SLICK, by Dr. Ogi Ressel

Wednesday, June 17th 2009

Warm hellos to everyone,

Let's talk about an issue which most doctors are misguided and misled
about.
Let's talk about S.L.I.C.K.

I want you to picture Mary, your new patient, sitting in front of you at your
report of findings, with her husband. You present her with a a number of
colorful papers, booklets - all professionally done - carefully explaining her
problem, her solution, the cost of it, and your recommendations.

The pages depict smiling kids, families together, and explain her problem
in detail - with maps of the nervous system, the spine, as well as a preprinted
schedule of care, etc. You know the type I'm talking bout - we all use these.

She carefully looks at the pages in front of her - beautifully printed, glossy,
in full color, and......generic - they could apply to anyone. And she and her
husband are then asked to make a decision on her health and payment options
you have presented her with - all beautifully bound and glossy and impersonal.
SLICK.

Consider a different side of the same coin:
Mary is given similar pages, but these are hand-prepared by you. They are not
glossy, but it it obvious that the doctor has taken the time to meticulously prepare
and personalized them for her in particular. They are not generic and her husband
and her totally get what the doctor is attempting to explain. The payment options
and recommendation are the same, and yet her feeling is that this doctor is
concerned and actually spend his precious time preparing these personally by hand
exclusively just for her.

Let me ask you this:
Which scenario do you think is more impressive and more likely to provide you with
a patient who is going to accept your recommendations?

The answer is obvious.

Here's the problem; we as doctors, have been convinced that the slicker the
presentation we provide to our patient, the more likely they are to sign up for care.
So we go all out to be slick and polished in everything we do.

I can hear the words of Bill Cosby.....Slicko, man!

We use a hi-tech report of findings, slick videos, computer terminals at each table,
personal SOAP note computers at our belt, glossy patient appointment calendars,
etc., and we think that these toys will quarantee that people will be impressed and
therefore more likely to accept our recomendations AND stay with us for lifetime
care. Right! You need a life! (I need to make an exception here - Dr. Tedd Koren's
materials, although very slick, lose none of that warm and personal approach.
Check them out at www.korenpublications.com)

Listen...you need to get this. People do not want slick. No. They get enough slick
from the medics. They want you. They want that warm, personal, and "unslick"
approach. That warm, fuzzy, nurturing approach from their doctor. Don't get me
wrong, patients maybe impressed with SLICK, but they would rather have a doctor
who is very personal, who cares, is warm, and one who they feel qenuinly cares for them.

So.....take a look at what you do.  Have a meeting with your staff, go over what you do,
and decide to UNSLICK your office.

Warmest wishes,
Dr. Ogi Ressel