PSYCHOLOGY COURSE
Discover Your Definition of Success
Get clear on what it means for you to feel fulfilled in 7 easy steps
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
Start with WHY
What are the metrics?
Review your Successes & Failures
Write your obituary
I know I am successful when…
What does ‘being in flow’ mean to you?
Your definition of success
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – Discover Your Definition of Success
Welcome to the ‘Discover Your Definition of Success’ course – get clear on what it means for you to feel fulfilled in 7 easy steps!
The purpose of this course is for you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, and learn that the right psychology can catapult your practice and business to new heights, creating a flow that happens when you are in the right mindset. Conversely, not tending to your personal mental landscape can have detrimental effects on the well-being of your practice, clinic, and business. Please understand that your psychology is without a doubt the key to your success – and that you must stand guard at the doorway of your mind.
If you commit to this course and take the time to go through each worksheet exercise you’ll soon begin to experience the business and personal fulfillment that you desire – all because you will be clear on what ‘success’ actually means for YOU. It’s that simple.
Please download and print the exercise worksheet before commencing, as these are necessary for this course to come to life. What you pull from these will prove to be a guide for your journey ahead, both in business and in life. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of these, please do not simply read or listen to these lessons, consume and complete them.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses is an essential piece of a bigger puzzle, which is the whole membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done, so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectations. The lessons within are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and through experience, all which cumulatively have brought me the success I enjoy each and every day of my life. I want that for you as well.
Lastly, If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me for a one-on-one consultation so I can better cater to your unique needs.
Start with WHY
Welcome to the ‘Start with WHY’ lesson of the ‘Discover your definition of success’ course.
When I do a talk or write an article or blog post I like to begin with WHY. Why I am doing it? To me, this should be the absolute first step anyone takes when they begin a new chapter, start a new practice or initiate a business. The WHY is what gives the fuel to persevere even through tough times, it represents the most important destination on the map on your road to fulfillment – because the WHY is the essence of your fulfillment. Make sense? If not, just know that getting clear on WHY you are doing what you are doing in life is very important when trying to accomplish your goals and dreams – it keeps you on track, so to speak.
Bottom line, the desired result here is to create a successful practice or business, and in tandem, to live a fulfilled life, right? So, there are ideas, techniques, strategies, plans, manuals, and consulting that will help, That is what you are doing now at The Golden Cabinet. What I need to get across in this step, right here and right now, is that if you do not have a clear WHY that extends beyond yourself, then your chances of long term success vanish. It is that simple.
If you do not know exactly WHY you are getting out of bed, WHY you should deal properly with that difficult patient, WHY it is necessary to be on top of your game, WHY you need to make money, WHY you need to keep putting in 110% effort, then today is your lucky day. From this moment forward you are going to know WHY you must step up and make things happen.
For now I want you to ‘SCREW THE TYRANNY OF HOW’. What I mean by that is to ignore any thoughts of “how” that creep in. When WHY is an absolute necessity then the HOW comes, it just does. With that in mind I want you to answer the following question;
WHY do you commit to being successful?
This is the question you need to answer. For me it is simple, family is my number one, but me and my community are also very important, so a large portion of my WHY looks something like this;
WHY I commit to being successful;
- To provide a safe place for my family to blossom into the people they are meant to become.
- To be the example I want my children to see and learn from.
- To be free with a calm inner peace.
- To contribute to my community and help others.
These are four points that touch deeply on WHY I must be successful. I could go on and on refining and adding to these in different areas of my life, but as Jim Collins once said ‘if you have more than 3 priorities you don’t have any!’, so I encourage you to distill it down, prioritize (an essential skill of the successful).
On the worksheet provided for this step I want you to take the time now to sit in quiet and get clear on 3-5 reasons WHY you MUST succeed. These will provide you with the motivation needed to make things happen in your life. Review these weekly. Remember that success is about the person you become in order to succeed, not a material or monetary destination.
It’s time to get clear – this step will serve as a guide to your entire process with life and business.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and do the exercise before moving onto the next step.
What are the metrics?
Welcome to the ‘What are the metrics?’ lesson of the ‘Discover your definition of success’ course.
This step really helps build on the prior step, and the reason we are doing all this work is to ultimately come to a place where you discover your definition of success. It is a process, and this is another tool or piece of the puzzle.
The What are the metrics? lesson is about the questions that need answering to better understand what makes you feel fulfilled, what would make you feel successful. It is necessary to further create your personal roadmap to your vision of a fully realized life.
WARNING: This step (and the others that follow) may seem inconsequential and you may feel like you want to jump to another lesson or course, but I guarantee that if you do not reflect on yourself and take the time to really understand your personal blueprint it will have detrimental ramifications to your long term success in practice, business, and life.
Start with you.
So here’s what I need you to do; simply answer the following questions in your workbook;
- how do you want to spend your time each moment of every day?
- how do you want people to perceive you? Your reputation?
- how do you want to feel when you wake up and step into your day?
- how do you want to contribute to the world, leave your mark or legacy?
- what does integrity and virtue mean to you?
- what does personal freedom look like in your life and feel like in your body?
- how will you achieve inner peace or super charged energy?
- how will you fully express your potential and let your light shine?
Once you have completed this exercise I want you to take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and be grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. See you in the next lesson.
Review your successes & failures
Welcome to the ‘Review your successes and failures’ lesson of the ‘Discover your definition of success’ course.
It is important to review what you feel your successes in life have been so far. This will help you understand what you regard as success. The past does not have to dictate the future. However, to a large extent the way you feel about and consider to be past successes is a good lens to perceive your future feelings of success. In this way, we can use history to act as a guide to be clear on planning your goals and what defines or feels like success in the future.
The ‘list your successes’ worksheet exercise will make you feel good. How many people have a list of things they accomplished in their life? Not many, but soon you will, and this is something I want you to review on a weekly or at the very least monthly basis (just like all the other exercises you will be completing), so that you maintain razor focus on where you are headed, with the right psychology to ensure you reach your destination.
Once you are done your ‘list of successes’ exercise in the worksheet you need to move onto the ‘list of failures’ exercise. You may be inclined to skip this step but it is imperative that you do not, as understanding your failures is just as important, if not more important than swimming in the good vibes of your successes. It may be a dose of reality but let me tell you this – I guarantee you can learn more from your failures than you ever will from your successes. With failure comes the silver lining of a reaction that spans body mind and spirit. Failure changes you in such a powerful way that if met head on can aid you in exponential growth – not to mention never making that same mistake again! Some say that the way a person deals with failure is a true measure of their strength, and I tend to agree. Anyone can be a great person when times are good, but when times are tough the true champions show their colours.
Buffalo are known to have an interesting characteristic which sets them apart. When a storm is on the horizon, a buffalo herd doesn’t run to get away from the storm like so many of their grazing counterparts. They face the storm and charge towards it, knowing that if they face the storm head on it may be fierce but it will also pass them in a much shorter time. S.M.A.R.T. So be the buffalo and charge head first into the failures you have endured in this lifetime. The sooner you do so the sooner their negative impact on your life will pass, AND you will inevitably learn more about yourself and how to avoid making similar mistakes again. Sometimes it is easier for people to write this in third person (i.e. he did xyz…) when talking about themselves, but it doesn’t matter how you get them out, what is important is that you get it down in ink so that you can reflect.
Once you have completed this exercise I want you to take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and be grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. See you in the next lesson.
Write your obituary
Welcome to the ‘Write your own obituary’ lesson of the ‘Discover your definition of success’ course.
Yes you heard me correctly – write your own obituary. Let me explain with a short story.
We all know Alfred Nobel, or at least we know a product of his legacy. He is the Swedish creator of the Nobel prize, and the contribution that this has had on society as a whole is difficult to quantify. Needless to say, Alfred changed the world for the better; he was clearly part of the solution not the problem, right? Well…maybe not always.
Early one morning Alfred woke to read the morning paper as he did each and every morning. It had been a sad week as he had recently lost his brother. As he turned to the obituary section of the paper in search of his brother’s write up he was shocked to see a grave error that the paper had made…they had written the obituary of Alfred, not his brother! Before following his gut reaction to jump up to contact the paper and angrily point out the mistake, he paused and decided to read through the paper’s obituary of Alfred Nobel. What he read changed his life forever and created the man we all know him to have been. The papers write up of Alfred was not one of praise and legacy, tears and memories. Rather it was made up of what seemed to be a petty life of a somewhat bitter old man that would not be missed and did not contribute anything to the world he left behind. At that moment Alfred grabbed a pen and paper and began writing what he would want his obituary to say when he died, and from that day forward chose to be a new man, literally write a new chapter for his life. The rest we know is history, Alfred obviously made a 180 degree shift and transformed his life and many many others, and continues to do so to this day.
This is the power of writing your own obituary. Make more sense now?!
So here is the task at hand – you have to write your own obituary! Because it might be a little hard to get started on this I am going to share the one I wrote for myself a number of years ago. I read it regularly and it has played a role in keeping me headed in the direction of the fully realized life I choose and desire. Once you have read it through go straight to the worksheet for this step, put pen to paper and create your own obituary.
The Obituary of Spence Pentland
The sun rose and set on his boys. They were his absolute pride and joy. Each and every day of his life he did his best to live as an example to them and provide a safe abundant environment for them to blossom, so they were equipped to step into the world, grow and contribute how they desired. He also deeply loved and always took special care of his beautiful wife and mother of his boys, Chantal. Together they were a wonderful couple that made the world a better place. They were a great team, enjoyed each other immensely, were always clear on their boys being their top priority, and set an example to be followed by couples and parents. Spence pursued personal growth relentlessly and loved being a doctor and businessman in his community, just like his father. Nothing was more important to Spence than family, so he loved helping thousands of women and couples start or expand their own families through his practice of TCM and countless other ways he reached people with his messages. Because of this profound contribution to many people’s lives he made a lot of friends and created many meaningful relationships. His one regret would have been being so far away from his own mother, father, and brother. He was the baby of his own family and was always the one to both rock the boat and cultivate love and open communication. His love for nature and the environment was inspirational. He thought generations beyond himself and wanted to play a role in ensuring we leave a fertile world for his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Driven, passionate, a picture of whole health, kind and compassionate, honest and in-your-face, he always wanted to succeed and help others do so as well. He will be missed but the legacy he leaves behind will live on and continue to help his family and many others live a better more healthy fertile life for many years to come. Enjoy the afterlife Spence, you deserve it!
I live this out fully each and every day.
So that it makes it easy on whoever has to deliver the eulogy at my end of life celebration (they can just copy and paste!) !
Once you have completed this exercise I want you to take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and realize that you are in charge of writing the story that is called ‘your life’. See you in the next lesson.
I know I am successful when…
Welcome to the ‘I know I am successful when…’ lesson of the ‘Discover your definition of success’ course.
Some of this may be pulling from the past lessons, but it is again helping gain clarity, albeit from a different perspective. The value in getting to know these aspects of yourself as intimately as you can will enrich your life beyond comprehension. So keep plugging, you are almost there!
Like the last lesson ‘Write your own obituary’, I will give you examples from my personal vault to get you started. What I find with this exercise is that it seems to start to bring ‘what success means’ to life – into simple daily feelings and actions that portrait fulfillment and happiness.
Create a list as large as you can, and again, review it regularly so you commit these things to memory and be clear with what your intentions and desires are. I have all these writings I am asking you to complete in this course in a couple documents in my google drive so I can bring them up at anytime anywhere to review, be inspired, and stay (or get back) on track.
Simply complete this sentence: I know I am successful when…
Here are some of my examples to get you started.
- I know I am successful when I wake up and am excited about my day
- I know I am successful when I wake up in the morning and I am doing what I want to be doing
- I know I am successful when I feel an inner peace and excitement
- I know I am successful when I feel light
- I know I am successful when my family is happy
- I know I am successful when my relationship with my wife is full of love and romance, and it is smooth..
- I know I am successful when I feel excited, passionate, ready to rip it with hard work and creativity
- I know I am successful when I feel like celebrating and playing
- I know I am successful when I dress well and sit back while out for dinner, smile, and just know that things are awesome
- I know I am successful when I have lots of patience for others, especially the more difficult folk
- I know I am successful when I am exercising regularly and feel great energy
- I know I am successful when I am eating well
- I know I am successful when I am growing and learning
- I know I am successful when the people that are a part of my creations are happy and thriving, growing, contributing
- I know I am successful when financial energy is smooth and abundant
- I know I am successful when I am making the world a better place
As you can see it is easy to go on and on, so I encourage you to do just that.
Once you have completed this exercise I want you to take a deep breath, stretch, and drink some water. Smile, stick your tongue out as far as you can – hold for 3 seconds, take another deep breath, and see you in the next lesson.
What does ‘being in flow’ mean to you?
Welcome to the ‘What does being in flow mean to you?’ lesson of the ‘Discover your definition of success’ course.
This plan requires that you tap into your emotional and spiritual side. It is about exploring how you FEEL when life is rolling along very nicely. You know those times when everything just seems to be ‘flowing’, no bumps or roadblocks, no frustration or stagnation, kinda like a moment in time (no matter how short or how long) that it seems like God rolled out a red carpet just for you.
That, is ‘being in flow’.
So once again it is work time. Worksheet in front of you, pen in hand, and ready to discover what ‘being in flow’ means to you. To get you started I will share a few example bullet points. Take these and make them your own, let them inspire you to close your eyes and go deep, and ultimately honor parts of yourself you may not give enough attention to. This might be a good exercise to have a little mind clearing meditation before starting.
What ‘being in flow’ means to me…
- ‘Being in flow’ means…I feel like I could do whatever I am doing forever without any other sort of fuel as it is feeding me and bending time. It is fulfilling because I am accomplishing either being or doing something that is in direct alignment with my goals dreams and vision.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…Finances are abundant and give a sense of gratitude, security, vitality, independence, and freedom.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…It is clear that I am growing because I can feel a deep nurturing of my soul.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…Emotions play almost no role, I just am.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…Experiencing a sense of safety for me to just be with myself.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…Experiencing the exponential love and fun that grows when the child energy is allowed to take over, play and celebrate.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…Boundless energy, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…My support systems are taking great care of me, helping me grow.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…Everything is smooth with my clients and team – all are trusting of my leadership.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…A deep sense that what I am doing will help people and the world be a healthier place.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…I feel like I am I am a reflection of a fully expressed and realized life.
- ‘Being in flow’ means…I am grateful, then more flow follows.
Once you have completed this exercise I want you to take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be grateful so flow follows. Smile, take another breath, and see you in the next lesson.
Your success definition
ALRIGHT, welcome to the final lesson of the ‘Discover your definition of success’ course: Your Success Definition.
Everything you have done to this point is so valuable and may need to be reviewed for you to make sure you complete your success definition so that it encompasses all that you need it to, so it honors exactly what success means to you and your time here on this earth. Each of these exercises are extremely beneficial for you to review on a regular basis, but this is the one key piece that you must read weekly, as it will remind you, with crystal clarity, how you need to step up in order to live your fully realized and fulfilled life.
If you have come this far and done all the exercises, congratulations, you are destined for success! Complete this final exercise and you will be grateful for years to come that you did. The self discovery of this course will give you a sense of freedom that you have been longing for without even knowing, a sense of peace in knowing your authentic self and being true to it, day in and day out. You need to be you, not a version of someone else. I trust this experience will be the start of a new chapter for you, one that is truly written by you.
The following is my Success Definition if you need help getting into the flow!
My success definition – I spend quality time with my family being a great, happy, calm, loving father-husband-son-brother. I create and cultivate vibrant health and feel light as I take each step. People seek me out as a Doctor trusting and knowing I have one focus; helping to create happy, healthy families. I contribute to my community and world, by being part of the solution. I am abundant financially (security, vitality, independence, freedom) and live powerfully comfortable. I am a reflection of a fully expressed and realized life to those that cross my path, especially my little dudes. I express gratitude for everything, in my life, with each breath I take.
I review this regularly simply to remind myself that I AM successful, because I live my definition.
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.

Goal Setting Blueprint
The 5 step formula and 6 skills required to
create the plan that will accomplish your dreams
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
Goal setting (with yourself as the bar)
Self-assessment: what are your strengths?
Business success is 80% psychological and 20% skill
20-10-5-3-1
The 6 skills required to accomplish your goals
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – Goal Setting Blueprint
Welcome to the ‘Goal Setting Blueprint’ course – The 5 steps and 6 skills required to create the plan that will accomplish your dreams.
The purpose of this course is for you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, compile the wisdom of others for your weekly review, and to set out a framework for goal setting that will help you be clear on what you need to be doing now to get where you want to be 20 years down the road.
Not taking the time to find your strengths and set your goals leaves you floating around bumping into things, hoping that you are headed in the right direction even when you don’t really know what the right direction is, and finding yourself in strange places doing jobs and tasks that do not resonate with your inner vision. Please understand that without a doubt, goal setting is not simply a great idea, it is an essential process that anyone wanting to achieve in life must constantly be going through, refining, and updating.
If you commit to this course and take the time to go through each worksheet exercise you’ll soon begin to experience the business and personal fulfillment that you desire – all because you will be clear on your goals both short and long term. When you know what you want to be and where you want to be in 20 years it really puts the years between now and then into perspective. When I first actually sat down and thought long and hard about where I wanted to be in 20 years, the results were amazing. This single exercise is responsible for me really understanding that there is very little time to screw around, so now is the time to dig in my heels and step up to make things happen. The motivation really came from projecting myself into my life at ages like 60 or 70 and visualizing myself and my life if I don’t get my butt in gear NOW.
The worksheet exercises are the actions that are necessary for this course to come to life. What you pull from these will prove to be a guide for your journey ahead, both in business and in life. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of these, please do not simply read or listen. When finished you will know your strengths, have started to compile a document of wisdom that will keep you on track, and most importantly your 1-3-5-10-20 year goal outline.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses is an essential piece of a bigger puzzle which is the membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectations. The lessons within are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and through experience, all which cumulatively have brought me the success I enjoy each and every day of my life. I want that for you as well.
Lastly, If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me for a one-on-one consultation so I can better cater to your unique individual needs.
Goal setting (with yourself as the bar)
Welcome to the ‘Goal Setting (with yourself as the bar)’ lesson of the ‘Goal Setting Blueprint’ course.
WHY do you need to set crystal clear goals? The answer to this question is simple: So you are more likely to achieve them. It is plain fact that simply writing down your goals increases the likelihood of accomplishment (ink it don’t just think it), being crystal clear and detailed with your goals ensures accomplishing even more (be careful what you wish for, you most often get it), and constantly reviewing your goals with yourself and someone you trust (accountability partner) almost guarantees you will hold yourself to achieving them. Goal setting is not a time to be lazy – it takes some work to get them down on paper, then lots of work to make them a reality. Roll up your sleeves Achiever!
The concept of being in competition with yourself is one deeply rooted in your business goals and your vision. This is why you must be crystal clear on what success means to you, be constantly creating your vision, and be prepared to set clear goals. Then you only have to be in competition with yourself – pushing yourself daily to accomplish the things you feel are significant, being authentic and following your own path – not someone else’s. I guarantee that you will achieve much more if this is your mindset versus always keeping a close eye on your competitors. The fear mentality associated with always watching your competitors will stifle your creative juices and always keep you worried and copying versus excited and innovating. Of course you can peek once in awhile, but in this world of social media and google alerts, as well as others offering gossip on your competitors – if you don’t know what your main competitors are up to you are living under a rock.
The following 3 points are reminders and benefits to what you will receive when you keep focus on yourself as the bar;
- The life you desire: remember, your business should be set up to provide you with the life you desire, that’s its purpose – not a life of concern based on what others are doing.
- The person you become: the real benefit of setting yourself as the bar isn’t about achieving your goals; it’s actually about the person you become in order to achieve those goals.
- Serving others: if setting yourself as the bar is aligned with altruistic goals that will help and serve others, it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing or thinks. Run down your own unique path confidently and happily!
I cannot emphasize enough that competing with yourself will make you reach goals far higher than you would if you are focussing on your business competitors, I guarantee it.
There are plenty of ways to compete with yourself. The following are some of the favorite ways I compete with myself that have helped me reach closer and closer to my personal potential;
- I compete with myself regarding how devoted I am to relentless learning and personal growth
- I compete with myself regarding how well organized I am
- I compete with myself regarding our own clinical and financial business data
- I complete with myself regarding how well I am prioritizing high value tasks and projects
- I compete with myself regarding how much I am dedicated to my physical health
- Most importantly, I compete with myself regarding how happy and fulfilled I am each day
So to summarize, my drivers are: personal growth, organization, finances, getting important things done first, physical health, happiness and fulfilment. How I did yesterday determines where I set my bar for today, and how I do today determines where I set my bar tomorrow, so I know what I have to work on to improve in all these areas – ultimately to optimize my chances of living a fully realized life.
Dr. Oz said something in an interview when answering the question ‘How do you get so much done?’, and it really resonated with me, he simply stated; ‘Strive to only ever be doing things that give you energy’. I know this sounds simple (especially for the TCM practitioners out there, as our whole medicine revolves around the manipulation of ‘Qi’ – loosely translated as ‘energy’) and maybe some of you are saying ‘that’s easy for him to say’, but I encourage you to sit with his words and reflect on what keeps you ‘busy’ each day – are these things giving you energy? For me this simply translates into choosing to follow your passion and strengths, and it is accomplished by being authentic (setting yourself as the bar), and letting YOUR light shine. One last thing on this point, especially if you feel like you do so many things that drain you, but they’re necessary and you don’t know how you can get out of having to do them – a lot of really crappy tasks can be fulfilling and in alignment with your goals and authentic self if you know they are taking you in the direction of your vision – it’s not the HOW or WHAT, it’s the WHY.
There are always going to be people with more and people with less, we all know this. But, if you are struggling with life being unfair or the amount of stuff or the life someone else has, then I recommend you taking the time to go through the ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ step in the ‘Money Mastery’ course. This psychology is exactly what is holding you back from achieving all you desire.
Good luck surpassing your competition (you!).
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and do the exercise before moving onto the next lesson.
Self-assessment: what are your strengths?
Welcome to the ‘Self-assessment: what are your strengths?’ lesson of the ‘Goal Setting Blueprint’ course.
This lesson is simple in theory and involves two exercises. It is an easy way to get others (that you respect and trust) to give you feedback on how awesome you are! That is exercise one. More clearly stated (refer to your worksheet); email 10 people that you trust and literally ask them to email you back with what they feel are your strengths in life. That’s it.
This first exercise feels good – trust me, you might even get addicted to receiving feedback and get creative as to how to get more feedback from different people in your life. This is a good skill to develop, ultimately helping you grow and achieve.
This ties into my obsession with prioritizing. Your top strengths NEED to be used – they are your vital functions within your practice, business, and life. If you really want to make a mark and leave any sort of legacy in this lifetime, or simply want a successful practice, knowing your strengths and prioritizing your role, tasks, and projects within your company is absolutely essential. It is a little known fact that most uber successful people at any given skill, are most often very weak or not good at all in other aspects of life. It is necessary to let go of needing to do everything if you want to grow your clinic beyond yourself, otherwise you are doing nothing more than creating your own jail,.. congrats, you are the owner of a job.
Exercise two may not be quite as easy, but in many respects may be far more valuable than the first. Email these same people, and ask them to reply (give them an easy out as this might feel awkward) with points on where they feel you could improve or are weak. Ouch! You will not get as many replies, but those that you do can be very powerful in aiding you in knowing where you either need to improve or put focus, or, better yet, delegate. To be clear, these will not be mean, but they are often hard to digest. You need to set your ego aside in order to truly live to your potential as your authentic self, this is a great place to start.
Then I recommend taking some of the information you received and presenting it to your life coach (or me!) as areas to nourish and shine a light on so they do not have power over you or sabotage your success in any way. You can do it, it’s so worthwhile getting constructive feedback – as a business this is a must, I feel the same for you and I personally.
One more thing, I want to recommend a book by Dan Clements called ‘The Practitioner’s Journey’, particularly the section titled ‘Lost in the Cave’. It is a wonderful reflection for health care practitioners, quickly highlighting when and where you might need to pay attention or face detrimental outcomes for your practice.
Be brave.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and send out those emails before moving onto the next lesson.
Business success is 80% psychological and 20% skill
Welcome to the ‘Business success is 80% psychological and 20% skill’ lesson of the ‘Goal Setting Blueprint’ course.
Get in your head and you’re dead. These are the words that I have burned into my brain after hearing ALL of my mentors reiterate the exact same thing. Business success is 80% psychological and 20% skill. This is why the ‘Psychology’ section is so vital. It consists of various tools and action plans to get you in touch with the deeper guidance system within – so you can act according to plan and stay the course.
Sounds easy, right? I hope it is for you – I hope you are naturally wired for success and open to abundance beyond any self-sabotaging limits, this will make your life much easier. For me it wasn’t so simple. I had all the reasons WHY I needed to be successful but that is only part of the equipment necessary when climbing the psychology mountain. The other major aspect is that quiet little voice in your head – the self-talk monster that can still totally knock you off your track even if you are crystal clear on your WHY. Unfortunately this programming started right after you were born, and continues right up until today. If you are like I am, it is a practice to overcome this little voice, and it takes help. I personally call upon my life coach, various mentors, my dad, trusted friends, and members of entrepreneurial groups to continually seek help when I reach a hurdle, or to ask for feedback on my mindset or options I am faced with. Without the village keeping me on point from a psychological perspective there is absolutely no way in hell I would be where I am today, period.
I went through the Law of Attraction in the Money Mastery course, and it is 100% applicable here as well. Whatever you tell yourself you are worthy of, deserve, are capable of, is what you are going to get. Life will pay you what you ask for. If you can’t see it in your mind it will never be in your bank account. If you tell yourself you are ugly everyday it is certain that you will not be attractive to others. If you tell yourself you can’t do something then you certainly won’t be able to do it. If you tell yourself you are not good enough, you won’t be. If you don’t change the inner chatter of ‘it is so hard to build a practice’, ‘I don’t like selling myself’, then you will never feel relief from struggle and scarcity. It is honestly this simple. You must believe you will be successful and that you have what it takes to manifest the life you desire, or, you can look forward to being ordinary John or Jane Doe blaming the world for your lack of fulfillment.
Being mindful of your psychology is a practice that will continue the rest of your life. This is a huge piece. Re-training your mental chatter is difficult, especially because we are so used to hearing it that we do not even pick up on what it is actually saying.
Start listening. Does your mental chatter tell you…
I am beautiful, or, I am ugly
I can do it, or, I can’t do that
I will get that done today, or, it can wait until tomorrow
I can afford it, or, I can’t afford it
I will get more referrals, or, why isn’t anyone calling
I can help this person, or, this is a tough case
I rock, or, I am not good enough
I love myself, or, will they love me
I can make this happen, or, what if I screw this up
How do I learn from this, or, why is the world doing this to me
Today’s my lucky day, or, other people get all the luck
The 2 key tools that work for me when practicing silencing my inner critic are as follows;
- Give the a$hole or b!tch a name!
This is a task that I share with my wife as it helps also identify and gain control over our inner and outer self-sabotaging efforts. My wife uses the names I have given to certain aspects of myself whenever she sees them in charge, i.e. Scott is my arrogant jerk (a$hole). I love personal growth, I don’t want to be Scott, so I appreciate her participating in my self-help – she benefits too! Who is the a$hole or b!tch in you? It’s time to give them a name!
- Shine light on the dark places.
That said, Scott isn’t all bad. What Carl Jung and Debbie Ford have taught me is that yes, Scott may be an a$hole, but Scott has served me at critical times in my life, times where I needed to be a bit more of an a$hole just to survive, or to have the strength to overcome a difficult circumstance. So I shine light on the darkness that is Scott so I can better understand and honor him, but most importantly, be in control of when he is in charge (and when he shouldn’t be).
So if you hear your inner critic saying something like ‘what if I screw this up’, honor that fear, but then put someone else in charge, someone that says something like ‘no one ever learned anything standing on the sidelines’, or, ‘I can make this happen, I am good enough’, or, ‘I am going to ROCK this!’. Look, the worst case scenario in life is that you do actually screw something up, or fail. But is that really that bad? I would argue that failing is great education. The most successful people in their particular skill or field have failed more than anyone else, that is why they are the best, they step into life not afraid to fail big, because that is the only psychology that will ever allow you to WIN BIG.
So I cannot emphasize enough that the simple practice of being mindful of your psychology is integral to the success of your practice. I suggest putting together your village – your support circle, people you can call upon to talk to when you need, people that will give you honest feedback.
As part of my support system, in addition to the key people in my life, I also have documents that I read to myself on a weekly basis. documents that include my success definition, my obituary, and all the other exercises we have gone through in the Discover your success definition course. It also contains a section that is full of quotes, wise words, isms, and inspirational passages that I have picked up along the way. I add to it all the time and review so that I can commit them to memory. If studying the human body was your main task in school, then now that you are in practice and running a business, your main task is to study how successful people have used their skills to change the world and created the life of their dreams in the process. I hope this makes perfect sense.
