262 Community Relationships

Welcome to the KC CHIROpulse Podcast.  

This week’s topic:  How strong is your community presence? 

The KC CHIROpulse Podcast is designed for Chiropractic professionals ready to elevate their practice to new heights.  This week, the show is hosted by Kats Consultants’ coaches Dr Michael Perusich and Dr Alex Kallio, seasoned experts in Chiropractic business management.  This podcast provides invaluable insights and actionable strategies to help you create a flourishing and sustainable Chiropractic business.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The importance of building a strong local market presence
• How building relationships in-person is more powerful than social media
• Where some of the best community events can be found
• How so many doctors are overlooking these opportunities
• …and so much more…

In each episode of KC CHIROpulse, we delve into crucial aspects of building a successful Chiropractic practice, covering topics such as establishing a strong foundation, adopting a patient-centric approach, mastering marketing techniques, achieving financial fitness, fostering effective team building and leadership, integrating technology and innovation, and navigating common challenges in the field.

Whether you're a seasoned chiropractor or just starting your practice, the KC CHIROpulse Podcast offers a wealth of knowledge and personalized practical advice to help you navigate the intricate world of Chiropractic business. Join us on this journey as we explore proven strategies, share success stories, and connect with industry experts to empower you in your pursuit of building a thriving Chiropractic practice.

Don't miss out on the latest insights and expert guidance. Subscribe now and unlock the secrets to taking your Chiropractic practice to the next level. Your success is our priority at Kats Chiropractic Business Advisors.

DISCLAIMER:  The information presented in this broadcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to offer legal, investment, accounting, or medical advice, and represents the opinions of the speakers.  Seek the consultation of a professional for advice in those areas. And remember…your results using this information may be different than described.

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KC CHIROpulse Podcast.  Helping Chiropractors keep their pulse on success.  Thanks for listening.

Transcript

262 Community Relationships

[00:00:00] 

Why Community Presence Matters

Dr. Michael Perusich : Doctors, how strong is your community presence? Hi, everybody. Welcome to the KC ChiroPulse podcast, brought to you by Kats Consultants and ChiroHealth USA. We are your hosts for today. This is Dr. Alex Kallio. I'm Dr. Michael Perusich. Welcome everybody to the show. We appreciate you being here. Dr. Alex, community presence.

I'm just gonna ask you one question. Important or not? 

Dr. Alex Kallio: Hugely important. You know- Hugely ... if you're not getting out and getting known in your community, people aren't gonna find you. Right. You're, you're gonna be, you're gonna be having a lot of admin time. 

Trust Beyond Social Media

Dr. Michael Perusich : Here's the thing I don't think a lot of doctors get.

I hear everybody saying, you know, "Oh, we gotta have that social media presence, and we gotta be advertising on Google and all those things," which is great. All that's good, but it doesn't help patients get to know you. 

Dr. Alex Kallio: Yeah. 

Dr. Michael Perusich : And that's really what patients need. They need that connection with their healthcare provider to really not just come in as a tire kicker, but come in as a [00:01:00] real patient.

Dr. Alex Kallio: Well, it, it's the trust factor, right? I mean, it's- It's the trust factor ... how you get to be established as the expert in your community is being- Right ... seen out in the community, patients want to, comparatively even to, to medical or to other specialists, you know, we're, we're a very, lack of a better term, intimate provider.

You know? We're hands-on. So there- Yeah ... there is a whole nother layer of trust that needs to happen in our offices for patients to stick around, refer other people, uh, you know, all the stay, pay, refer stuff that, you know, we, we've all said for years. But it comes with trust, and you've gotta build that. And so yes, part of that is social media and being seen and having content and that kind of thing.

But- 

Dr. Michael Perusich : Right ... 

Dr. Alex Kallio: you need to be seen in your community, whether that's, you know, th- there's a lot of ways to do it, and I'm sure we'll get into those here as we go. But you need to be out and about and involved. People need to see you where they are working and playing and, and, you know, out with their kids and kind of thing.

