There is a principle in marketing called add-ons in which a business or service attempts to add other products or services that the customer might not have thought about. You often see a flyer or add-on with your mail order items advertising another product or service. Now you might ask, “What add-on could a straight chiropractor offer? “We would not offer half price on diathermy or try to sell a bottle of supplements. It really is a matter of knowing what the “customer” is after. For example, a car buyer is usually looking for more than simple transportation. They want a pleasurable driving experience. Sure they want to get from one place to another but they also want to enjoy the trip. So a car salesman feels justified in trying to sell a nice stereo CD system, heated seats and other options that will improve the ride.
So what is a straight chiropractic add-on? Most people who come into a chiropractic office do so with a problem. However, on our intake form the majority check choice two of their three choices for their reason for consulting our office:
“REASON FOR CONSULTING THIS OFFICE” (Please check one of the following three reasons.)
__I have no special problem; I understand the role of chiropractic in my general well-being.
__I have the symptom of a physical problem and I want to see if chiropractic will enable my body to work better. I am also interested in learning about the role of chiropractic in improving my expression of life and that of my family.
__I have a symptom and I am only interested in relief from it.”
That means that there are two potential add-ons: Lifetime chiropractic care and getting the entire family under care. Here is the important point. The car salesman does not say to the customer, “After you’ve been driving the car awhile, you may want to consider getting a nice stereo or heated seats.” He wants to sell the add-ons at the point of sale. People are not ever going to know how much they need or how much better their lives will be if they wait two weeks or a month to purchase the add-ons.
Some chiropractors think that the beginning of care is too early to give them the big picture of lifetime care for the whole family. They think we should be satisfied if they just know what a subluxation is. That is important, in fact, we have a new office poster for only $10 that explains it. (See side bar.) In my opinion, it is best for them to know up front, the additional benefits that chiropractic care offers to them and their family.
The issue is not when you are going to present it to them. The issue is how well are you going to present it to them. If you can present it clearly and attractively, if you can get them to understand the lifetime benefits for themselves and their entire family, then the first visit is not too early. They are usually most receptive at that time and you (hopefully) have your best presentation at that point. If your presentation is not what it should be, waiting until they feel better or until you get to know them better, is not going to do any good.
By the way if someone chooses the other options, that does not mean that you are not going to present lifetime family care to them. It just might be that you have to do it a little differently.
One final thought. There is nothing lost by the practice member refusing your add-on unless your policy is to not accept people on that basis. They may come around later. The important point is that you have to be convinced that your add-on (lifetime care for the entire family) is the best thing you can offer them. To do that, you need to be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that they need that service. How you do that is the topic of another issue.