So your exercise for this step is to create a document that contains the quotes, wise words, isms, and inspirational passages that you love and will come across. Continually add to this and review weekly – and commit to memory. It will literally change your life.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and do the exercise before moving onto the next lesson.
20-10-5-3-1
Welcome to the ‘20-10-5-3-1’ lesson of the ‘Goal Setting Blueprint’ course.
So this step is primarily that of you putting your pen to paper in a quiet space. It may take some time to refine and it will always be a work in progress, but it is important to step up and do this asap, you will be happy you did. Trust me that you will feel more direction and less chaos, more inner peace and less unknown, and best of all, setting out long term goals will bring a perspective to your life unlike any other. Most people overestimate what they can do in one year, but they underestimate what they can do in 10-20 years. Not many look 20 years ahead and determine who they want to be at that point in their life, but you are about to, and it will change your life forever. You will begin to understand that if you do not get off your butt now that you most likely will not manifest your grander visions while you are still young enough to enjoy them. It will also help you break down the steps required to get there in one, three, five, and ten years so that you actually hit your mark. We live in such a fast paced world that most never look more than one year ahead if that. When you do so you automatically put yourself at a great advantage over those that don’t. Your drive and passion to get things done will surpass that of most around you, including your competitors! Take the time to paint the picture of your long term future self so that when you are on your rocking chair at 88 years old, you can look back without regret.
Remember that the most important benefit of setting goals isn’t achieving them it’s the person you become in order to achieve them that’s the real benefit.
Setting your goals includes business and personal, as they should not ever be completely separated. The truth is, when you are in business for yourself it is a part of your personal life. But when creating your goals, always keep in mind that your business should be set up to provide you with the life you desire. Not being clear on this most often results in people creating their own job, with less freedom than if you simply worked for someone else. With that in mind, answer questions like; do I want to be practicing forever? If so that is easy, just stay healthy enough to practice until you die, but if the answer to that question is ‘no’, then you have to think about your exit strategy, how will you slow down and eventually stop? Are you cut out to build a business, be an entrepreneur? Or, should you get your practice rocking and commit to saving and investing? There are basically 4 ways to accumulate money; 1. business, 2. real estate, 3. investing, 4. saving (a must if you work a job) – you have to decide which you are going to be proficient at in this lifetime and set some of your goals accordingly. So, how are you going to create your freedom later in life? If you are the primary breadwinner in your home then these are extremely important questions to be asking yourself.
Time for the exercise – FUN! Laying out life is so exciting to me, I hope it is for you too. In the worksheet you will see that it is setup to work backwards from 20 years to 1 year from now. This sets out the vision then makes clear the steps and timeline necessary in order to achieve those long term goals. Then you should further dissect into 90 days and 1 week goals – which obviously change and require frequent updating. Your 1-3-5-10-20 year goals being set out will always act as a guide for setting out your 1 week and 90 day goals – this ensures you will always be headed in the right direction and not get off course. Ask yourself; Will this 90 day goal bring me closer to my 1 year goal? If the answer is ‘yes’ then great, you are on track and your actions will be taking you toward your 3-5-10 and 20 year goals. Make sense? If the answer is ‘no’ then it is clear and you can reevaluate or change your 90 day and 1 week goals to be in alignment. I hope I am being clear as to how this works and its importance.
All your goals do not have to be concrete or tangible, though most should. Some could also be emotional or spiritual, dealing more with the psychological goals that are necessary in order to achieve the tangible goals. Such as; a 1 year goal is to get control of your negative self-talk, and this will clearly help manifest all other goals.
There really are no rules here, as this is your life. It is just time to start mapping things out so that you are not wandering aimlessly until you ultimately find yourself 65 years old and lost – in need of finding yourself, like so many boomers these days. Let’s learn from our predecessors.
Now take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and set aside the time necessary to really enjoy doing this exercise.
The 6 skills required to accomplish your goals
Welcome to the final lesson, ‘The 6 skills required to accomplish your goals’ lesson of the ‘Goal Setting Blueprint’ course.
In a word, ‘productivity’ is how you will accomplish your goals. You can’t just write them down and like magic they will manifest. After you have set out your goals it is time to implement the essential skills necessary (and that we have been talking about throughout this and other courses) to accomplish your goals. The following is a simple bullet point list of the pieces that are necessary to complete the puzzle called – your life, fully realized.
- Psychology. Be mindful of your mental garden. If necessary, change limiting beliefs to better serve your vision.
- Personal Growth. Relentless learning and personal development. Educate yourself, then learn more, and repeat.
- Prioritize. Only take on the high priority tasks that take you in the direction of your goals. Delegate the rest.
- Take Action. There is no power in ideas and dreams without massive action. Roll up your sleeves and work hard.
- Avoid Distraction. Turn off facebook and focus on your priorities. To create more time simply control your digital addictions.
- Persevere. Keep on keepin’ on, even on the tough days you must get up and step up. This is the most important piece.
Good luck.
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.

Money Mastery
How to quickly ensure your goals and relationship with money are aligned
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
Self-assessment
Understanding the law of attraction
Hire an accountant
Who do you spend your time with?
Attitude of gratitude
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – Money Mastery
Welcome to the ‘Money Mastery’ course – How to quickly ensure your goals and relationship with money are aligned.
The purpose of this course is for you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, and that the right psychology concerning money can catapult your practice and business to new heights. Conversely, not tending your financial mental landscape can have detrimental effects on the well-being of your practice, clinic, and business. Please understand that without a doubt your psychology is key to your success – and that you may have to change your mindset regarding money for it all to manifest.
If you commit to this plan and take the time to go through the worksheet exercise you’ll soon begin to experience the business and personal fulfillment that you desire, both from a financial perspective as well as in every other aspect of your life – all because you will be clear on what a healthy relationship with money means to YOU. It’s that simple.
The exercises are the actions necessary for this course to come to life. What you pull from these will prove to be a guide for your journey ahead, both in business and in life. I cannot emphasize enough the important of these, please do not simply read or listen.
I also recommend you complete the ‘There are 3 ways to increase revenue’ course as the financial goal setting system within will quickly and painlessly clarify the tangible targets you need to hit in order to achieve the success you desire in your life and practice.
PERSONAL NOTE: I have to admit that this course is a very important one to me personally, and I suspect you will feel that throughout as I know that for the most part, it was my relationship with money that was holding me back from reaching my true potential, I simply wasn’t letting my light shine due to the negative stories I had created around making good money. Admittedly it is still a daily practice for me, reminding myself about the necessity of money and how it can be used for good when in the right hands. The success I enjoy today is largely a clear result of me making the efforts to change my psychology and to listen to my mentors and coaches on this topic. I decided to not give it so much power and understand it for the amazing tool it is. My family (and many others) rely on me continuing to avoid the self-sabotage of old stories and programming. I would love to talk to anyone out there that feels they have similar struggles, as I know I can help you get past possibly one of your most powerful and limiting factors in fulfilling your dreams. Contact me anytime to schedule a one-on-one call.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses are an essential piece of a bigger puzzle which is the membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done so I encourage you to subscribe to the membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectation. The lessons within contain pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and experience, failure and success, all which cumulatively have brought us the fulfillment we enjoy each and every day of our lives. I want that for you as well, let me help you out.
Self-assessment
Welcome to the ‘Self-assessment’ lesson of the ‘Money Mastery’ course.
As with many of my courses I like to start with WHY. The WHY regarding your relationship with money is simple; WHY do you need money? The answer to this often only becomes clear when tragedy hits and a lack of sufficient financial means dictates deeper reflection. If the difficult time results in a change of your habits and relationship with money then a silver lining is clear and the rest of life can be more on course. The only REAL tragedy is when we keep repeating poor financial habits because of our story surrounding money, or not being clear with our deeper WHY that we need money – and whether you like it or not, we all do.
As mentioned in the introduction, I have personally had my own struggles with my philosophy regarding money. My dad never really talked much about it with the family – I think it was a generational thing, so I was spit out into the world with a high school kid outlook that was a fit for that time of my life, but it did not serve me as I matured, and especially when I started business and had a family. My money lessons came from the school of hard knocks, very hard knocks. After years of expensive school and living in an expensive city I found myself with a lot of debt. Quickly after my medical school I was making a decent 6 figure income – I was just 30 years old and thought I was on top of the world. My expenses were low and I simply ignored my debt so my cash flow seemed pretty great. But alas this caught up to me very quickly as I struck out into my own practice and business, AND built a family of 5 boys, living in the second most expensive city in the world, beautiful Vancouver BC Canada. My only saving grace was my humility, I love to ask for help and am always seeking mentors and coaches – this alone is the most critical key to my success. The financial aspect of life was no different, so I surrounded myself with people and resources that could ‘show me the way’. All I had to do was change my relationship I had with money, mostly I had to learn to respect it, realize it actually isn’t evil, and to understand how to plan for long term financial health. I have my family depending on me, and at least 8 other families depending their income from my clinic (7 associates and 3 staff) – so the simple understanding that money is a wonderful tool, one that is necessary to provide a comfortable life for all concerned, and one that can be used to do many great things in the world and help many people, is a philosophy that is deeply rooted in my spiritual belief system now. I took away any dark power I once gave it with the knowledge that money isn’t evil, only the way some people use it makes it seem like it is evil. It is also a primary vehicle to do good in this life and to change the world. Have you ever considered the simple fact that the more money you have the more you can contribute to great causes and organizations, friends and family?
Conversely, you may worship money, and that is a whole different can of worms that unfortunately I cannot counsel on. The only thing I can say is that if this is you, you are also in need of reflecting on your relationship with money, and that you may be in need of a shift in mindset in order to really become fulfilled. Money may buy happiness for a period of time, but when that time is over (and it will be) you will need to learn to fill the void that is inside to really become fulfilled in this lifetime.
So, is your relationship with money healthy? Does it need some tweaking? Does it need a complete overhaul? Be honest with yourself. Will your current relationship with money serve you in the pursuit of your goals and dreams? Consider these questions;
Do you want to be rich or at least very comfortable?
Do you spend more than you make?
Do you need to pull back and stop focussing so much on the bottom line?
Do you need to focus MORE on the bottom line?
Are you truly grateful for the money you have and make?
Are you setting your goals too low to achieve your desired life?
Are you saving?
Are you paying down debt?
Are you sabotaging your true potential with antiquated philosophies?
Are you spending other people’s money (i.e. living on credit)?
Have you grown complacent about the interest you pay each month?
Do you think rich people are bad?
Do you think that poor people are bad?
Are you overly concerned with the ‘stuff’ you have?
Do you have your affairs in order (i.e. life insurance)?
Would it benefit you to be more honest with yourself and face some of the uncomfortable answers to the questions above? If you are even pausing for a second the answer is ‘yes’. Congrats, this is the first essential step.
Now, relating more to your practice or clinic, please answer this simple question;
Do you believe that the service you provide is worth the money you charge?
If yes then you are in great shape and obviously have no trouble getting paid for what you do. If you answered ‘no’ or if you paused, then you are unsure and clearly should not be the only one in charge or the financial end of your business. If this is you, then I have 3 simple suggestions;
- you need to hire reception to receive money.
- you need a bookkeeper to count the money.
- you need an accountant to give you advice based on your finances.
Then the final step is to communicate with them, listen to what they have to say, and follow their advice (within reason). Admit that you need help in the financial side of the business and hire them this week. They will pay for themselves, especially as your business grows and becomes more complicated.
Also please consider that the money people give you in order for you to share your skills and gifts with them is what they want to do, that is precisely why they have come to you I assume you like to give money to people in exchange for things they do to care for you and help improve your life. Remember this when you get ‘money shy’ around your clients.
Now, the exercise for this lesson. It is a 2 step process and I really hope you are brave enough to carry out these tasks, as it could be one of the single most important things you could ever do for your long term financial health. The 2 steps are;
- make a list of people to ask about their perspective of your relationship with money (be sure to include various loved ones, money people, and colleagues).
- actually ask them.
If you include enough people of diverse enough backgrounds that care for you in different ways, the feedback you will receive will be worth its weight in gold. This is an especially good exercise if you are having difficulty being deeply honest with yourself.
Know that the rest of this course will build on all of these concepts, but through different lenses, so as to emphasize the elements that were integral for me to develop so I could create the relationship with money necessary to live the life I desire.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – it’s time to be honest with yourself and move onto the next lesson.
Understanding the law of attraction
Welcome to the ‘Understanding the Law of Attraction’ lesson of the ‘Money Mastery’ course.
This lesson could also be named ‘The Power of Intention’. Or, we could have combined the two; ‘The Intention Attracts Law’. Hmmm. Anyway, as with all steps I like to first outline the WHY, i.e. WHY is the Law of Attraction so important? Well, simply stated; if you are intentional with your thoughts, you will attract what you intend. This is a universal law. If you do not know this by now, life is going to try and teach you this over and over again until you get it, so you can listen now, or listen later – your choice.
I am going to assume that most of you reading this right now would agree that the Law of Attraction is in fact a natural law and if we are mindful of this law it should be easy to manifest the life we desire, right? Of course. But, the catch is, that being mindful at all times of something of this magnitude is a constant daily practice. I have yet to meet anyone that has mastered this skill, I know I haven’t. It is a process of finding ways to install mechanisms that remind you throughout your day to re-jig habits, self-talk, and choices that simply are not serving you.
If you want to attract, be more attractive.
If you want to receive, give.
When we are happy and grateful, we attract abundance and other happy people.
When we live in fear and the mentality of scarcity, we attract doubt and further grow our fear.
If you want love, then be loving.
If you want to be accepted, be accepting.
Poor self-talk attracts exactly what you tell yourself.
Spending money wisely attracts more money.
Health and wellness attracts more health and wellness.
Bad food choices produce more bad food choices.
Success attracts more success.
If you want to be followed, lead (*I wanted to end with this one as it is a very important principle with our patients – you need them to follow you, so be the person they would want to follow).
I will leave you with this – it is your prime directive as a healer or health care provider, this is truly where the Law of Attraction really benefits you and I, and the world (win win win), it is as simple as this;
The more people you help in this world – the more value you add to people’s lives, the more you will be provided with the abundance you desire (money, significance, love, connection, growth, recognition, certainty).
This is definitely worth repeating…
The more people you help in this world – the more value you add to people’s lives, the more you will be provided with the abundance you desire (money, significance, love, connection, growth, recognition, certainty).
Commit this to memory and let it guide every business decision you ever make.
No exercise for this lesson – all I ask is that you stop working on the lessons and worksheet for the rest of the day, and that you read this again before bed so you take it with you into your sleep. I also ask that you come back and read this step again and again. Like I said, this is a practice.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and be grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Smile, take another breath, and see you in the next lesson (tomorrow!).
Hire an accountant
Welcome to the ‘Hire an Accountant’ lesson of the ‘Money Mastery’ course.
This may very well be the shortest action step in this whole program. But in proper fashion, I will begin with WHY, i.e. WHY do you need to hire an accountant? Well, because bottom line, you should be doing other things. Sounds good right, well it’s true. AND, you should hire a bookkeeper too.
Don’t get me wrong, you should understand how the financial boat is sailing along, regularly taking a little time to go through the P&L and balance statements and communicating with your bookkeeper at least quarterly as well (cheaper than your accountant) so you don’t hit the rocks. You should be connected with the financial aspect of the business, knowing where money is being budgeted and deciding if that makes sense, and understanding how you can compensate your team and yourself without sinking the ship. And if you don’t know what a P&L and balance statement is, then you know what you are doing this week – yup, finding a good accountant (and bookkeeper).
A bookkeeper is someone who charges a whole lot less than your accountant and basically keeps track of things and prepares everything for the accountant to review, audit, and file the tax returns. They also are fantastic at sitting you down and telling you if you are being a fool (if you give them a safe space to offer feedback), as well as letting you know when times are good. Bottom line, they are essential to the running of any business – this is a simple fact.
When looking for an accountant I recommend going to other trusted small business owners and asking them who they use and if they recommend them. You should be looking for an accountant that is properly certified and specializes in small business. My accountant is also a small business tax specialist as well, and this has and will continue to save me thousands each year (especially as my businesses and money management become more and more complicated).
Now you might be saying ‘it is just me in a practice by myself, do I really need an accountant?’. This is a good question. To this I would ask a question back, ‘Is that exactly how you want things to be, or would you one day like to own a clinic, or run a business?’. If the answer is ‘yes this is all I want’, then your need for an accountant may be only occasional, on a consulting basis. All you likely need then is a bookkeeper, if that. But if there is a pause, or if the answer leans toward a solitary practice not being enough for you, then I would absolutely recommend getting intimate with an accountant. They are a key piece to the wisdom needed to grow something that extends beyond yourself, an actual small business.
One last point I want to touch upon. When and if you want to grow a small business, you now know that an accountant is a must, there is no question. But I want to plant another seed (a great topic for another course), the wisdom that the future holds even more of you letting go of the control of many aspects of your business, and the accountant is just the start. If you really are serious about growing a small business that sustains your life whether you are practicing or not, then a more extensive team is needed, and your role within gets more focused. There comes a time when you will need to let others run most of the business, so you can ONLY focus on where you are strong and most needed. Now, give this seed a little soil water and sunlight if being an entrepreneur truly makes you excited, AND you know you are cut out for the roller coaster ride that comes along with it. If you would like to go deeper into this conversation, I would obviously be very excited to chat one-on-one as this is most certainly an area of passion for me.
Hire an accountant. 🙂
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water. Smile, take another breath, and see you in the next lesson.
Who do you spend your time with?
Welcome to the ‘Who Do You Spend Your Time With?’ lesson of the ‘Money Mastery’ course.
You become who you spend time with. This is fact.
I love Tony Robbins. I think he is remarkable. He would call this lesson ‘THE POWER OF PROXIMITY’. He clearly uses more dynamic phrasing than I do – but what he means, simply stated; who you spend the most time with in your life determines the type of life you are going to experience. Since I learned this Tony wisdom I have watched and verified its truth. I have made great strides to accommodate this principle into my personal and business life. Who I give my time to is of huge importance to me, especially since I have a lovely wife, 3 young boys, and a couple of teams that require most of the prime Spence time. In a week long business mastery course, Tony went as far to say that this is the most important principle to understand in life and in business, your success or failure depends mostly on proximity. I have grown to agree. Who you spend most of your time with must be in alignment with your dreams and goals, values and practices. Ignore this and you are depriving yourself of an essential nutrient for life.
So, who do you spend most of your time with? Who are in your most inner support (or not support) circle? Making a list of these people is the first part of your exercise for this step. It shouldn’t be that hard to do, you know who you hang around with, both business and personal. The difficult part is determining which of these people may be keeping you from achieving your dreams. Yup, who you hang out with absolutely has that power. Conversely, the people you spend your time with can catapult you toward your dreams with unprecedented speed and style. It is time to get honest with yourself, no matter how difficult this may be – if you want to leave a dent in the universe (borrowed line from the late great Steve Jobs), take heed to this wisdom.
Grab your worksheet and take a moment right now to list out the 5-10 people you spend most of your time with. Do it now. Once you have the list ask yourself these questions (and other questions that may come to you) about each person;
- Are they old high school friends that arrest your development due to fear of how you will be perceived and treated if you change or grow?
- Are they addicted to alcohol or drugs?
- Do they say ‘i can’t’ a lot? i.e. I can’t afford that, I can’t do that, etc
- Do they sit and talk about their dreams but never take any action?
- Are they abundant thinkers full of hope and energy, wanting to help change the world?
- Are they ready each day to do what it takes to move their life to the next level
- Are they nice to others, and liked by anyone who meets them?
- Are they rich or poor?
- Do they have happy relationships?
- Are they angry, fearful, worrisome, rude?
- How do they treat their family?
- Do they step through life with integrity and virtue?
Now, really take some time to consider who these people are, whether or not you should be looking for some new folk in your support circle, and whether a spiritual divorce or two (or more) is necessary. Remember, this is critical for you to live the fully expressed life you desire.
If this is very difficult for you I recommend that you read ‘Spiritual Divorce’ by Debbie Ford. She will more deeply help you navigate these waters.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and be sure to really take in the importance of this lesson. Do not move on before doing the exercises.
Attitude of gratitude
Welcome to the final lesson in the ‘Money Mastery’ course: ‘Attitude of Gratitude’
What a great way to finish a very taxing topic! Literally speaking, if you are truly grateful, you are already swimming in abundance and living a fulfilled life! And the mere act of being grateful frees you from any emotional stress that plagues you, it really does. The actual act of being grateful is a practice, not unlike prayer or meditation. Prayer is asking, meditation is listening, and gratitude is saying ‘thank you’. In my humble opinion it sounds like they are all necessary spokes on the wheel of life. These are the pillars of my spirituality, and I practice them daily – and because of this, life provides me with more than I need, and my heart feels full and light.
To my knowledge there isn’t a spiritual practice in the world that doesn’t emphasize the practice of gratitude. Many new age spiritual guru’s will go as far to say that gratitude is the center point of the circle of giving and receiving, the force that keeps this cycle spinning.
My mother always told me that whatever the question, love and gratitude are the answer. I was too young really understand her words but I heard them enough that I obviously remember them to this day, and see the profound truth in the statement.
Be grateful that your patients have chosen you to share in their journey toward increased health and well-being
And be grateful that they want to exchange money for your wonderful services.
Be grateful that you have business partners, staff, team members, and people who refer others to patronize your business. They are all essential parts to the growth of your clinic and life.
Be grateful that you had the opportunity to learn a powerful skill that can help others, and be grateful for all the people that supported you through this education and growth.
Be grateful for your health, and for the health of all of those whom you love and care for. This will aid you in being the vessel for bringing wellness and healing for those you are treating.
Be grateful for the air you breathe, for the clean water you drink.
Be grateful for family, both blood and chosen.
Be grateful for the sidewalk beneath your feet, AND the cup of coffee it leads you to!
Be grateful that you can stretch and smile, jump and dance.
Be grateful for lowered rates on your cellular plan, and the nice lady on the phone who applied this to your account.
Be grateful that you came across The Golden Cabinet and how it transformed your life. Such a great resource! 😉
You get the idea. Now keep this momentum and write a list of as many things you can think of that you are grateful for in your worksheet. This is your final exercise in the ‘Money Mastery’ course.
I want to share a small mindfulness practice I recommend to all my clients. They all love it as it is easy to incorporate into their lives, and it has profound effects on well-being when it becomes a habit. A small warning; this will change the way you wash your hands forever! Follow these simple steps each and every time you wash your hands;
- Add an additional 7 seconds onto your regular hand washing time
- Take a moment to really enjoy feeling the water flow over your skin
- Smile, ear to ear
- Take a deep belly breath
- Think of something you are grateful for
That’s it. Do This every time you wash your hands, then sit back and watch how something so simple can change your life.
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.

INNOVATION COURSE
Systems for Success
The 3 reasons why you must systematize your practice & business
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
Reason One: Personal freedom
Reason Two: Client experience
Reason Three: Team service
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – Systems for Success
Welcome to the ‘Systems for Success’ course – The 3 reasons why you must systematize your practice & business.
The purpose of this course is for you to gain a deeper understanding of WHY you must systematize your practice clinic and business, and to stimulate your innovative mindset to produce systems that will positively impact the lives of everyone involved (SELF, CLIENT, TEAM).
Within the following lessons we will touch on many different aspects of your practice and business that should be systematized and automated. These are primarily areas that would apply to any practice or business. Although there are many parts of any business that are the same, each are also different, and have different priorities, so this is where the understanding of WHY you need to systematize is important. You will begin to recognize more and more parts of your business and practice that cry out to be systematized and you will be excited to make it happen because of the results that come with automation.
Whether you like it or not systematizing your business and practice, as many aspects of it as humanly possible, is an essential ingredient in it’s success, or failure. What organizing and systematizing ultimately does is take things off of yours or other staff member’s plates and filters them into an automated state – i.e. they take FAR less time, and you do not have to think about them near as much. Conclusion – more time for more important high value projects and tasks that are more enjoyable, not so fast paced and stressful, and actually are what drives the company to grow and produce. Shouldn’t you be writing about your knowledge and experiences vs. double checking whether a new client was properly taken care of by reception or the product order quantities checked out with the invoice…I could go on and on with all the stuff that can be systematized and delegated to free up your time, but the personal needs of each practice are different so you have to start exploring this for yourself – but begin to systematize and get stuff off your plate today – your business depends on it.
As I was putting together these steps I realized a succinct way to summarize the elements of your practice and business that need to be systematized, it really simply boils down to this;
Anything you do to operate your business or practice that you foresee having to do more than once, should be documented in a precise and detailed manner so that it becomes an automated process, and can be replicated by anyone. The task ends up taking less and less of your (or your staff’s) time and mental capacity, and ensures it is done right, everytime.
So, anything you do (from submitting payroll deduction remittance payments to properly scheduling a patient, and everything in between) that you foresee happening again, write down how you did it (steps and resources required etc) in an easy to reference place (i.e. google docs, or a hard copy binder) so you can use it as a guide each time.
The same should be done within the practice side of your clinic as well, so that quality consistent (somewhat) standardized services are provided. This is important for client retention and satisfaction.
Operations manual creation needs to be a constant ongoing project for you, your practitioners, general manager, admin and reception staff. They should be updated and added to any time your business grows or changes. The intention of these manuals needs to be that of being able to use them to reproduce the company and its services in another location with other people – a carbon copy, or franchise model – essentially building a company that is built to scale.
If you commit to systematizing your business and clinical operations you’ll soon begin to experience more of the personal freedom you desire.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses is an essential piece of a bigger puzzle which is the membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectation. The lessons within the full program are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and experience, failure and success, all which cumulatively have brought us the fulfillment we enjoy each and every day of our lives. I want that for you as well, let me help you out.
Again, If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me for a one-on-one consultation so I can better cater to your unique individual needs. I would love to share more about how we have built the systems, protocols, manuals, and automation that has been integral to the success of my businesses as well as my peace of mind.
Reason One: Personal Freedom
Welcome to the ‘Personal Freedom’ lesson of the ‘Systems for Success’ course.
The first reason to systematize your business is to create freedom for you! After all, this is why we wanted to get into business for ourselves in the first place right? Unfortunately most of the time running your own practice or business turns into multiple daily tasks that you don’t want to be doing, seemingly taking away the freedom you were once striving for. Basically a job with A LOT of overtime, that may not be paying very well. So how do we get out of that rat race and start enjoying more abundance and freedom? The answer to this begins with systems. Automating where possible is not a choice, it is a necessity, and you will see why from 3 perspectives (you, team, client). The following are how systems will help you;
- More time. Systems can free up time for you by automating many little mundane aspects of running a business.
- More fun. Systems free you up to be doing more of what you want to be doing (i.e. enjoying practicing, creating).
- Less stress. Systems help ensure your business is running smoothly and things are getting done.
- Grow the company. Systems free you up to focus on the few high value tasks that actually grow the company.
Now this relates more to the business side of things but also is referring to the systems you should have in place within your clinical practice.
There are many places you must get organized, produce protocols, implement systems, and automate. Start today. Remember, if you commit to systematizing your business and clinical operations you’ll soon begin to experience more of the personal freedom you desire.
The next 2 steps go deeper into explaining the WHY you must systematize from a client and team perspective, and touches on the WHAT WHERE and HOW involved in making it happen.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and take a moment to really envision actually having more of the personal freedom you desire. Smile, take another breath, and see you in the next lesson.
Reason Two: Client Experience
Welcome to the ‘Client experience’ lesson of the ‘Systems for Success’ course.
The second reason to systematize your business is to create an amazing experience for your client – basically, fulfilling your customer’s reason for coming to you! I grew up counting pills in my dad’s pharmacy general store. It was in a town of five thousand people and needless to say, what people said about you mattered. My father trained everyone working at the store to always prioritize the customer. They should be taken care of quickly and in all ways possible. It wasn’t just a place people came to buy stuff and get their pills, it was a place where people bent over backwards to go above and beyond the basic needs of the customer, and most importantly, a place that people could trust and build a long term relationship. To some of you this might be instinctual, which is great, you are way ahead of the pack. But for those who do not have the client experience as a priority, who may have become complacent about this element, who may have the mentality that the big city has an abundance of potential clients, this message is of great importance for you. People today are desperate for connection – it is highlighted in the popularity of facebook. But more importantly, despite advancing digital technology, people need face-to-face connection, especially at places they choose to help them with their health and well-being. All you have to do is give it to them, it takes such little effort. In doing so you are making someone happy and adding value to your community. You are also building your unpaid sales force, as a happy customer will tell others about you, and finally, it takes much less effort, time, and money to maintain a current client relationship than it takes to obtain a new client – fact.
With all this in mind, the following is a summary of the 3 main points why systems are necessary for a positive client experience;
- Consistency. Systems produce a similar experience each time a client visits, resulting in a trust that they are in capable hands and are being well supported.
