and would if they felt good about you and your practice. Do you have a system in place in order to acknowledge them for their efforts? All good things to think about.

A chiropractor who develops into a good enroller is also a good practice builder. What would it take for you to become better? One of the obvious answers is to practice. Practice getting out of your comfort zone and share with others our product – chiropractic. Have them want to be with you on your journey. Display qualities that they would want and then they will want to be with you. If you got what they want they might be willing to do what you have done to get there.

Keep sharing yourself. Expect more rejection if you extend yourself more. Don’t be disappointed by rejection. Acknowledge the rejection as a sign that you are putting yourself out there more. Rise on it. As you share your mission, from your heart with the people in your life, your family, friends, CA’s, and patients your enrollment will increase. The amount of players on your team will increase and your players will be happier to be part of your team as you share yourself with them and enroll them into the opportunity to make a difference in the world by enrolling more people into chiropractic. All this happens naturally without them even knowing that they are part of the plan as we build large networks of patients and change the consciousness of our communities with an often overlooked miracle called chiropractic.

You might wonder why I chose to talk about enrollment today. Well I have it on my mind. As most of you know the next Focus Philosophy Weekend takes place here in the Pocono’s, April 6th and 7th. Pre-registration ends this Friday, March 29th. Normally I would spend most of this week on the phone with many of my chiropractic friends enrolling them to help me enroll you. As most of you know also, I have returned to practice again (I know, I can’t stay away too long) so I am hoping to motivate you to register and be with us in a few weeks. Do it for yourself. Be in a room full of love and support. Some of you are thinking that you don’t need to come because you already have good practices. Well, come and give back a little then. Some of you are thinking that you don’t want to be away from your family for the weekend. Well, then bring them. The hotel is a resort hotel and kid friendly. My kids are going to be there. Most of my friends are bringing their kids too. We want them to grow up around other chiropractor kids. Come build beautiful memories with them and with us. You might not “need” to come yet I want you to come to treat yourself. Maybe you need to come more than you think you need to come. Maybe there is a feeling that you don’t have as much as you used to that can be nurtured and gotten stronger. Please come. Call a friend who might need a little push. Enuf said.

One other thing I have to say is good-bye to one of our dear friends Arnie Taub. I was at his funeral Sunday and it was such a beautiful tribute. There were so many chiropractic brothers and sisters I couldn’t count them all. His wife Aggie shared a good-bye letter to him that touched me very deeply. He died in a horrible accident which again serves to remind us what a gift each day is. His life was a gift and even though it ended abruptly – he truly lived a life. It’s all about the now. In the immortal words of Ian Grassam “It’s all about the relationships.” Thank you Arnie for being in our lives. Thank you for being in my life.

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Some of you that are receiving this are not on my Monday Morning Message list. If you would like to be included on this list, e-mail your request to [email protected]. If you would like to register for the seminar and don’t have a registration form you can either e-mail your request or print one off my web-site at www.focuschiropractic.com or call Ron or Sharon Gorman at 570-476-7557.