That is why some DCs have a problem with selling products in their practice. We often hear, “But I am a healer, not  a salesman.” “Salesman” are the guys down at the corner at the car lot. They “sell” people. DCs are there to heal and make us feel better, in less pain. Many do not feel it is their job to “hawk” products. It makes them feel cheap and uncomfortable.

How many of us are not “in sales?”

Many of us do not have the title of a salesman, but does that really mean we are not in sales, at all? Fact is, almost every one of us is in sales in same shape or form.  No? How about these jobs?

CEO. Not in sales? Don’t bet on it. CEO’s have to instill confidence in their teammates that they have a good plan. No one can dive into their work if they don’t believe in the master plan. A CEO has to see him or herself and know that they know what they are doing. They must SELL themselves and their game plan.

Manager. Same as above. If the employees under the manager don’t believe their boss knows what he is doing, then they will be uninspired and the opposite of – what all employees want – which is in the mindset of “taking initiative.”

Artist. This may seem like a stretch, but, at the end of the day, they must influence people to feel their work is worth paying for. (Unfortunately, people often come around to valuing their work after the artist has passed away. Not much “selling” from them at that point, other than the work they already did.) But if you have attended viewings at art galas you will often notice the artists themselves, out in front of their work, and, yes - in their own way – selling the value for their paintings or what not.

MD. Whether it be a case of a general MD or a surgeon, these docs do indeed sell. If the patients doesn’t feel confident a surgeon knows what they are doing, will they go on with the surgery? How about the general MD; what are they selling? How about drugs? They confidently write out the “sale” on a prescription pad, but they are selling, none the less.

Mom. Yes, I wrote “mom.” Does she not have to sell her agenda to the kids and the dad? She may not always get her way 100% of the time (depending on the relationship), but she has an opinion on how the household should be run, how the kids should be raised, schooled, what sports they should be allowed to do, etc. Is it time for a new car, a vacation, house project or stashing away some money for the kids college tuition? Mom will sell which direction she feels the family should go (and dad too, sometimes.)

Your patients come to you for your expertise!

This is what you do. Your patients rely on your professional opinion for their health, including directing them to the best products, whether it be the right pillow or nutritional supplements. They could go to Wal-Mart and buy the cheapest memory foam pillow they have, or they could listen to your expert advice on the best pillow for their condition, size, etc. Who exactly benefits from you not suggesting the best options for your patients? Them? No. You? No. No only are you keeping yourself from some extra revenue buy keeping mum, but you are also depriving your patients the best possible wellness level and losing an opportunity for that people to create more business by, A.) Reminding your patient, on a daily basis, where they got that pillow that changed their life, and, B.) The opportunity for your patient to tell their friends about their love for their new pillow, which obvious leads to them also telling them where they got it. And, whammo, just like that, you might have some new patients walking through your door.

Many of us do not have the title of a salesman, but does that really mean we are not in sales, at all?

I’m still not a salesman

OK, you’ve read the above and still feel like you can’t muster up mentioning various products for your patients to buy, even though you know they would improve your patients’ conditions and lives? That’s all right. You don’t have to become Zig Ziglar or Ron Popeil overnight. There are some procedures that assist those who may be a bit shy about suggesting products for purchase.

1.)Hand out literature at patient sign in. This will cause the patient to ask you or the CA about the product.

2.)Have signage and kiosk information visible. This will also create an environment where they ask you about the products.

3.)Create a environment where the staff can offer first- or second-hand stories about the product helped them or family members. Nothing is more effective than the CA telling a patient about how their support pillow made their mom’s beck pain go away and delivered her restless nights of sleep, etc.

4.)Use your own version of prescription pad. Matter-of-factly write down what you suggest a patient should purchase for their particular condition. If MDs can confidently write our prescription for drugs, with no hesitation, why can’t a DC write out their suggestion for non-allopathic products, that don’t possess any risky side effects?

Summary

Bottom line, DCs should feel no aversion towards suggesting products to help patients. Not only is it “OK” to do so, but some would say it is your duty to do so – to offer all the advise you can to make your patients as healthy as possible. Just being armed with that mindset is half the battle. But if you still feel uncomfortable with suggesting products to purchase, there are several things at your disposal to help make it over the hump and giving all the expertise your patients deserve, including in-home rehab products and the like. Do it with confidence, knowing you are doing the right thing for everyone. If you make a couple of bucks in the process, all the better. Last time I checked we still lived in a country operating in a capitalistic system, and if you don’t make profit, you go away. The guy down at the car shop wasn’t offering to fix my car for free last I checked.