- Relationships. Systems free up your team to connect with the client, be welcoming and warm, providing a small town service with a smile.
- Results. Systems from both a medical and administrative perspective provides each patient with quality care. Everything is organized and nothing gets missed.
Consistency is key to providing a good service. It keeps things clear and easy to understand, providing the client with a sense of comfort and trust. So consistent services are provided for all that patronize your establishment EACH AND EVERY time they visit your clinic. People do not want to have a different experience each time they have an appointment – this is the deep human need for certainty. Humans only want uncertainty when it is the kind they like or choose (i.e. surprise party, someone else paying the bill, random acts of kindness from others, plot twists in movies/books, etc). Do you like similar quality service each time you go to a restaurant to eat – I suspect you may even go to the same restaurant often due to the consistent good service and food prepared the same way…? I know you don’t want to, but think ‘McDonalds’…this is the holy grail of consistent business systems. Of course this is not who or what you want to be but for a moment realize the power of basically automating as many parts of your company and service as you can…it literally frees you up to be focusing on what you want to be focusing on, or what the business needs you to be focusing on (i.e. being a great practitioner, getting results, transforming lives, generating referrals, innovating, etc).
This is important in the clinical setting as well. Every aspect of your patient care that you can systematize (intake, diagnosis, treatment plans, progress, file keeping, follow up, asking for reviews, etc) should be systematized so that it frees you up to really connect with the patient when you are with them, ensures consistent quality care is always delivered, and a lifetime relationship is being cultivated. If you are part of an integrated team of practitioners that share patients this is especially important and needs to be a shared project – so that quality consistent (somewhat) standardized services are provided no matter which practitioner they may be scheduled with. This increases rates of client retention and satisfaction. It is also wise to utilize the collective power of the whole to create and deliver a service that is truly special.
Aside from achieving clinical results (which should be the primary goal of every practice), you MUST create and deliver a service that is truly special.
In another course I go in depth about how the future success of your practice depends on testimonials and reviews from clients. In the digital era everyone goes to the internet to check out what others are saying before buying a product or patronizing a business or service. Therefore, if you do not have multiple positive reviews on multiple platforms (facebook, google, your website, etc) then your business will suffer. Even if you have set up killer sales funnels and your copy is unbelievable (‘digital marketer-itis’), if you do not rate well with the public online it will result in less patients.
This further highlights how important cultivating deep lasting relationships with your clients really is, and again, it is systems that will free up you and your team to focus on these extremely important connections. This is a basic human need – love and connection. If you deliver on this need I guarantee you will make every patient feel better, without even using your medical skills. Do not overburden your staff with tasks that push them to ever demote client experience into second place (or worse). This is so easy to do and so important to the reputation and growth of your company.
Lastly, clinical outcome. Results are the essence of why people come to our clinics. In some way shape or form, they want to feel better. As mentioned above, clinical systems are important to ensure quality consistent care, especially in a multi-practitioner shared care clinical model. This quality consistent care is part of the key ingredients that will produce the desired clinical outcome. One of my favorite teachers once told me; ‘A good doctor is an organized doctor’, I took that to heart and it has served me well.
So do yourself and your practice (and pocketbook) a huge favor and always keep the client experience at as a top priority. This is influenced drastically by the easy-to-deliver systems that your team and staff need to follow, as discussed in the next step.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and be excited for the emphasis you are going to put on creating a WOW experience for your clients! Smile, take another breath, and see you in the next lesson.
Reason Three: Team Service
Welcome to the ‘Team service’ lesson of the ‘Systems for Success’ course.
The third reason to systematize your business is so your team possesses an easy-to-deliver quality service! What I mean by this is simple;, if your team is not always worried about what they are supposed to be doing or saying then they are more free to be themselves and prioritize building relationships with the clients. This is especially important in your front admin/reception positions. You want your front staff to be great at connecting with people, not overwhelmed by the tasks and processes. Easy-to-deliver systems for the technical aspects of the job allows them to do just that.
Every system must be documented and updated regularly. Manuals must be created with enough clarity that all tasks could be completed by someone new to the company, without instruction. Manuals should have each minute detail of the process – do not leave anything to chance or just assume people will understand what to do. Creating or updating a manual is something you MUST ask your reception / admin staff to do from day 1, it will be worth its weight in gold (for reasons discussed soon). You should have the intention for this manual to grow and evolve into a tool that could be used to duplicate what you are doing in a totally different location by totally different people, and things get done the same way every time – building your company to scale, if so ever desired. This is basically the essence of a franchise, you want to set up your business with the franchise model in mind, even if you have absolutely no intention of franchising (thank you Michael Gerber).
The following are the main points where solid systems need to be in place for your team;
- Communications. With the clients and internally amongst the team.
- Operations. Tasks & duties that are performed regularly. General procedure and upkeep of the clinic.
Prioritization is also key here. Reception should have a priority system for anytime of the day that is deeply ingrained in their habits. For example, the morning opening priorities should look something like this;
- Always cater to client in front of you before anything else (conversation, billing, scheduling, etc)
- Client management (scheduling new clients, cancellations, waitlist, call backs & responding, etc)
- Basic opening tasks (turn on lights and computer, set atmosphere, etc)
- Everything else (in continued priority sequence according to daily and clinical needs etc)
When this system is known and clearly laid out in a manual then you can have peace of mind that things are getting done in a prioritized sequence. That said, these task lists and clarity should go on and on and be well documented as I have reiterated (what makes many companies stand apart is often the little details!).
Let’s expand just a little on the first 3 points above (helps us begin to see the extensiveness that should be involved in the creation of good company manuals);;
- Always cater to client in front of you before anything else
- How to be with the client in front of you
- Basics of building rapport – mirroring and matching (i.e. if they are soft spoken don’t be loud, or if they are sad don’t smile too much).
- Connect, listen, be warm and present.
- Always ask about and talk about them. Watch that your staff isn’t always rambling on about themselves.
- Build a relationship with these people like they will be a friend for life.
- Scripted memorized answers for common questions
- First impression is most often the web or a friend referral, but when they come in your clinic it is your front staff who has the chance to make that first lasting warm professional impression. This position is vital to the success of your clinic.
- Scripting, sales training, and the basic good natured character of your front staff are key.
- Q&A documents need to be created and detailed clearly so that your staff (and you) can study and memorize. These are also great for media opportunities that come your way – you will be happy you have memorized your PR media bytes when you see yourself later on camera.
- Bottom line, you need to communicate your message clearly and understandably
- The little extras
- little added value items such as water, snacks, access to bathroom, coat hanging, free materials, etc, should be offered each and every time.
- Clarity on specifics for billing and scheduling for each client
- Have communication systems in place so reception knows basic treatment protocol and recommended treatments required so that booking is smooth and confident.
- When cancellations occur reception relays info to practitioner.
- When new client books appointment the appropriate details are sent to both practitioner and client via email so nothing is missed and everything is clearly laid out and simple (intake forms, location, time, parking, etc)
- Ways to communicate special pricing or how to deal with missed appointment fees
- Alerts that should be understood and in your face for certain clients (availabilities, preferred practitioner)
- etc etc etc
- Payments and direct insurance billing
- How do you process and reconcile your billings? Intimate knowledge of the softwares being used.
- Set things up so the the bookkeeping job is as easy as possible – systems for proper checks and balances daily, filing of invoices and paperwork, running reports.
- More Q&A memorization regarding money matters – clients want to be confident you are handling their money properly.
- How to be with the client in front of you
- Client management
- Checking phone messages and email
- This should be done asap to address the needs of the schedule for the current day
- Cancellations should be taken care of (taken out of schedule and later followed up), and appointment requests should be followed up with to help fill the schedule. New patients should be a priority and then the wait list should be combed through and reach outs made to attempt to optimize the schedule.
- Make sure you are not doubling up on contacting clients, an issue that can arise with reception staff shift changes (systems must be in place!).
- Providing a good service, making sure they get the appointments they need and want, and being diligent but not annoying to the client is key.
- SCRIPTING – see above. Important to make a professional friendly knowledgeable connection on the phone – answer all questions (unless too specific and medical in nature) or encourage appointment or phone call with practitioner if more appropriate.
- Go through the schedule for the current day and make notes of how many appointments each client has moving forward so that the practitioner sees this and can communicate with reception how to proceed. Seeing your patients regularly when required for clinical effect is vital.
- Check to ensure new clients for the current day (and the next) have submitted their intake forms for pre-appointment practitioner preview. This best optimizes the practitioner and patients initial time together – so emphasis is put on going deep into needs, developing connection and trust.
- Checking phone messages and email
- Basic opening tasks
- This is simply a list that is laid out in order of sequence that gets followed day in and day out.
- This list should be posted somewhere easy to see each day, become a checklist.
- When things should be done is as important as what needs to get done. For example, all opening tasks are put on hold if a client is in front of you (see #1), so to get the important ones done first (like turning on the lights) is important as chances are good, especially when your clinic is busy, that all this perfect systematizing will be interrupted, so prioritization is key.
- Opening tasks would include things like;
- turn on computer and open appropriate software(s)
- set the atmosphere (music, essential oil, lighting)
- simple cleaning duties that are not taken care of by a service (quick vacuum or sweep, light dusting, dishes are washed, arranging reading materials,emptying recycling etc)
- stocking waiting room and bathroom supplies (toilet paper, kleenex, snacks, water/tea)
- watering plants
- ensuring promo materials and merchandise displays are nicely arranged,
- This is simply a list that is laid out in order of sequence that gets followed day in and day out.
I could go deeper and deeper into each, and I believe you absolutely should. I am anal about this and it has proven successful in giving me freedom from needing to worry about things getting done, and training new employees. So worth while. Each point can be broken down into more and more detail depending on the needs of your clients and how you choose to run your business.
Some of the above are simply things you should implement out of necessity and will change over time as you refine your processes, but I see so often that these seemingly simple things are not happening even at basic levels and it makes me cringe. I believe a good doctor is an organized doctor, and a good clinic is an organized clinic. To that end, a primary takeaway is that all these systems and processes should be documented FOR EVERY OPERATION in your business in a precise detailed manner, as the possibility of you losing staff at some point is inevitable, and these documented systems will minimize the impact of the staff changes on you, your team, and most importantly – the client and their experience. Also, people like to know what they are supposed to be doing at work and what exactly is expected of them. If it is clear then there is a greater possibility that they will perform well, be happy with the lack of micromanagement, and stick around (ah the holy grail of staff retention!).
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and be excited about how mastering systems will take your practice and business to a whole new level. Just imagine the freedom!
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.

The 5 Step Client Journey Roadmap
Attract new clients, deliver a valuable service, and maintain a lifetime relationship
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
Potential – before they are looking (cold)
Faced with challenge – starting to look (warm)
Found you – curious and interested (warmer)
Decided to patronize your services – converted (hot)
Lifetime relationship – CRM (keeping things warm and cozy)
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – The 5 Step Client Journey Roadmap
Welcome to the ‘The 5 Step Client Journey Roadmap’ course – Attract new clients, deliver a valuable service, and maintain a lifetime relationship..
What is a ‘client journey roadmap’?
A client journey roadmap is a process of identifying the various touch points that you have with your clients, potential, current, and past. Once these are identified you can start to be systematic, mindful, and creative about creating effective lead generation, all the ways you can add value to their lives, improve their experience with you and your company, and develop a lifetime relationship that pays dividends over and over again in the years to come.
The purpose of this course is for you to understand the roadmap that applies to your clients and to discover the touch points that are important so you can better understand how to allocate your marketing and operation efforts.
The exercises in the worksheet are the actions that are necessary for this course to come to life. Download them now so that you have them with you while you go through the steps.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses is an essential piece of a bigger puzzle which is the membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectation. The lessons within the full program are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and experience, failure and success, all which cumulatively have brought me the fulfillment I enjoy each and every day of my lives. I want that for you as well, let me help you out.
Again, If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me anytime for a one-on-one consultation so I can better cater to your unique individual needs.
Business plan or a Roadmap?
Welcome to the ‘Business plan or a Roadmap?’ lesson of the ‘5 Step Client Journey Roadmap’ course.
Let’s face it, by the time you actually get finished with a business plan it is likely already time to go back to the beginning to update it! Business plans are based in theory, and most often only used at the beginning of the business journey (start up), then are often useless thereafter. The strength of a business plan lies in really starting to get to know your industry and business landscape and is often important in helping secure funding (loans etc) or maybe venture capital. But a business plan falls short when it comes to really being a tool that can be used to take you into the future, running your business day-to-day ‘in the trenches’.
What you really need is a road map for your business – something that helps you get to your destination but can use multiple routes depending on what life dishes out along the way.
Business is an organic creature, it will and should always be changing and growing in various ways. If you are not growing you’re dying, or as the I Ching transcends – the only constant is change (so get used to it). You need to be adaptable, and so does your business. If opportunity arises you must be ready to cease it as it might be your next big break. Opportunity comes in forms that will be drastically different than what you had planned in your head (or business plan). That is perfectly ok, and this uncertainty can be regarded as the beauty of life and the fulfillment of our need for adventure. This uncertainty and the discomfort that comes with it is nothing more than a sign that you are growing, so embrace it – your success is directly proportionate to the amount of discomfort you are willing to endure.
A rigid plan can stagnate the smooth flow of a business, but a map allows for the freedom of choosing a different path in a moment’s notice. Take a patient for example – would you set out a plan to restore their health and not adjust it depending on a multitude of variables? Of course you wouldn’t do this, as this could end up doing more harm than good, easy to see right? So why would you do this for your business? Also, if danger lurks, you must be ready to protect or reconceptualize your movement. This again is why a map is more important than a plan.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water. Smile, take another deep breath, then get up and do 5 jumping jacks. See you in the next lesson (don’t just read this, do it – movement helps lock in the knowledge you are acquiring).
Client journey roadmap
Welcome to the ‘Client journey roadmap’ lesson of the ‘5 Step Client Journey Roadmap’ course.
I love how Jay Abraham boils down business into 3 simple steps;
- Attract new customers.
- Provide a valuable product or service.
- Maintain a lifetime relationship.
Yup that’s it. I don’t know about you but I like things boiled down like this so I can easily remember them, because when I remember something I can regularly practice it, and when I practice something it becomes a part of my life and pays dividends. This is why it is so important to never stop studying; just because you are out of institutionalized education doesn’t mean you are done learning, graduating from school actually signifies that your learning is about to begin! So my most sagely advice, something that has been key to my success, is to take up the practice of studying successful people – in any and all fields. How did they do it? Get curious about the magnificent achievers in our world, past and present, and figure out what their secret sauce is. As mentioned above, Jay Abraham would be one brilliant man to better understand.
The 3 simple steps of business are the foundation for this course. I will break them down into the 5 steps that follow, but they all belong to one of the 3 simple steps above;
- Attract new customers (step 1-3).
- Provide a valuable product or service (step 4).
- Maintain a lifetime relationship (step 5).
It may seem that the emphasis is put on attracting new clients but that isn’t so, it is just more difficult to attract new clients than it is to nurture existing. That said, the final 2 steps (once they are your client) are the essence of your business and are most necessary for your long term success. If you take care of the final 2 steps, over time, attracting new clients becomes easier and easier. All the people you have helped over the years and have maintained a lifetime relationship with become your brand ambassadors, your unpaid sales force – they tell the world about how great you are. This is big picture long term thinking, I hope it is starting to make sense.
The 5 steps that follow are an outline for you to use to break down and map out the steps in your client journey: from not even having an issue or knowing about you, to being your client and long term friend. This process aids you in better understanding who they are, where they hang out, what they do, how you can connect with them, and gives insights into how you can add value to their life each step of the way. When they have a need for your services, and when you understand how to connect with them, you can also help them move to the next step in their journey. Sales folk would call this a ‘funnel’. Remember, especially if you are clear with your message and who you are attracting, you are not using ‘marketing’ to trick people into using your service, you are simply accurately and strategically telling the world that you are here to help, and those who are meant to come to you will. If you believe or know you really have skills that can help people, why is it your choice as to whether or not they get to find you? It’s not about you, it is about their need to feel better – so set your fears and ego aside.
In other words, the first steps of attracting new clients can be framed as such;
…you are helping people navigate the murky waters of healthcare choices, being their advocate and making sure they understand how you can help add value to their lives through their difficult time.
Keep in mind that you are practicing a medicine that most people don’t understand, and people are typically afraid of things they don’t understand. Part of your job is to educate the public, ‘The master physician teaches his/her community to be well’. This should be a major focus of your marketing efforts to attract new clients. Show them the light at the end of the tunnel, their path to health and wellness – then move them toward it.
Example:
At Yinstill (my clinic) we work exclusively with reproductive health conditions, emphasizing fertility. So a basic outline of our client journey would look something like this…
Step 1 – Potential client
‘Maybe I want to have a child?’ This is the conversation that starts long before they will be our client.
Step 2 – Faced with a challenge
‘What is wrong, we have been trying to get pregnant for a while now?’ A problem that our services could solve arises.
Step 3 – Finds Yinstill
‘My friend told me about this place…’, or, ‘Hey honey look at this ad…’ Curiosity sends them to your website, the first impression.
Step 4 – Decide to choose our services
‘Let’s go check them out’, to ‘Wow I love this place’, to telling a friend ‘We are having such an amazing experience at Yinstill’. It is now time to do everything we can to deliver an amazing experience and a service that produces the desired results.
Step 5 – long term relationship
‘You should check out Yinstill’, and ‘We will be in the neighbourhood, let’s stop by Yinstill and just say hello’ are the conversations past client have for many years after they have used our services. Love and connection – a basic human need is fulfilled. Then – ‘Honey, maybe I want to have another child ?!’ becomes the conversation, and a quick journey back to Step 4 happens – ‘Welcome back to Yinstill, nice to see you again!’
Obviously there are many many steps within these simplified steps but you get the idea. Once you have this journey mapped out you can start to ask the questions like ‘Where do these people spend their time?’ and ‘How can I reach them?’ The next 5 lessons will help guide you into answering these and many more questions, and once you have your client journey mapped out it will be easier to get clear on where you need to focus your marketing efforts.
Take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water. Smile, take another breath, and start the first step in mapping out your client journey.
Step 1 – Potential – before they are looking (cold)
This is step 1 – the start of the client journey roadmap. These are people who you may know but likely not, and they likely have not heard of you (yet). This is before they have a problem or at least before they are looking for services such as yours. It could also simply be people who could be referral sources for your clinic – someone who hears about you and has a friend who you could help.
The following are a few touch points, places of possible connection with this population that you need to consider;
Advertising. Print, radio, online social and search traffic. This is where many practices start and it makes sense if there is a budget for it. So by all means get started with some advertising. That said, it should not be the long term focus of your marketing efforts as it is expensive and typically offers short term results (meaning when they are gone, the referrals stop). Advertising can be effective but does very little in establishing your long term reputation in your community. You want to focus on building a reputation of being an establishment that provides value to its community, versus advertising to build a brand which is ultimately ego based (vs creating value) and expensive. Don’t get me wrong, advertising is a part of the marketing puzzle.
Contribution. Adding value to your community through various forms of contribution is the focus at my company. This is how your company can grow deep roots in the world and earn the respect required for long term success. Advertising plays a role in contribution but its motives are different than straight up ‘look at me’ advertising that most participate in. Contribution advertising involves putting others first, such as in sponsorship of local events or charitable organizations that your business believes in and stands behind. Your potential clients or referral sources also support these events or organizations and notice your affiliation and the seed is planted for when they or someone they know is faced with a problem that you can help, ‘Hey I remember this company that sponsored the farmer’s markets that talked about reproductive health, maybe they can help’ is the potential conversations that arise through your contribution. Typically community events and charitable organizations are very grateful for their sponsors and do all they can to tell the world about them.
Word of mouth. This is your best form of advertising. It depends largely on how well you have treated the clients who already chose your services. A happy client turns into a ‘word-of-mouth’ sales representative for your clinic, and this third party testimony carries with it more credibility than any other form of marketing – literally, it is priceless. This is the reason you must focus on creating a client experience that goes far beyond expectation, because if you do, with the word-of-mouth referrals generated, the lifetime value of a client goes way up, and conversely, your marketing bills go down. Treating people right is hands down the best business decision and marketing tool you have. This approach ultimately will add value to the bottom line of your company, should you ever want to sell it.
Networking. Anyone you know or meet may be your next client or know someone that could benefit from your services. Keep this in mind when you step into the world. It is important that you be the person that you claim to be, that you walk your talk. This breeds confidence that you are the real deal, and trust is the foundation for any relationship, including one of referrals or patronage. It is also important that you be kind to others, as people do business with people they like, bottom line. So get out there in the world, walk your talk and be kind, you never know who you might bump into!
Storefront. This obviously only applies to those of you who have a clinic that is ‘out there’ in the world for others to see, on the street, in the community. For me, this has been the best advertising dollars I have ever spent. Being on the street and in a great community (versus up in an office building somewhere) allows for great non-invasive organic exposure. The extra spent to have a storefront location, dollar-for-dollar, is better than any advertising you can ever do (if it is a neighbourhood that has walking traffic in the approximate right demographic). People simply noticing us on the street has consistently been one of our top referral sources. It also has given us the power to be in control of the client experience before they even enter the clinic. First of all, parking is easy and free (important) and we have gone to great efforts to create a wonderful experience as they approach and enter for the first time – the beautiful sidewalk bench, the flora, and the artistic elements all contribute to the first impression they have of our physical space. The vibe of a storefront clinic is just so much more grounded and part of the community. I have done both and all I have to say is that if you have the opportunity, I recommend getting out of the stuffy office building space, be brave, and move into a street level storefront location.
So now that you have done what you can to get in front of your potential clients or referral sources, let’s see what you can do now that these people are faced with a health challenge.
Step 2 – Faced with challenge – starting to look (warm)
This is step 2 of the client journey roadmap – when a person is faced with a health challenge. These people are starting to search for solutions to the problem they are faced with, now very motivated prospects destined to be your patients.
The following are a few touch points, places of possible connection with this population that you need to consider;
Education. This is a great way to give back to your community – delivering seminars with the intention of educating people on ways they can help overcome particular burdens in their life. Find places your clients might frequent and organize a lecture (i.e. community centers, libraries, restaurants, and other small venues).
Dr. Google. Working to get noticed from an organic perspective on google searches should be a goal of any business owner. It is the online holy grail to quickly establish credibility with the browser (your client to be). This is commonly referred to as SEO (search engine optimization). There are many companies that promise big things with SEO if you give them lots of money but it is my opinion that this money could be better spent elsewhere. Establishing sustainable long term SEO is the goal, and it takes time and 3 simple things; 1. an optimized website (wordpress is optimized right out of the box), 2. consistent production of quality content that your intended browsers want to read, 3. other quality websites placing links to your website on theirs (called link popularity) – it shows they are confident sending their browsers to you. Stick to those 3 principles and don’t chase the next shiny SEO object. With time and diligence you will find your way into the top 10 on google searches within your local niche. You can also opt to pay google to run search advertisements (adwords). Basically, when someone searches for something related to your service your ads will come up in the paid sections of a google search results page. This is an effective form of advertising, as by definition, search advertising is catering to ‘warm’ traffic, or people who are already looking for what you offer. With paid search advertising via google (adwords) I strongly suggest hiring a marketing firm that will properly manage this for you so it is done right and you are not simply throwing money into a bottomless pit. It requires a lot of work and skill to do properly, so let someone who is skilled and experienced take care of this while you take care of things that you enjoy. Contact me for a consultation to discuss this more, as it is a worthwhile endeavor and will pay for itself over and over again in the coming years, without spending a dime.
Reviews. Online reviews and testimonials will play a huge role in the long term success of your practice, I guarantee it. I go through this in depth in the course – How to ask for testimonials and reviews. If you haven’t already completed that course be sure to do so.
Website. In today’s world, this is often your first impression with your potential clients. You know for yourself, before your buy a product or patronize a service, you google it, check out their website, then look for reviews (see above!), right?! How to properly set up a website is far beyond the scope of this bullet point, but I will say this, a properly set up website (search engine optimized, sales funnels in place, relevant clear copy, and calls to action) is your absolute best sales tool (besides providing a great service of course). If there is one place you are going to allocate marketing budget dollars, your website is it. It is just a fact that many people will judge you and determine whether they trust you based on your website.
Social. Organic online social networking (i.e. facebook, twitter, pinterest, linkedin, etc) are places you need to be, but do not make the mistake in thinking they will be a primary driver of traffic to your business. They have evolved to play the role of building your online reputation, showing the world who you are and what you are about. This is extremely important; it is a vital key to establishing your overall online presence. It is a place to educate, connect, show your true colors, give away stuff, and establish relationships with other like minded people and businesses. But, if you want social media to drive you serious traffic, you have to pay. The downside of social paid advertising is that people are not generally on social media to look for information, especially from businesses, nor are they scanning for great ads to click on. This is cold traffic, and it is why I personally prefer search advertising, which as mentioned denotes that they are actually searching for information and services like yours and are actually interested in clicking on websites and ads that look like they will deliver. Here is another way to look at this: search ads bring you customers, and social ads bring you leads (that could potentially become customers). This means that social ads require more work to convert browsers to buyers.
Strategic Alliances. I go through this in depth in ‘The Win x 3 Recipe’ courses, but in short, strategic alliances are other businesses and organizations that have similar customer demographics, offer a great product or service that will benefit your target clients, and that have business values that are in alignment with yours. These are perfect marriages because in no way is there any conflict, it is simply a Win Win Win scenario (you win, they win, and the clients win). Keep in mind that these are not other medical professionals, that is a part of your virtual clinic (see next bullet point), these are organizations involved in completely different industries. The key to these relationships playing a role in helping grow your practice is that you must help them grow theirs (givers gain).
Virtual clinic. The skilled village gets results. I go through this in depth in the ‘How to Setup Your Virtual Clinic’ course. Your virtual clinic is about the strong relationships you build with other health care providers that complement your services and ultimately help in producing the desired results for your patients. In return, once you prove that you can reciprocate (help their patients obtain desired medical outcomes) a trust is formed and you have established a long term referral source (if properly nurtured)
Writing. This ties closely with the first point, education. If you have any desire to be a writer this is a good thing for your practice. Even if you are not a very good writer, you should be doing it. Like anything else in life we get better at it when we practice. Take a class, learn some basics, and get writing. Write as many articles and blog posts as you can, eventually you may be able to piece them together into a larger body of work like a book, or at least a valuable ebook. This is precisely how my book ‘Being Fertile’ came to fruition. If you want to be more polished to the outside world, work with a writer or at the very least a good copy editor so that your writing is clean and its structure flows to the reader. Your writing should come from your heart and your experience. People want to hear authenticity mixed with the knowledge and solutions they need. Learn to give this to them. From a bigger picture perspective, this is a fantastic way to help a lot of people, many of whom you will never even meet. Contributing to the world is what we do.
Friend referrals. The pinnacle of converting a potential client into your patient is friend referrals. Nothing else carries as much clout when it comes to people making decisions. When a trusted friend tells you something is great, the instant level of trust established is far beyond that of any other form of marketing. Again this highlights the need to relentlessly focus on the client experience in your clinic. This is also the best way to eventually be able to reduce your marketing budget – as your unpaid sales force grows (and you maintain lifetime relationships with them) your requirements to pay for other forms of marketing diminishes. This is a long term plan, but one that should always be at the forefront of your thoughts. Lastly, if it is a fit for your clinic you might consider a referral rewards program to encourage word-of-mouth promotions!
So now that you are in front of your potential clients when they start searching for a solution to their problem, and have done what you can to clearly communicate your message and add value to their lives, let’s move onto things you can do once they have found you!
Step 3 – Found you – curious and interested (warmer)
This is step 3 of the client journey roadmap – when a potential client has found you and is curious and interested in choosing to patronize your services. If you do things right and have things set up to deliver the information and first impression they desire, these people WILL be your clients.
The following are a few touch points, places of possible connection with this population that you need to consider;
Branding. This is something they may have already interacted with but at this point on their journey it is of absolute certainty that they will be influenced by your branding. Your potential target client will resonate with certain colors and design elements more than others, and this must be addressed when developing your brand and all its associated logos, graphics and imagery. This is definitely an area that is worth working with an experienced designer that comes recommended and has done work for successful brands. This is something that becomes a part of who you are and is tricky to change in the future, so take the time to get it right at the start. You will be very happy you did. This is of particular importance if you work primarily with women.
Website. Now that they want to choose your service and are on your website, it better be setup to quickly give them what they need and guide them toward the next step they need to take – a clear Call To Action (CTA). When setting up your website the most important thing you must do is put yourself in the mind of your client. They want to quickly trust that you can help them solve their problem; that is it. So, make sure their path to this end is quick (i.e. one click away), the copy they are reading is based on the recipe outlined in my ‘15 Simple Steps to Clarifying Your Message’ course, and that there is one clear properly placed Call to Action that either generates leads (i.e. calling to set up a free consultation) or makes the sale (i.e. call now to set up your initial appointment). Please do not make the same mistake most do with their website, and that is simply not delivering what the potential client wants. So many websites out there talk about how great the medicine is and emphasize what they are going to do versus being focused on expressing the benefits and outcomes that will result from using the service. The person wants a solution to their problem, not an education in your medical techniques, at least not right away.
