Harry Potter, bananas and Chiropractic clinical growth.
Read time: 5 minutes
Beware the banana skins.
Many Chiropractors—especially those early in their careers—fall into common communication traps that can hinder their growth. The people they serve don’t “get it”, they don’t say around and we end up with a hungry diary. And its often caused by mistakes that work as a banana skin and cause us to slip and stop us running towards Chiropractic clinic success.
These hidden banana skins of communication, might be unseen but have the same effect as they do in the cartoons. They cause us to stumble. They are unnoticed because they’re subtle, ingrained in the way practitioners are trained, or simply overlooked in the hustle of day-to-day operations. A simple case of you don’t know what you don’t know.
But when you are aware of the banana skins, you can see the skins, you start to avoid them, to skip over them, and level up.
CUT THE JARGON.
As Chiropractors, we went through an interesting system of education and a ton of hours in the library learning more latin terms than the Harry Potter super fan. We often forget that their patients do not share the same level of understanding about spinal health, neurology, or biomechanics. When patients are bombarded with complex terminology, they can quickly become confused or overwhelmed, switch off and the result might as well be the same as us shouting Evanesco (only a true Harry P geek will get this).
Your practice member might be nodding along, but they can get confused and no body wants to feel stupid so this then stops the flow of health questions from them. So how do we stop this.
Simple…
CUT THE LONG WORDS.
STOP SPEAKING LATIN.
2 EARS and 1 MOUTH
Listen before you speak was something we we probably all told by our grandparents. Or maybe that was just us getting told off for the 3rd time for trying to answer back.
Chiropractors, eager to share their book knowledge and provide solutions, dominate the conversation without truly hearing what the patient is saying. This leads to misunderstandings, poor communication and a general sense of disconnection between the chiropractor and the practice member. We turn into that old friend (you know the one) who you don’t want to speak to anymore because they just tell you about their own things and what they are doing. Then don’t let you speak. They speak at you, and not to you.
And as people who have read more books on biology than Harry Potter did on magic, did we forget the basics. TWO EARS and ONE MOUTH. Listen twice as much as you speak.
AND
Actively listen, as in actually listen. LOOK AT THE PERSON.
Stop typing your notes, and make the person infant of you feel cared for!
HOW TO START TODAY
Improving communication skills is often discussed in broad, generic terms, leaving many chiropractors unsure of where to start or how to make meaningful progress. To truly transform your practice through better communication, you need actionable, specific strategies that are tailored to the unique dynamics of chiropractic care. Here, we delve into practical steps that go beyond the usual advice, offering insights and techniques that are seldom considered but can have a profound impact on your practice.
But you can start today. Make a list of common question you get asked and get a perfect answer down for them. Work on your answers, can you cut words, can you make it less technical, can you make it so simple that it would just make sense to a ten year old.
Or go pro..
While many chiropractors invest in clinical continuing education, few dedicate the same level of effort to improving their communication skills. Yet, the benefits of targeted communication training are immense. Here’s how to make the most of it:
**Practice communication skills through role-playing scenarios.**
Whether with a mentor, a colleague, or even in front of a mirror, role-playing can help you refine your communication techniques in a controlled environment. Focus on common patient interactions, such as delivering difficult news or explaining complex treatment plans.
**Review your communications.**
Do you favour filler words, are you speaking to fast or are you still speaking latin. Record yourself answering common asked questions in the comfort of your own home as if you were speaking to your people. And listen back to it. Review it. Spend the time, get the reward.
**Seek out specialized communication strategies that work.**
You don’t know what you don’t know. So find the people who do know it. Invest in yourself and watch the growth.
LETS SUM IT UP.
In the pursuit of mastering Chiropractic and growing your clinic, it’s easy to overlook the profound impact that communication has on every aspect of your practice. Effective communication is not just an auxiliary skill—it’s the backbone of practice member trust, retention, and ultimately, practice growth. The chiropractors who truly excel are those things know and have seen that their success hinges not only on their ability to adjust spines but also on their ability to connect with the people they serve and their ability to explain WHY they get the results they do.
What’s often missed in industry discussions is the realization that communication is a dynamic, evolving skill set, much more so than technical aspect of Chiropractic. It’s not surprising that you don’t speak the same way as your grandparents so why would we would be communicating the same way as the Chiropractors of old. It requires continuous study, reflection, and adaptation. The chiropractors who commit to refining their communication—who seek out training, listen actively, and reflect on their interactions—are the ones who see the most significant transformations in their practices.
The ripple effect of strong communication extends beyond the walls of you practice. It shapes your team dynamics, enhances the patient experience, and drives word-of-mouth referrals (just a little reminder that not every new patient should come from FB ad’s). By prioritising communication, you’re not just enhancing your professional skills; you’re laying the foundation for a thriving, results-centered practice that stands out more than Potter glowing scar.
Get to it, put the work in. Learn and serve more people.
And understand…
That those know, are those that grow.