Okay, so in our last blog we discussed how to improve the look of your reception area.  Your reception area is the very first thing that patients see and what they use to make their snap decision on whether they like your clinic, trust you, and think that you are competent enough to treat them.

Next, they see your receptionist! So here we're going to discuss how to make your chiropractic receptionist a power house in helping you close your consults and converting them to new patients!

For the sake of writing, I am going to write as if you have a female receptionist.

Before I go on, I want to be perfectly clear that the techniques that I am sharing in these blogs is to be used only to convert your consults that are suitable for chiropractic care.  Unfortunately, all too often patients have a negative outlook on chiropractic and so these techniques are used to help you get your consults to drop their guard and their preconceived ideas, and to understand the great benefits chiropractic care offers.

That being said, let's move to the topic at hand...

First... Appearance.  We are not going to hold back on this and we may sound insensitive, but we are not going to make apologies.  It goes without saying that you want your receptionist to have a professional clean look. No jeans. No shorts.  At our office we had 2 full time receptionist that wore blue scrubs and white lab coats with our clinic logo embroided on it.  Some chiropractors may not like this look as it gives your chiropractic office a medical office feel.  I will get deeper into the "Medical Office" look on another blog, but this was the look that we were going for... and it worked... and it worked well!  With our chiropractic marketing, we were seeing 80-100 consults per month and had an extremely high closing ratio.

It is important to have your receptionist's hair clean and tidy.  I cannot tell you how many clinics I have been invite to, to help them restructure their clinic and saw their receptionist hair straggly and oily looking... like they haven't washed it in days!  Just like the doctor should be clean and tidy, so should your receptionist!  Having untidy receptionist instantly bites into YOUR credibility as a doctor.

Does your receptionist smoke?  If so, does she wreak of smoke?  How are you to encourage your patients to live a healthy lifestyle when your own worker is living an unhealthy one? 

Does your receptionist hang her coat on the back of her chair?  If she does make her hang it up on a coat rack or in a closet. It may seem like a small thing, but it's another sign of sloppiness and laziness.  Two very unappealing things consults don't want to see.

Bottom line... just like you, the doctor, should look professional... your receptionist should do the same.  After all, your chiropractic receptionist is an extension of you!

1. Have your receptionist STAND UP and greet your patient warm sincere smile.
2. Have them shake your consults hand - using either one or two hands.  Grasping your consults hand with 2 hands when shaking typically indicates that one is more caring and nurturing.

After your receptionist introduces herself, have her give your consult the intake form on a nice clip board with a nice pen (not those 25 cent bic pens with the blue cap!) and have them place the "Welcome Gift" on top.

1. Excites your consult about your care.
2. Gives them something to read while waiting to see you.
3. Makes them remember the information that you explained to them about your care when they are home.
4. Can share the information with their spouse - get them on board too!
5. Great for referrals.

(If you would like to get a sample copy emailed to you, just email us at contactus@promodocs.com with the subject name "CONSULT HANDOUT" and we will gladly send you one.  If you need one designed for you, please let us know as well)


Have your receptionist say to your consult:

"Welcome to our clinic, we'd like to give you this little gift {describe what's in it} and please fill out your intake form to the best of your ability.  Also, here is some information about our clinic (if you are using a "Consult Handout".  Please take your time and if there is anything that I can do to make you more comfortable, please do not hesitate to ask.  Okay? {smile}" 

then follow by offering them a drink or something.


I cannot tell you how many clinics I have gone to where the consult sits in uncomfortable silence when waiting to be seen by the doctor. Why not take that opportunity to educate your consult and pump them up about starting care at your clinic.

One thing that ALL chiropractic clinics should have is a Reception room DVD (which Promodocs.com has nearly completed - our Promodocs.com DVD  offers what no other company provides AND you'll be amazed at how inexpensive it is!).

Also, have your receptionist talk to your consult.  People love to talk about their aches and pains and how it has impacted their lives.  This is a perfect opportunity for your staff to boast about how good your are at treating conditions just like theirs and if there is a previous patient that had the same condition and had excellent results, have your receptionist talk about that previous patient.

Better yet... if you have a patient in your receptionist room whom you have a great rapport with and likes to talk, introduce the two!  There is no more powerful selling point then a face to face testimonial!  This conversation alone, will convert your consult to an new patient!!!  We did it all the time and it was almost effortless to have consults sign up for care!

When it is time for you to see your consult, you can do one of 2 things...

1. You can come down to the front and greet your patient (which I personally never did - I'll tell you why in a  sec)
2. Have your receptionist walk your patient down to your office.

To address point #1.  Many chiropractic coaches will tell you that the chiropractor should come to the front and greet the patient.  A. Because medical doctors don't (and you want to be different from an M.D., right?!?!).  B.  It gives a more personal touch. 

I agree with this to a certain degree.  Point A... don't do it because an M.D. doesn't do it!  As much as you may not want to believe this, majority of people prefer and are used to the "medical" atmosphere.  I had one of the most (if not the most successful clinic in the country and we had somewhat of a medical like style - we didn't pretend we were M.D., but we had somewhat of a medical approach in our clinic.   But I will talk about this in another blog).

I, personally,  never made a point of going to the reception room.  In fact, over the 10 years of practice, I may have stepped foot in the reception room twice!

Why?  For two reasons:

1. Doctors that hang out at the front are not busy doctors.
2. I like to be with my patients in the treatment room so that my consults can sit around my office to look at all my degrees, media interview pics, letters from my patients, etc.   Plus, when you make them wait in your office, it will increase their likelihood of looking through your "Welcome Gift" and "Consult Handout" that was given to them and getting them excited excited about care.

None the less, whether it be you or your receptionist (again, I prefer the receptionist) bringing your patient to your office, give them a tour of your office and explain the services that your offer and if you can, INTRODUCE them to your patients!  Show your consult that people love coming here, they are getting better and that its is a friendly/family and fun atmosphere.  Introducing the consult to your patients will drop their walls instantly!

Well that's it for now!  I hope that this blog has helped you and will make your clinic that much more successful!!!

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