Before we get started, you need to understand that effective spinal screenings are just one of over 100 new patient acquisition tools and procedures that AMC has available.

When someone joins AMC, they do not have to take a blood oath to do spinal screenings or they are banned from the tribe. No, we coaches always encourage and guide in proven directions, but the final decision is yours.

Usually, when I first tell one of my doctors that they may want to seek out some screening opportunities in their area, they start getting nervous. I can understand that. Many of them have tried screenings in the past with less than favorable results. After a few bad experiences, it is a lot easier to say “I believe it is demeaning and beneath my professionalism to do something like a spinal screening.” Have you ever said that to yourself or to someone else?

What I have found, is that once my doctors learn how to do a screening the way AMC recommends, it is a different story. When screening participants actually sign up, come in the office, become new patients, and have their lives changed because of chiropractic, it then becomes unprofessional NOT to use a tool with so much potential.

I will tell a story from one of my Family Members which illustrates this point. Dr. S had signed up to do a screening 30 minutes from his office to a group of teachers (good starting point.) He was excited about the event, because I had recommended a new way for him to use his EMG with the regular AMC screening protocol. He had owned an EMG for several years, but it had spent the last 18 months in a closet.

The day before the event, he went to fire it up and discovered that it was not working. Instead of bailing out, he decided to go anyway. Wouldn’t you know it – when he got there he saw 4 other chiropractors – and they ALL had (working) EMGs!

So what could he do? What did he do? Well, he simply proceeded to use the standard AMC screening protocols and came home with 30 appointments! What else could AMC help you with in your practice? Stay tuned.

We need a steady supply of good new patients to maintain and grow our practices. The things is, that practicing up here in the NE (Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont & New Hampshire) is a different game that requires a different game plan, compared to practicing in the south, the central US or the west.

I know of what I speak, because as NorthEast Director of AMC, I have not only observed what works up here, but in the last nine years, I have personally coached over 200 practices, from Florida to Hawaii, and from Wisconsin to Texas. At last count, I believe I have had AMC Family members as coaching clients from all but 1 or 2 states.

What does it take up here to get new patients? As many of you have found, the conventional market approaches never did work that well in the past, and are quickly not working at all. Back in the good old days, you could put an ad in the newspaper and depend on getting more than a few calls. Not any more.

I will sum up what I and AMC have identified as crucial to attracting new patients up here. First, you need to get out of your office and meet the public. And no, I am NOT talking about going around handing out your cards and telling people to come see you.

The key up north is to develop a “one on one” personalized connection with your prospects, in a very scientific and effective way.

AMC has developed very up to date ways of accomplishing that, which includes outside talks, screenings, websites and blogs. You may have already tried some or all of these, or seen your colleagues doing them, but there is a very specific way to go about them in order to make them effective in getting new patients into your office. My follow up articles will get into more detail on each of these.