Who are the people you trust the most?

Maybe your parents? (Maybe not). Maybe a priest? Sibling? Best friend?

What do all these people have in common that make you trust them?

There may be a few characteristics, however a major one will probably stand out: they listen.

The more they listen, the more you trust.

It’s normal. There is probably some thing from our childhood that makes us trust people who listen.

Your clients will therefore naturally trust you more when you listen.

When you listen, you are able to respond to their needs and desires.

When it comes to care plans, listening will allow you to create custom tailored plans for your clients.

This will build help to build even more trust. Custom plans are much more valuable than one size fits all solutions.

Listening is tough. As humans we like to talk, especially about ourselves. It’s also hard to keep from chiming in or interrupting.

When you listen you have to resist the urge to speak.

Now, in a conversational dialog you take turns talking. However, in a clinical setting all your focus should be on the person in front of you. Remember, you aren’t their friend. You are an authority figure.

You can let your patients know you are listening by repeating back what they are saying. You can also give them little queues that you are listening.

Not Listening Adequately Hurts Chiropractors, Hurts Patients and Hurts Our Profession.

You may yet be aware how the lack of listening hurts chiropractors, hurts patients and hurts our profession, but you will once you finish this article. Continue reading and you will clearly see how the simple act of listening brings us more respect and legitimacy among patients and among the medical community.

When I started my own practice I had a coach who advocated a high-volume, mission based style of practice.

In this style of practice I never took a detailed history.

It was a big mistake.

Now, a lot of high volume offices still do a good job of taking histories and creating care plans. Many Everest docs, a group I am now a proud part of, see a lot of people.

However, the more mission based style of practice really fails to build trust with clients. This hurts the doctor, the patient, and the profession.

Most mission style practices operate in the following way:

The patients come in, are quickly adjusted, and then usually told to come to an orientation where they are taught about the more esoteric beliefs of chiropractic.

You know: above down inside out, the power that made the body heals the body, etc.

Without focusing on the patient’s needs and going straight to the more esoteric beliefs of chiropractic you erode trust and respect.

Essentially this is what you’re telling them: forget what you are going through and how it’s affecting your life. Chiropractic isn’t about fixing your problem or making you feel better. It’s about some weird stuff that has nothing to do with what you are feeling.

Can you see how this might make patients feel a bit odd? How someone might come to a chiropractor for help with some symptoms and then being ignored?

At best, they’ll maybe start feeling better after being adjusted and continue for a period of time if your prices are cheap.

At worst they think you are a quack who runs a cult and they will be forever turned off by chiropractic.

They’ll probably say something like “I went to a chiropractor, they adjusted me once and it didn’t really work. I don’t believe in chiropractic.”

Sound familiar?

It’s bad for us, it’s bad for the patient and it’s bad for the profession.

That’s why those mission based offices rely on high volume and low fees. Even a donation box.

Why? Because no value is being built.

It’s one size fits all.

No customization, no tailored plan to address the patient’s health complaint.

No trust.

Come on. You are a doctor. Doctors listen. Doctors listen then prescribe the right “medicine” to “fix” the patient’s problem.

Who do you think other medical professionals would rather refer people to? A mission based chiropractor who talks about weird “hocus pocus” type stuff? Or a chiropractor who focuses on what’s wrong and works to correct the problem.

When your patients start feeling better and start wondering why they get sick less and sleep better, then you can tell them the truth about chiropractic.

However, starting off with that is a mistake.

Take a detailed history. Listen to what is going on with your patient. Listen to what they have to say. Do diagnostic testing. Take x-rays. Find out what’s going on and then “prescribe” them a solution to fix their problems.

If you want to learn how to do this in the easiest way so you can help more people and build the lifestyle you deserve while selling the best healthcare product on the planet, check out Everest boot camp.