“Advertising is like knowledge – a little is a dangerous thing.” P.T. Barnum
One of the biggest limiters to the growth and popularity of chiropractic has been the view of advertising. The profession – boards, associations, and schools have made advertising a dirty word and they are wrong! Don’t let them discourage you – this is a business you are in – not an entitled mandatory right!
You must EARN your business – PROMOTE – ADVERTISE!
If we were to take our advertising and promotion of chiropractic and multiply it by 10 – we would just be at the bare minimum of what it is going to take to get to the 80% and become number one in health care. When you consider how much the drug companies advertise and how much the hospitals advertise – you will see that we are greatly behind the medical doctors. We must become proud to promote chiropractic! I can’t explain why but chiropractors are proud to promote decompression – buying full-page ads. I don’t think I have ever seen a full-page ad on the adjustment. They are quick to promote seminars on nutrition and weight loss, and ADHD, and never get criticized for it. We promote everything that already gets CONSTANT promotion and we eliminate the one major component of health care that gets no advertising and no promotion: Chiropractic!!!!
Check your history – D.D. and B.J. Palmer were HUGE advertisers and promoters of chiropractic. They didn’t buy radio ads – they bought a radio station! They didn’t just print flyers – they bought a printing press! Big thinkers! Big Promoters! They would be hated by chiropractors and boards of today. But if we were like them instead of the small thinkers of our profession today – we would be number one right now. Our founders were right! Be proud of who you are and what YOU do. You do not have to become somebody else – NOBODY else can be you – so be bold! Promote chiropractic shamelessly!
Let me give you an example. In Integrity, we have educational and entertaining classes that we take to the public – the businesses – families – schools – all groups. One is called “How to Stay Young the First 100 Years”. Another one is for athletics called, “What Position Does Chiropractic Play in Sports?”. Our doctors get more new patients from the classes than many times is even in attendance because they sign up their families as well as themselves. They are AWESOME!!!!! Eventually you will have multiple “Practice Representatives” presenting these classes for you all over your community. Once the public KNOWS and understands true natural wellness by having the nerve interference removed so that the body can heal itself on a continual lifetime basis – they are THERE! We just need to PROMOTE CHIROPRACTIC!
I went to get my haircut yesterday. Dick Vitale was getting his haircut just before me. I promise you – the guy was sitting in the barber chair with his phone showing the barber pictures of his V Foundation event to raise money for cancer. He had the program there – he was showing the lady at the front desk. He was telling them everything about the event. He was promoting every minute – non- stop. You would think he would just sit there and be quiet and hope to be “incognito.”
But no, every minute he is alive he is going to be promoting his purpose: a cure for cancer. Many of us better hope he succeeds!
In the same way, promote chiropractic shamelessly! You are not bragging – it is the truth!
If we were as bold about chiropractic as Dick Vitale is about the V Foundation – we would be number one! Successful people are promoters – it is an ESSENTIAL!