So you need to be out in that environment. [00:02:00] 

Dr. Michael Perusich : Yeah, that's exactly right, and we, we are a relationship-based business, and the way you build relationships is not through your Google ads and your social media marketing. It's through getting out in the community. So we need to take a quick break. When we come back, let's talk about what some of those in-the-community opportunities might be.

All right, everybody, we'll be right back.

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All through a compliant discount medical plan. The result, doctors stop undercharging, raise fees, and increase income by about 20% without sacrificing care. That's not a discount strategy. It's a business strategy. Learn more at [00:03:00] chirohealthusa.com

Quick Community Opportunities

Dr. Michael Perusich : Okay, we are back here with Dr. Alex today. We're talking about, uh, your community presence, which we've already established is obviously very, very important. And why? Because that's the key to really building those relationships, because we're a relationship-based business. So Alex, you're, you're, you're the, the king of starting new practices.

Dr. Alex Kallio: Done, done it a few times. Uh- 

Dr. Michael Perusich : Done it a few times ... 

Dr. Alex Kallio: as many may know, in the midst of it again. So yeah, it's, I'm- Sure ... I'm kinda knee-deep, and maybe neck-deep in, in doing this, uh, again at the moment too. And there's so many different opportunities. And, the thing I'll tend to hear from clients or, or others is, is of course time, right?

Is, is to- Right ... go out and do those things, it's time. And, you know, kind of the days of the, uh, you and I, you know, used to do tons of these, the multi-day screenings and the big, you know- Right ... that stuff has of kinda gone to the wayside a little bit. Um, so really- Little bit. Mm-hmm ... when we're talking getting out in the community it's [00:04:00] shorter-based a little smaller, more intent kinda driven, more relationship driven kind of interactions.

Right. I mean, getting out to maybe it's the local 5K. Maybe it's... I've got tomorrow night, uh, we're a, a sponsor of a concert series in our community. Um, and it's a- Love that ... big beach music concert series. We're one of the sponsors. We have a booth out at that event series tomorrow night for a couple hours.

So it's- Perfect ... you know, a couple three hours time out. It might be talks, going to, you know, the lunch and learns with the- Yeah ... provider. Again, there, there's, oh my gosh the layers of this are huge, but impact probably even bigger if you do it right. 

Dr. Michael Perusich : Yeah, that's exactly right. You know, I you mentioned health talks, for example.

I, I think health talks have somehow become kind of thrown to the side a little bit, and yet the doctors that are doing them right now are really kind of shooting the lights out. And, you know, I talked about this before, the fact that I built my practice on doing health talks. I, I mean, I would do health talks anywhere I could whether it was [00:05:00] churches or community-based organizations or schools or wherever people would listen to me for a few minutes.

So- Yeah ... don't be afraid to get out there and get involved in those things. And you mentioned sponsorships. I think sponsorships are a great way to get your name out there, but we don't wanna just put our name on a banner. We also want to be there personally. Go there in your logo shirt or your scrubs or, whatever you have, and let people know that attachment, that sponsorship is you.

And get to know people around there. You know, we did sponsorships for Little League sports for many, many years, and we weren't just on the banner. Um, we actually went out there, we coached, we talked to parents. We'd watch when players would get injured, we'd go up and talk to the parents about how chiropractic might be able to help with that.

And, it just created a flood, really, of new patients. 

Dr. Alex Kallio: Absolutely. Yeah, and there's so many opportunities for that, right? I mean, yes, it's sponsorships. You can do the 5Ks, you can do, you know, the [00:06:00] Little Leagues, you can do all those things, the music series stuff like we've got coming up.

Yeah ... but even, be on the lookout. We've done talks. We did an ergonomics talk for a local gym. Uh, we've had- Yeah ... some of the retirement communities. You know, somewhat depending on your niche and practice, cater to that. You wanna make sure you're not, if you're a pediatric practice you're probably not wanting to go do a talk at a retirement home.

You know? It's- So you wanna make sure you're booking appropriately with what types of patients you're wanting to bring in. Uh, but there's so many opportunities- Exactly ... out, medical, you know, lunch and learns, going, dentistry. Uh, so any- Yep ... of the healthcare professionals for that type of thing, uh, can be huge.