Phone calls . Clarity and confidence. These are key to mastering the art of phone conversation with your potential (and current) clients. This is why I have emphasized scripting in other courses. Your reception should be very well trained in answering commonly asked questions quickly and clearly, with confidence. This builds confidence in your clinic and its services with the potential client. When they can be present and answer most questions that potential clients have they can relax and be warm and present when connecting on the phone. I once saw Tony Hsieh (founder of Zappos) speak and he claimed that even in this digital era, the phone is the best marketing tool you have as a business. It is some of the only time you will ever get one-on-one undivided attention from the potential client on the other end of the phone, so use it wisely. I love that and couldn’t agree more. This is precisely why I have never moved my clinic to an online booking model, I want to keep small town customer service at the core of our company, humans connecting with humans. Of course, your reception should also know the clinic policies and every detail about billing and scheduling so these topics also go smoothly when on the phone with clients.
Free consultations. I like how Dan Clement describes a free consultation as a bridge to your service for those who have only ever looked at what you do from the other side of the river. In other words, assume most people don’t have a clue of who you are or what you do, so give them a simple risk free way to find out. This gives you a chance to connect with these people and add value to their lives by answering a few questions. This should be 15 minutes and can either be on the phone or done in person at your clinic. I prefer the phone as it is less of a commitment to both the potential client and you or your team, and it maintains a level of anonymity that some may desire before choosing your clinic. Be protective of your time and keep it to the allotted 15 minutes. This leaves an impression that you value your time and that you are busy helping others just like them and must get back to it. Because of its effectiveness I recommend you make this a primary lead magnet, meaning use this tool for getting people one step closer to being a patient (conversion).
Social. So next, these folks might go to check out your Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, & Instagram pages, so they need to be set up and utilized in a way that again reflects the values and integrity that your clinic wants to portrait in the world. They need to add value to the browser’s life and each post needs to have the intention of helping someone. This is an extension of your brand. This is the perfect place to educate educate educate – give away white papers on certain topics, post short blog videos, and direct people to valuable resources. A word of caution though, it should not come across as self-serving; don’t just upload posts that are always selling your clinic or services. In my opinion, it should be approx a ratio of 10:1, 10 posts that are 100% NOT promoting your clinic for every 1 post that does. Also, your personal pages (if you have them) are something people will poke their nose into as well, as they provide a unique window into who is behind the business – so keep this in mind before you post anything that could put your integrity in question with your potential (or current/past) clients.
Other free stuff. Who doesn’t love free stuff?! Giving away free stuff on your website or on social media is a great way to begin the process of converting a potential client into either a great referral source or an actual patient in your clinic. These giveaways should add value to their lives and help them take steps toward solving their problems. PDF downloads of your most recent article, email newsletter sign-up, consultations, as well as products and offers from your strategic alliances or virtual clinic affiliates. Helping others is a great way to motivate them to put you in front of their customers. Get creative with this. When you are giving things away do your best to collect their contact info, at least their email (make it necessary to deliver any digital products) as there is much truth to the statement that a business is as valuable as its list of contacts. Always be sure to use these contacts and lists wisely and with integrity – no one likes spam and not respecting ethical email codes of conduct is actually against the law. Not good for your public reputation.
Clinic look and feel. This is where you need to know your clients and when focusing on a particular condition or population comes in handy. If you really, I mean really know your clientele, then it is easy to cater to the look and feel they will appreciate in your clinic. Making them comfortable right from square one plays a role in their whole experience with your company, as well as being a great springboard for their trust and confidence in your services which helps produce the desired medical results; it just does. If your practice is more general in nature, then you are catering to a wide range of people with different tastes, likes and dislikes. If this is the case, keep your clinic look and feel (as well as your branding) neutral. There is plenty of professionals around that understand how to decorate in order to properly cater to your clients – give them a call.
Take a stance. It may be very important to many of your potential clients to understand what your company stands for, from a social or environmental perspective. I gently suggest staying away from expressing political or religious stances as they have no place in medicine. But if you declare to the world that saving the environment is a core value of the company and that you give to organizations that do just that, then people who hold similar values will quickly develop a deeper kinship to your company. Social stances can be tricky so tread in these waters wisely. That said, if you truly feel a certain way about something you shouldn’t hide it, but you should seek counsel on how to properly communicate this to the world. Taking a stance may scare away some potential clients, but you can rest assured that it will help attract more of those that are truly meant to be YOUR clients, setting up a fertile ground for a great relationship. Be bold, but be wise.
So now that you are in front of your potential clients when they start searching for a solution to their problem, and have done what you can to clearly communicate your message and add value to their lives, let’s move onto things you can do once they have chosen your service!
Step 4 – Decided to patronize your services – converted (hot)
This is step 4 of the client journey roadmap – YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE!
They are your client, so now what? Simply stated, once they have decided to utilize your services, you gain complete control of how you manage the relationship. Bottom line – treat them like Kings and Queens.
We will cover the concept of client relationship management (CRM) at least to some degree in many of our courses, because realistically, your relationship with your clients is the absolute most important element to the success of your business or practice. Life and business are about connection and relationships. If you treat them properly, your clients, past, present and future will be your best referral sources, ironically often even despite the results you obtain clinically.
Systems and protocols (as covered in Systems for Success) for managing your client relationships should span from reception to the doctors, as well as how you take care of and interact with them in the digital realm (i.e. website resources, social media relationships, and email communications). Adding connection, value, or ease to the life of the client is always the primary goals of CRM. This is the path to delivering an amazing experience for those who choose your services.
Another important note excerpted from the course Systems for Success is this: if all systems are in place for most of the logistical ways you care for your clients, then it frees you up to simply connect with them on a human level, especially when they are physically in your clinic (often week after week).
The following are a few touch points, places of connection with your client that you need to consider;
Reception. I put this first here to emphasize its importance. When they walk into your clinic for the first time they embark upon their first human interaction associated with your company (except for the impression with the physical property). Needless to say, the reception they get should be one that is warm and memorable, and portray the characteristic that ‘We are here to help you be well’. No matter what else is going on, your receptionist must properly greet and welcome the client that walks through the front door. Even when on the phone with another client, the one in front of you is priority #1, and at the very least should get a big smile and appropriate gesturing to make them feel welcome. This is a gift that some people have and they are great to have as your reception. This is why I feel this position in your company must be filled by the proper character, not qualified skill set or the candidate with the most decorated resume. If you are finding your reception is so overburdened with administrative tasks related to business operations that their time and energy spent focusing on connection with the clients is becoming less and less, then you need to hire more help. This is a good sign and a normal part of business growth. Find a way to make it happen so that emphasis on client experience is clearly always top priority for your receptionist(s).
Waiting room. By virtue of its name, “waiting room” doesn’t seem very exciting, does it? But I want to plant the seed that you can turn your ‘waiting room’ into a sanctuary from the world where your clients actually want to spend time. Create a space so nurturing that this is where the treatment actually begins. Carefully choose your reading materials, the music, the furniture, the art and decor, the colors on the walls, the smell, the lighting, temperature and anything else in your control. Don’t underestimate the importance of the atmosphere, especially with certain demographics of patients. In my clinic, 90% of our clients are women between the age of 30-40. Needless to say, to start the healing process in the waiting room we have decided NOT to have big screen TV’s playing sports and CNN, the reading materials are NOT car magazines, and the decor is certainly NOT consisting of posters of superheroes or taxidermy. I know this is extreme but I am simply trying to highlight how getting the atmosphere right is important when trying to properly nurture the ‘whole’ experience of your client.
Initial appointment. Before they come in for the initial appointment they should be made aware of what to expect. This adds a level of comfort to their experience. Inform them of a few key things to expect in their welcome email or direct them to a webpage that contains the information. It is also important for many people to receive something tangible, something they can hold in their hands such as documentation of their treatment plan, important articles you want them to read, promo materials, information on recommended medications foods or supplements, a presentation folder with educational materials, a health or diet journal, pens, and any other tools, gifts, or valuable resources. These things are not absolutely necessary, especially if you deeply value the environment, but they are something to consider as a possible fit for your clients. They are a way to keep your clinic fresh in their minds when they see you at home, and that little reminder will often help keep them accountable to the plan you have set out for them on their path to wellness. These items will also be noticed by friends and family of your clients if they are laying around the house. Lastly, when they have done their job for your client, if it is valuable, it will likely be paid forward – helping spread the word about your wonderful company. Lastly and again most importantly, is the importance of how you connect to the client, the warm blooded human being that needs your help. Something we do at our clinic to ensure we know how each client would like us to be with them is just outright ask them. It is in our initial intake forms and is something I have used for many many years. Clients often comment on how unique it was to be asked this question – they really appreciated being asked. It helps us better understand how to be present in the initial appointment. For example, do they want a clear plan, are they open to honest feedback, do they simply want treatment and for us to deliver more of a ‘removed’ model of care, are they seeking wise advice and step by step recommendations, and are they ok with ‘tough love’ if we feel it is necessary. As you can see, a few simple questions gives you the practitioner a better understanding of your clients, and makes the client feel heard and that their personal needs are going to be honored. One last thing I recommend doing in the day or two after their initial treatment is picking up the phone and giving them a quick call, just to see how they felt after your treatment and if they had any remaining questions after your time together. For most people this is way above and beyond expectation. Something this simple can increase retention rates and create a fan for life.
Treatment room. This can be looked at from a sensory perspective similarly to the waiting room. I won’t repeat myself, but I will simply repeat that the room should be set up to aid in the whole experience and healing process. Most importantly it needs to be clean and cater to your target clients comforts. The other piece I want to touch on here is that of rapport. Building rapport is the first step to connecting and building trust when you first meet your new client. You must be ready to adjust the way you are with them to:
- a) how they asked you to be with them (see the last point of ‘initial appointment’ above), and
- b) build rapport
If you come into the treatment room bursting with energy, talking fast and loud, and super happy, when the client is a little melancholy, slumped over, quiet and tired, it will be difficult for a connection to be made. They may not even want to be around you and are likely to never come back. Don’t get me wrong, it is our job to influence people, but you must first build rapport and get them to both trust and like you. The key here is that people inherently like and trust people that are similar to them, or at least they can easily relate to them. So come in letting them take the lead, follow and mirror them for 5-10 minutes. Sit like them, move in the same ways and speed as they do, use the same words they use, talk in the same tone and volume, and make eye contact the same amount they are. Then, once you have built rapport, start taking the lead, open up your posture, smile more, make more eye contact (but careful here to not make things awkward), talk with more confidence, and raise the energy when you are describing the way their future can be if they commit to the sustainable steps you are going to recommend. Do you see how this works? It is very important to understand deeply how to build rapport as it is your ticket to your clients letting you lead and influence them, which is exactly what you need to get clinical results.
Between treatments. So they have a great treatment but then they leave your clinic and until the next time they come for another treatment or consultation, how are you going to ensure (or at least increase the likelihood) that they are going to comply with your recommendations? In my opinion, what they do for themselves between treatments is where the true healing happens. This is the time they must commit to the consistent reprogramming that is most often necessary to achieve the desired clinical results. A major part of what we hope to become in our clients lives is what we call an ‘accountability partner’. Someone that holds them responsible for their commitments and actions. Someone they have to check in with regularly and deliver their progress reports to. Therefore we check in on our clients between appointments if they are ever more than a week apart, a quick email or phone call is all that is needed. Diet and health journals or mobile apps that collect fitness and food data (runkeeper, fitbit, myfitnesspal) that they must show to you at their next appointment are also effective. You could also create an online portal where they must log these things so you can check prior to their appointments. It is also great to encourage them to visit your social media pages and other website resources to help keep them focused and headed in the right direction, and to keep the proper mindset to catalyze their healing. Finally, if they choose, each client should be added to an automated emailing system that tastefully drips them relevant information regarding their condition and general health, as well as opportunity to give feedback.
Ongoing care. This is where you really become a part of people’s lives and build the foundation for a lifetime relationship. It is my suggestion that you should, depending on the client, dance wisely between healthcare provider and what I call ‘professional friendship’. These are people, and as I have said before, they, like everyone else, desire connection. Don’t always feel you have to deeply discuss their medical condition at every appointment. Take the time to be interested in all aspects of their life, because there within may lie many keys to unlocking their true health potential, and you will only get to those places if you take the time to look past their obvious medical condition and get to know the person, personally. This type of approach sets you up to have a client or friend for life. Of course, always keep professional boundaries – you will know where the lines in the sand should be, but please do not keep yourself completely separate from the person who chooses to bare it all with you. Your life, practice, and business will all be richer because of it.
TIP: If there is one more skill I can emphasize, it is that of remembering names. There is nothing more sweet to one’s ears than the sound of their name being spoken. It tickles our ‘child-like’ ego-centric deep desire for the world to revolve around us, at least once in awhile (and particularly when they are paying for it). Use people’s names often when you are in conversation with them, this is how you remember their names and develop a deeper connection with them.
Now that they are your client and you have your systems set up and are constantly innovating so that you are producing a ‘WOW’ experience, let’s move onto things you can do to nurture a lifetime relationship!
Step 5 – Lifetime relationship – CRM (keeping things warm and cozy)
This is step 5 – the final step of the client journey roadmap.
For me, this is truly one of the great rewards of what I do. I get the honor of connecting with people in very pivotal times of their life. Because of my approach to business and medicine this sets me up to enjoy many lifetime relationships with my clients, many of whom I do and will call friends. I love walking down the street in my neighbourhood and running into past and current clients. The bond that is created is sacred and special, unlike any other, and I feel that with every ‘out-of-clinic’ encounter. So I am blessed with my role in my community, I absolutely love it. I wish this for you as well, if in fact this is what you desire, as I suspect it is, otherwise you wouldn’t still be engaged with this course! I am excited for you and what lies ahead. You have chosen a great path, smile and really breathe into that.
Most of the nurturing of a lifetime relationship should be natural and only mildly premeditated. This just constitutes contact you would want to have with anyone you have connected with in life. But to be realistic, the fact remains that you will not create this deep a relationship with all of your clients. Some will stay well on the side of doctor-patient, strictly a professional bond. So to maintain relationships with most or all of your past clients, systems must be put in place. It takes work to keep things warm and cozy in any relationship, and as with any relationship if you don’t put in the time required, they fade. It should be understood that you will completely lose touch with a number of your clients, mostly because the connection was never deep or they may want to close a chapter of their life that you are associated with, therefore contact with you is something they do not want. This is fine, but it should be noted in their patient files or scheduling profiles to leave them alone after an acceptable number of attempts to make contact.
I have kept digital files for many years so it is very easy to reference all of my patients from the mobile device in my pocket. This makes it easy for me to connect, just to say hello and see how someone is doing when they pop into my head. Otherwise I make a point to go back through my old files, which are organized chronologically, and do my best to reach out to each and every person at least once per year. Just to say hello, check in on them and their health, their families and their careers, and anything else that I have noted or remember to be relevant in their life. This could be a text, phone call, email, or a handwritten card. This of course is over and above the correspondences they may be receiving from the automated emails campaigns they opted into and are programmed to maintain a certain level of contact for many years (if you don’t know what I am talking about here we need to chat).
Staying in people’s minds is important for many reasons. If you ever need to call on a past client for a small favor, or to cast a vote or review in favor of your company, the likelihood of them doing so is much better if they have corresponded with you in the ‘not too distant’ past. If you are in their minds and they meet someone that your services could help they are much more likely to mention you. I have referenced the term ‘unpaid sales force’ a number of times throughout these courses, this is precisely what I am talking about. If someone had a great experience with your company and you put in the work to maintain a relationship far past your time together, collectively over time, all these people become your greatest and least expensive source of continued growth for your company. This is a company built on relationships and adding value to people’s lives – not one based on brand building and ego.
Have ways to keep track of your correspondences with your past clients, as the last thing you want to do is pester anyone. You will notice who really enjoys regular contact and who wants things to be far more occasional. This should be fully respected.
I hope at least to some degree that you got into medicine because you like and want to help people. If this is so, this will be so easy and natural to you. If for some reason it isn’t I encourage you to not be shy; patients love to hear from their doctors, so just start doing it and like any other skill, with repetition and practice, you will get better at it.
If you haven’t already done so, get going on the worksheet for this course. It is a lot of work and involves ongoing innovation and dedication. Revisit often and see where you can touch people and deliver value.
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.

MARKETING COURSE
15 Simple Steps to Clarifying Your Message
Learn how to communicate exactly what your potential clients need to hear
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
Avatar review
15 point recipe
A word about copy
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – 15 Simple Steps to Clarifying Your Message
Welcome to the ‘15 Simple Steps To Clarifying Your Message’ course – Learn how to communicate exactly what your potential clients need to hear.
This course is straightforward. We will review your avatar (ideal client), then go through the 15 step recipe necessary to communicate the benefits of your services, then we will talk briefly about copy.
If you haven’t already done so, please create your avatar, your ideal client summary. This is necessary to really know who you are speaking to when creating your copy and various promo materials or advertisements. Also it will help you to effectively communicate your message on the phone, in email, and in the clinical setting.
The purpose of this course is to give you the 15 point recipe to follow when creating effective copy that sells the solution your potential clients are looking for – your service and skills! This recipe ensures you touch on all the elements that need to be clearly communicated so your potential client has all relevant information needed to both be informed and make decisions. The results will be amazing content that will convert curiosity to actual clients.
The worksheet for this plan is a template for the 15 point recipe so that all you have to do when creating your sales copy is fill in the blanks. This will be a tool you will likely use again and again for each condition you treat in your clinic, so keep it handy as a guide to follow.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses is an essential piece of a bigger puzzle, which is the membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done, so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectations. The lessons within are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and through experience, all which cumulatively have brought me the success I enjoy each and every day of my life. I want that for you as well.
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me anytime for a one-on-one consultation so I can better cater to your unique individual needs.
Avatar clarity
Welcome to ‘Avatar Clarity’ – a review of your ideal client.
Before we move onto the 15 step recipe it’s important to review your avatar. If you haven’t already done so, please get clear on your ideal client (avatar) before moving one step further with your clinic or this course. For those of you that have, this step is simply a review, so it will be fresh in your mind while doing the exercise that follows. In addition there are a couple questions to ask yourself whose answers will contain powerful ideas and copy that can be used in your 15 point recipe and all other marketing efforts as well.
Getting clear on your avatar (ideal client) gives the Law of Attraction traction. Once you are clear on the type of clients you want to become your patients I guarantee this is exactly who will start knocking on your door. Practically, it helps you really target your marketing efforts, which results in better ROI.
So for the sake of keeping this step a simple review, let’s just touch on the points that you should be clear on with your avatar;
Basic information
- Gender
- Age
- Lifestyle choices
- Profession or career
- Income range
- What are their desires and aspirations (what are they looking for in life)?
- What are their fears frustrations and challenges?
- What keeps them up at night?
- What do they like and dislike?
- What objections could they have to buying your service? (money, time, non acceptance from spouse/peers)
- How do they make decisions? (logic, emotion, with spouse, financial)
Then answer these important questions…
- How will your service IMPACT their life? (Now, in 1 year, 5-10 years)
- What will it cost them to NOT commit to utilizing your service? (Pain and frustration) What will they miss out on?
- Who will the avatar become as a result of consuming your service? What changes and transformation will take place?
- What will be the ripple effects? How will their transformation impact those around them (i.e. family, kids, spouse, friends, colleagues, strangers)
- How will this make their life more fun, simple, easy, and interesting?
Understanding the conversations and answers to the questions that your avatar has going on in their head equips you with the information needed to really connect to your ideal client – your avatar.
Alright, now that you have this clarity, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and move onto the 15 point recipe – this is worth its weight in gold.
15 point recipe
Welcome to the 15 Point Recipe!
Below are the 15 points you need to follow when creating copy that is ultimately selling a solution that your potential clients are looking for. This recipe ensures you touch on all the elements that need to be clearly communicated so your potential client has all relevant information needed to both be informed and make decisions. The results will be amazing content that will convert more potential clients to patients.
This recipe is my version of a sales letter template format. The order of the points as they are presented are important to follow precisely – even more important than your copy being top quality. This recipe is setup to deliver the information your potential client requires in the order to maximize the impact of its messages. I suggest you use this format for writing the copy you will be using for the main pages of each condition you treat on your website or landing pages from marketing campaigns, the first places you want to direct the browser. With this recipe and your expertise on the subject matter, you will find that the articles almost write themselves. Of course you should have someone you trust edit them afterwards to ensure the proper flow of grammar and punctuation are solid.
So here it is.
- Headline/title
- Use a ‘How to’ title, i.e. ‘How to Overcome XXXX’. Keep it simple and to the point, don’t overthink it or try to be too creative, be clear so they know what without a doubt what they are looking at.
- Sub-title
- Supports the headline, i.e. ‘What everyone with XXXX needs to know’.
- Introduction
- In one paragraph
- present the problem
- show them you understand what they are going through
- In one paragraph
- tell them it’s not their fault
- then reveal the solution basics
- Ease of Use
- In one very short paragraph express to them how easy it is to implement these solutions in their life.
- Tell the future
- In one paragraph paint them a picture of what the future will look like when they choose your service to solve their problem
- Try to use wording that will touch their senses.
- i.e. ‘Close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to be past your struggles…’
- In one paragraph paint them a picture of what the future will look like when they choose your service to solve their problem
- Focus on their desired clinical results and the personal transformation they will experience
- Prove you are an expert
- In one paragraph you need to establish trust and authority, or in other words, why they should choose you
- Qualifications, experience, training.
- In one paragraph you need to establish trust and authority, or in other words, why they should choose you
- Benefit bullets:
- 3-5 benefits of choosing your service.
- Remember, people want to hear about outcomes, not the medicine or your skill set. Focus on how it will transform their life and why they are coming to you (less pain, more pleasure).
- Be specific with the copy, make the benefits clear, verifiable, measurable and focused on desired results.
- Spell it out, connect the dots for them, make it simple.
- Highlight that this is something they have never seen before (new, different), be sure to leave them with a little curiosity.
- Always bold the keywords within the bullet point sentences so that if they are in a hurry and scanning that they will get the essence of the message.
- Make sure they understand how easy it is to implement your services into their life.
- Proof
- In one paragraph establish why your solution is credible. Be clear and use simple numbers where possible.
- Data and research
- Patient testimony
- In one paragraph establish why your solution is credible. Be clear and use simple numbers where possible.
- Tell them (in actual numbers) how many people you have helped. Inform them that you use a system that has worked for many.
- Borrowed proof from celebrities and other authorities is powerful
- What will be delivered
- In a short paragraph tell them exactly what they will get if they choose to move forward with you. How your service is delivered, e. Here’s what you get…
- Quick step-by-step of the actual service process so they understand the basics of what to expect.
- Durations, frequency, and speed of results. This is a common stumbling point for many practitioners. either they don’t know or are not confident enough to share these realities with their patient. You must be honest about prognosis and duration/frequency of treatments recommended, i.e. don’t be shy about saying it could take 6-12 months (or more) if that is your experience. It is better to underpromise and overdeliver than over promise and under deliver.
- In a short paragraph tell them exactly what they will get if they choose to move forward with you. How your service is delivered, e. Here’s what you get…
- Bonus
- This may or may not be something you want to include. That said, people love bonuses and free stuff, i.e. ‘if you have more questions be sure and call to book a free 15 minute consultation’. In the medical profession I recommend being careful with getting too creative here or offering upfront sales or discounts on your service. You don’t want to sound like a used car salesman (or woman) and devalue your service.
- Price
- List out the prices of the services offered. Don’t dance around the price, be clear about how much your services cost. (If you are not confident with the value of your service how can you expect your client to be confident in the value?)
- Make a couple comparisons to things people would commonly buy (i.e. ’for the price of a cup of coffee a day for one year you could go through a life transforming 3 month course of acupuncture treatments’) so they can relate to the cost (TIP: make the comparisons to common poor lifestyle habits etc).
- Explain how the basics of how insurance coverage works.
- List out the prices of the services offered. Don’t dance around the price, be clear about how much your services cost. (If you are not confident with the value of your service how can you expect your client to be confident in the value?)
- Urgency
- Gently remind them that natural treatment often takes time to produce the desired results, so the sooner they start the sooner they will reach their goals. A soft motivational nudge.
- Reverse risk
- Offer a risk free initial appointment where if they are not satisfied then they do not have to pay. This can be the small print, or an announcement on the front page of your website meant to be a powerful incentive, whatever you are comfortable with.
- Call to action (CTA)
- Make it very clear what you want them to do, i.e. call or email to book an appointment or take you up on a free 15 min phone / 30 min in house consultation. At the very least list out your contact info (email and phone) or better yet, an opt in form that they fill out which simply sends you their contact info so that reception can contact them to set things up.
- S.
- Short paragraph of how you look forward to helping them with achieving their goals
- Then again briefly list out the main benefits (outcome, or solutions to their problem) of choosing your service again at the bottom of the page so they finish reading on what they will get out of starting a relationship with you.
That’s it. Just paste it all together and make sure it flows, then edit it carefully.
Now quickly read the final step regarding copy then go to the template exercise provided and use it to start writing copy for one of the main conditions your treat at your clinic. Do it while you are pumped and this is fresh – you will be happy with the results.
Stretch, drink some water, take a deep belly breath, smile and rip through the next step about copy so that you can put pen to paper and pump out your first 15 point sales page!
Below are the 15 points you need to follow when creating copy that is ultimately selling a solution that your potential clients are looking for. This recipe ensures you touch on all the elements that need to be clearly communicated so your potential client has all relevant information needed to both be informed and make decisions. The results will be amazing content that will convert more potential clients to patients.
This recipe is my version of a sales letter template format. The order of the points as they are presented are important to follow precisely – even more important than your copy being top quality. This recipe is setup to deliver the information your potential client requires in the order to maximize the impact of its messages. I suggest you use this format for writing the copy you will be using for the main pages of each condition you treat on your website or landing pages from marketing campaigns, the first places you want to direct the browser. With this recipe and your expertise on the subject matter, you will find that the articles almost write themselves. Of course you should have someone you trust edit them afterwards to ensure the proper flow of grammar and punctuation are solid.
So here it is.
- Headline/title
- Use a ‘How to’ title, i.e. ‘How to Overcome XXXX’. Keep it simple and to the point, don’t overthink it or try to be too creative, be clear so they know what without a doubt what they are looking at.
- Sub-title
- Supports the headline, i.e. ‘What everyone with XXXX needs to know’.
- Introduction
- In one paragraph
- present the problem
- show them you understand what they are going through
- In one paragraph
- tell them it’s not their fault
- then reveal the solution basics
- Ease of Use
- In one very short paragraph express to them how easy it is to implement these solutions in their life.
- Tell the future
- In one paragraph paint them a picture of what the future will look like when they choose your service to solve their problem
- Try to use wording that will touch their senses.
- i.e. ‘Close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to be past your struggles…’
- In one paragraph paint them a picture of what the future will look like when they choose your service to solve their problem
- Focus on their desired clinical results and the personal transformation they will experience
- Prove you are an expert
- In one paragraph you need to establish trust and authority, or in other words, why they should choose you
- Qualifications, experience, training.
- In one paragraph you need to establish trust and authority, or in other words, why they should choose you
- Benefit bullets:
- 3-5 benefits of choosing your service.
- Remember, people want to hear about outcomes, not the medicine or your skill set. Focus on how it will transform their life and why they are coming to you (less pain, more pleasure).
- Be specific with the copy, make the benefits clear, verifiable, measurable and focused on desired results.
- Spell it out, connect the dots for them, make it simple.
- Highlight that this is something they have never seen before (new, different), be sure to leave them with a little curiosity.
- Always bold the keywords within the bullet point sentences so that if they are in a hurry and scanning that they will get the essence of the message.
- Make sure they understand how easy it is to implement your services into their life.
- Proof
- In one paragraph establish why your solution is credible. Be clear and use simple numbers where possible.
- Data and research
- Patient testimony
- In one paragraph establish why your solution is credible. Be clear and use simple numbers where possible.
- Tell them (in actual numbers) how many people you have helped. Inform them that you use a system that has worked for many.
- Borrowed proof from celebrities and other authorities is powerful
- What will be delivered
- In a short paragraph tell them exactly what they will get if they choose to move forward with you. How your service is delivered, e. Here’s what you get…
- Quick step-by-step of the actual service process so they understand the basics of what to expect.
- Durations, frequency, and speed of results. This is a common stumbling point for many practitioners. either they don’t know or are not confident enough to share these realities with their patient. You must be honest about prognosis and duration/frequency of treatments recommended, i.e. don’t be shy about saying it could take 6-12 months (or more) if that is your experience. It is better to underpromise and overdeliver than over promise and under deliver.
