The Care Plan Conversation That Drives Chiropractic Practice Growth

Why Your Chiropractic Practice Growth Stalls in the Report of Findings

About ten years into practice I started to notice something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Before every report of findings there was a tension in my body that I’d simply accepted. I thought that was just what caring about your patients felt like.

It wasn’t.

That tension was telling me something important — something I’ve never once heard discussed in any conversation about chiropractic practice growth. Something that quietly pulls more chiropractors out of a great ROF than any gap in their clinical skill.

In this episode I unpack exactly what it is — and the single reframe that takes the pressure off.

The Effortless ROF Framework: The Chiropractic Marketing Shift From Selling to Leading

There’s a version of the report of findings you’ve probably never been taught. One where you’re not selling anything. Where you’re not talking patients into care. Where the conversation is shorter, calmer, and converts more of the right people.

It comes from one shift: treating the ROF as a leadership moment, not a sales moment. Everything changes from there.

In this episode I walk you through the three-part Effortless ROF Framework — the simplest chiropractic marketing shift I’ve ever made, and the one with the biggest return in my own practice.

The Four Mistakes Holding Back Your Chiropractic Practice Growth

Most chiropractors are making at least one of them. Most of us are making more than one.

They feel respectful. They feel thorough. They feel like good practice. And every one of them quietly signals to your patient that you’re not sure what they need — which is the fastest way to lose a room full of genuine intent.

I name all four — and give you the exact language to replace each of them with.

What You’ll Get From This Episode

Why that pre-ROF tension is data — not dedication

The two pressures quietly sabotaging every report of findings

The single reframe that turns selling into leadership

The Effortless ROF Framework™ — three parts, no convincing required

The four mistakes pulling you out of calm certainty (and what to say instead)

Three specific things to do before your next report of findings this week

Ready to Grow Your Chiropractic Practice?

Hit play. Everything you need is in the episode — including the full transcript below if you want to revisit any part of it.

Episode Transcript

Opening / Hook

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening folks.

Hey, welcome to another episode of the Marketing Your Practice Podcast … the podcast where I have the pleasure of simplifying the marketing and the mindset … so you the chiropractor can increase your income, your impact … and your enjoyment in practice too.

Now I want to take you back to about ten years into my practice. I started to notice something I couldn’t quite put my finger on at first. Before every report of findings … there was a slight level of tension in my body. I’d open my appointment book at the start of the day … scan through the schedule … and when I saw a report of findings in there … I’d feel it. Not excitement. Anxiety.

Now this wasn’t a flash of nerves that passed. This was something I lived with for a couple of years. And for a long time I just accepted it. I thought maybe that’s just what it feels like to care about your patients. Maybe the pressure is part of the job. But eventually I stopped and asked myself an honest question. Why? Why does this appointment — out of all the appointments in my day — feel like this?

The Reframe

When I really sat with it I found two things sitting on top of every report of findings I walked into. Two pressures.

The first was a business pressure. I needed people to convert. The practice needed patients to start care. If they didn’t … that was a problem. And I felt that every single time.

But there was a second pressure. And this one was harder to admit. I needed them to get the big idea. I had a vision for my practice. I wanted to build a healthier community. I genuinely believed in what chiropractic could do for people’s lives. And somewhere along the way I had linked my success as a chiropractor to whether or not a patient walked out of that room inspired. If they got it … I was winning. If they didn’t get it … I had failed.

Now those two pressures on their own are each a problem. But together … they compound. And here’s the thing I didn’t understand at the time but I understand now. The patient feels both of them. They might not be able to name it but they feel it. In your tone. In your pace. In the way you start talking faster when they ask a question. In the way the energy in the room shifts … from conversation … to convincing.

And here’s what I want you to hear in that. The tension in your body before the ROF … is data. Let me say that again. The tension in your body before the ROF … is data. It’s telling you something important. It’s telling you you’ve made this appointment about you. Your conversion rate. Your vision. Your identity as a chiropractor. And the moment that happens … you stop leading … and you start convincing.

Here’s the reframe I want to offer you. The report of findings is not a sales moment. It’s a leadership moment. And the difference between those two things is everything. When you’re selling … you need the patient to say yes. Your outcome depends on their answer. When you’re leading … you’re simply showing them the next step clearly … holding your ground with calm certainty … and letting them choose.

Patients don’t resist good recommendations. They resist uncertainty. When you’re unsure … they become unsure. When you’re calm … they feel calm. When you need them to say yes … they feel that need … and they pull back.

The Shift

So what changed for me? It was gradual. But there was a key shift. I had to change what I was measuring. I had been measuring success by whether the patient said yes. And when I’m measuring that … I need them to say yes. And the moment I need something from a patient … I’ve lost the room.

The shift was this. Somebody is going to be a lifetime patient … even if it isn’t just yet. Not everyone gets chiropractic the first time. Some people need to hear it twice. Some three times. Some need to refer a family member first before they commit themselves. And when I understood that … the pressure came off.

Because my job in the report of findings isn’t to make someone get it. My job is to lead them clearly to the next step and let them choose. And that changed everything. My tone. My pace. My physiology. And the way patients responded.

The Framework — The Effortless ROF™

The Effortless ROF Framework has three parts. And they’re simple. Simple on purpose.