Uh, and, and, and just even into your kids' sports, you know? Even as much as I've got one that does dance, well, I'm getting, she's gonna be on a big production team this year, and they rope all the dads into helping with stage production. So am I gonna be wearing clinic attire probably when I go do that?

Absolutely, yeah. 

Dr. Michael Perusich : Absolutely. 

Dr. Alex Kallio: All those guys that are, are hurting themselves lifting stuff, you know, we're gonna talk about, [00:07:00] "Hey, come in and see us." Mm-hmm. "We can absolutely help with that." So there's all those opportunities- Yeah ... when you get involved in the community and your kids' things, or just in the community at large that just kind of natural conversation things come up to be able to, come around to, "Hey, I couldn't help but notice you have this going on."

You ever seen a chiropractor for that before? There, there's just so many- Right ... opportunities when you're out and talking to people. 

Dr. Michael Perusich : Right. 

Get Creative and Give Back

Dr. Michael Perusich : And, you know, you don't just have to talk about chiropractic care directly either. I used to do a series at local churches every once in a while about just some general health topics.

Might be nutrition and lifestyle habits. It might be the, the five diseases that r- respond well to nutritional and lifestyle changes, those kind of things. So you don't have to always just talk about chiropractic care. You can talk about... I mean, you're a doctor, so you can talk about any kind of doctor things and so forth, but the conversation always evolves back [00:08:00] around then to chiropractic care.

You know, maybe you go out and talk about lower extremity joint problems. Lots of people have knee and hip issues. Maybe you talk about shoulder issues and shoulder pain, and then eventually it comes around to people asking questions and, and that's when you can really inject your chiropractic knowledge in those kind of events.

So- 

Dr. Alex Kallio: Yeah. Well- ... 

Dr. Michael Perusich : you know, get creative with these things. 

Dr. Alex Kallio: Well, and I- that's... You were just... Kind of was gonna say the same thing. Get creative with it. I mean, you can do... Partner with. Maybe you have a, a patient who is a financial planner. Have a health and wealth seminar where you each, you know, you host- Yeah, that's great

your own and you each host a 20, 30 minute, topic time and invite each other's clients, patient base, you know, to attend or do it online. I, I think COVID threw a wrench into this a little bit, right? Of all the... I mean, you know, so many- Yeah ... times everybody hosted the, the new patient classes or had, you know, classes in the office set up, and then, you know, COVID came and, and all of that stuff stopped, and nobody really got back to it again, right?

Now, the offices- Right ... those [00:09:00] that have and have gotten back to some of these in-person things, you know, are killing it. They're absolutely seeing the returns on it, and I think a lot of people got stuck in the, "A, we're gonna make a video and post it on our socials" mindset and the, the clock hit, uh...

It's 5:00, 6:00, and they're out of the office and they go straight home, and they're not getting out anywhere. You- Yeah ... you still, that in-person thing still matters. It's still important to get out and be seen and be known in the community no matter how big your community is. Whether it's a, you know, a small town or a large urban area- Exactly

you still have your draw radius and area that people need to know who you are in that. 

Dr. Michael Perusich : Yeah, absolutely. So, so absolutely true. And, you know, I think people in c- our communities have this idea that doctors should be involved in the community and should be giving back to the community, and yet so many doctors don't do that, at least on, on a, a smaller, obvious local level.

So don't be afraid to [00:10:00] get involved in s- not only some of the things we've already talked about, but look for opportunities to be on boards of different programs, whether it's a, a battered women's shelter or Boys & Girls Club or, organizations like that where you can have that impact to a broader range of people, as well as be working with movers and shakers, leaders in your community on, also on that board who can get to know you on that higher professional level.

Dr. Alex Kallio: Yep. Well, and it's still, I mean, a- and I would say don't forget about the service groups around town. I mean, still, y- being a member of the chamber or Rotary or whatever other groups might be in your area, it's still, a good thing to be involved in some of those and the relationships.