- In a short paragraph tell them exactly what they will get if they choose to move forward with you. How your service is delivered, e. Here’s what you get…
- Urgency
- Gently remind them that natural treatment often takes time to produce the desired results, so the sooner they start the sooner they will reach their goals. A soft motivational nudge.
- Reverse risk
- Offer a risk free initial appointment where if they are not satisfied then they do not have to pay. This can be the small print, or an announcement on the front page of your website meant to be a powerful incentive, whatever you are comfortable with.
- Call to action (CTA)
- Make it very clear what you want them to do, i.e. call or email to book an appointment or take you up on a free 15 min phone / 30 min in house consultation. At the very least list out your contact info (email and phone) or better yet, an opt in form that they fill out which simply sends you their contact info so that reception can contact them to set things up.
- S.
- Short paragraph of how you look forward to helping them with achieving their goals
- Then again briefly list out the main benefits (outcome, or solutions to their problem) of choosing your service again at the bottom of the page so they finish reading on what they will get out of starting a relationship with you.
That’s it. Just paste it all together and make sure it flows, then we can all edit it carefully.
A word about copy
I just wanted to leave you with a few thoughts about copy, as ultimately that is what this course is about producing.
If you are not a writer I recommend you simply getting done what needs to get done, i.e. doing the best you can with the 15 point recipe. When you are finished, find a writer and a good copy editor to go through what you have done, make sure it is done right, and make it flow and read well. A good writer should be able to really make the words speak to the intended audience, and a copy editor will make sure the grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure is tight. I am assuming you want to portray your company as professional and one that cares about the little things.
That said, I also do not think that you should obsess about the quality of your copy. I mean of course it should be good, but if it has a human side that isn’t ‘perfect’, it will likely resonate with many for those reasons as well. Being too ‘polished’ may give an impression of it being ‘void of spirit’ to some.
Be sure to use language that touches on the reader’s emotions and senses. Emphasize how they will ‘feel’, what they will ‘experience’, and the ‘transformation’ they will go through. This makes your copy come to life and make it much more than simply a few words strung together.
Don’t forget to be authentic. People want to understand who you and your company really are, not what you think your readers want to hear or what a writer thinks should be said.
Most of all, enjoy improving your writing skills and producing great content that will help many.
Now go to the worksheet exercise and start writing NOW.
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.

How To Ask For Reviews & Testimonials
The future of your practice depends on them
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
The future of business – proof & testimony
Client experience is priority #1
If you are shy about asking for a review…
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – How To Ask For Reviews _ Testimonials
Welcome to the ‘How To Ask For Reviews & Testimonials’ course – The future of your practice depends on them.
The purpose of this course is to help encourage you to ask for testimonials from your clients, and to give you perspectives you may not have considered as to why this is so important.
I understand some of the objections to asking clients for testimonials, and personally, I believe they are all rooted in either shyness or self-sabotage. To me it is all about how you ask. If you do it in such a way that is gentle and puts no pressure on the client, then it leaves room for them to simply not respond or happily say no. Also, many people want to share, as it gives them an opportunity that might be healing or may help others on their journey.
The worksheet for this plan is a template for the subject line and main portion of an email body that you can use again and again when asking clients for their story. This will give you peace of mind that what you are sending to each and every person is gentle, properly respects their right to choose to share or not, and doesn’t apply any more pressure than you are comfortable with.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses is an essential piece of a bigger puzzle, which is the membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done, so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectations. The lessons within are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and through experience, all which cumulatively have brought me the success I enjoy each and every day of my life. I want that for you as well.
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me anytime for a one-on-one consultation so I can better cater to your unique individual needs.
The future of business
Welcome to ‘The future of business’.
I meant that to sound dramatic to really highlight the importance of reviews and testimonials. Think about it for a minute. What are the chances of a business thriving if you google it and the first few things you see are negative reviews? There is no doubt in my mind that this will hurt them, possibly to a place of failure, unless they use that feedback to turn things around. Conversely, when google displays shining reviews and positive customer testimony your first thought is ‘I should check it out’, or from a business perspective, ‘I bet they are doing well’, or something to that effect.
I think we can all agree on the fact that a large part of the future success or failure of any business will be determined by their online reviews.
We live in a world where people want proof, and patient testimony is exactly that. If there is research to back your medical practices then life is definitely easier. Thankfully there is a growing body of good evidence on complementary and alternative medicine for certain conditions. Where there is not, and if these are conditions you choose to work with, then you need patient testimony to influence the decisions of potential patients. Not many people will choose to come to your practice on blind faith. People are much more educated these days and are far more discerning of where they spend their hard earned dollars. You must give them proof.
Especially if your practice consists of primarily a female population. In my experience women typically place more weight on story and testimony as proof than men do, especially if they are connected in some way to the woman telling the story or giving the review.
So please do yourself a favor and embrace your need for success stories and reviews, the future of your practice depends on it.
Client experience is priority #1
There is a reason you will see me touch on this in pretty much every course I create, and the reason is simple; all things considered, there is absolutely nothing more important than your clinical skill set being able to produce the patient’s desired results. Improving your skill set is the primary responsibility of any healthcare provider, no one would argue this simple fact. That said, immediately on the heels of this primary responsibility is the relentless dedication to delivering an amazing client experience. This is a huge part of their healing process with your clinic, and the practitioners that get this are blessed with busy practices. People want results, but they also want to be treated well in the process.
You do not always have to ‘cure’ your patients to get a great review from them, but you do have to treat them like a King or Queen, and they have to really feel that you are authentically trying to help them reach their desired outcome.
Look at it this way, there are very few instances where we as health care providers can absolutely guarantee results. If there are situations and conditions that you can that is fantastic. But for the most part we cannot, with integrity, tell someone we can guarantee a cure for what ails them, and honestly, most people do not expect you to. This is precisely why the whole client experience matters so much, because we can guarantee with certainty that they will have a great experience with the practitioner, the clinic, and the business. This aspect of their time with you is completely in your control, so ensure you are doing everything in your power to make their experience with you one that they want to write home about (or post a positive review about).
Time to move on to the last step, especially if you are still hesitant about approaching your clients for praise!
Take a deep breath.
If you are shy about asking for a review…
If you are convinced about the importance of reviews and testimonials but are still weary about asking clients for the small favor, there are a couple of last points I want to make.
If you believe you really helped someone then it is time to take your ego out of the way and look at the bigger picture – if you can help people with a problem they suffer from then why is it up to you whether or not someone finds out about your wonderful service and skills? Look at it this way – You have been chosen to help with your skill set and tools, resources and care, but this is beyond you, you are a medium for something greater to step in and heal. If you are too shy to ask for a review or testimonial, it is only because you think it is YOU that is doing the healing, and you couldn’t be more wrong. Let them decide whether they want to give you credit.
When you are asking for a review or testimonial, be gentle in your request, leave lots of room for them to decline, or simply give them the links to the places where they can do it at any time to help maintain their anonymity. They can then do it discreetly when they are ready, or they can shout it from the rooftops and plaster it on facebook – their choice. Bottom line, they will not do it if they don’t want to do it. Ask yourself how you would want to be asked to review a business you thought was great.
Remember to tell them that their story may be exactly what someone else needs to hear in a really difficult time – their story could help others. This is likely the main reason I have had so many women share their stories with the world, it is a way they can contribute to the health and well-being of others. We are all on the karma payment plan.
Finally, if you still can’t bring yourself to ask your clients for this small favor, then I have a solution that a couple of the practitioners at my clinic have implemented, and its simply to get reception to reach out for them. The receptionists at our clinic are eager to do so as they see first hand the wonderful results and happy clients coming and going each and every day. They know very well who it is appropriate to ask and who it may not be. It is very easy to promote someone else, and it has worked out great with our reception doing so.
That’s it. Short and sweet. I hope you have decided to develop the necessary skill of asking for testimonials and reviews, the future of your practice depends on it.
If you haven’t done so already, go to the worksheet attached to this course and get the email template finished today. Then challenge yourself to send it to at least 10 clients this week, then another 10 clients next week. Make it a mission to populate the ‘success stories’ section of your website, and to start building your online reviews!
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.
————
One of my star acupuncturists is not good at self-promo, so I send emails out for her every so often to ask for reviews and testimonials. Below is an example email that I have used.
SUBJECT:
A small favor for Junko…
BODY:
Hi Amber,
I am reaching out on behalf of Junko Lodge because I feel the world should know how wonderful this woman is! Since she is a little shy to ask for this small favor I am stepping in and doing it for her.
When you have a second please consider writing a short review for Junko on RateMD – https://www.ratemds.com/doctor-ratings/dr-junko-lodge-vancouver-bc-ca. It really helps other women when choosing their acupuncturist – and helps Junko’s practice grow.
And if you feel you can then write a little more, please do so and send along to me so I can post it on the Yinstill website (anonymous of course). These stories help other women find hope in what can sometimes be a very dark time.
Please feel absolutely no pressure. I am grateful for you to even consider this for her.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Warm regards,

The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success
The things you absolutely need to know and be implementing in your practice
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
Avatar – know your ideal client
25 Influential
Advertising
CRM – client relationship management
Sales letter copy
Expertise
Reception
Psychology
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success
Welcome to ‘ The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success’ course – The things you absolutely need to know and be implementing in your practice.
This course contains vital functions that you must be mindful of and take action on as soon as possible.
The following 8 lessons will give you confidence that you are equipped with a framework for moving your practice/clinic/business forward over the coming weeks/months/years;
Avatar – know your ideal client. Get clear on your ideal client (avatar) before moving one step further with your clinic or this course.
25 Influential. Create your list of the people that can help your practice grow and flourish.
Advertising. Platforms and methods that must be considered and implemented to share your message and promote your practice.
CRM – client relationship management. The way you manage your current and past client relationships is extremely important.
Sales letter copy. Properly deliver the information that potential patients require in order to choose your service.
Expertise. You must establish yourself as a leader for your patients to follow.
Reception. The quality of the reception at your clinic is one of the most important elements to ensure your success.
Psychology. Remember that business success is 80% psychological, 20% skill.
If you haven’t already done so, go back, download and print the attached worksheet. This will be a reference tool you will likely use again and again, so keep it handy as a guide to follow.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses is an essential piece of a bigger puzzle, which is the membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done, so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectations. The lessons within are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and through experience, all which cumulatively have brought me the success I enjoy each and every day of my life. I want that for you as well.
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me anytime for a one-on-one consultation so I can better cater to your unique individual needs.
Avatar – know your ideal client
Welcome to the ‘Avatar – know your ideal client’ lesson of ‘The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success’ course.
If you haven’t already done so, please get clear on your ideal client (avatar) before moving one step further with your clinic or this course. For those of you that have, this lesson is simply a review. In addition there are a couple additional questions to ask yourself whose answers will contain powerful ideas and copy that can be used in your sales pages, and all other marketing efforts as well.
Getting clear on your avatar (ideal client) gives the ‘Law of Attraction’, traction. Once you are clear on the ideal type of clients you want to become your patients I guarantee this is exactly who will start knocking on your clinic door. Practically, it helps you really target your clinical intentions and marketing efforts, which produces better clinical results and financial return.
So for the sake of keeping this lesson a simple overview, let’s just touch on the points that you should be clear on with your avatar;
Basic information
- Gender
- Age
- Lifestyle choices
- Profession or career
- Income range
- What are their desires and aspirations (what are they looking for in life)?
- What are their fears frustrations and challenges?
- What keeps them up at night?
- What do they like and dislike?
- What objections could they have to buying your service? (money, time, non acceptance from spouse/peers)
- How do they make decisions? (logic, emotion, with spouse, financial)
Then answer these important questions…
- How will your service IMPACT their life? (Now, in 1 year, 5-10 years)
- What will it cost them to NOT commit to utilizing your service? (Pain and frustration) What will they miss out on?
- Who will the avatar become as a result of consuming your service? What changes and transformation will take place?
- What will be the ripple effects? How will their transformation impact those around them (i.e. family, kids, spouse, friends, colleagues, strangers)
- How will this make their life more fun, simple, easy, and interesting?
Understanding the conversations and answers to the questions that your avatar has going on in their head equips you with the information needed to really connect to your ideal client – your avatar. This helps keep all your efforts focused on the needs of your clients (present and potential) instead of what YOU think would be a more fun or interesting way of running your practice.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and take some time to do the work and answer the questions above before moving onto the next lesson.
25 Influential
Welcome to the ‘25 Influential’ lesson of ‘The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success’ course.
This is a great step to take, especially if you are just starting out or in a new town/city, but it is also a very beneficial exercise if you are in an established practice as it may serve to inject new life into your clinic growth and opportunity. It’s time to create your list of the people that can help your practice grow and flourish. Going through the full membership courses, ‘How to setup your virtual clinic’ & ‘The win x 3 recipe’, will help further clarify the following exercises, but please start here, now, as these are relationships that will be key to your long term success, and no better time than the present to plant seeds.
So to begin, open a spreadsheet and start your list of names or organizations in column A. Then utilize column B & C etc to input contact information, notes about the person, date and method of contact, projects/innovations, etc, and any other columns that you feel are necessary.
Practitioners (virtual clinic)
List reputable local healthcare practitioners in various modalities to build relationships with (best if they do not already have a good alliance with another acupuncturist).
Strategic alliances
List of people, businesses, and organizations that cater to a demographic similar to your patient population (avatar).
Community
List of people in your local community who have influence and a strong social network (entrepreneurs, politicians, bloggers, social media mavens, etc).
So as discussed in the ‘How to setup your virtual clinic’ & ‘The win x 3 recipe’ courses in the membership section, there are some considerations to be mindful of when refining your list and actually making contact;
- Make sure the healthcare practitioners you are choosing for your virtual clinic will be of benefit to your patient and not just simply an attempt at creating a referral source.
- These same practitioners should be reputable and operate with similar integrity and values. You will get painted with the same brush as the company you keep.
- When developing a relationship with another person, business, or organization (strategic alliances) always ensure that the relationship fulfills the Win X 3 criteria – it benefits you (win), the strategic alliance (win), and most importantly, the patient (win).
- Respect people’s time. Most people that are worth developing relationships with are busy, and therefore you need to be wise in how you utilize your time with them.
Once you have made a big list of potential people/organizations, it is time to organize and prioritize them according to all the details you have found and how they fit or will be of benefit. This helps you understand and prioritize who should be at the top of your list (according to importance/benefit), and who your time and financial allocations should emphasize.
Once you are clear on who you want to get close to, the most important next step is to ask yourself, ‘How can I be of benefit to these people?’. Basically it boils down to figuring out how you can help them accomplish their personal/business goals. When you finally reach out to make contact this must be at the forefront of your intentions and motivations. Put your needs second.
Find out an important bit of information about them or an important date in their life and bring them a small gift that is a fit and if possible, do it to acknowledge that important date. This is how you stand out from the crowd – show you care about people and the little details. This sets a foundation for trust, especially if you have a collaborative project or event idea you want to pitch. You get one chance for a first impression, so be mindful of how this happens with these key people. If it goes well, a personal meeting to really connect is much more likely to occur.
A word of caution; if things go well, many of these relationships will become close business and/or personal friends, so it is important that you choose people not only for business and clinical benefit, but because you like and enjoy being around them.
Lastly, like any relationship in your life that is important to you, show them some love, and do it consistently,, for the long haul.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and get at least 10 names on that list before moving on to the next lesson.
Advertising
Welcome to the ‘Advertising’ lesson of ‘The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success’ course.
The following points are advertising platforms and methods that must be considered and implemented to share your message and promote your practice. You must experiment and decide which you will focus on from time to time so you can determine which provides your best ROI (return on investment). These take time or money, or both.
Lead generation
Building lists online through free valuable information products (lead magnets) and through your clinical intake forms (get permission to communicate with them via email). Automated email sequences should nourish these lists.
Community contribution
Get noticed by giving back to your community. Participate in or create charitable events. Support causes that are in alignment with your company values.
Testimonials and reviews
Online ratings and client success stories are one of your best promotional tools.
Pay per click
Paid online advertising such as google adwords or facebook ads are very powerful tools if managed well.
Public Relations
PR companies offer press releases and connections to possible media placements.
Public speaking
Getting out there and educating the public should be on your agenda, whether you like it or not!
Radio & TV
These are extremely expensive but can be very powerful. If you are lucky or connected, becoming a health expert could be your ticket to radio or television exposure.
Phone calls
You and your staff should be well scripted and educated in sales. On the phone is the only time you get a potential client’s complete undivided attention.
Location Location Location
This is extremely important. Where your clinic is physically located largely determines the local eyeball exposure you will receive.
Website
Without a doubt your website is one of the most important aspects of promoting your practice. It is most often the first impression people have of your business. It should have good quality copy and be optimized for search engines.
Promotional materials
Brochures, cards, posters,, etc. Even in this digital era, many of these are still a must, as some people love to hold a tangible object in their hands. Good copy and design that caters to your target audience is essential.
Print advertising
Magazines, newspapers etc.. Are these worthwhile? My vote is that this is not the best place to allocate your ad budget.
Word of mouth
The Holy Grail of business promotion. Your unpaid sales force. This is what you create when you provide people with an amazing experience and a service that produces the desired results.
From here, it is simply time for you to get creative, and find ways to connect to your potential patients that are unique and effective! I recommend the ‘5 Step Client Journey Roadmap’ course in the membership section for help innovating in your marketing and service efforts. Enjoy the process.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and add a tab to the spreadsheet you started in the ‘25 Influential’ lesson for each of the above advertising platforms and methods, then detail how you will be approaching each, along with approx timelines to keep you on track.
1. Advertising?
- 1. where to share your message
- contribute to your community – get noticed doing good
- who you are not PR company pushes are what really build trust and long term clients
- platforms: print, internet, PR, TV, radio, education, email, phone, brochures
- 2. Lead generation
- generating referrals in your community
- altruistic contribution
- online advertising
- lead magnets
- create free and low cost products and services to attract potential clients/patients
- 3. building lists and using them wisely
- phone calls and email communications to past/current clients/patients
- permission from current and past clients to communicate (double opt in)
- put on your intake forms
- 4. attracting clients/patients
- online reviews and testimonials
- 5. PPC
- google adwords
- social media advertising
- 6. location location location
- 7. word of mouth
- the holy grail of real world marketing, practice growth, and business sustainability
- your past and current clients, your greatest sales force
- make customer service a main driving force behind your business
- when people know they are cared about they come back and tell others
- 8. be an educator
- 9. SEO – search engine optimization
- the digital marketing holy grail
- 10. print advertising
- is it dead?
- The basics: business cards, brochures, postcards, and posters
- yup you need ‘em
- each should clearly include
- generating referrals in your community
- who you are (- establish trust & authority
- here is what I have for you – the tool or method that produces the solution and proof that it works
- how it will help – the benefits, results, and outcomes
- here is what you need to do now – call to action
- move from brand building ego based marketing to customer centric adding value based marketing
Advertising?
platforms
lead generation
reviews and testimonials
location location location
word of mouth
SEO
Print advertising
- Platforms
- who you are not PR company pushes are what really build trust and long term clients
- platforms: print, internet, PR, TV, radio, education, email, phone, brochures, be an educator, PR
- again, the importance of your avatar – choosing platforms – where are they / how to best reach them
- Lead generation
- generating referrals in your community
- altruistic contribution
- online advertising
- PPC
- google adwords
- social media advertising
- lead magnets
- create free and low cost products and services to attract potential clients/patients
- online reviews and testimonials
- location location location
- word of mouth
- the holy grail of real world marketing, practice growth, and business sustainability
- your past and current clients, your greatest sales force
- make customer service a main driving force behind your business
- when people know they are cared about they come back and tell others
- SEO – search engine optimization
- the digital marketing holy grail
- print advertising
- is it dead?
- The basics: business cards, brochures, postcards, and posters
- yup you need ‘em
- each should clearly include
- who you are (- establish trust & authority
- here is what I have for you – the tool or method that produces the solution and proof that it works
- how it will help – the benefits, results, and outcomes
- here is what you need to do now – call to action
- move from brand building ego based marketing to customer centric adding value based marketing
- PPC
- generating referrals in your community
CRM – client relationship management
Welcome to the ‘CRM – client relationship management’ lesson of ‘The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success’ course.
Since it is much easier to maintain an existing client than it is to gain a new one, the way you manage your current and past client relationships is extremely important. There are companies and software that are completely dedicated to client relationship management (CRM) such as Infusionsoft and Salesforce. All successful businesses have extensive CRM systems in place. As my dad always told me when referring to the importance of customer service, ‘If you don’t have customers you don’t have a business’.
Nurturing your existing client base is the job of you and your team. It involves constant ongoing tasks and check ins regarding your clients for each member of your team to properly maintain great relationships with your clients. CRM is an area of your business that needs extensive systems and protocols, checks ins and follow up. Significant time and budget should also be allocated to going above and beyond with CRM.
Bottom line, CRM keeps past and present clients engaged. When done correctly their compliance to recommended treatment is increased (improving results), and satisfied clients word-of-mouth referral rates increase as well.
A quick case study to really display the importance of good CRM. My clinic does very well. There are currently 8 practitioners and we all focus on reproductive health. We have amazing relationships with MD’s, specialists, and many other healthcare providers in Vancouver, as well as a growing list of our unpaid sales force (satisfied clients!) due to our relentless experience focused model of care. I keep extensive statistics on many metrics involved with the business and patients, and I want to share a finding from many years ago that really made me understand the importance of CRM. It was raw hard data that I couldn’t ignore, so I became even more obsessive about delivering amazing CRM. As I was growing the clinic and adding practitioners it was natural to require more extensive systems and protocols to keep the clinic running smoothly. I quickly learned that if I developed solid CRM systems it would lower the stress of always being concerned about how all the patients were being cared for, as well it would give me more freedom to be present with my clients, and take care of the high priority tasks that required my attention (and that I loved!). Once my team grew and these systems were in place for a couple years we reviewed the numbers. Listen carefully to the following; the clinic experienced a 27% increase in appointment numbers, but was only showing a 15% increase in new client numbers. In other words, the number of appointments that were being booked per new client was growing substantially. My take away proved my belief that the most effective way to grow the clinic was to focus more on the CRM of existing and past clients, than acquiring new clients. The importance of good CRM was crystal clear.
The following are a few ideas you can consider implementing into your practice. I hope you consider implementing many of these or similar concepts into your clinic, and that they stimulate new innovations of how you can improve your CRM;
- Every week or two, review the past few weeks of your schedule and account for every patient appointment. Has anyone fallen through the cracks? Leave appropriate notes for yourself and reception so that people are properly scheduled and follow ups are done in a timely manner (as appropriate). Don’t just let a client vanish into thin air. It is your responsibility to help them schedule their treatment according to recommendations. Do not sit back and hope that they will call.
- Each week go through past client files and reach out to 2-5 of them, just to say hello, a gentle check in. Ask them about how they are doing, touch on their interests, family, and/or career etc.
- Create a shared document where reception / admin can place notes regarding client scheduling/billing needs. Practitioners view this throughout the day and update as necessary so reception can take appropriate actions.
- 1-2 days after an initial appointment with a new client (and they have received their treatment plan), pick up the phone and call them, ask them how they felt after their first treatment and whether they had any other questions you could answer.
- Send hard copy letters to their family MD, introducing yourself and your practice. It should be very short and sweet, just to let them know their patient is also in your care and if they have any questions to contact you anytime.
- Create an individualized treatment plan and either print to give to them or email via PDF format if you want to reduce paper use. This should outline exactly what you recommend, complete with prognosis and approx timeline for treatment. Ask them to bring it with them to their appointments, this way they keep it close and it help keep them accountable.
- Practitioners should leave clear notes for reception (preferably in the scheduling software) outlining exactly how each patient should be booked so check out is smooth. Practitioners should be updating this for each client regularly.
- When contacting a client that has ‘fallen through the cracks’ becomes futile, they should be placed in a specific spreadsheet with dates of contact so they do not get pestered by both practitioner and reception. Figure out how many attempts to communicate feel appropriate and do not go beyond this. Leave things for a few months then the practitioner can do one last gentle check in before scratching them from your list.
- Setup automated emails to your clients so that you stay close, but do not spam, as they must opt into this. The emails should be valuable and relevant to them, or they will simply unsubscribe and possibly be annoyed with you. Remember how full most people’s inbox is before running out and sending your clients multiple emails per week.
- Create a spreadsheet that keeps track of client stats, including the number of clients seen each week, how many new clients you booked each month, where your referrals are coming from, who you have asked for a review or testimonial (so you don’t ask twice), and any other research data you may be recording for retrospective reference.
- Reception should have a commonly asked Q&A document so that the practitioners can make sure the proper answers are readily available in point form for reception to use with clients.
- Add a tab to your spreadsheet that lists important key clients that you feel should be given extra TLC. They are great referral sources, have patronized your service many many times, or are just so great that you don’t want to forget to send them a Christmas card.
Finally you need to create an automated system to ensure your systems are being properly implemented on schedule. We use a google form that everyone must go through and fill out each week (and tracks actions) so that nothing gets missed.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and start listing out places that you can improve and systematize your client support and clinical/admin systems.
Sales Letter Copy
Welcome to the ‘Sales Letter Copy’ lesson of ‘The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success’ course.
The following recipe is my version of a sales letter template format (see the ‘15 Simple Steps to Clarifying Your Message’ course for full details). Use this template to create pages or videos that clearly communicate the solution you are selling to your potential client. The order of the points as they are presented are important to follow precisely – even more important than your copy being top quality. This recipe is setup to deliver the information your potential client requires in the order to maximize the impact of its messages. I suggest you use this format for writing the copy you will be using for the main pages of each condition you treat on your website or landing pages from marketing campaigns, the first places you want to direct the browser. With this recipe and your expertise on the subject matter, you will find that the articles almost write themselves. Of course you should have someone you trust edit them afterwards to ensure the proper flow of grammar and punctuation are solid.
Headline/title
Use a ‘How to’ title, i.e. ‘How to Overcome XXX’. Keep it simple and to the point.
Sub-title
Supports the headline, i.e. ‘What everyone with XXXX needs to know’.
Introduction
In one paragraph present the problem, show them you understand what they are going through, then reveal the solution basics.
Ease of Use
In one very short paragraph express to them how easy it is to implement these solutions in their life.
Tell the future
In one paragraph paint them a picture of what the future will look like when they choose your service to solve their problem. Focus on their desired clinical results and the personal transformation they will experience.
Prove you are an expert
In one paragraph you need to establish trust and authority, or in other words, why they should choose you, Include qualifications, experience, and training.
Benefit bullets:
3-5 benefits of choosing your service. Remember, people want to hear about outcomes, not the medicine or your skill set. Focus on how it will transform their life and why they are coming to you (less pain, more pleasure). Be specific with the copy, make the benefits clear, verifiable, measurable and focused on desired results.
Proof
In one paragraph establish why your solution is credible. Be clear and use simple numbers where possible. Include data, statistics, research, and patient testimony.
What will be delivered
In a short paragraph tell them exactly what they will get if they choose to move forward with you. How your service is delivered, i.e. ‘Here’s what you get…’. A quick step-by-step of the actual service process so they understand the basics of what to expect.
Urgency
Gently remind them that natural treatment often takes time to produce the desired results, so the sooner they start the sooner they will reach their goals. A soft motivational nudge.
Reverse risk
Offer a risk free initial appointment where if they are not satisfied then they do not have to pay.
Call to action (CTA)
Make it very clear what you want them to do, i.e. call or email to book an appointment or take you up on a free 15 min phone / 30 min in house consultation.
P.S.
Short paragraph of how you look forward to helping them with achieving their goals. Then again briefly list out the main benefits (outcome, or solutions to their problem) of choosing your service.
That’s it. Just paste it all together and make sure it flows, then edit it carefully.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and do the exercise before moving onto the next lesson.
Below are the 15 points you need to follow when creating copy that is ultimately selling a solution that your potential clients are looking for. This recipe ensures you touch on all the elements that need to be clearly communicated so your potential client has all relevant information needed to both be informed and make decisions. The results will be amazing content that will convert more potential clients to patients.
This recipe is my version of a sales letter template format. The order of the points as they are presented are important to follow precisely – even more important than your copy being top quality. This recipe is setup to deliver the information your potential client requires in the order to maximize the impact of its messages. I suggest you use this format for writing the copy you will be using for the main pages of each condition you treat on your website or landing pages from marketing campaigns, the first places you want to direct the browser. With this recipe and your expertise on the subject matter, you will find that the articles almost write themselves. Of course you should have someone you trust edit them afterwards to ensure the proper flow of grammar and punctuation are solid.
So here it is.
- Headline/title
- Use a ‘How to’ title, i.e. ‘How to Overcome XXXX’. Keep it simple and to the point, don’t overthink it or try to be too creative, be clear so they know what without a doubt what they are looking at.
- Sub-title
- Supports the headline, i.e. ‘What everyone with XXXX needs to know’.
