The most successful doctors of chiropractic are those who believe strongly. They believe in their chiropractic care, their profession and themselves. The power of belief has literally transformed mediocre chiropractors into chiropractic champions.
Essentially, belief is made up of two components: Faith (positive belief) and Fear (negative belief). Research clearly demonstrates, for example, that people have literally died from fear and conversely, research reveals individual cases where people lived because of faith. Why not put this powerful tool to work for you in your chiropractic practice?
When conducting workshops across the United States, I like to visit with chiropractic champions. Every interview with chiropractic champions leads to the same question: "To what do you attribute your practice success?" The answer is inevitable: "I love it! I really believe chiropractic is the best health service available to my community."
Will Rogers is quoted as saying this about success: "You've got to love what you are doing, you've got to know what you are doing, and you've got to believe what you are doing." I would suggest to you that you will not be able to know what you are doing and love what you are doing unless you believe what you are doing.
Here are the three steps to becoming the best you can be in chiropractic practice:
Step One. Believe in your professional service. To be credible you must not only present logical reasons for chiropractic care, but you must model your belief. Obviously, it would be difficult for you to communicate the value of chiropractic care if you did not receive chiropractic adjustments yourself. Our research reveals that patient decisions are generally 75-85% emotional and only 15-25% logical. The depth and strength of your belief is a key to the emotional decision the patient will make.
It's nearly an impossibility to be an effective chiropractor if you are offering something you don't believe in, or use yourself. Cavett Robert says it this way: "You can't no more sell something you don't believe in, than you can come back from a place you ain't never been!" If you lack belief in chiropractic care, you will lack sincerity. Lack of sincerity always shows through. Patients decide on receiving care from those who are genuine and free of pretense.
Step Two. Believe in the chiropractic profession. I am always disappointed when I see how low in regard the average chiropractor ranks his profession. Generally it's only slightly higher than politicians and we all know how highly regarded they are in surveys -- generally last!
Doctors of chiropractic do much more than many scientists, physicists, or lawyers. A doctor of chiropractic deals with the health of humanity every day. Some would say that chiropractic is a transference of feelings and a profession that takes a missionary zeal to be successful.
If one is to display a "zeal" for something, they must possess earnestness. Earnestness is another word for belief. Belief in the profession of chiropractic! It is a noble profession when practiced with sincerity, honesty, and integrity.
Step Three. Believe in yourself. If you're going to be a chiropractic champion, you must possess real self-esteem and self-confidence. I'm not talking about an over-exaggerated opinion of one's self. That is a conceit which is false self-esteem. Real belief in one's self comes from a positive self-image, coupled with confidence gained through continued learning and improving. A doctor lacking in self-esteem would be one who fears success, thinking that he is not worthy and consequently, doesn't deserve to be more successful than he is now.
Doctors who believe in themselves are confident, capable, steady, self-reliant, and genuinely enthusiastic. All of this shows through to the patient and the infectious belief of the doctor is transmitted to the patient. This results in more and better satisfied patients.
You are a precious and unique human being. There has never been and never will be, another you! Use your uniqueness by being the real you, not just a puffed-up version that you think will be better received. "Belief and Achieve" are words which, when put into action, mean results!
Be the best you can be. As your belief deepens and strengthens, your chiropractic success accelerates.
Readers are invited to write to me:
Brian Porteous, D.C.
4940 Irvine Boulevard
Suite 106
Irvine, California 92720
Please include your self-addressed, stamped envelope. Thank you.
When I graduated from chiropractic college in 1981 and started practice, I heard it all, and very little was positive. “You are a quack; you do not know what a subluxation is; you couldn’t get into a real health care program, so you chose the one that is slightly above a mail-order degree; you have no proof that chiropractic works; Are you really licensed?”, and so much more.
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