What to Bring and What to Talk About
I had visited an MD office on lunch yesterday, they have 20 employees. I have a sponsor for the lunch (MRI Company) and based on the politics of the situation sometimes they are there, sometimes not. I have had an in depth discussion with them about this and it is something that I revisit regularly. Relationships require tending and this type of thing is no different. You have to work to maintain you system otherwise it will fade.
The focus of the presentation (if you call it that, it was us sitting around while they ate as fast as they could) was on the chiropractor as the portal of entry to the functional treatment of the spine. This is a good time to tell you, this is WHY I am training you to talk in sound bites. It can get a little busy during these meetings so you need to get your point across quickly, there is very little time for education so you your focus is on talking their language and getting them to like you. It is a hybrid between formal and informal communication and you need to respond at the same level as they do. If they are (like this meeting) a group of laughing joking doctors talking about all their crazy patients, you want to converse at that level. If they are more formal, then focus on the research that you brought with you, but remember it is there in case you need it…DON’T FORCE IT. This is what I brought and the talking points that I made. In the end they were more than happy to send all their pain patients to me, they do not want to deal with spine patients.
What I brought – [they already have binders]
1. My updated CV
2. Chiropractor as portal of entry – Educational Flyer # 48A
3. CDC Opioid Epidemic Article – search title in GOOGLE and it is available FREE
4. Spinal Manipulation Clinically Reduces Pain Sensitivity – Educational Flyer # 36A
5. Lunch
What we talked about – [they refer to my office and one of the MDs has been to my CME – multiple points of contact, at different times, and in different venues]
1. My CV – I always say “I brought my credentials so that you know I not an idiot”…I say it in a fun way but that usually gets a laugh. DON’T BE TOO SERIOUS.
2. Their thoughts on failed back surgery
a. I said the surgery “doesn’t fail” it works on the anatomy, the problem is the patient does not have a doctor looking after the mechanics of the spine – it is about the ASSESSMENT
3. Their thoughts on spine pain patients and whether treatment helps
4. Their thoughts on medical interventions
a. They focused mostly on FUNCTION (which is what we are teaching them) and a focus on spinal mechanics.
b. They are interested in chiropractic in conjunction with Interventional Pain Management
c. I reiterated what does NOT work is a “medication and sit on the couch program”
5. We talked about reporting
a. They said they like a comprehensive initial, then after that only updates as needed.
b. They said AGAIN on the initial they GO RIGHT FOR THE ASSESSMENT PORTION FIRST, then medical management second – that is WHY our reports are set up the way they are, to make it EASY.
The way to get good at this is to do it often, this is what you need to do:
1. Visit these offices every 5-6 weeks – even if it is to stop in to say hello
2. Continue to educate on spinal biomechanics
3. Be yourself
4. LISTEN TO THEM and offer answers to their questions, if you don’t know call me.
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