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The Secrets of the Touch and Tell System

by Thomas O. Morgan, D.C., B.S., FICA, FPAC

Dr. Tom Morgan and his wife, Mary Ann, are founders of Volume Practice Seminars. Their goal is to help doctors and staff achieve volume practices, become debt free, and live spiritually disciplined lives that glorify God.

Dr. Tom Morgan graduated from the Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport, Iowa. He holds a B.S. degree from Upper Iowa University in practice management. Also, he holds two honorary Fellow degrees. Dr. Morgan was in active chiropractic practice for over 30 years. He retired in 1996 at the age of 54. Since that time he has been teaching the Volume Practice Seminar and doing chiropractic consulting full time. During his time in practice, he had one of the largest high volume, cash practices in the world. He has written a book about these years entitled “VOLUME PRACTICE” and three more books about chiropractic. He is famous for his “Touch and Tell” system. Dr. Morgan is a member of the continuing education faculty at Palmer, he was also an instructor in Activator technique for over ten years. He also was president of a state Association and served on the state board of examiners for twelve years.

We would like for all patients to be more interested in chiropractic than their chiropractor. We would like for them to have a passion for chiropracTIC and to learn more about their subluxations. However, this is the “ideal” not the “real.” We have to teach and believe in the “ideal”— the vision, but we must live in the “real.” The ideal will happen when people demand to be adjusted and desire to live lives as subluxation free as possible. Then, they will be more concerned about the TIC instead of their TOR. There is an important place for respect, technique interest, and a time to learn about the subluxation and the principles of chiropracTIC. That is up to the energy and focus of the doctor. New patients want results. In the “real” world — patients bond more to the doctor than they do to chiropractic. That is why on the first visit, we are interested in getting the “Wow” into the experience. The adjustment turns on the innate healing power, and the patient feels changed after the adjustment. Then comes the time for understanding the “why” and to get them excited about this healing event. The first thing the CA should give the NP after the entrance form, and other necessary papers, is a booklet on “Subluxation.” The CA then gets the patient to pronounce the word and says, “Please familiarize yourself with this word, because the doctor will be talking to you about this today.” I want the patients to feel expectant — a little off guard. I want to take charge, so they must feel not in control of this visit with this new kind of doctor. I want this to be part of the “WOW.” These contact points with patient — The Touch & Tell — is where the power and “volume” is made and established — forever.

            Every person has the same responses. Mentally or spiritually, they respond to emotions and intuition; and educatedly or intellectually, they respond to information, logic and reason. Patients may come to you with an informed, preconceived idea of TIC and what to expect in your office. Usually, they think they have a condition that needs your experience and skill. But it is always up to the doctor to establish the emotional/ intuitive bond. Never think, even though you may be a great doctor, that procedures and presence alone establishes this inner contact with patients. It is possible that you can go through the analysis and adjustment time after time and keep this intuitive/emotional bonding. Without that inner contact, you can never have a great patient visit average (PVA). Mine never got below 50 visits in all my 30 years of practice. It is this intuitive and emotional response that keeps each patient in your office for years. This is a “bond” that is honored each visit over those years.

            When the Cancer Society wants to put on a drive for money, they do not start out with TV ads displaying pathological, histological slides of the different tumors. Rather, they show little bald headed kids pushing their IV racks up the hall of a hospital. It is always this emotional, intuitive response that the marketers are working to achieve for their prospective donors. The prescription ads that are blanketing our nation today are aimed at creating a “need” for drugs, and that each new drug is the “real” magic bullet. I saw where 107,000 people died in this country last year from prescription drugs. Never think that your patients don’t come in with their minds messed with. Their cortical software is programmed far differently from yours, doctor. You have to create the intuitive and emotional setting for healing; for faith in innate and for concern and interest in the subluxation. Plus, your patients get messed up between visits by anti-chiropractic propaganda. This misinformation is being poured into them at every chance. Medical web sites spew out the lies that people should stay away from chiropractors who offer free services, or who want their patients to stay for maintenance care. Shoving “anti-diagnosis and acute care only” verbiage is their constant ploy.

