Five Star Explained

The following is a transcribed interview with Dr. Noel Lloyd about the Five Star program.

Q. What is Five Star?

A. Five Star is essentially a coaching service; a practice management company. Dr. Lee Newman in Pittsburgh, Dr. Michael Lenarz, coaches our upper cervical doctors and I (in Seattle) coach chiropractors to reach their practice goals.

Q. If you don't mind my asking, what qualifies you to coach chiropractors?

A. That's a fair question. I'm a chiropractor with 25 years of experience. I personally saw over 500 visits a week and, since my injuries, have built several large practices quickly with associates. I did that very well because I learned excellent internal office procedures, how to market Chiropractic well and to coach my associates well. I get the same type of result for my clients for the same reasons: good procedures, good marketing and good coaching. My clients and I agree to work together like a player and a coach would.

Dr. Lee Newman is a chiropractor with 12 years of experience. He has personally seen over 400 patient visits a   week for extended periods of time. He has also developed associates who have seen over 170 visits a week, and he currently manages multiple offices in the Pittsburgh area. He has been able to adapt to the managed care/ no care environment of the new millennium by successfully generating large numbers of new patients. In 1997 his main office saw over 850 new patients and he was able to help generate over 70 new patients for a new office in its very first month.

Dr. Michael Lenarz has been in an upper cervical practice for over 10 years, has also seen over 400 visits a week, developed associates to over 300 visits a week and currently owns, practices in and manages Health First Chiropractic. Dr. Lenarz has a unique perspective on developing he upper cervical practice and, as far as we know, heads the only upper cervical practice management program.

Q. What are the problems that chiropractors want help with?

A. There are really only three (3) problems in a practice: not enough new patients, too little retention and too much stress. Every real practice problem fits under one of those headings. The heavy hitters seeing huge numbers have the same problems as the beginning practice, just in different ways. By the way, if you fix the new patient problem, then fix the retention problem and eventually fix the stress problem, you have done a tremendous amount for your client.

Q. What's the most common practice problem you and Dr. Newman hear about?

A. I'm sure you can guess - it's too few new patients. Not enough new patients is the single largest problem for chiropractors all over the country and it has to be faced head on in order to beat it.

Q. Do you mean the problem of too few new patients can be beaten?

A. Yes, without a doubt. Most chiropractors don't have a clue how welcome the Chiropractic message is in their community and if you ask the average chiropractor how many hours they spend taking that message outside their office, it's less than one half hour a week. Most chiropractors have no consistent public education or marketing plan at all. I can't think of any other business that would treat marketing that way and survive.           

The days where you could hide in your office and patients hunted for you, if they ever existed, are gone. More competition, poor insurance and a questionable work economy for most patients have changed that.

Every chiropractor who wants to succeed must learn how to market Chiropractic both inside and outside their office.

Q. So, marketing or advertising for new patients is a major emphasis in Five Star?

A. Yes. We attack the problem of too few new patients head on. Again, I apply the team or coaching philosophy to the largest problem first. If the main problem is not enough new patients, and it usually is, we attack it like we're killing snakes. When we do, we produce some pretty spectacular results.

Nothing makes less sense than to know there's a serious problem and then take a halfhearted, half time, half- assed approach to solving it. You need to immediately start to change your thinking and then change your schedule to allocate the hours needed to learn the new skills to do the marketing and get the new and improved results.

It's simple. Just ask yourself, what do the real winners do? Then do what they do. If you want to double or triple new patients, you have to do something different. The faster you do differently, the better you do differently; the better you do differently, the faster and better you get your new results. I have seen peoples' lives totally changed forever in 30 days.

Q. What is the best strategy for solving the new patient problem today?

A. It's a two-part plan. First, most potential new patients are outside your office, right? So, get outside the office and get good at 3 sharp external marketing programs. Second, get good at 3 internal marketing programs. Initially plan to spend 3 to 10 hours a week putting those new patient programs in place and keep at it until you see the results you're looking for.

Q. What are some of those external and internal new patient programs?

A. The all time easiest and least expensive way to get new patients outside the office is spinal screenings. I opened a clinic with 161 new patients in the first month with spinal screenings and put 601 new patients in my clinics in 31 days with screenings; even today it is the easiest and least expensive. Telemarketing works very well in many areas. Dinner workshops work well, too. Public lectures, done correctly, can be very effective. There are also ways to get PI and work comp cases through industrial contacts that work very well. In all there are 5 or 6 great new patient programs. It depends on the chiropractor's desire, personality and the area.

I'm sure the list will continue to change over time but the underlying principles never change: take the message to the people in some form that you can have fun with and then learn to do 2 or 3 marketing programs very well. Always look for a competitor to your best new patient program. All you do is win when you challenge one new patient program with another.

Dr. Newman has been able to adapt to the managed care/no care environment of the new millennium by success-fully generating large numbers of new patients. In 1997 his main office saw over 850 new patients and he was able to help generate over 70 new patients for a new office in its very first month.

Q. How about internal new patient programs? What's working the best there?

A. This may sound strange, but love and courage work the best and here's what they look like. First you must lead your patients; don't be afraid to tell people what they need even if you fear they won't believe you or accept your recommendations. That's called leadership. Then give that person what you would want someone to give to your own family. That's love.

That's your platform: your authority to attract and ask for referrals. We believe our clients are in it for the long haul and nothing builds a practice like giving from the heart. You also build your character that way. In the process you become the type of person you like and respect. You attract people with a clear purpose.

On top of the willingness to lead and love people you must have confidence in Chiropractic. Building and caring for your Chiropractic philosophy is a high priority.