Again your business movers and shakers you mentioned are all part of those groups. You know, if you're having a hard time finding some of these opportunities, sometimes just plugging into one of those groups, getting involved, uh, can get you a lot of recognition and, and kind of get you plugged in with the people who kind of [00:11:00] know the people all around your town as well.

Dr. Michael Perusich : Yeah. And, you know, watch your local news. You know, a lot... I know a lot of us kind of shy away from the news, which I get. You know, it's, it's pretty negative sometimes. But watch your local news because they will talk about some of those organizations and things, and that's sometimes how you can learn about them.

You know, if you have a zoo, for example, that's a, that's another good one that usually has high community impact. So, you know, watch for those kind of things out there and, uh, you'd be shocked how many opportunities are there for you. 

Dr. Alex Kallio: Absolutely. Yeah. Just get involved. You know, it doesn't have to 

Dr. Michael Perusich : be- Yeah, just get involved.

Dr. Alex Kallio: Exactly ... a big thing or anything, you know, even too elaborate, but just be seen. Be seen, be out, be talking to people. 

Dr. Michael Perusich : Exactly. Exactly. 

Wrap Up and Next Steps

Dr. Michael Perusich : All right, everybody, we need to take another quick break, hear a word from our sponsors, and we'll be right back

Speaker 4: Patient numbers, dipping staff overwhelmed, and another marketing idea, promising the world, but [00:12:00] delivering nothing. These pressures feel familiar to nearly every Chiropractic clinic today across the country. Chiropractors work hard, yet many find themselves stuck. Balancing patient care with the nonstop demands of running a business.

That's where the real strain begins. Most clinics face the same set of hurdles, inconsistent new patient flow, operational bottlenecks, and the constant challenge of staying visible in an overcrowded digital space. National reports show that over 60% of clinics struggle with scheduling efficiency alone and even more lack of clear marketing strategy that reliably converts.

But the good news, these challenges aren't roadblocks. They're signals with the right procedures, smarter outreach and guidance built specifically for Chiropractic practices, clinics can turn daily stress into sustainable growth. Stronger clinics start with smarter strategies. Grow your practice with confidence.

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Dr. Michael Perusich : All right, we are back and we've been talking about the importance of getting involved in your community and creating that community presence so you can build high-level relationships wherever you're, you're practicing at.

So just as a wrap-up, we've talked a lot about... a lot... about a lot of great things. You know, when it comes to looking for opportunities, just open your eyes. They are absolutely everywhere. I mentioned watching the news to hear about news stories about organizations, but talk to your patients. Your patients may be involved in some of these things.

Maybe they're an HR director or can introduce you to an HR director. What community organizations are they involved in? What churches are they involved in? Those kind of things. So use your patients to help open some of those doors. 

Dr. Alex Kallio: Yeah. And don't be afraid to let them know that, hey you have, expertise available.

You'd love to be able to talk to, you know, to their group or [00:14:00] maybe they're, again, they own the business or the HR person. You have ergonomic topics available. You have nutrition topics available. You'd love to come in and speak and, you know, reach out to those service groups or to the churches or the pastors- Yeah

or the... these places are all looking for those things. You know, you'll see- Exactly ... you can peek through your social media e-events, the news events. You're gonna see that stuff all over the place. Why could it not be you the one providing some of that information? 

Dr. Michael Perusich : That's exactly right. So get involved in your community.

Building community relationships and building your community presence is incredibly important to the suc-success of your practice. So speaking of success in practice, be sure to go to katsconsultants.com and check out all the things that we're doing to help providers, help chiropractors like you build more successful practices and, better yet, work smarter, not harder.

So go to katsconsultants.com. There's a whole bunch of free downloads on there and, uh, anytime you wanna talk to [00:15:00] us, we are happy to plug in. Dr. Alex, thank you so much for being here today. Absolutely. Good to see you, my friend. 

Dr. Alex Kallio: Thanks for having me. 

Dr. Michael Perusich : Always. And, uh, to all of you out there, thanks for tuning in every week.

Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast. It's growing like crazy. And, uh, be sure to share it as well. So we appreciate all of you out there. And from all of us here at Kats Consultants, and we wanna thank Chiro Health USA as well, we'll see you next time.