            Also, do not forget why honoring that “bond” with regular patients is important each visit. Patients come in contact with non-chiropractic people who are talking about their drugs, medical beliefs, and other criteria that challenge what the patients experience in your office. That is why you have to remain focused on each patient’s intuitive, emotional, and educational response EVERY visit. Train your office team to be aware of what you are trying to accomplish here. Our staff “watch word” is to give the patient far more than they pay for each visit.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE

“DISCONNECT”

            Think about the long term patient who presented today with a “wrinkle” in their psyche? Something was just not right with that patient. You can’t explain it, but in your sixth sense, your intuitive antennae are up and you know that there is some disconnect in that patient. When you say “I’ll see you in two weeks,” and they give you a sideways glance, you just know something is not right above the Atlas. Today, this patient is not in love with either TIC or the TOR. You must find out why. I have talked extra with this patient, walked him or her down the hall, and even gone out and sat in the car, trying to get to the bottom of the “disconnect.” BJ called it “goatfeathers” in people’s minds. Goatfeathers are things that take away the focus, or that cause people to question their belief systems and interfere with usual positive actions. Maybe it is a subluxation above the atlas? Well, doctors, your patients have lots of goatfeathers coming into their lives and we have to be aware of this more than any other doctors, as well as to understand what it takes to re-establish the truth in their brains.

            Our patients need more re-enforcement, concern, education and appreciation than they get at any other doctor’s office. They need this in order for you to gain that emotional and intuitive foothold that allows each patient to “keep the faith” with you and TIC. What I find out mostly is that the patients want re-enforcing. They don’t want a lecture or to be yelled at; they don’t want to go back to the Harvey Lilliard story. They simply want re-enforcement about their subluxation/condition and to be complimented on their choice of care — that means you. When the bond is good, I radiate love and appreciation for them and their choice today. If they are “fuzzy,” I reconnect this patient with positive re-enforcing words and attitude. “Mary, don’t forget that this adjustment every two weeks keeps your knees changing for the better. They are getting better every year — no titanium knees for you!”

            One thing I do out of habit on every visit is to mention the subluxation at some point. The patients do not know that we memorize their spines and subluxation patterns and can do the testing and adjusting in our sleep. It may put us to sleep if we daydream, so we have to put the excitement back into care for them, even if this is their 110th visit! I do this by NOT asking how they “feel.” Train your patients to expect that you will examine them and tell them how they are progressing AND anything that you find that is a NEW finding will be revealed in your testing. If my patients are not feeding back to me these words, then I know I am not focused.

            “I was going to see if you could find my problem today”

            “ You chiropractors are the only doctors who can tell me my problem before I tell you”.

            “I’ve got something new going on. I am depending on you to find the problem today”

            IF they don’t say something like this, then I say it for them. I want them to constantly be challenged by what my examination/testing is relating to me, as their doctor. I have my patients memorize their major subluxations and I speak to these. Usually, my conversation goes like this: “Hi Mary, come on up here and let me check that L-4.” This may be their umpteenth visit, but I am determined to get them interested in what INFORMATION THEIR SPINE IS GIVING ME EACH VISIT. Plus, this keeps me sharp. It keeps me focused on giving better and more complete care. The worst “sin” I see when I visit my clients and watch them adjust is the fact that they will move bones and talk about something else (the weather?). Your patients only have a few minutes with you today, so it is up to you to get them talking about the TIC experience for the rest of the day.

            One of the most effective ways for this to occur is to hand out testimonials. I used to hand out testimonials every week in my office. When the CA’s tell me they have to pick them up out of the parking lot, then I lay off giving them out for a week or so….. THEN, I am right back at it. Why? Because someone else relating the TIC experience RE-ENFORCES your patients and helps them refer others.

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