- Introduction
- In one paragraph
- present the problem
- show them you understand what they are going through
- In one paragraph
- tell them it’s not their fault
- then reveal the solution basics
- Ease of Use
- In one very short paragraph express to them how easy it is to implement these solutions in their life.
- Tell the future
- In one paragraph paint them a picture of what the future will look like when they choose your service to solve their problem
- Try to use wording that will touch their senses.
- i.e. ‘Close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to be past your struggles…’
- In one paragraph paint them a picture of what the future will look like when they choose your service to solve their problem
- Focus on their desired clinical results and the personal transformation they will experience
- Prove you are an expert
- In one paragraph you need to establish trust and authority, or in other words, why they should choose you
- Qualifications, experience, training.
- In one paragraph you need to establish trust and authority, or in other words, why they should choose you
- Benefit bullets:
- 3-5 benefits of choosing your service.
- Remember, people want to hear about outcomes, not the medicine or your skill set. Focus on how it will transform their life and why they are coming to you (less pain, more pleasure).
- Be specific with the copy, make the benefits clear, verifiable, measurable and focused on desired results.
- Spell it out, connect the dots for them, make it simple.
- Highlight that this is something they have never seen before (new, different), be sure to leave them with a little curiosity.
- Always bold the keywords within the bullet point sentences so that if they are in a hurry and scanning that they will get the essence of the message.
- Make sure they understand how easy it is to implement your services into their life.
- Proof
- In one paragraph establish why your solution is credible. Be clear and use simple numbers where possible.
- Data and research
- Patient testimony
- In one paragraph establish why your solution is credible. Be clear and use simple numbers where possible.
- Tell them (in actual numbers) how many people you have helped. Inform them that you use a system that has worked for many.
- Borrowed proof from celebrities and other authorities is powerful
- What will be delivered
- In a short paragraph tell them exactly what they will get if they choose to move forward with you. How your service is delivered, e. Here’s what you get…
- Quick step-by-step of the actual service process so they understand the basics of what to expect.
- Durations, frequency, and speed of results. This is a common stumbling point for many practitioners. either they don’t know or are not confident enough to share these realities with their patient. You must be honest about prognosis and duration/frequency of treatments recommended, i.e. don’t be shy about saying it could take 6-12 months (or more) if that is your experience. It is better to underpromise and overdeliver than over promise and under deliver.
- In a short paragraph tell them exactly what they will get if they choose to move forward with you. How your service is delivered, e. Here’s what you get…
- Bonus
- This may or may not be something you want to include. That said, people love bonuses and free stuff, i.e. ‘if you have more questions be sure and call to book a free 15 minute consultation’. In the medical profession I recommend being careful with getting too creative here or offering upfront sales or discounts on your service. You don’t want to sound like a used car salesman (or woman) and devalue your service.
- Price
- List out the prices of the services offered. Don’t dance around the price, be clear about how much your services cost. (If you are not confident with the value of your service how can you expect your client to be confident in the value?)
- Make a couple comparisons to things people would commonly buy (i.e. ’for the price of a cup of coffee a day for one year you could go through a life transforming 3 month course of acupuncture treatments’) so they can relate to the cost (TIP: make the comparisons to common poor lifestyle habits etc).
- Explain how the basics of how insurance coverage works.
- List out the prices of the services offered. Don’t dance around the price, be clear about how much your services cost. (If you are not confident with the value of your service how can you expect your client to be confident in the value?)
- Urgency
- Gently remind them that natural treatment often takes time to produce the desired results, so the sooner they start the sooner they will reach their goals. A soft motivational nudge.
- Reverse risk
- Offer a risk free initial appointment where if they are not satisfied then they do not have to pay. This can be the small print, or an announcement on the front page of your website meant to be a powerful incentive, whatever you are comfortable with.
- Call to action (CTA)
- Make it very clear what you want them to do, i.e. call or email to book an appointment or take you up on a free 15 min phone / 30 min in house consultation. At the very least list out your contact info (email and phone) or better yet, an opt in form that they fill out which simply sends you their contact info so that reception can contact them to set things up.
- S.
- Short paragraph of how you look forward to helping them with achieving their goals
- Then again briefly list out the main benefits (outcome, or solutions to their problem) of choosing your service again at the bottom of the page so they finish reading on what they will get out of starting a relationship with you.
That’s it. Just paste it all together and make sure it flows, then edit it carefully.
Now quickly read the final step regarding copy then go to the template exercise provided and use it to start writing copy for one of the main conditions your treat at your clinic. Do it while you are pumped and this is fresh – you will be happy with the results.
Stretch, drink some water, take a deep belly breath, smile and rip through the next step about copy so that you can put pen to paper and pump out your first 15 point sales page!
Expertise
Welcome to the ‘Expertise’ lesson of ‘The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success’ course.
The following lesson will help you create amazing content that MUST go into your bio (and video bio) for your clinic website and wherever else it appears. Potential patients want to know who you are before they will patronize your services. This is also an extremely important exercise to convince yourself of your authority! Sometimes we don’t give ourselves enough credit for who we are, and what we’ve become. Pay close attention to how you research a professional service to help choose where you will put your hard earned dollars. This will help you establish where to put effort into refining your message to the world. I also recommend you find out how your actual target patient population researches and makes decisions like these – simply ask a couple of your current patients. These insights are worth their weight in gold.
You are establishing yourself as a leader for others to follow (especially your patients) – this is not a time to be timid, weak, or arrogant – aim for humble, but confident and proud. It is also equally important to be authentic, be yourself. By doing so you will attract those patients who are attracted to YOU, and that makes your initial trust building between doctor/patient so much easier.
The following are questions to answer, essentials to bullet point, and others opinions to include;
Why you?
This is one of the most important questions that your potential client has so you must answer this – who is this guy? can I trust him? will he be able to help me?
Tell your story
Be honest and real. People want to connect with a real human. Explain how you became the expert they want to put their faith in.
Credentials / Education
List them out in simple bullet points, and be sure to include specific continuing education on specific conditions.
Qualifications for solving their problem
This is where you write your experience in years, time studying condition, personal experience, cases seen, appointment numbers (i.e. ‘I have had hundreds of appointments treating this condition…’), etc..
Establish why your solution is credible
Show proof, data, research. Be sure to make these simple bullet points with tangible numbers or conclusions, complete with references.
3rd party testimony
Online reviews, testimonials, and success stories. For many, this social proof is the deciding factor of whether or not they will use your services. When is the last time you looked for online reviews before utilizing someone’s services?
Use video
Put yourself out there for people to see. This is more work and tough for many, but it is so worth putting the effort in as videos pay off for months/years into the future.
Once you have gone through a couple of drafts and are happy with the information you are delivering, I highly recommend you getting people close to you that admire and love you, as well as colleagues and trusted allies to read it through and give you their honest feedback. Take it all with a grain of salt – you do not have to listen to every piece of advice or criticism, ultimately it is you and it should feel right for you. Finally, please get both a story and copy editor to make it flow and clean it up.
Remember, your ‘about’ page is likely to be the deciding factor of whether someone chooses your services or not, so it is worth your time, energy, and money to get it right.
Lastly, I want to leave you with some wise words from a mentor of mine, the late JIm Rohn regarding personal development and leadership. The following his poetic expressions of the essential qualities to cultivate if you are to become a leader that others (your patients) will want to follow…
- be strong but not rude
- be kind but not weak
- be bold but not a bully
- be humble but not timid
- be thoughtful but not lazy
- be proud but not arrogant
- be funny but not foolish
- be witty but not silly
- be content with what you have achieved but ambitious for more
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and get writing!
Reception
Welcome to the ‘Reception’ lesson of ‘The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success’ course.
In my opinion, the quality of the reception at your clinic is one of the most important elements to ensure your success, both clinically (results) and in business (client experience). Clearly, this is a huge topic and a place which we should all spend considerable time and resources focusing on. But for the sake of this lesson, I will be emphasizing the importance of having systems in place for your reception to implement and live by.
An extremely important reason to systematize your practice/clinic/business is so your team possesses an easy-to-deliver quality service! What I mean by this is simple;, if your team is not always worried about what they are supposed to be doing or saying then they are more free to be themselves and prioritize building relationships with the clients. This is especially important in your front admin/reception positions. You want your front staff to be great at connecting with people, not overwhelmed by the tasks and processes. Easy-to-deliver systems for the technical aspects of the job allows them to do just that.
Every system must be documented and updated regularly. Manuals must be created with enough clarity that all tasks could be completed by someone new to the company, without instruction. Manuals should have each minute detail of the process – do not leave anything to chance or just assume people will understand what to do. Creating or updating a manual is something you MUST ask your reception / admin staff to do from day 1, it will be worth its weight in gold (for reasons discussed soon). You should have the intention for this manual to grow and evolve into a tool that could be used to duplicate what you are doing in a totally different location by totally different people, and things get done the same way every time – building your company to scale, if so ever desired. This is basically the essence of a franchise, you want to set up your business with the franchise model in mind, even if you have absolutely no intention of franchising (thank you Michael Gerber).
The following are the main points where solid systems need to be in place for your team;
Communications
With the clients and internally amongst the team.
Operations
Tasks & duties that are performed regularly. General procedure and upkeep of the clinic.
Prioritization is also key here. Reception should have a priority system for anytime of the day that is deeply ingrained in their habits. For example, the morning opening priorities should look something like this;
- Always cater to client in front of you before anything else (conversation, billing, scheduling, etc)
- Client management (scheduling new clients, cancellations, waitlist, call backs & responding, etc)
- Basic opening tasks (turn on lights and computer, set atmosphere, etc)
- Everything else (in continued priority sequence according to daily and clinical needs etc)
When this system is known and clearly laid out in a manual then you can have peace of mind that things are getting done in a prioritized sequence. That said, these task lists and clarity should go on and on and be well documented as I have reiterated (what makes many companies stand apart is often the little details!). In the ‘Systems for Success’ course I expand just a on the first 3 points above to help you begin to see the extensiveness that should be involved in the creation of good company manuals. Being anal about these systems and manuals has proven successful in giving me freedom from needing to worry about things getting done, or the training of new employees.
I believe a good doctor is an organized doctor, and a good clinic is an organized clinic. To that end, a primary take away is that all these systems and processes should be documented FOR EVERY OPERATION in your business in a precise detailed manner, as the possibility of you losing staff at some point is inevitable, and these documented systems will minimize the impact of the staff changes on you, your team, and most importantly – the client and their experience. Also, people like to know what they are supposed to be doing at work and what exactly is expected of them. If it is clear then there is a greater possibility that they will perform well, be happy with the lack of micromanagement, and stick around (ah the holy grail of staff retention!).
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water – and start creating and documenting your administrative and clinical systems today!
Psychology
Welcome to the ‘Psychology’ lesson of ‘The 8 Essential Strategies for Practice Success’ course.
Go through the following exercises to help tend your mental garden. Remember that business success is 80% psychological, 20% skill.
Who do I spend most of my time with?
You become who you spend time with. This is fact. I love Tony Robbins. I think he is remarkable. He would call this lesson ‘THE POWER OF PROXIMITY’. He clearly uses more dynamic phrasing than I do – but what he means, simply stated; who you spend the most time with in your life determines the type of life you are going to experience. Since I learned this Tony wisdom I have watched and verified its truth. I have made great strides to accommodate this principle into my personal and business life. Who I give my time to is of huge importance to me, especially since I have a lovely wife, 3 young boys, and a couple of teams that require most of the prime Spence time. In a week long business mastery course, Tony went as far to say that this is the most important principle to understand in life and in business, your success or failure depends mostly on proximity. I have grown to agree. Who you spend most of your time with must be in alignment with your dreams and goals, values and practices. Ignore this and you are depriving yourself of an essential nutrient for life. So, your task today is to make a list of 5-10 people you spend the most time with in your life, then with some deep reflection, determine if your inner circle is bringing you closer to, or further from, your goals and dreams.
What am I grateful for?
Literally speaking, if you are truly grateful, you are already swimming in abundance and living a fulfilled life! And the mere act of being grateful frees you from any emotional stress that plagues you, it really does. The actual act of being grateful is a practice, not unlike prayer or meditation. Prayer is asking, meditation is listening, and gratitude is saying ‘thank you’. In my humble opinion it sounds like they are all necessary spokes on the wheel of life. These are the pillars of my spirituality, and I practice them daily – and because of this, life provides me with more than I need, and my heart feels full and light. So, your task today is to write a list of as many things you can think of that you are grateful for. This should be a long list.
Self-assessment
Email 10 people that you trust and literally ask them to email you back with what they feel are your strengths in life. This first exercise feels good – trust me, you might even get addicted to receiving feedback and get creative as to how to get more feedback from different people in your life. This is a good skill to develop, ultimately helping you grow and achieve. This ties into my obsession with prioritizing. Your top strengths NEED to be used – they are your vital functions within your practice, business, and life. If you really want to make a mark and leave any sort of legacy in this lifetime, or simply want a successful practice, knowing your strengths and prioritizing your role, tasks, and projects within your company is absolutely essential. It is a little known fact that most uber successful people at any given skill, are most often very weak or not good at all in other aspects of life. It is necessary to let go of needing to do everything if you want to grow your clinic beyond yourself, otherwise you are doing nothing more than creating your own jail,.. congrats, you are the owner of a job. Then if you are brave enough, reply to those who responded and ask them to share what they perceive are your weaknesses! Finally, take the information you received and presenting it to your life coach (or me!) as areas to nourish and shine a light on so they do not have power over you or sabotage your success in any way. You can do it, it’s so worthwhile getting constructive feedback – as a business this is a must, I feel the same for you and I personally.
My Success Definition
This exercise is much easier if you go through the whole course ‘Discovering your definition of success’ in the membership section, but I encourage you to simply start now and refine later. I recommend keeping it to one succinct paragraph. Take time to edit the writing and get help if needed. It is important this exercise is done with focused intention and great care to ensure it captures the essence of what success really looks like in your life. The following is my Success Definition if you need help getting into the flow! “I spend quality time with my family being a great, happy, calm, loving father-husband-son-brother. I create and cultivate vibrant health and feel light as I take each step. People seek me out as a Doctor trusting and knowing I have one focus; helping to create happy, healthy families. I contribute to my community and world, by being part of the solution. I am abundant financially (security, vitality, independence, freedom) and live powerfully comfortable. I am a reflection of a fully expressed and realized life to those that cross my path, especially my little dudes. I express gratitude for everything, in my life, with each breath I take.”
20-10-5-3-1
Laying out life is so exciting to me, I hope it is for you too. Write out the things you want to accomplish and the person you want to be in 20 years, then work backwards writing bullet points for each to make sure the years leading to this keep you pointed in the right direction. This sets out the vision then makes clear the steps and timeline necessary in order to achieve those long term goals.
20 Year Goals – By the time I am ______ years old I will have accomplished the following…
10 Year Goals – By the time I am ______ years old I will have accomplished the following…
5 Year Goals – By the time I am ______ years old I will have accomplished the following…
3 Year Goals – By the time I am ______ years old I will have accomplished the following…
1 Year Goals – By the time I am ______ years old I will have accomplished the following…
Then you should further dissect into 90 days and 1 week goals – which obviously change and require frequent updating. Your 1-3-5-10-20 year goals being set out will always act as a guide for setting out your 1 week and 90 day goals – this ensures you will always be headed in the right direction and not get off course. Ask yourself; Will this 90 day goal bring me closer to my 1 year goal? If the answer is ‘yes’ then great, you are on track and your actions will be taking you toward your 3-5-10 and 20 year goals. Make sense? If the answer is ‘no’ then it is clear and you can reevaluate or change your 90 day and 1 week goals to be in alignment.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and be excited about how tending your mental garden will take your practice, business, and life to a whole new level. Just imagine the peace of mind!
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
Reflect
(psychology, productivity): Clarify your vision and purpose (introspection / mindset)
Purpose: the right psychology can catapult your practice and business to new heights and create a flow that you know happens when you are in the right mindset. Conversely, not tending your mental landscape can have detrimental effects on the well-being of your practice/clinic/business.
Results: understand without a doubt that your psychology is key to the success of your practice and business – and that you must stand guard at the doorway of your mind.
10×10 Table of Contents
- Mission / Vision
- Core values
- Define Success
- Personal growth
- What are you committed to?
- Abundance mindset
- Confidence & courage
- Productivity
- Distraction
- Self assessment
- Why
Mission / Vision
- purpose
- desired results
- contribution
- what do you stand for?
- get your team involved
- core values
the right psychology can catapult your practice and business to new heights and create a flow that you know happens when you are in the right mindset. Conversely, not tending your mental landscape can have detrimental effects on the well-being of your practice/clinic/business. understand without a doubt that your psychology is key to the success of your practice and business – and that you must stand guard at the doorway of your mind.
In this lesson I will be covering…
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact us for a one-on-one consultation so we can better cater to your indiviudual needs.
- after last lesson things should be more clear – now its time to get your biz mission/vision done
- the power of intention – intentional living
- get your team involved in this process
- this is personal for your organization, there is no right or wrong
- goal setting
- core values
- core values worksheet
- http://thecompoundeffect.com/downloads/english-core_values_assessment.pdf
- list attached to help guide
- purpose
- desired results
- contribution
- what do you stand for?
1. Core values
- 1. choose the values that resonate best with you
- 2. core values worksheet
- http://thecompoundeffect.com/downloads/english-core_values_assessment.pdf
2. Define Success
the right psychology can catapult your practice and business to new heights and create a flow that you know happens when you are in the right mindset. Conversely, not tending your mental landscape can have detrimental effects on the well-being of your practice/clinic/business. understand without a doubt that your psychology is key to the success of your practice and business – and that you must stand guard at the doorway of your mind.
In this lesson I will be covering…
Remember, If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact us anytime for a one-on-one consultation so we can better cater to your indiviudual needs.
- take the time to sit and get clear on what this means to you (& YOUR BUSINESS) – this will guide your entire process
- Start with WHY – list out reasons you commit to being successful (for now, fuck the tyranny of HOW) – WORKSHEET
- practice, clinic, business???
- Personal growth and development
- success is about the person you become in order to succeed
- worksheet: WHAT ARE THE METRICS – how you want to spend your time, how you want people to perceive you, how you want to feel, how you want to contribute to the world, what does integrity and virtue mean to you, what does freedom look like,, how will you achieve peace, how will you fully express your potential, and most importantly – be grateful at all times for what you have.
- successes & failures
- list out successes in your life – a simple way to get started – worksheet
- list out failures in your life NO JUDGMENT – write in third person if this helps – a simple way to get started – worksheet
- write your obituary
- Alfred Nobel example – worksheet
- OBITUARY: Spence Pentland
- The sun rose and set on his boys. They were his absolute pride and joy. Each and every day of his life he did his best to live as an example to them and provide a safe abundant environment for them to blossom, so they were equipped to step into the world, grow and contribute how they desired. He also deeply loved and always took special care of his beautiful wife Chantal. Together they were a wonderful couple that made the world a better place. They were a great team, enjoyed each other immensely, were always clear on their boys being their top priority, and set an example to be followed by couples and parents. Spence pursued personal growth relentlessly and loved being a businessman in his community, just like his father. Nothing was more important to Spence than family, so he loved helping thousands of women and couples start or expand their own families through his practice of TCM and countless other ways he reached people with his messages. Because of this profound contribution to many people’s lives he made a lot of friends and created many meaningful relationships. His one regret would have been being so far away from his own mother, father, and brother. He was the baby of his own family and was always the one to both rock the boat and cultivate love and open communication. His love and concern for the environment was inspirational. He thought generations beyond himself and wanted to play a role in ensuring we leave a fertile world for his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Driven, passionate, a picture of whole health, kind and compassionate, honest and in-your-face, he always wanted to succeed and help others do so as well. He will be missed but the legacy he leaves behind will live on and continue to help his family and many others live a better more healthy fertile life for many years to come. Enjoy the afterlife Spence, you deserve it!
- I know I am successful when…(bullet points) – worksheet
- complete this sentence; I know I am successful when…
- repeat, and repeat again, and again.
- e.
- I know I am successful when I wake up and am excited about my day
- I wake up in the morning and I am doing what I want to be doing
- I feel an inner peace and excitement
- I feel light
- My family is happy
- my relationship with my wife is full of love, romance, and smooth.
- I feel excited, passionate, ready to rip it with hard work and creativity
- I feel like celebrating and playing
- I dress well and sit back while out for dinner, smile, and just know that things are awesome
- I have lots of patience for others, especially the more difficult folk
- I am exercising regularly and feel great energy
- I am eating well
- I am growing and learning
- The people that are a part of my creations are happy and thriving, growing, contributing
- Financial energy is smooth and abundant
- I am making the world a better place
- what does being in flow mean to you?
- I feel like I could do whatever I am doing forever without any other sort of fuel as it is feeding me and bending time. It is fulfilling because I am accomplishing either being or doing something that is in direct alignment with my goals dreams and vision.
- Finances are abundant and give a sense of gratitude, security, vitality, independence, and freedom, never cause stress, worry or fear.
- It is clear that I am growing because I can feel the deep nurturing of my soul.
- Emotions play almost no role, I just am.
- Consumed by the lovely space it creates for me to just be with myself.
- Consumed by the exponential love and fun that grows when the child energy is allowed to take over. Play and celebrating is key to my dynamic balance and flow.
- Boundless energy, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
- My support systems are taking great care of me, helping me grow.
- Everything is smooth with clients and team – all are trusting of my leadership.
- A deep sense that what I am doing will help people and the world be a healthier place.
- I feel like I am being perceived as successful by family friends and peers. I am a reflection of a fully expressed and realized life to those that cross my path, especially my little dudes.
- When my focus is gratitude, flow follows.
- success definition – spence’s example – worksheet
- ink it don’t just think it
- My success definition – I spend quality time with my family being a great, happy, calm, loving father-husband-son-brother. I create and cultivate vibrant health and feel light as I take each step. People seek me out as a Doctor trusting and knowing I have one focus; helping to create happy, healthy families. I contribute to my community and world, by being part of the solution. I am abundant financially (security, vitality, independence, freedom) and live powerfully comfortable. I am a reflection of a fully expressed and realized life to those that cross my path, especially my little dudes. I express gratitude for everything, in my life, with each breath I take.
3. Personal growth
- 1. success is holistic – be mindful of all aspects of your personal garden
- define ‘success’ for yourself then use this as a guide for each and every minute of every day and the choices you make about how to spend them.
- study successful people with the same passion you had when you were studying medicine
- how did they do it
- defining success and studying successful people will help you understand opportunity – seize the moment, recognize opportunity and decide to act.
- success is not something you accomplish, it is something you attract when you become a successful person
- 2. health and wellness
- 2.1. immune system – keep yourself healthy and strong
- choose down time, don’t create sick days
- if you are getting sick a lot you are not listening to clear signals
- explore everything about what is going on in your life when you are feeling low or sick and attempt to begin to understand what aspects of how you are living is manifesting this non-optimal state.
- what are you doing that is right for you, and what are you doing that is not right for you
- figure this out then be clear on the changes that need to be made and make them, period
- 2.2. listen to your own medicine, practice what you preach
- insert ALL learned TCM knowledge here….then
- do what it says.
- 2.3. law of attraction
- when you are healthy and have an abundance of energy, you attract an abundance of energy
- fear attracts more fear
- poor self-talk attracts poor life
- spending money (wisely investing) attracts more money
- health & wellness attracts more health & wellness
- bad food choices produce more bad food choices
- success attracts more success
- love attracts love – it’s that simple
- 3. psychology
- the power of intention
- develop systems to check in on yourself
- people that love you and that you respect – ask and take their feedback
- Get in your head and you’re dead. Biz success is 80% psychological and 20% skill.
- really pay attention to the conversations you have with yourself
- take the steps required to delete self talk that doesn’t serve you or those around you
- move to really making it a priority in your life to install the psychology that is essential for you to become the person that will fulfill the life dream of.
- be constantly consciously programming yourself to support the efforts needed to have the life you want
- start making a journey or document of all the wise words you hear that really resonate with you
- read it weekly, try to memorize and recite regularly
- FUCK THE TYRANNY OF HOW – STAY WITH THE WHAT/WHY
- write a list of reasons why you commit to becoming successful; i.e.
- more time with family
- give more to charity
- less stress
- more money
- fulfillment
- contribute to society
- etc
- try to come up with 100 reasons – bullet point form,…aaaaand GO!
- your relationship with money…
- is it healthy? is it in alignment with your values and goals?
- ask others opinions about you that know you well
- maybe you should spend some time around people who are good with money or work with it professionally and understand the true value and power of money
- do you need to pull back and chill out regarding always focussing on the ‘bottom line’?
- are you truly grateful for the money you make and have?
- 4. goal setting
- The most important benefit of setting goals isn’t achieving your goal; it’s what you do and the person you become in order to achieve your goal that’s the real benefit.
- 20-10-3 year -1 year -90 days – 1 week
- working backwards allows you to set up properly for the future
- this includes business and personal – as they are intimately connected
- remember: your business should be set up to provide you with the life you desire
- then – to accomplish your goals;
- change your beliefs accordingly
- educate yourself, then learn, then educate yourself some more
- take massive action
- persevere
- list of resources / exercises
- 5. support system
- spend time with people who interest you and spark your need to grow
- this might be one of the single most important lessons in this whole program
- 6. stand guard at the doorway to you
- choose to guard your precious time and energy for things that nourish you
- toxic people
- distraction
- turn off the damn news
- make a extensive list of the terrible life you could have if you don’t take action
- 7. always be learning
- be a student of ability – learn more skills, continually.
- 8. prioritizing
- If you feel that you don’t have enough time then you don’t have clearly defined priorities.
- focus on less to become more
- learning to say ‘No’ (see next section)
- 9. learn when to say yes and when to say no
- one of the most important things you can learn early in life when building and growing is to be a yes person. do whatever it takes to get yourself moving in the direction that you want to be moving…
- then…
- when the universe starts to provide you with abundance, learning when to say no becomes the most important skill you need to learn to take things to the next level – true success.
- if it is not a ‘hell yeah’ then it is a no.
- ‘No’ is the master skill of success
- focus on less to become more (prioritizing)
- when in doubt say ‘no’, don’t let your mouth overload your back. ~ Jim Rohn
- for every 100 ideas, say no to 99 of them. – Warren Buffet
- 10. cultivate leader qualities (Jim Rohn)
- Now these are some great words to live by…
- be strong but not rude
- be kind but not weak
- be bold but not a bully
- be humble but not timid
- be thoughtful but not lazy
- be proud but not arrogant
- be funny but not foolish
- be witty but not silly
- be content with what you have achieved but ambitious for more
- figure this out then be clear on the changes that need to be made and make them, period
- 2. health and wellness
4. What are you committed to?
- 1. the power of intention – intentional living
- 2. are you actually committed to being successful?
- 3. are you committed to becoming financially abundant?
- 4. write a list of reasons why you commit to becoming successful; i.e. I commit to becoming successful (insert your word here)
- more time with family
- give more to charity
- less stress
- more money
- fulfillment
- contribute to society
- etc
- try to come up with 100 reasons – bullet point form,…aaaaand GO!
5. MONEY MASTERY
the right psychology can catapult your practice and business to new heights and create a flow that you know happens when you are in the right mindset. Conversely, not tending your mental landscape can have detrimental effects on the well-being of your practice/clinic/business. understand without a doubt that your psychology is key to the success of your practice and business – and that you must stand guard at the doorway of your mind.
In this lesson I will be covering…
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact us for a one-on-one consultation so we can better cater to your indiviudual needs.
- relationship with money
- is it healthy? is it in alignment with your values and goals? Start with WHY
- ask others opinions about you that know you well and are from different peer group circles so answers come from different perspectives (accountant, banker, father, partner, friends) – worksheet
- maybe you should spend some time around people who are good with money or work with it professionally and understand the true value and power of money
- do you need to pull back and chill out regarding always focussing on the ‘bottom line’?
- are you truly grateful for the money you make and have?
- Would it benefit you to consider changing some of your beliefs around money to better serve you?
- quickly write down the first few ideas that come to your head that if you changed today would positively affect your relationship with money?
- Is there ‘the old you’ programming that is holding you back?
- do you ever consider this simple fact – the more you have the more you can give to causes you believe in and can help change the world?
- do you not believe that what you do for people is worth the money they exchange for your services?
- need reception to take care of money at clinic
- listen to accountant
- could you consider that the money people give you in order for you to share your skills and gifts with them is what they want to do? i assume you like to give money to people in exchange for things they do to care for you and help your life improve.
- FREEDOM – have to disconnect from ‘work time = $’. Take the risk up front – add value and reward will come. – this is more for those who want to build more than a practice, for those who want to grow abundance through the cultivation of a clinic and running a business.
- support system – worksheet
- who do you spend your time with – this is your support system?
- it is well accepted wisdom that you become like the people you spend the most time with.
- this might be one of the single most important lessons in this whole program
- spend time with people who interest you and spark your need to grow
- Take a moment to list out the 5-10 people you spend most of your time with.
