A while back, Rick wrote a great post about the importance of patient education. He discussed the importance of listening to your patients instead of trying to impose your goals upon them. With that in mind, let's talk about patient goals.
A chiropractic patient's goal is rarely to be subluxation free or to have perfect posture. Better health means something different to each of your patients. For some, chiropractic treatment is a way to get back to work, support their family and maintain their lifestyle. For others chiropractic is a way to improve their chances of living long enough to meet their grandchildren. Still other chiropractic patients may have the goal of reducing their pain so they can simply function.
Whatever your patient's agenda, whether spoken aloud or not, it's key to make sure you help them get what they want, while avoiding the temptation of trying to give them what you want.
Help patients see the consequences of discontinuing care as soon as their symptoms subside by reminding them of the three phases of chiropractic care, by using a powerful graphic, or by using a statistic to explain that not all issues have symptoms.
Great patients will not just show up in your office. They are made by you. If you listen to your patients and tell them why you can help solve their problems they will comply with your chiropractic care plan. People care about how you can help them reach their goals. If you focus on that, you will see your new patients increase.