Posted by Dr. Janel Hitson | Posted in Practice Foundations | Posted on 05-01-2010
Too often we see students burying their heads in the books the entire time at school and then we wonder why they are about as exciting as an encyclopedia to talk to! Is this you?
If it is, good grades and stellar GPA will not bring patients into your office. And even though I am a huge backer of technique specific adjusting, your mastery for removing subluxations won’t bring them through your doors any quicker either!
What makes the difference—people skills!
Some people are born with a natural charisma that draws people to them—I was not one of those—I was very shy as a child and in school had to force myself to break out of my shell.
The motivation to improve my people skills came easy enough. I saw my fellow interns and classmates who had half the skill and a fraction of the knowledge I had, doing fantastic in clinic, where I was struggling to get my New Patient Requirement. These individuals figured out how to communicate and draw others to them. I decided that I needed to get what came so naturally to these individuals!
If you have ever heard the phrase, “fake it till you make it”, it definitely applies to developing people skills! At first it will be uncomfortable and awkward, but with practice anyone can become great! It has been very encouraging to know that the ability to communicate is not a “you got it or you don’t” talent, many of the great public speakers will admit to overcoming fears and shyness in their early years. My favorite resource is “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
It is a great idea to be developing these skills and habits while you are still in school. When it comes time to graduate, you are under enough pressure to get everything else in your life rolling; you don’t have time for mastering effective small talk.
What I wish I knew—that people skills are probably the most important factor to success in your practice. If I had known that, I would have invested many more hours to developing these skills.