- are they old high school friends that arrest your development due to fear of how you will be perceived and treated if you change/grow?
- are they addicted to alcohol or drugs?
- do they say ‘i can’t’ a lot? i.e. I can’t afford that, I can’t do that, etc
- do they sit and talk about their dreams but never take any action?
- are they abundant thinkers full of hope and energy, wanting to help change the world?
- are they ready each day to do what it takes to move their life to the next level, are nice to others, and liked by anyone who meets them?
- are they rich or poor?
- Once you have the list – really take some time to consider whether or not you should be looking for some new folk in your support circle, and whether a spiritual divorce or two (or more) is necessary. – worksheet
- the power of intention – the law of attraction
- I think this is something that most would agree with, but yet do not put it into daily life and business practice. When we are happy and grateful – we attract abundance and others that are happy into our day. When we live in fear and a mentality of scarcity – we attract doubt and grow our fear.
- if you want to attract people be attractive, if you want to receive – give (yes give to charity even when you are struggling to get by), if you want love then be loving (the foundation of any relationship), if you want to be followed – lead (an important principle with patients – as you need them to follow you, be the person they would want to follow), if you want to be accepted – be accepting (judge not lest ye be judged – step through life always trying to make the choice to change judgement to curiosity)
- poor self-talk attracts poor life
- spending money (wisely investing) attracts more money
- health & wellness attracts more health & wellness
- bad food choices produce more bad food choices
- success attracts more success,
- it is as simple as this; the more people you help in this world – the more value you add to people’s lives, the more you will be provided with the abundance you desire (money, significance, love, connection, growth, recognition, certainty).
- if you want more patients – refer more people to others (givers gain – BNI – chris opinion)
- attitude of gratitude – worksheet
- Wash hands mindfulness and gratitude exercise
- who do you spend your time with – this is your support system?
6. Confidence & courage
how to overcome fear (chris should do how to develop courage/confidence)
the right psychology can catapult your practice and business to new heights and create a flow that you know happens when you are in the right mindset. Conversely, not tending your mental landscape can have detrimental effects on the well-being of your practice/clinic/business. understand without a doubt that your psychology is key to the success of your practice and business – and that you must stand guard at the doorway of your mind.
In this lesson I will be covering…
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact us for a one-on-one consultation so we can better cater to your indiviudual needs.
- take ego out of the picture
- fear means you are focusing on yourself not the vision/mission or how you will add value to others lives
- take ego out of the picture – position yourself as a facilitator of the messages you are delivering or the healing you are intending, cause lets face it – you are not a wizard, you are a human being connecting with another and sharing your skill set or knowledge to help them in some way – its that simple, don’t overcomplicate things.
- learned this with public speaking focusing on yourself instead of the message to help people then yes you will be nervous
- the other most important solution to fear when public speaking is preparation and practice, then more prep and practice, and then some prep and practice again.
- vulnerability
- vulnerability is actually a necessary ingredient in developing courage – unless of course you are a narcissist. This is literally what we attempt to get our patients to do with us – be vulnerable with us in the treatment room, tell us all the dark shameful aspects of their life so that we can get a clear picture and determine how to best facilitate healing. This is extremely courageous of these people to do – and this is why the way in which we are present with them and focus on connecting is so important.
- do not be shy, when appropriate of course, to share difficulties you have experienced in life and health – as to tell someone that you understand what they are going through and for them to actually believe you can be 2 different things. To be authentic and relatable with a client may go against your instinct to keep yourself the ‘professional’ or ‘doctor’ but when it is appropriately placed it can launch your connection to your patient to new heights where they will listen and comply with your recommendations far beyond expectation. Being authentic can be terrifying, as you are naked and raw – but it is also the birthplace of courage – as brenne brown says “the meaning of courage is to live whole-heartedly – step into this life and give everyone the gift of the authentic you – cause if you are not they will know it a mile away, and if you are the courage you will develop and the love you will receive will make your life fulfilling.
- when you start to really look at yourself and get the courage to be authentic – you will learn you deeper inner stories – what drives you (whether good or bad) will surface, then you can shine light on the dark sides of yourself so it no longer controls you, and conversely you can mindfully train the muscle of your strengths and turn them into superpowers. But you will not be able to reach these heights unless you are true to yourself and live authentically.
- remember, success is not about the achievements, it is about the person you must become in order to achieve.
- you were given gifts that the world needs – let the world see your light shine. My theme song running in the back of my head and it reminds me to divorce my commitment to living small – “this little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!”
- be an example
- who are you a mentor to?
- i have a family – boyz watching me, I have to be the one that shows them how to overcome fear – it makes me accountable for living a fully realized life for them to observe.
- I teach them that everyone has fear – but when something needs to get done you face the fear and do it anyway – and that develops courage, something almost every human being wishes they had more of.
- I tell you that this has given me more inner peace than anything else in my life – the fact that every morning when I wake up I know that my prime objective is to live the example I want my boys to see.
- before I had kids I really didn’t know what it meant to want to be an example to someone, but now I really understand the importance of helping others on their journey with any wisdom you may have imparted along the way. I am very grateful for those that have been in my life and done so for me – I simply would not be where I am today if I had not searched out teachers, mentors, and coaches to help me with the aspects of myself that need attention and improvement – now that is vulnerability. As Jim Rohn says “it’s good to learn from your mistakes, but its better to learn from other peoples” – as let’s face it, we are all going to fail, make mistakes, and generally be human. It is not something to be ashamed of, it is something to embrace and simply learn from.
- I heard someone describe the speakers at TED talks – supposed to be the most brilliant minds of our time – as being the people who are the best at failing – and this simply means that they are so driven to accomplish what they have set their sights on that failure is nothing more than a perception of hiccups along the path to success – feedback that must be used to redirect efforts.
- So I ask again, who are you or could you be a mentor to?
- unrelenting personal growth
- when to say YES and when to say NO
- “to become successful be a YES person – then to take it to the next level, learn to say NO”
- WHEN to say YES
- one of the most important things you can learn early in life when building and growing is to be a yes person. do whatever it takes to get yourself moving in the direction that you want to be moving…
- associates in my clinic that are yes people create successful practices very quickly – taking advice about writing blogs, doing public talks, integrating vital clinical systems, reaching out to past clients, contributing to projects, patient scripting and clinical pearls, recommended courses etc
- then…
- “to become successful be a YES person – then to take it to the next level, learn to say NO”
- who are you a mentor to?
- vulnerability is actually a necessary ingredient in developing courage – unless of course you are a narcissist. This is literally what we attempt to get our patients to do with us – be vulnerable with us in the treatment room, tell us all the dark shameful aspects of their life so that we can get a clear picture and determine how to best facilitate healing. This is extremely courageous of these people to do – and this is why the way in which we are present with them and focus on connecting is so important.
- fear means you are focusing on yourself not the vision/mission or how you will add value to others lives
- WHEN to say NO
- it is my experience that when the universe starts to provide you with abundance, learning when to say no becomes the most important skill you need to learn to take things to the next level – true success.
- if it is not a ‘hell yeah’ then it is a no.
- Steve jobs – ‘No’ is the master skill of success’
- Darren Hardy – focus on less to become more (prioritizing)
- Jim Rohn – when in doubt say ‘no’, don’t let your mouth overload your back.
- Warren Buffet – for every 100 ideas, say no to 99 of them.
- prioritizing is how oprah, oz, musk, branson got to where they are
- you MUST learn to say NO to things that you know you will not take to the place that you want to put your name stamp on it. if you are saying yes to too many things you will be in fear of failure and rightfully so.
- really get clear before saying yes to new projects or tasks by testing against your business and life vision and asking – is this the best use of my time? will this take me toward my destination or further away? Is this something that is best left for now or delegated?
- fear stems from chaos and not knowing where you are going, or what needs to get done, and how it will get done. So again – the time spent on being clear about what success really means to you is priority #1. If you have not already done so I recommend not continuing with our program until this task is finished.
- worksheet – list of things you should be saying no to
- support system
- possibly the most important key to success.
- these are the mentors, coaches, friends, like-minded people that you need to surround yourself with as they will understand what you are going through and likely be able to offer advice and help in ways you never thought possible.
- COURAGE CEREMONY- spence
- CONTRIBUTION – Must always keep at the forefront of psychology: the people that my actions will help – how what is happening is larger than I
- EXAMPLE – Remember I am being an example to my boys.
- BREATHE – focus on all 3 points on the bottom of my feet.
- STEP UP
- MAKE MY MOVE
- GRATITUDE – for the opportunity at hand, the amazing people I am surrounded by, the love I am given, my health.
- REPEAT – Worksheet
- possibly the most important key to success.
Chris’s article excerpt
Courage refers to being willing to put yourself on the line for your patient. That means you’re going to try your best, not be afraid to follow your instincts, and demonstrate confidence at all times. Even if that means confidently stating “I’m not sure, let me get back to you on that…” One thing I’ve learned is I am never afraid to be wrong. I will say things if I truly feel that way. I will tell a patient I’m confident we can improve egg quality. I will tell a patient that I really do think they’ll be pregnant within a certain time frame. I’ll try herbal combinations that may not be academically taught but that seem appropriate for the case. I’ll give patients herbs and supplements even when there are medications on board, using my best judgment, of course. All of this is predicated on the fact that, with the way I practice, I know that I won’t kill any of my patients by trying new approaches and being willing to experiment. I feel I owe it to my patients to do my absolute best and bring all my resources to bear, not just the “tried and true” but sometimes a new, creative, intuitive idea. I’ve found these intuitive directions to be remarkably effective in many cases. I’m no longer surprised when they work very, very well.
7. Productivity
- 1. Setting goals
- The most important benefit of setting goals isn’t achieving your goal; it’s what you do and the person you become in order to achieve your goal that’s the real benefit.
- 20-10-3 year -1 year -90 days – 1 week
- working backwards allows you to set up properly for the future
- this includes business and personal – as they are intimately connected
- remember: your business should be set up to provide you with the life you desire
- then – to accomplish your goals;
- change your beliefs accordingly
- educate yourself, then learn, then educate yourself some more
- take massive action
- persevere
- 2. prioritization
- 3. avoiding distraction
- 4. taking massive action
- 5. persevere
8. Distraction
- 1. staying centered
- 2. turn off the damn news, and for that matter the TV, period.
- 3. digital addiction
9. Self assessment
- 1. Warning signs of being ‘Lost in the Cave’ – dan clements
- 2. develop systems to check in on yourself
- people that love you and that you respect – ask and take their feedback
- 3. Self care and balance
- 4. Caring too much / being opinionated
- 5. self talk
- start making a journey or document of all the wise words you hear that really resonate with you
- read it weekly, try to memorize and recite regularly
- 6. Get in your head and you’re dead. Biz success is 80% psychological and 20% skill.
- really pay attention to the conversations you have with yourself
- take the steps required to delete self talk that doesn’t serve you or those around you
- move to really making it a priority in your life to install the psychology that is essential for you to become the person that will fulfill the life dream of.
GOAL SETTING BLUEPRINT
the right psychology can catapult your practice and business to new heights and create a flow that you know happens when you are in the right mindset. Conversely, not tending your mental landscape can have detrimental effects on the well-being of your practice/clinic/business. understand without a doubt that your psychology is key to the success of your practice and business – and that you must stand guard at the doorway of your mind.
In this lesson I will be covering…
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact us for a one-on-one consultation so we can better cater to your indiviudual needs.
- goal setting with yourself as the bar…
- there is always going to be people with more and people with much less
- this is again why being crystal clear on your life and business vision is of primary paramount importance…because then you only have to be in competition with yourself – striving to accomplish your vision, not someone elses!
- plenty ways to compete with yourself – competing with yourself will make you reach goals far higher than you would if you are focussing on your business competitors I guarantee it.
- compete with yourself with how devoted you are to relentless learning and personal growth, compete with how well organized you are, compete with your own clinical and financial business data, compete with how well you are only taking on high value tasks and projects that are in direct alignment with your ultimate vision, compete with yourself with how happy and fulfilled you are each day, compete with yourself about how much you are dedicated to your physical health
- The most important benefit of setting goals isn’t achieving your goal; it’s what you do and the person you become in order to achieve your goal that’s the real benefit.
- remember: your business should be set up to provide you with the life you desire – not a life of concern based on what others are doing…
- Dr Oz says that you should strive to only ever be doing things that give you energy
- translates choose to follow you passion, its that simple (a lot of really crappy tasks can be fulfilling if they are taking you in the direction of your vision – its not the HOW its the WHY).
- AND most importantly – if you are aligned with altruistic goals that will help and sever others – Doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing or thinks. Run down your own unique path confidently and happily!
- self assessment
- develop a system to check in (ask loved ones and others for feedback)
- when my personal coach encouraged me to email 10 people close to me to ask them to tell me literally email people you know and ask them to tell you about your strengths (then you might even get addicted to receiving feedback and get creative as to how to get more feedback from different people in your life, ultimately it will help you grow and achieve, all you have to do is set ego aside and accept the feedback, both positive and negative, as the areas we need to improve are as important to nourish as it is to lean on our strengths) – worksheet
- Dan Clements – Lost in the Cave, recommended book
- get in your head and you’re dead
- Biz success is 80% psychological and 20% skill.
- listen to your self talk – have to re-train re-program your mental chatter to serve you and your purpose
- make a document of all the positive quotes, isms, wise words, statements, and ideas that if you add to your weekly reading discussed in an earlier video (success definition, obituary, etc) so that you are literally exercising your mind and psychology to better support you, commit to committing these to memory – worksheet
- Biz success is 80% psychological and 20% skill.
- develop a system to check in (ask loved ones and others for feedback)
- Most importantly – are you taking care of your own personal physical health?
- 20-10-5-3-1
- The most important benefit of setting goals isn’t achieving your goal; it’s what you do and the person you become in order to achieve your goal that’s the real benefit.
- 20-10-3 year -1 year -90 days – 1 week – worksheet
- working backwards allows you to set up properly for the future
- this includes business and personal – as they are intimately connected
- remember: your business should be set up to provide you with the life you desire
- how to accomplish your goals
- change your beliefs accordingly
- educate yourself, then learn, then educate yourself some more
- take massive action
- persevere
- prioritization
- avoiding distraction
- Productivity – the essential skill to accomplish your goals;
- psychology – change your beliefs to serve your vision
- growth – relentless learning & personal development
- Prioritize – every minute of your life
- Hard work – take massive action
- avoid distraction – turn off the screen
- persevere – keep on keepin on
10. Why
- 1. STAY WITH THE WHAT & WHY
- 2. Fuck the tyranny of HOW
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.

RELATIONSHIPS COURSE
How to Setup Your Virtual Clinic
Important points to consider when creating relationships with other healthcare providers
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
A skilled village can get results
Regulated professions
Business and medicine – a fine line
Go out and start building relationships
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – How to Setup Your Virtual Clinic
Welcome to the ‘HOW TO SETUP YOUR VIRTUAL CLINIC’ course – Important points to consider when creating relationships with other healthcare providers.
The purpose of this course is to help you understand the need to build your virtual clinic, things to consider when doing so, and to provide a little help getting you started.
The business model of an ‘integrated clinic’ (meaning many different treatment modalities under one roof – ideally working together), in my experience is a easy model to build but a difficult model to succeed with long term. It forces the clinic into such broad marketing that you never really speak to the needs of any particular patient population, unless you are all focused on treating one medical condition. The needs of different treatment styles are also so vastly unique that it can be a nightmare trying to cater to each and maintain happiness. The result is high turnover of practitioners and expensive marketing bills, not to mention never growing out of needing to put 110% effort into marketing since your reputation will never be clear in your community.
I am an advocate for specialization in medicine. Of course we need generalists and I am not saying any one model is better that the other, I just know what has worked for me and why. In my world, specialization is key to both clinical and financial success. One treatment modality treating one specific condition has proven to be an abundant path for me. However, I do not discount some of the strengths of an integrated clinic model (as mentioned above) but I prefer to utilize these strengths through what I call my ‘virtual clinic’.
Simply stated, your ‘virtual clinic’ is comprised of chosen healthcare professionals from other clinics that can help you achieve the desired results for your patient.
If you commit to really developing great partnerships with other amazing healers that will benefit your clients you’ll notice better clinical results and business growth almost immediately.
In other words, these are your Strategic Healthcare Alliances. Very important people for both your client and your business.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses is each an essential piece of a bigger puzzle which is the membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectation. The lessons within the full program are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and experience, failure and success, all which cumulatively have brought me the fulfillment I enjoy each and every day of my lives. I want that for you as well, let me help you out.
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me anytime for a one-on-one consultation so we can better cater to your unique individual needs. I would love to share more about how I have built the success of my businesses on the foundation of great alliances and partnerships, then figure out how we can apply these ideas and principles to your practice.
A skilled village can get results
Welcome to the ‘A skilled village can get results’ lesson of the ‘How to Setup Your Virtual Clinic’ course.
As defined in the introduction, your ‘virtual clinic’ is comprised of chosen healthcare professionals from other clinics that can help you achieve the desired results for your patient. I like the perspective of the people that make up my virtual clinic being a ‘skilled village’. It highlights the importance of these relationships and creates a sense of community. As the old African saying goes; ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. It is necessary to surround yourself with a skilled village so that you become a one stop resource for the expedited healing of your patient.
In previous courses I have talked extensively about the power of proximity and the importance of your support system. This was in regards to your personal or business vantage point, but it is just as important to tend this aspect of your skilled village (or medical referral community), as it is fact that you become like those you spend the most time with. Choosing who you associate with from a medical perspective will, at least to some degree, influence how you grow as a practitioner. So choose your skilled village wisely, not only for your patients, but also for yourself.
So start your list, beginning with what treatment modalities have shown benefit to the conditions that your patients suffer from. Once you have this information start your search for highly recommended and skilled practitioners within that modality. Then start the process of building a relationship with these people. This is your virtual clinic, your skilled village, your medical referral community.
One thing that is important to find out as quickly as possible when cultivating these relationships is whether or not they already have an established relationship with another acupuncturist. If they do, but you strongly feel that you are a better fit for him/her, then by all means pursuit the relationship, especially if it will be a good referral source and you respect their medical skills and practice. But if you do not feel strongly, pick up and move on, find yourself another skilled villager to be a part of your community.
Lastly, in my experience, your skilled village should be made up of people you like and enjoy spending time with. These are people you could potentially have close relationships with for many years to come.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and take a moment to be grateful for the virtual healing village you get to create. Smile, take another breath, and see you in the next lesson.
Regulated professions
Welcome to the ‘Regulated professions’ lesson of the ‘How to Setup Your Virtual Clinic’ course.
I will get straight to the point; when building your virtual clinic it is my opinion to primarily stick with choosing other health care providers that belong to a regulated profession. The exception to this is if you know of a gifted practitioner that for certain will benefit your clients in their healing process.
Sticking to regulated evidence-based professions is how the allopathic medical community determines their allied health affiliates. Relationships with western medical professionals is very important to my clients, therefore it is to me. This is why I choose to emulate the way MD’s qualify their allied health affiliates. This is also motivated by an understanding that we are under a watchful eye with the methods we utilize in our practice, and that we get painted with the same brush as the company we keep. Did your mother ever say that to you when you were growing up? I know mine did (remember you become the 5 people that you spend the most time with – mom was right). Therefore if you are trying to develop relationships with the allopathic medical community, choose your virtual clinic wisely. This helps to keep you and your medical choices respected by your colleagues, and that trust largely determines whether or not they trust you with their patients and will refer them to you.
This may not be as important to you if you are not choosing to become colleagues with MD’s. If this is you, I still caution you to be discerning as to the company you keep.
Take a deep breath, smile, and take another deep breath. For a minute consider the company you are keeping, be mindful of their impact, and move onto the next step.
Business and medicine – walking a fine line
Welcome to the ‘Business and medicine – walking a fine line’ lesson of the ‘How to Setup Your Virtual Clinic’ course.
Ok, this is a topic that carries with it a lot of weight for many of you reading this, and many of your colleagues. In the ‘Money Mastery’ course I go deep into the intimate aspects of our relationships with money and how they may or may not serve us. If you haven’t already done so, I strongly encourage you to go through that course before going much further. If you are hesitant to do the ‘Money Mastery’ course then without a doubt you need to. This could unlock the very reason you may be struggling to grow the practice of your dreams. Relationships with money can be very complicated. Please tend to this mental garden so that you can manifest the fulfilled life you deserve.
As for this lesson, the fine line I speak of refers simply to being sure to only refer your precious clients to other healthcare practitioners when you are confident that what they have to offer will aid your client on their journey toward health and wellness – not just to create a business referral source.
If any of you have ever been or are currently involved in BNI (business networking international) then you are familiar with the concept of ‘givers gain’. On the surface this seems like a great philosophy and business practice, some might say it is based in the law of Karma, but in reality it is rooted in a entitlement mentality and has no place in medical practices. You should never refer your patients to anyone for the purpose of personal gain. Referring your clients to other healthcare practitioners and creating your virtual clinic must only be motivated by what is in the best interest of your patient.
Yes business and medicine may often be walking a fine line, but it doesn’t have to be viewed as negative, quite the contrary. If your business practices come from core values with integrity and are relentlessly client outcome focused, business and medicine are an extremely powerful marriage. Question: What is the primary purpose of any business? Answer: to solve people’s problems. Therefore a successful business model is one that has razor focus on solving the problems of its customers, right? Of course. This is an extremely positive characteristic when applied to a medical business practice and it is precisely why I have grown to be so passionate about the business of acupuncture. It has helped me co-create a practice that is a shining example to colleagues and clients, and provides for the many families that comprise our YinTeam. I am sure you can now see how the business side of a practice will keep you focused on getting results for your patients.
I have been there, struggled with the money element of practice just like so many acupuncturists that I know. But I was taught that I needed to change my psychology or my commitment to struggle would continue indefinitely. I sought out mentors and coaches that helped me see things from different perspectives, and re-frame the power of money into a force for good. As I stated in the Money Mastery course, if this resonates with you, then I would be more than happy to talk one-on-one, help you remove the blockages about money and medicine that may be keeping you from living a fulfilling life and building your dream practice.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water, embrace your need to create abundance, and think of all the amazing ways you can give back to the world around you if you give up your sub-conscious commitment to struggle. Smile, take another breath, and see you in the final lesson.
Go out and start building relationships
Welcome to the ‘Go out and start building relationships’ lesson of the ‘How to Setup Your Virtual Clinic’ course.
Now it is time to build your virtual clinic, your skilled village, your medical referral community. The influence this will have on your practice will be easy to notice very quickly but the true power of your virtual clinic is in the long term benefits to both your clients health and the bottom line of your business. As emphasized in the ‘Strategic Alliance’ course, this virtual clinic scenario fits my WIN WIN WIN criteria for being a great path to follow for your business, your client, and your fellow skilled villager.
Get out there, introduce yourself, make some new friends in the medical community. This is part of your job as a clinic owner. You have a vision for your dream practice, now you have to build it, and these important relationships are an integral piece.
My only word of caution is to not be too eager, look before you leap. Do the research and get to know people before you start making conversation about referring and sharing clients. It is difficult when relationships you have invested in turn out to be something you are uncomfortable with, or the person turns out to not fit your skilled villager preferred profile, or, you just don’t like them. Think long term. Take the time necessary to build a sustainable virtual clinic. These relationships need to be nurtured so they must be worth your time and enjoyable to pursuit.
Finally, always use your patient’s needs as your GPS when building your village;
Your ‘virtual clinic’ is comprised of chosen healthcare professionals from other clinics
that can help you achieve the desired results for your patient.
Now do the work.
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.

Love Your Clients
The future of your practice depends on them
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
Spend more time fulfilling needs vs. building a brand
Delivering value
People buy outcomes and you!
Ask for feedback
Client relationship management (CRM)
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – Love Your Clients
Welcome to the ‘Love Your Client’ course – The future of your practice depends on them!
The purpose of this course is to really dig deep into why maintaining a client centric business is so important, and how to properly manage your client relationships to accomplish this.
At least to some degree, I touch on this subject in each and every course I develop. I cannot emphasize enough how important this concept is. It seems so simple, but it is very easy to get caught up in the busyness of a business and practice, become lazy, be more interested in your craft than your client, or cut corners in customer care and experience. The danger comes in seeing these things as extraneous costs or tasks that keep your team from getting stuff done. If any of this sounds familiar, then it is perfect timing that you are going through this course right now, as changes must be made asap if you cannot say with 100% confidence that your clinic is relentlessly focused on the client care and experience, and all else comes second (results a very close second).
If you commit to loving your clients you’ll notice business growth immediately.
Focusing on client needs and clinical results versus building a brand, always innovating and being creative with how you can add more value to people’s lives, learning how to ask for feedback, and ideas for how to properly manage your client relationships are the steps that follow. All as important as the next, and all intended to help you stay relentlessly focused on improving your client care, from every perspective.
I grew up counting pills in my father’s small town pharmacy. He brought me up with the wisdom that there is nothing more important than customer service. He loved spending time with patients and customers that came to his store, and it was his favorite part of the business and what he did. I was blessed to have this small town service woven into my DNA, as it has served me so well, especially in the big city. People fundamentally crave this type of service and care, and it is really become a factor that separates the great from the good in business today. I love it. Never once have I been in love with what I am doing more than who I am doing it for. I believe with all my heart that this is a key to my success.Thank you Dad.
I hope that at the end of this course that you too decide to infuse some small town customer service into your clinic. It really is the path to long term sustainable growth, especially in today’s competitive business landscape.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses is each an essential piece of a bigger puzzle which is the membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectation. The lessons within the full program are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and experience, failure and success, all which cumulatively have brought me the fulfillment I enjoy each and every day of my life. I want that for you as well, let me help you out.
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me anytime for a one-on-one consultation so I can better cater to your unique individual needs. I would love to share more about how I have built the success of my businesses on the foundation of putting the customer first, and how you can too.
Spend more time fulfilling needs vs. building a brand
Welcome to the ‘Spend more time fulfilling needs versus building a brand’ lesson of the ‘Love Your Client’ course.
Fulfilling the needs of your clients show that you understand their pain, frustrations, hopes, and aspirations. Either consciously or subconsciously, it lets them know that you are there for them, and that your main motivations are to get the desired results or achieve the desired outcome.
From a business perspective, focusing on adding value to people’s lives and fulfilling their needs is a relatively less expensive business model when compared to spending your money and time building a brand. Therefore, with this model, you are running a clinic rooted in core values that is client focused, while spending less money to market it. Win Win.
Building a brand is also an effective path to success, and it may actually be quicker in some respects. That said, it is more expensive due to the constant costs associated with advertising. Advertising is expensive, and not typically very effective anymore (with the exception of well managed online pay per click advertising). Companies that are focused on building their brand vs. fulfilling clients needs require more advertising budget to constantly acquire new clients. Companies that focus on fulfilling client needs build an unpaid sales force of satisfied clients that tell others about the service. Over time this drastically reduces the amount of marketing budget required to grow your clinic. Focusing on fulfilling needs and adding value to people’s lives will get you rich. Brand building will get you noticed and eat away cash flow and profits.
Brand building is ego based, focused on being noticed, to acquire clients the company can then help.
Fulfilling needs is client based, focused on helping people that in return will help the company be noticed.
Read the last 2 lines again. You see the difference?
Take for example that classic tale of the tortoise and the hare. In this example, ‘fulfilling needs’ is the tortoise and ‘building brand’ is the hare. We all know how this ends. Fulfilling needs might be a slower path to your destination with respect to finances and patient numbers etc, but it is a far more sustainable model in the long run. You will win the race, spend less money getting there, experience less stress, enjoy the relationships you are focused on along the journey, and build a solid foundation for long term abundance.
There is no right or wrong path for you to follow. If you have lots of capital at your disposal, by all means be the hare, but remember to focus on your clients needs as well (learn the ways of the tortoise). If you do not have venture capital and will be bootstrapping your clinic more organically, be the tortoise and focus relentlessly on fulfilling your clients needs.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water, and embrace being the tortoise (or the hare!). See you in the next lesson.
Delivering value
Welcome to the ‘Delivering value’ lesson of the ‘Love Your Client’ course.
No you are not listening to a broken record. This is just so important that you need to get used to hearing it expressed in different ways within each of my courses. Your service and client experience must be razor focused on adding value to people’s lives. When this is how a clinic or business operates, abundance will follow.
I love innovation and creativity within a small business or clinic setting. You can literally come up with an idea and implement it almost instantly – no bureaucracy. Within days you will receive adequate feedback to know whether the idea is worth keeping or should be scrapped. Nine times out of ten, if the idea is one that adds considerable value to your client’s experience, outcome, or life in general, it will be appreciated and worth keeping; a good innovation.
Therefore, the measuring stick for all innovation within your clinic should be this 8 word golden rule ‘Will this add value to our client’s life?’. This applies to any additional products or services, experience related ideas, as well as marketing and promotional campaigns.
