Keys to Your Practice: Pearls of wisdom

I write this final column with mixed emotions. I am a little sombre that it is time for me to move on; at the same time feel excited to leave you with my biggest pearls that you can use to create success in your practice.

Chiropractic is so vital to the people in our communities and the best way to deliver it is to be the best version of you that you can be.  To do this, reflect and look inward, make the necessary changes, and reward yourself for your success. So, I leave you with the best keys to your practice that you can use to take your steps toward unbridled success.

Be authentic
I can attest that no one wants you to be anyone except the person you were meant to be.  Yes, it is important to conduct yourself in a professional manner, but it is just as important to be yourself. Patients want authenticity and truthfulness when it comes to their health-care provider. Be yourself, bring your own flare to your practice, and speak truthfully to your patients. Success will naturally follow.

Be true to chiropractic
This profession was not founded on gizmos and gadgets and the next new craze that is supposed to help pain and symptoms. It developed from the principle that the body is a self- healing organism, which operates at its best with minimal interference. Detection and removal of interference created by subluxation is what we need to own, master and deliver at a high level in order to succeed.

Discover the patient’s true goal
The quicker you can find out what the patient really wants and needs, the quicker you are going to have compliance and likely commitment to their health care. The only caveat is that you must demonstrate that chiropractic is assisting them in achieving these goals. The patient is not in your office because they are in pain, or because their back is sore, or because they find chiropractic fascinating. They are there because something is interfering with their lifestyle or they want to prevent something from interfering. Ask the right questions, learn what they need and help get them there.

Treat your staff well
Your staff is the backbone of your practice. Please don’t spend two weeks training them then proceed to dump a bunch of stuff on their plate; all the while expecting them to understand and communicate chiropractic at a level that most chiropractors might struggle with. By the way, it is not their job to “get people in.” How your practice goes is a direct reflection of you. If your staff is struggling it is because you are struggling as a leader. If your patients are not following through with care it is because you are lacking confidence, certainty and the ability to hold people accountable. Learn what makes your staff tick, support them in the things they need to do at work and even at home, and make training for them and yourself an ongoing process. Finally, reward them for their efforts.  You get what you pay for.

Certainty is key
This seems elusive to some but I can assure you, it can be learned. Gaining certainty is a mixture of learning new things, respecting the things that have worked in the past, opening your mind to different possibilities and repeating things that create success.  Over time this will increase your certainty and there is no script that will replace the impact that confidence and certainty have on a patient’s confidence in you and chiropractic.

Adjustment proficiency is non-negotiable
I can’t believe that we still have a debate over this. I continue to scratch my head when someone tries to challenge this notion. Our unique selling proposition is surrounded on the idea that we can find vertebral subluxation and correct it for the betterment of a person’s life. If that is not practiced, tweaked, improved upon and mastered, then we as a profession are going to have a problem. This, and this alone, should be the cornerstone of every single practitioner. Please treat this with the utmost seriousness and respect and continue to strive for your best potential.

I want to thank Canadian Chiropractor for giving me the channel to share my thoughts and talents to the readers. I hope it has made a difference in your lives and practices. I would also like to thank my wife and family for their support over the years. Chiropractic is a gift to humanity. Never forget this and deliver it at your highest potential.

Dr. Angelo Santin operates a busy subluxation-based family practice in Thunder Bay, Ont., and is president of the Thunder Bay Chiropractic Society. Santin is also a Carter Universal proficiency-rated chiropractic coach. He can be reached at angelosantin@gmail.com or 807-344-4606.