HONOR, by Dr. Ogi Ressel

Thursday, April 9th 2009

Warm hellos to everyone,
Honour.  Now there is a concept!

I don't think there is a higher bar than maintaining your honour and
integrity as a doctor - to a patient in your community, this means everything.

When you give your word, your community should know that you stand by it!

"Old outdated values," you think? Think again. As a society, we are moving
back to some old world values - values that people died and were jailed
for not that long ago.
Values which meant something. As we move forward ever faster in our
technological advance, more and more people are beginning to embrace
the family values they were instilled with from childhood - values such as honesty,
integrity, truthfulness, and honour. Yes, honour!

For example, the concept of the written contract is fairly new. Most people
on the planet still use their word of honour as a guarantee. Your patients
should be able to count on you unconditionally in that same manner. Period.

When you give your word, it should stand for something.

You need to remember that we, as a profession, are in a service industry.
This means that our patients needs come first. Your behaviour, your purpose,
and your honour reflect Chiropractic.
It is a sacred trust. Please guard it with your word.

Contrast this higher calling with the games some doctors are taught to
play with their public:
How do glibby little phrases such as telling a patient that "It's worse than I thought"
figure into the picture of honour?

Or, "I need to see you right now - this can't wait," or playing the " YET
game - asking a patient if they noticed this symptom yet, or noticed
this other problem yet?  
Are these examples of honour? Or examples of desperation? You decide.

It's true - these techniques work because they evoke a sense of urgency in
the patient.

The problem I have with this approach is that it is solely based on fear.
Yes - fear of the unknown. Place yourself in the shoes of a patient - would
you respect a doctor if he ever said something similar to you? I think not.
Using these phrases to get a patient to sign up with you is the same as 
psychological abuse - not well tolerated by your community. We all know that
good news travel slowly and bad news are like lightening - they strike fast.

Using fear-based marketing is the fastest way to kill your practice that I know.
It may work initially but your office soon gets a certain reputation and your
credibility becomes irreparably damaged.  The name "HUSTLER" comes to
mind - I embarrassed to say that I've met a few - and they call themselves
chiropractors. I think you'll agree with me that women, moms in particular,
are more intuitive than men and the transparency of these doctors is readily
seen by them.

Listen...when you tell the truth, you never need to remember what you've said.
If you don't, you need to spin elaborate tales that need to sound plausible to
the average Earthling - a tough thing to do.

Honour.
It cannot be replaced.
It should be your highest calling.

Warmest wishes,
Dr. Ogi Ressel