It is typical for a clinic or small business that is in the teenage phase of its lifecycle to over-innovate. Revenue is high so money is spent recklessly on new ideas. It is a slippery slope to self-serving business decisions and losing sight of client needs when your clinic is in a teenage life cycle phase. Caution if you find yourself in this situation, as it is a dangerous time for the survival of a business (If you would like to speak more about business life cycle, understand where your business is at in its growth, and what problems / successes arise during these times, please contact me for a personal consultation). Remember not to confuse revenue with profit, and don’t spend money you don’t have. Unless your idea measures up to the golden rule ‘Will this add value to our client’s life?’, and even then, when you are ready to jump and instantly implement, take a moment to sit back and consider the idea for a moment before taking the leap.
Remember what I have said before; saying ‘yes’ is a key to success, but learning when to say ‘no’ is key to taking life and business to the next level.
Taking a couple days to bounce your idea off your team and other people you trust (your pseudo ‘board of directors’) is worth it; almost nothing is that urgent that you cannot take some time for feedback. You can ultimately do what you want if it is your business, but taking stock of the collective wisdom around you can be priceless (or at least save you some money!).
Take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water. Smile, take another breath, then do 7 jumping jacks before moving onto the next lesson.
People buy outcomes, and YOU!
Welcome to the ‘People buy outcomes, and YOU!’ lesson of the ‘Love Your Client’ course.
Your clients (both current and potential) are patronizing your establishment for one primary reason – a desired outcome. In medical professional relationships that outcome is ‘feeling better’ in some way shape or form. So needless to say, people are NOT coming to you to buy acupuncture or bitter tasting herbal medicine, rather they want results. Always keep in mind what each client is really looking for.
So as discussed previously, do everything in your power to deliver results. Constantly be improving your services, yourself, and your team. Do not over promise and under deliver. Do not break your client’s heart, disappoint, or disrespect them with grandiose marketing promises or trickery. They are real humans in need of your help.
Humans connect with humans. Very rarely do they connect with brands services or products (with ‘Apple’ being an exception). People want to belong and build community. This is done through connecting with other humans that share similar interests and characteristics, and surrounding themselves with others that can help them in some way. They will come to a place of health and wellness because they desire health and wellness. They will connect to you and your team because you are shining examples of what it is you preach and practice – a model of what they aspire to be.
The following is a simple formula for building a compliant patient to achieve results (and future referrals);
- They fall in love with you
- They fall in love with your passion
- They do what you ask
It is evident that in order to achieve the desired outcome your patient must connect with you and your passion so that you can influence them. Bottom line, you need to be their leader to get results.
Take a breath, stretch, drink some water. All at once open your mouth as wide as you can, stick out your tongue as far as you can, and open your eyes as wide as you can, rest for 2 seconds, repeat. See you in the next lesson.
Ask for feedback
Welcome to the ‘Ask for feedback’ lesson of the ‘Love Your Client’ course.
Collecting feedback from present and past clients is essential to understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your business. It is something that every business owner must do to help ensure growth and success, and to minimize the risk of failure. It is also something that, if one day you want to sell your practice/clinic/company, the potential purchaser will want to see.
There are so many online services to use that offer free survey technology such as Google forms and Survey Monkey, just to name a couple. They allow you to send an email with a link to a secure anonymous form which they can fill out whenever they have a moment. When asking them to fill out the feedback form be sure to give them the following 4 details, it will improve completion rates;
- Submissions are anonymous
- It will only take two minutes (or 117 seconds) of their time
- Feedback helps us improve our service
- You are very grateful for their help
The following are six questions I recommend including in your survey;
- Please rate your overall experience with us (scale 1-10)
- What do (did) you enjoy most about your time with us?
- Would you recommend us to others?
- In a few words, how would you describe us to a friend?
- How could we improve your experience?
- What possible objections could you have to using our services?
Please note that the questions above are written in a specific order. The first is as simple choice of a number, an easy way to start the survey to increase compliance. Two through four are geared toward setting a positive mindset so as to better understand the strengths of your service. Five and six help you gain insight into how you can improve client experience and increase conversion rates of potential clients.
You can ask more questions if you desire more feedback. Inquiring about reception services, clinic decor, and other specifics can give you clarity on client experience. That said, I prefer to ask the few important questions listed above. Completion rates will drop if you ask too many questions creating a scenario where your results drift toward the positive, as it will most often only be the raving fans that will complete the survey in its entirety. That will feel good, but constructive feedback will be lacking, which is a major reason for requesting feedback in the first place. Set your ego aside, you need to understand the good (so you can emphasize) and the bad (so you can improve).
There is also a concept called ‘The Net Promoter Score’, which is one very important question to ask your clients because of its potential impact on the potential sale of your practice/clinic/company.
Take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water. Smile, take another deep breath, stand up and shake out your arms and legs, then see you in the next lesson.
Client relationship management (CRM)
Welcome to the ‘Client relationship management (CRM)’ lesson of the ‘Love Your Client’ course.
Since it is much easier to maintain an existing client than it is to gain a new one, the way you manage your current and past client relationships is extremely important. There are companies and software that are completely dedicated to client relationship management (CRM) such as Infusionsoft and Salesforce. All successful businesses have extensive CRM systems in place. As my dad always told me when referring to the importance of customer service, ‘If you don’t have customers you don’t have a business’.
Nurturing your existing client base is the job of you and your team. It involves constant ongoing tasks and check ins regarding your clients for each member of your team to properly maintain great relationships with your clients. CRM is an area of your business that needs extensive systems and protocols, checks ins and follow up. Significant time and budget should also be allocated to going above and beyond with CRM.
Bottom line, CRM keeps past and present clients engaged. When done correctly their compliance to recommended treatment is increased (improving results), and satisfied clients word-of-mouth referral rates increase as well.
A quick case study to really display the importance of good CRM. My clinic does very well. There are currently 8 practitioners and we all focus on reproductive health. We have amazing relationships with MD’s, specialists, and many other healthcare providers in Vancouver, as well as a growing list of our unpaid sales force (satisfied clients!) due to our relentless experience focused model of care. I keep extensive statistics on many metrics involved with the business and patients, and I want to share a finding from many years ago that really made me understand the importance of CRM. It was raw hard data that I couldn’t ignore, so I became even more obsessive about delivering amazing CRM. As I was growing the clinic and adding practitioners it was natural to require more extensive systems and protocols to keep the clinic running smoothly. I quickly learned that if I developed solid CRM systems it would lower the stress of always being concerned about how all the patients were being cared for, as well it would give me more freedom to be present with my clients, and take care of the high priority tasks that required my attention (and that I loved!). Once my team grew and these systems were in place for a couple years we reviewed the numbers. Listen carefully to the following; the clinic experienced a 27% increase in appointment numbers, but was only showing a 15% increase in new client numbers. In other words, the number of appointments that were being booked per new client was growing substantially. My take away proved my belief that the most effective way to grow the clinic was to focus more on the CRM of existing and past clients, than acquiring new clients. The importance of good CRM was crystal clear.
The following are a few ideas you can consider implementing into your practice. I hope you consider implementing many of these or similar concepts into your clinic, and that they stimulate new innovations of how you can improve your CRM;
- Every week or two, review the past few weeks of your schedule and account for every patient appointment. Has anyone fallen through the cracks? Leave appropriate notes for yourself and reception so that people are properly scheduled and follow ups are done in a timely manner (as appropriate). Don’t just let a client vanish into thin air. It is your responsibility to help them schedule their treatment according to recommendations. Do not sit back and hope that they will call.
- Each week go through past client files and reach out to 2-5 of them, just to say hello, a gentle check in. Ask them about how they are doing, touch on their interests, family, and/or career etc.
- Create a shared document where reception / admin can place notes regarding client scheduling/billing needs. Practitioners view this throughout the day and update as necessary so reception can take appropriate actions.
- 1-2 days after an initial appointment with a new client (and they have received their treatment plan), pick up the phone and call them, ask them how they felt after their first treatment and whether they had any other questions you could answer.
- Send hard copy letters to their family MD, introducing yourself and your practice. It should be very short and sweet, just to let them know their patient is also in your care and if they have any questions to contact you anytime.
- Create an individualized treatment plan and either print to give to them or email via PDF format if you want to reduce paper use. This should outline exactly what you recommend, complete with prognosis and approx timeline for treatment. Ask them to bring it with them to their appointments, this way they keep it close and it help keep them accountable.
- Practitioners should leave clear notes for reception (preferably in the scheduling software) outlining exactly how each patient should be booked so check out is smooth. Practitioners should be updating this for each client regularly.
- When contacting a client that has ‘fallen through the cracks’ becomes futile, they should be placed in a specific spreadsheet with dates of contact so they do not get pestered by both practitioner and reception. Figure out how many attempts to communicate feel appropriate and do not go beyond this. Leave things for a few months then the practitioner can do one last gentle check in before scratching them from your list.
- Setup automated emails to your clients so that you stay close, but do not spam, as they must opt into this. The emails should be valuable and relevant to them, or they will simply unsubscribe and possibly be annoyed with you. Remember how full most people’s inbox is before running out and sending your clients multiple emails per week.
- Create a spreadsheet that keeps track of client stats, including the number of clients seen each week, how many new clients you booked each month, where your referrals are coming from, who you have asked for a review or testimonial (so you don’t ask twice), and any other research data you may be recording for retrospective reference.
- Reception should have a commonly asked Q&A document so that the practitioners can make sure the proper answers are readily available in point form for reception to use with clients.
- Add a tab to your spreadsheet that lists important key clients that you feel should be given extra TLC. They are great referral sources, have patronized your service many many times, or are just so great that you don’t want to forget to send them a Christmas card.
Finally you need to create an automated system to ensure your systems are being properly implemented on schedule. We use a google form that everyone must go through and fill out each week (and tracks actions) so that nothing gets missed.
Take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water. Turn on some pumping music, then jump up and down – excited that you now get to complete the associated worksheet!
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.

The Win x 3 Recipe
How to find the right strategic alliances so everyone wins
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
WIN WIN WIN
‘Doctor who sent you?’
Organize and prioritize
Show them some love
Respect their time
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – The Win x 3 Recipe
Welcome to the ‘The Win x 3 Recipe’ course – How to find the right strategic alliances so everyone wins!
The purpose of this course is to help you understand what a ‘strategic alliance’ is, why they are important, and to start mapping out how to build these relationships now.
WIN x 3 is outlined in the first step, WIN WIN WIN. This concept is what helps guide all decision making in regards to Strategic Alliances. The question you must ask when considering pursuing a Strategic alliance relationship is simple; will the alliance benefit you, will it benefit the strategic alliance, and will it benefit the client? If the answer is YES YES YES, then you have a WIN WIN WIN (Win x 3) scenario and the relationship is approved for pursuit. Of course there are other common denominators that must be apparent such as sharing core values, but the most important element is finding the Win x 3 Recipe.
This is a short and succinct course, but don’t let its size belittle its importance. Strategic alliances are likely one of the most important places to emphasize when determining an overall plan for sustainable business growth. The right strategic alliance can cost very little and pay huge dividends.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of these courses is each an essential piece of a bigger puzzle which is the membership section in its entirety. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership, as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectation. The lessons within the full program are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and experience, failure and success, all which cumulatively have brought me the fulfillment I enjoy each and every day of my life. I want that for you as well, let me help you out.
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me for a one-on-one consultation so I can better cater to your unique individual needs. I would love to share more about how I have built the success of my businesses on the foundation of building Strategic Alliances, and how you can too.
WIN WIN WIN
Welcome to the ‘WIN WIN WIN’ lesson of the ‘The WIN x 3 RECIPE’ course.
Creating relationships so that you, the strategic alliance, and the client all win (Win Win Win) is the goal when searching for the right strategic alliances for your clinic.
Strategic alliances are people, companies, or organizations that fit the following criteria:
- Provide a product or service that would be of benefit to your patient demographic.
- Are in alignment with the core values of your company.
Your next step is to figure out how you can help them succeed and how you can serve them. Do the research to get to know them first, so you understand their needs and can explain the benefits of your potential relationship in language and terms that will resonate with them. This is how you build a good business relationship, by showing them that you are someone who will help them accomplish their goals. So first things first, help them get more customers by sending your clients their way (when appropriate of course).
Remember, you have one chance to make a first impression.
Once they know who you are and what you do, and are starting to see how you may be beneficial to them, you must show them initiative. Innovate ideas and projects (events, discounts, education, resources, products, etc) that will benefit their customers or accomplish their primary goals, then find ways to get in front of them and pitch the ideas. Be professional and do not take up much of their time; business people are busy, and you must respect this. Most importantly, do not over-promise and under-deliver, this will destroy any hope of a continued relationship. You must be able to deliver your promise and do it in a timely manner. People do business with people they trust.
Successful implementation of these ideas and projects, coupled with the fact that they like you and that you are someone who provides a service that complements theirs and can add value to the lives of their clientele, and will create a solid strategic alliance that will pay dividends in the years to come as they start sending potential clients your way. AND, if you have completed The Golden Cabinet membership section, you will be ready to make these people your clients for life!
In life, relationships must be a 2 way street to flourish. If there is no mutual benefit the chances of long term connection diminishes.
As far as your business is concerned, strategic alliances are powerful because they create a WIN WIN WIN for you, the strategic alliance, and the client.
Get out there, find your strategic alliances, figure out how to build a relationship with them, and start today.
Take a deep breath, do a few slow euphoric shoulder rolls, drink some water, and move onto the next lesson.
‘Doctor who sent you?’
Welcome to the ‘Doctor who sent you?’ lesson of the ‘The WIN x 3 RECIPE’ course.
‘Alignment with healthcare professionals that can help your clients achieve their desired outcomes’ is the topic of another course titled ‘How to Setup Your Virtual Clinic’.
This lesson is meant to focus on other healthcare professionals you are not connected to (are not a part of your virtual clinic) and how they can help build your practice. To make this happen you must build your reputation in your community. You must be professional, treat people well, and get results. The quickest way to set yourself apart is through specialization. Because I have focused my practice on treating specific conditions I receive many referrals from MD’s and other healthcare professionals (even other acupuncturists) that I have never met. ‘Doctor who sent you?’
Early in my days of practice I thought this to be possible via specialization. I truly believed that if we set ourselves apart through razor focus on a particular set of related conditions that even other acupuncturists would refer to us. I worked with someone very closely at the time who laughed when I expressed my thoughts stating ‘That will never happen!’. With our focus we became experts, set ourselves apart, became well known, and began enjoying the referrals from MD’s, other healthcare professionals, AND other acupuncturists!
Focused specialization has also built the foundation for relationships I have developed with medical specialists that feed our clinics new patients each week. If you are endorsed by a specialist, automatic trust is built and the patient will knock on your door.
As you can see I am an advocate for specialization. It doesn’t mean that this is the only path to practice success, it is just what I have chosen, so I understand its benefits. If you choose not to specialize, the path to ‘Doctor who?’ sending you referrals might just take a little more time, but I can almost guarantee you will never see a referral from another acupuncturist, unless they are from out of town.
Deep breath. Smile. Stand up and shake out your arms and legs. Drink some water. Move onto the next lesson.
Organize and prioritize
Welcome to the ‘Organize and Prioritize’ lesson of the ‘The WIN x 3 RECIPE’ course.
By now you will have already created a master spreadsheet full of tabs dedicated to the multitude of aspects of your business and clinic operations that you must keep organized and prioritized. If you have not, you soon will. For this course, I need you to add 2 more spreadsheet tabs, title them;
- Strategic alliances
- Referral sources
You may already have the organization of a referral sources system in place, but if you don’t now is the time. It should list the sources from which you are getting referrals, notes about who they are, and data kept on the number of clients obtained through that source. Who referred each client should be a question asked in their initial intake forms. This helps you understand who your key referral sources are. These are the people that need your gratitude and love. They are putting food on your table and you should make great efforts to further develop a relationship with them. You should also have a column that records when you were last in contact and notes regarding ways in which you have displayed your appreciation along with dates. Your strategic alliances will be in this spreadsheet and should be highlighted, along with any other referral sources that are key but may not be a strategic alliance. The spreadsheet for your strategic alliances is different, so let me explain.
The other spreadsheet tab will be titled ‘Strategic Alliances’. These are the people, businesses, and organizations that we talked about in the previous WIN WIN WIN step. This spreadsheet is where you keep track of your relationships with your strategic alliances, write ideas for collaboration (projects, events, education etc) and a log of the times you communicated with them and for what reason. It is also where you will list other potential strategic alliances that you intend to research further to determine whether you are in alignment with them and if/when you will pursuit further relations.
The people and companies that will be in these 2 spreadsheets are some of the most important people in your business life. Take care of and build these relationships consistently with the same love that you do with your clients. Ideally these people may become friends, as people prefer doing business with people they like, so it no longer feels like business, just two friends helping each other out. You get the idea.
Smile. It’s time to make some new friends!
Show them some love
Welcome to the ‘Show them some love’ lesson of the ‘The WIN x 3 RECIPE’ course.
This step continues right from where the last left off. Once these alliance relationships have been made they must be nurtured, otherwise they turn cold and will be of little benefit to your business or your clients lives.
If these alliance relationships don’t stay warm and cozy you will definitely notice in referral numbers. Collaboration and spending time with key people is simply a major aspect of owning and growing a business. Every important relationship in your life needs proper tending and business relationships are no different.
Reward them for their referrals, or at the very least thank them periodically (email, phone call, handwritten card, gift baskets). Strategic alliances and key referral sources should also get some extra love so they feel your gratitude and understand the importance of the relationship – tell them how much you appreciate this and why. My advice is to get creative.
Christmas cards are nice but they get lost in the shuffle. Edible arrangements or gift baskets full of great snacks are always loved by the recipient; just send them at unique times so they are remembered. A nice bottle of their favorite wine or Scotch, a beautiful engraved kitchen knife, a really great pen set, movie passes, ski passes, sports tickets, or a gift card to their favorite restaurant. Do some research, find out what they enjoy and be creative – set yourself apart. Find out special anniversaries for them (company start date, children’s birthdays, wedding anniversaries, etc), or send something on unique times such as St. Patrick’s Day or Chinese New Year. Really, anytime is a good time to do something special for someone else.
Remember the Law of Attraction, if you want to be loved, you must give love.
Show them some love.
Respect their time
Welcome to the final lesson of the ‘The WIN x 3 RECIPE’ course – ‘Respect their time’.
A final note regarding Strategic alliances and key referral sources. Chances are that these are busy people. It is important to understand the business and social cues that you are sent when communicating or spending time together. Not everyone has the space in their life or even wants a new best friend. People most certainly do not want to be pestered. Be mindful of boundaries people have and don’t push past them. In my experience this is especially true of MD’s, as they are also most often not ‘business first’ so pouncing on them at inopportune times about business can be detrimental to your relationship. Think carefully about how and when to deliver a good collaborative business idea, you only get rare opportunities to spend time with and pitch to busy people, so be wise.
Respecting people’s time will help cultivate their respect for you. It’s that simple.
If you haven’t already it is time to sit and put pen to paper. Do the associated worksheet now while this course is fresh in your mind.
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
See you in the next course.

FINANCIAL COURSE
There Are 3 Ways to Increase Revenue
Learn an easy-to-use system for creating clear financial goals
COURSE LESSONS
Introduction
The 3 ways to increase revenue
If you don’t have an exit strategy you have a job
Goal setting system
Introduction
DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET – There Are 3 Ways to Increase Revenue
Welcome to the ‘THERE ARE 3 WAYS TO INCREASE REVENUE’ Course – Learn an easy-to-use system for creating clear financial goals.
The purpose of this course is to help you understand the basic metrics on which you must focus to build your bottom line, consider your exit plan, and establish some basic financial goals for your practice.
If you have a healthy relationship with money and simply understand that it is an important part of doing business just like any other spoke in the wheel, then this will be a nice review, a unique perspective, and an easy exercise to complete.
For those of you who find yourselves struggling with the money side of your practice, meaning you have trouble coming to terms with the reality that you have to run a business that has a bottom line that ultimately determines it’s success or failure, then I encourage you to complete the ‘Money Mastery’ course in The Golden Cabinet membership section before starting this one. Just like any other part of your business, it is important to be mindful when setting your intentions regarding the financial well-being of your company. As you well know, the universe will provide you with what you need, you just need to be clear when speaking with her!
If you commit to the understanding that money can be a very powerful tool and help make the world a better place when it is in the right hands, you be rewarded with more of the abundance you require to lead your fulfilled life, and help others in the process.
Please print the exercise worksheet below, as its completion is necessary for this course to come to life and properly serve you. This will prove to be a guide for your journey ahead, both in business and in life. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of these, please do not simply read these lessons, consume and complete them.
IMPORTANT NOTE; if you are new to The Golden Cabinet, remember that each of the membership courses are an essential piece of a bigger puzzle, which is the optimal birth, growth, and operation of your practice/clinic/company. As with the human body, one cannot have whole health without taking care of all aspects simultaneously. If you have not already done, so I encourage you to subscribe to the full membership (ONLY $37 / month), as I personally guarantee that your return on investment will be far beyond expectations. The lessons within are pearls that I have learned along the way from various mentors and through experience, all which cumulatively have brought me the success I enjoy each and every day of my life. I want that for you as well.
If you would like to speak more in depth regarding any of these topics and how they relate to your circumstance, please contact me for a one-on-one consultation so I can better cater to your unique individual needs.
The 3 ways to increase revenue
Welcome to ‘The 3 ways to increase revenue’ lesson of the ‘There Are 3 Ways to Increase Revenue’ course.
Business 101: the 3 ways to increase revenue…
- Increase the # of customers
- Increase the average transaction $ amount
- Increase frequency of repurchase and referrals
These three topics are covered in depth in many of the membership courses. All elements are important, creating a whole system that works to mutually enhance one another. This is why we strongly recommend working through each element, and not simply jumping into the Fire thinking your next level of success is as easy as grabbing some new marketing skills or secrets. In business, as in anything, we want to be proficient. Doing the work, all the work, is a necessary part of the journey. This is the same dedication you committed to when you studied to become the proficient practitioner that you are today.
The following points are elements necessary for you to master the first way to increase revenue: Increase the # of customers (clients).
- Take the time to discover who you are, why you are doing what you do, and what your definition of success This will ensure you are clear with your vision (both personal and business) so that you attract the right clients.
- You need to learn how to set goals and accomplish them. This is the blueprint for the massive action necessary for you to manifest your vision.
- Understand the journey of your client, from stranger to lifelong friend. This will serve to help you understand where to find new clients and convert them into your lifelong unpaid sales force.
- Relationships with people, business, organizations, and other healthcare professionals is key. They benefit your current clients and send you new ones. Prioritize creating your strategic alliances and a medical referral community
- Learn how to write great sales copy so that your messages to your potential clients is crystal clear. This is key to converting browsers to patients.
- If you struggle with your relationship with money, then you need to spend some time mastering money. This could be what is standing between you and building the clientele you need.
- People make decisions on where they spend their money based on online reviews and testimonials. Get comfortable with asking for reviews and testimonials from your clients.
The following points are elements necessary for you to master the second and third ways to increase revenue: Increase the average transaction $ amount, frequency of repurchase, and referrals.
- Love your clients. Be relentlessly focused on adding value to their lives and achieving their desired outcomes. When they trust you they will buy more, more often, and refer others to you.
- Develop an intimate understanding of the steps a client goes through in their journey toward their desired clinical outcome. This helps you cater to their needs and improve client retention rates.
- Be sure that your service is setup to consistently deliver high quality warm caring support so they love coming back and telling others about you. Efficient systems and protocols free up you and your team to really connect with the person in front of them and build a lifetime relationship.
In summary, acquiring new clients, then taking proper care of them accomplishes all three ways of increasing revenue as listed above. It’s that simple – don’t over complicate things in your mind. That is why I love sharing this simple formula, it really helped put things into perspective for me and it helps ground me if I ever get confused regarding what I should be doing in order to grow my business.
Take a breath, embrace your need to create abundance, and think of all the amazing ways you can give back to the world around you when you have achieved this. Smile, take another breath, and see you in the next lesson.
If you don’t have an exit strategy you have a job
Welcome to the ‘If you don’t have an exit strategy you have a job’ lesson of the ‘There Are 3 Ways to Increase Revenue’ course.
This lesson is simply meant to stimulate thought regarding what your long term plans are for your practice, clinic, and business. Have you looked down the road and considered where this is all headed? Do your long term plans with your practice align with your goals and vision for your life?
Are you going to practice till you die so that you are financially secure? Are you going to save wisely and invest in real estate or the stock market? Are you going to build your clinic into a multi-practitioner business so that it makes you passive income? Are you going to sell your practice or business someday? What choices are you going to make so that you are setup for when you are in your golden years? Do you want to live semi-retired your whole life and work until you cannot, hope you will have enough to support yourself?
There are 6 ways to create financial security;
- Saving is the method for those who do not desire to build business, basically work a job and save.
- Business is for those who enjoy being an entrepreneur and have a higher tolerance for risk.
- Real estate. A home is something most everyone will acquire, but making real estate investments for the future is what I mean here.
- The stock market offers low or higher risk vehicles to grow your money that cater to your tolerance and time of life.
- In case of an unfortunate early passing be sure to have your affairs in order. Find a broker you can trust.
- Work until you die. Working until you die is not a good plan, but the only one you will have if you don’t master any of the first four. This lack of planning will burden the loved ones left behind.
Really take some time to wrap your head around the larger long term financial picture of your life. The truth is, most people never do this, and it is why so many are stressed about their survival later in life, and rightfully so. They might end up flat broke and unable to work with a likelihood of living for 10-20 more years. Scary.
All you have to do is give your future some thought and come up with a plan that works for you. Choose to master as many of the above ways to ensure financial security that will suit your needs. For some, saving and low risk investment might be enough if you start young or have a humble vision for retirement. For others building a business, saving, learning how to be a savvy investor, getting into the real estate game, and making sure your affairs are in order with proper insurance is essential to feel fulfilled and attain the financial freedom they desire. There is no right or wrong, just have a plan and stick to it; do not bury your head in the sand and hope that your money matters will take care of themselves.
Smile, take a deep breath, and drink some water. The next step involves setting some financial goals. Don’t worry, it will be quick and painless, and you will be so happy you did it.
Goal setting system
Welcome to the ‘Goal setting system’ lesson of the ‘There Are 3 Ways to Increase Revenue’ course.
It’s time to set some goals. This is a financial goal setting system that is based on the 3 ways to increase revenue model.
The basic revenue formula:
# of clients per week X amount $ per transaction X value = Gross $ revenue.
The ‘value’ aspect of the formula relates to the frequency of repurchase (rebooking) or referrals. This number is difficult to extrapolate and understand but we will start with a multiplier of ‘1’ to represent your current state of;
- how many times clients are rebooking on average.
- how many referrals they generate.
So let’s look at an example using this formula:
20 clients per week X $70 per acupuncture appointment X 1 (value) = $1400 per week gross revenue
*Multiply this by 50 weeks = $70,000 per year gross revenue.
Note: When I do my own projections and goal setting I use 48 weeks just to err on the side of caution. You can adjust this number based on the amount of weeks per year you think you will see the set average number of clients each week.
Based on the example above let’s set realistic projections for the next 3 years. For each year we will increase # of clients per week by 10%, amount per transaction by 5%, and value by 10%.
Year 1
22 clients per week X $73.50 per acupuncture appointment X 1.1 (value) X 50 weeks = $88,935 / yr
Year 2
24 clients per week X $77 per acupuncture appointment X 1.2 (value) X 50 weeks = $110,880 / yr
Year 3
26 clients per week X $80.50 per acupuncture appointment X 1.3 (value) X 50 weeks = $136,045 / yr
In 3 years gross revenue has nearly doubled with very realistic goals. You can see that by simply setting some goals you set your financial compass and it feels real and achievable. This was accomplished by increasing the average number of clients per week by 2 each year, placing a moderate increase in appointment price, and creating raving fans (visit more frequently, refer more people, and purchase extra products from your retail inventory) you exponentially increase your yearly revenue. Note that this doesn’t include any actual product sale dollars.
Now I dare you to think bigger, just for a second, savor a final example:
40 clients per week X $85 per acupuncture appointment X 1.3 (same value) X 50 weeks = $221,000 / yr.
This can easily be you and you deserve it. You are helping people, and money is what they have to barter for your service. Embrace money as a gauge of how many people you are helping. Make this exercise your own now and use the attached worksheet to project your own numbers. Putting these numbers on paper gives the universe a clear message of what you are requesting. Be sure and be grateful for what you currently have and you will be blessed with more.
Lastly, in your chair or wherever your mobile device has taken you, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, and be deeply grateful for the life changing results that the work you are doing will produce. Remember to contact me for individualized support regarding this or any other topics in relation to your personal and business success.
I look forward to hearing about all your ideas, plans, successes, accomplished goals, and fulfilled dreams.
Sincerely,
Spence