Part one — Clarity. What did you find, and what does it mean for them? Not a lecture on chiropractic. Not the full clinical picture. One clear, confident explanation of their situation in plain language. Speak to their life — not to the X-ray. The question to answer is: what does this mean for the way they live? For the way they feel? For what they’ve been struggling with?

Here’s what that sounds like for a busy professional:

“What I’m finding here is that your nervous system is under a significant amount of load. The areas of your spine that are most affected are the ones responsible for managing stress and tension in your body — and that’s showing up as the headaches, the tightness across your shoulders, and that feeling of being wired but exhausted at the same time. This isn’t just about posture. Your body has been trying to cope with more than it can handle for a while now.”

Part two — Recommendation. What do you recommend, and why? State it clearly. Don’t hedge. Don’t offer multiple options designed to seem flexible but actually signal that you’re not sure what they need. One recommendation, delivered with calm certainty. You are the professional in the room. You’ve assessed them. You know what they need. Say it.

Here’s what that sounds like:

“What I’d recommend is a structured period of care to start taking that load off your nervous system and give your body a chance to actually recover — not just manage. Based on what I’m seeing, I’d like to see you three times a week to begin with, stepping down as your body responds. That’s what I’d recommend for someone in your situation.”

Part three — The next step. What specifically are you asking them to commit to? Not lifetime care. Not the big idea. Focus on the first 8 to 12 weeks. But that doesn’t mean hiding the full picture — it means sequencing it. You name the full timeline honestly so there’s no surprise down the track. And then you bring their focus back to the decision in front of them.

Here’s what that sounds like:

“Now I want to be upfront with you — getting your nervous system back to where it should be, and keeping it there, is going to take us somewhere in the range of 12 to 18 months. That’s the honest picture. But I don’t want you to think about that today. What I want us to focus on right now is just the next 8 to 12 weeks. We’ll get your nervous system settled, see how your body responds, and then we can plan from there. Does that feel like something you’d like to do?”

Clarity. Recommendation. Next step. Three parts. One clear through-line. No convincing required.

Say Less — But Mean It

The single most powerful shift you can make in the ROF right now is this. Say less — but mean it. Most chiropractors talk too much in the report of findings. And I understand why. Because talking feels like leading. It feels like you’re covering all the bases. It feels thorough.

But here’s what’s actually happening. The more you talk, the more uncertain you sound. Because if you were truly certain … you wouldn’t need to keep explaining. Think about the best doctor you’ve ever seen. The one who made you feel completely at ease. Did they talk endlessly to convince you? Or did they speak with calm, quiet certainty … and let that certainty do the work? That’s the energy you’re going for.

Say what you found. Say what you recommend. Ask them to begin. Then stop talking.

Four Mistakes To Stop This Week

Mistake one — offering too many options. I know why we do it. It feels respectful. It feels like we’re meeting people where they are. But when a patient is sitting across from you and you give them Option A, B, and C … what they hear is … even my chiropractor isn’t sure what I need. One recommendation. One clear next step.

Mistake two — over-explaining the science. I’ve sat through reports of findings where chiropractors have given a full lecture on the nervous system … subluxation theory … the history of chiropractic … before asking the patient if they’d like to start care. By that point the patient is overwhelmed. And overwhelmed people don’t say yes. They say they’ll think about it. Speak to their life — not to your knowledge.

Mistake three — apologising for the investment. The moment you say “I know it’s a bit of an investment” or “I understand if cost is a concern” — before the patient has raised it — you’ve just told them to be worried about the price. Present your recommendation with the same calm certainty you’d want a surgeon to use before recommending an operation. They don’t apologise for the cost.

Mistake four — asking “does that make sense?” repeatedly. Once is fine. Twice starts to signal doubt. Three times and the patient is now wondering whether they should be more confused than they are. Say it clearly. Say it once. Then let the silence do its work.

This Week

Three things. First — before your next report of findings, check in with your body. Notice which pressure you’re carrying in. Is it the business pressure — I need them to convert? Or is it the mission pressure — I need them to get the big idea? Just noticing it is the first step.

Second — reduce your ROF to three clear statements. What I found. What I recommend. What I’m asking you to commit to. Write it out beforehand if you need to. Keep it to those three things.

Third — after the ROF, notice what happened in your body. Did the tension shift? Did leading feel different to convincing? The data doesn’t lie. Your body knows when you’re leading … and it knows when you’re convincing. Start paying attention to the difference.

Close

So let’s come back to where we started. Ten years into practice. Opening the appointment book. Seeing a report of findings … and feeling the anxiety land. At the time I thought that was just what caring felt like. But what I know now is this. That tension wasn’t about the patient. It was about me.

And the moment I took that pressure off … everything changed. Not because I stopped caring. But because I changed what I was measuring. I stopped measuring whether they said yes. And I started measuring whether I led them clearly … and let them choose. Because somebody is going to be a lifetime patient … even if it isn’t just yet.

Your job in the report of findings isn’t to make that happen today. Your job is to show up with clarity … make a confident recommendation … ask them to take the next step … and trust that the right people will. That’s not a lower standard. That’s a higher one. Because it takes real confidence to lead without needing the outcome.

Alright folks. That’s it for today. Thanks for all that you do. Keep saving lives … and I’ll see you back here next week.