It’s time to stop playing Deal or No Deal in your office

Back in the day, there was a show called Let’s Make a Deal with Monty Hall. Fast forward a few decades and now there is an updated version called Deal or No Deal with Howie Mandel. The basic idea of the show is: do you keep what you have or do you gamble it away for the hope of something better?

As DCs we play this game over and over and many of us are disappointed with the results. What does this game look like in our offices?

In an effort to be liked, paid, and socially accepted, we allow people to walk all over us.

The problem is making a deal with a patient leads us further and further away from what we know to be true.

How can a person completely ignorant of what health is all about and influence us in our recommendations, fees, etc?

Now, they can decide to not pursue care in your office, but this is not a negotiation session…

Or is it?

It depends on why you are a DC.

To help people, to make a lot of money, or seemed like a cool thing to do? 

Is your office based on merely pain relief or is it based on health?

To end deals, compromises, and caving in with patients, stand behind your recommendations and what is the clinical reality.

If you were a personal trainer, you would never say it only takes a few visits to get in shape.

The connection here is: if it took years to get in this health challenge isn’t it reasonable to believe that regaining health will take time?

Certainly more than a handful of visits!

Next time a practice member argues or tries to negotiate, that’s okay for them, and it’s not okay for you. Let them go and a more committed person will fill the void.