What kind of dog are you?
What if somebody moved your X?
I’m sure you are all familiar with those complicated looking diagrams on the mall directory. They always have an X, with the notation beside it, “you are here”, which allows you to navigate to anyplace in the mall. You see, it all comes down to where you are. What if somebody secretly moved your X? Obviously this would leave you lost; without a doubt, you’d have trouble getting to your destination. Imagine the frustrations of following the rules but not getting any results. You always follow the instructions of life perfectly, yet your goals continue to elude you. What’s the problem?
When you signed on for Chiropractic school, you were told that if you studied hard enough you would be successful. Ask yourself this question, “Why aren’t I successful yet if I followed the ‘supposed’ rules?” Many DCs quit searching for answers and settle for mediocrity, a lowered standard of living, complacency and lose their spark, rather than taking a risk and exploring solutions. If you understand this one concept, you’re on your way to changing your life!
Here are some DC profiles…
Example A: Is this you?
- Graduated with honors
- An excellent adjuster
- Always goes the extra mile
- Joined multiple clubs while you were in school
- In great shape, eats healthy and you work out regularly
- You have a great personality
When you graduated you may have opted to be an associate or independent contractor to test the waters, you know, get some experience, and then open your own practice. But something just seems to be missing. You did great in school, learned the topics and concepts presented, but it doesn’t translate to success in practice.
Be aware of new patients and the retention of patients; it’s a constant reminder of that missing thing you can’t quite put your finger on.
Example B: Or is this you
- You were actually sad to graduate from school
- You loved it and didn’t want it to end… afraid to enter the “real world”
- You are an ‘ok’ adjuster.
- You did just enough to get by
- You were a minimalist
- You have an outgoing personality; love talking to and being around people
- You are a people pleaser
- You also care deeply what people think of you
- Confrontation is not your strong suit
- Asking for money causes you to wince
- You are a magnet for every excuse of why people can’t commit to your care or make payments pay
- Success continually eludes you
Example C: Maybe this is you.
- You are technical and analytical.
- You only want the facts
- Relating to people is very much out of your comfort zone
- You’re in your own little world
- Computer is you favorite way of communication
- You spend 10 or more hours per day on various electronic devices (computers, smart phones, etc.)
- You would much rather text than talk with people, as communication skills are your weakness.
*You must understand the person before you can understand their spine.
No matter what your personality type, you’re going to have to communicate better if you want to be more successful!
So many DCs put so much emphasis on results, technique only, and insurance billing. Without the ability to communicate the meaning of Chiropractic (patient education) or build a relationship, you will have just another short-term, adult musculoskeletal patient. They will never understand what Chiropractic truly is or your sole purpose. Most Chiropractic patients stay for only a handful of visits. Success will continue to elude you regardless of your personality type until you learn the art of communication.
This is not to say you change the essential nature of your personality; you simply learn to express who you are better. Visual, auditory, kinesthetic are all personality types. In truth we have a dominant personality with many sub-dominants. With great communication skills, people could care less what personality type you are. They know you care, first and foremost. This might sound really surprising, but they don’t care about your technique or where you graduated from. It all comes down to knowing you have their back and can guide them in this ever-changing landscape of healthcare.