Phil Mattison is president of Core Products International where the company’s motto is “Make Your Life More Comfortable.” In 1988 Mattison launched Core as a company making support pillows, including their flagship “Tri-Core pillow” which is widely recommended by chiropractors. They have since expanded beyond pillows to offer support and therapy products for people suffering from all kinds of aches and pains. To view their entire collection of pillows, supports, braces or hot and cold therapies visit www.coreproducts.com or call (877) 249-1251.

My favorite chide to doctors:  “Stay out of the patient’s pocketbook, because you don’t know what they can or can’t afford.” Do not prejudge what a patient can or can’t do financially.  How many times have you had a patient who complains the most about money drive up to an appointment in a very expensive car?  Or a patient who you never would believe can afford your care write a check for a large sum of money?  It all centers on the value that a patient places on the care.  I wish I could tell you how many times in my career I have had a patient tell me they couldn’t afford the care recommended to them, then, a week later, I ran into them coming out of the nail salon.  This is a patient who did not have perceived value instilled upon them by the doctor. Our job is to tell the patient what they need to hear, and then let them make their own financial decisions.I believe that the “why” is easy to figure out. More important is the “how.”  First, let’s look at some ways to maximize your results when asking for payment from a patient or describing their financial responsibility.

• Assume you will get what you ask for! If you assume you can’t, you’ve already lost.
• Be prepared! The Boy Scouts know what they are talking about! Have the doctor’s treatment plan, the insurance verification information, and everything else you will need to formulate an appropriate financial plan with the patient.
• Know when NOT to talk!  Don’t try to fill the silence while we wait for the reply from the patient. Be clear about your request, and then wait.  For example, say, “Mrs. Jones that will be $45 for today.”
• Have an array of options. If a patient can’t pay for a visit’s charges, be prepared to offer alternatives, such as a pre-addressed envelope they can mail back with the payment as soon as they reach home.
• NO! is not the end of the world: Remember that the most important technique of all is to know you can get what you want by asking and, if it doesn’t happen, be prepared to say, “Next!”

The following are some helpful scripts that you can use in your financial report of findings to help increase your odds of getting to Yes!

Know when NOT to talk!  Don’t try to fill the silence while we wait for the reply from the patient.

Objection #1: The patient wants to wait till next visit to decide. Our problem is that we expected to put both the balance of yesterday’s visit and ongoing care into a plan for them.

“It's not a problem, Mrs. Jones, if you need to speak to your husband. I know that I wouldn't want to make a decision like this without my husband present, either. That is why we hoped he would be able to attend this visit, so that he could better understand what's going on with your care. Let's go ahead and take care of your balance to date, so we can start with a clean slate on the next visit. After you've had a chance to visit with Mr. Jones, we will be able to recalculate a payment plan that will work well in your budget. Today's charges added to yesterday's balance will be $150.”

Objection #2:  The patient wants to make a further decision about care beyond insurance coverage  once insurance visits are used.

“Mr. Smith, I understand what you may be thinking. However, if we were to only recommend the amount of care covered by your insurance, this would be a tremendous disservice to you. Your third-party coverage was never meant to cover all of your care. That's the reason  we've joined companies like ChiroHealthUSA, to be able to extend to you a contracted discounted rate for the portion of your care that needs to come out of pocket. I would much rather look at how we can spread this across more time and work with your monthly payment, than have you consider not taking all of Dr. Jones's recommendations. The 15 visits covered by your insurance will only be the acute phase of your care. As Dr. Jones explains, to stop your care at that point would be like taking your braces off after just a couple of months of treatment. Again, that's the reason why we try to make this affordable.”

Objection #3: The patient feels the total amount for care is too far out of their budget.

“Yes, Mary, I understand that this amount may be outside your budget. We have already been able to discount your fees considerably by discussing ChiroHealthUSA, and my concern is that, if we go visit by visit, you will find that it gets out of hand. My experience is, patients tend to get out of pain and then think they can do it on their own. What can I do to help you make this more affordable so that you can commit to the full treatment plan recommended by Dr. Jones?”

In closing, remember that he who asks the question controls the conversation.  Not only is it our duty to ask for and collect payments from patients, it is a part of the healing process.  That patient who pays will stay and get better quicker.  Asking for anything increases the odds of getting it by 200%.  Once you master this skill, exercise the asking muscle often, and you’ll be surprised at how effective it is.

Kathy Mills Chang is the President and CEO of KMC University, a consulting and training company in the areas of Medicare, collections, documentation, coding, billing, patient finances, and audit protection. Kathy is also a sought-after speaker, and can be found delivering seminars at the most important events in the chiropractic field around the country. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or through www.kmcuniversity.com.