Q. What if the doctor's Chiropractic philosophy isn't the same as yours?

A. A doctor who wants to do well in Five Star needs to love Chiropractic and his or her patients, and be willing to show the courage of their convictions and take the action steps consistent with that love. It doesn't sound too businesslike, but we think it's the only way to do this business.

I'll give you some examples. If you know and understand Chiropractic, you know that everyone needs to be checked for subluxations. Subluxations are killers, just as really and truly as bullets. I don't just believe that, I've seen that and I know that. Now, you tell me, should I teach you about Chiropractic and how it can help your family and friends? You bet I should; if I love you like your chiropractor should, I make it easy to come in and find out if you have subluxations and get adjusted. Then I try to make it clear why everyone you know needs the same care.

With that as a foundation, we have great patient testimony programs that teach patients to testify and refer. It's actually a lot of fun.

Q. What else works for internal marketing for new patients?

A. When you are on purpose, you can ask for referrals with tremendous effect. There are great scripts for that. There's also a template for a New Patient Orientation Class that lays Chiropractic out for people in a way that they can see the need to refer their friends all over the world to chiropractors. There are also special seasonal events that are very effective. The real challenge is to plan at least 90 days in advance and work your plan. That's why people need a coach.

Q. Let me ask you about this coach thing. How do you and Dr. Newman coach people?

A. A good coach is a mentor and a mentor does three things. He nurtures, instructs and sets limits. Personally, I have several coaches I look to. These are people whom I respect and have done what I want to do in at least one area of their lives where it makes sense to let them direct me.

Q. You also say retention is another problem. How do you approach that?

A. Let's start again from the Golden Rule, or what I would want for the people I know and love the best, my family. If my wife and kids need to be checked for subluxations for the rest of their lives, so does everyone else. Right? Well, there are five serious problems standing in the way of that.

First, patients don't know what Chiropractic really is. We tell them in several very effective ways. Second, they have never set any meaningful health goals. We take them through the process of goal setting and we set goals. Third, they don't know why they should continue with care after their pain leaves, so we show and tell them until they can show and tell us. Fourth, they can't afford ongoing care, so we price it right. Finally, if they get lost on the way, we come and get them. We have one entire seminar that deals with the 15 reasons people quit care and the 3 reasons why they continue with care.

Q. Okay, how about stress? How do you and Dr. Newman help reduce stress in a practice?

A. In several ways and by several means. Let's talk philosophy for a minute. The rule of thumb is the simpler, the better, so let's simplify everything. Then we'll systemize everything, and finally submit to the system. That's the whole process. Make a system, submit to the system and make the system work instead of you.

I hate to say it, but many chiropractors don't do the same thing the same way two times in a row. To add to that, little if any procedure is written or taught to staff and patients, so the chiropractor is making it up each day in a slightly different way each time. That is very stressful. What we need to do is find the best way, practice it and do it that way each time.

Q. Okay, I like what I hear. How are you and Dr. Newman going to help me?

A. We're going to help you face to face, phone to phone and through tapes and materials. We produce great notes, materials, tapes, phone consulting and seminars. Some seminars are group and some are private.

Q. How does a private seminar work?

A. It's called a "Fast Track." It's just you, your right hand assistant (if you have one) and me (in Seattle), or Dr. Newman (in Pittsburgh), in a full day personal seminar. You'll come into Seattle, or Pittsburgh, the night before your Fast Track. We spend a whole day together. First, Dr. Newman or I find out what you really do in your practice, then we set your practice goals. The rest of the day we put the action steps together to reach those goals. It's a combination of learning, problem solving and bonding. This is where the vision of what you want takes shape. It's very exciting. By the end of the day we will be tired, but very excited about what we have built and you will have a clear vision of how you're going to reach your goals.

The next day you will go to my or Dr. Newman's clinics and see the internal systems you learned about the day before and speak to the people who use these systems every day. Then you go on site with our marketing people and learn how to get lots and lots of new patients.

By the time you leave Seattle or Pittsburgh you will know how to do what you need to do to reach your goals. The balance of our time together is spent coaching you to the completion of these goals. Some clients get such great results from their Fast Track that they take one a year.

Q. What about the group seminars? Will I be lost in the crowd?

A. No. Our seminars are wonderful and small enough to be personal - just 75 to 125 people. There's a lot of motivation, inspiration, information and demonstration so you can learn what to change, how to change it and see what change looks like.

One feature our clients love is the amount of sharing we encourage from our successful clients. They model our procedures in dozens of different areas.

Q. What about the phone support? How does that work?

A. Two ways: if you have a problem, call and get help; consulting on demand. We have several experts in several areas: new patients, internal procedures and staff are all available. Second, you will have a scheduled management call at regular intervals. We have developed a great format that keeps our clients focused and on purpose.

Q. Am I going to have to buy a lot of additional equipment or add on seminars?

A. No. We don't have any so-called "special classes" that add additional costs and we rarely recommend that you spend anything extra, with the exception of some educational materials and possibly some screening equipment. But that can be quite inexpensive if done correctly.

Q. Since we're talking about fees, how much does Five Star cost?

A. Based on actual measurement of client average increases, about $100,000.00 if you don't join. Only $10,000.00 if you do join.

Q. Do you require a contract?

A. Yes. For the best results you need to make a commitment. My experience has taught me it's the best way for both coach and player.

Q. Who should and who shouldn't be a Five Star client?

A. The person we want to help is the man or woman who reads this and likes what we have to say, who isn't afraid of hard work and who's willing to do what they need to do to succeed.

The person who wants to put all kinds of preconditions on what they will or won't do to succeed, the person who doesn't really have a heartfelt love for Chiropractic and the patient is the person we hope doesn't call us; we'll be miserable.

Q. Any advice for someone who doesn't want a consultant?

A. Yeah, more of a question. If Michael Jordan and Jack Nicklaus need coaches, what makes you think you don't.