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“Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.” – Tony Robbins
My friend Pete Williams – often referred to as Australia’s Richard Branson, and a finalist in running for the Ernst & Young 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year Award – recently shared a fantastic list of 9 questions every small business owner should ask themselves everyday.
Below is a recap of those questions… tweaked ever so slightly for you as a chiropractor.
Question #1: How many patient acquisition offers have you made today?
At the root of this question is the idea that patient acquisition is a numbers game.
The more prospective patients you present the opportunity of chiropractic to each day – whether one-on-one, via a health talk or virtual health talk, or via automated online chiropractic marketing video systems – the more new patients you will acquire.
Question #2: When was the last time you did something for the first time?
Without new experiences life can very quickly become mundane and boring. This question helps to hold you accountable for getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing the thrill of new things.
Question #3: What did you do today that you shouldn’t have?
At the root of effective time management is the ability to eliminate non-important, non-urgent, non-necessary tasks. This question helps you to maintain an eye on the activities you either need to delegate or simply eliminate altogether.
Question #4: What didn’t you do today that you should have?
Of course, on the flip-side of eliminating tasks you shouldn’t be doing, is the inclusion of tasks and actions you should be doing that you’re not.
Question #5: Did you drink at least 36 ounces of water and eat two pieces of fruit?
This question is really just a simple way of holding yourself accountable for taking care of the most important asset you have – your health. You can certainly customize this question by adding in a few more other positive health rituals (i.e. exercise, meditation, vitamins, etc.).
Question #6: What is the primary focus of _____________?
This is a question you can and should ask several times throughout the day. The purpose is to make sure you’re crystal clear on why you’re doing anything at any given moment. This question can and should also be applied to marketing campaigns, staff meetings, new office rules or policies, etc.
Question #7: What am I asking too much of?
This question is designed to make sure you’re not expecting too much from any one activity, task, employee, marketing piece, etc.
Question #8: What mechanical work did I do today?
What work, tasks, activities, etc., are you doing that doesn’t require any significant level of creativity, thinking, training. These are activities that should be taken off of your plate and delegated to a team member, vendor, or freelancer.
Question #9: How can I monetize our practice “waste”?
This is an AWESOME question. Very powerful, if applied to an open mind. Let me explain this question by first giving you an example…
While watching the production line for the Model T, Henry Ford noticed there were lots of scraps of wood in the end.
He took those scraps and learned how to turn them into charcoal briquets.
Later, he built an entire charcoal plant and launched Ford Charcoal (later renamed Kingsford Charcoal).
Today, Kingsford is still the leading manufacturer of charcoal in the United States – a very, very profitable venture.
What Ford did was take something that was at one time waste or a by-product in his business, and monetized it.
Many barber shops and beauty salons do the same thing when they donate their hair trimmings to charities who make wigs for cancer patients.
Many chiropractors have done this by renting out a portion of their office to a massage therapist. Or, allowing a massage therapist to use their facility on non-office days.
This is a clear example of taking something that at one time was waste – an empty office that’s already being paid for – and turned it into a new source of money.
Where else in your office or your practice actions is waste that can be monetized?
Many chiropractors have lack of knowledge on how to manage a chiropractic office. Research and consulting is important. It may be helpful to seek help from those who have experience in chiropractic marketing.