Have you ever heard of The Advanced Citizenry? Chances are you haven’t heard the term, but you have heard of, or know of, people in your community who stand out as Advanced Citizens. They are the people everyone knows. They are the people everyone respects. They are the people other people turn to for information and services when they are in need.
They are the people who, through their involvement in your community, have built a reputation of Trust, and stand outas Valuable contributors to the well-being of those they serve. They may be business leaders, politicians, teachers, or coaches. They may be involved with the ministry, do mission work, or they may have started a community enrichment program for the purpose of empowering citizens to create meaningful change.
They may be the chief of police or the fire chief, or they may be a mother or a father who cares about the neighborhood they live in. They are seen as the cornerstones of your community and they serve at a higher level than most.
To become an Advanced Citizen in your community and achieve this status, you must develop the seven characteristics that all Advanced Citizens have in common:
1. Responsibility—Who is responsible to share your message with those who are literally dying to hear it?
2. Courage—Do you have the courage to tell the truth about chiropractic more often, with more certainty, and more truth about the miraculous healing potential of the body?
3. Respect—Do you respect the privilege, honor, and responsibility that come with the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic?
4. Empathy—Do you feel true empathy for the people in your community who are making very poor decisions because they lack the knowledge to make proper decisions regarding wellness development for themselves and their families?
5. Justice—Do you feel that it is “just” that most consumers make decisions based on information they get from newspapers, magazines, radio, and television which will lead them to choose a sick care system that will cause more harm than good?
6. Integrity—Do the messages you give patients and consumers align with the way you live your life?
7. Discipline—Are you willing to act with consistency and persistency until you have developed the status of Advanced Citizenry in your community? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you are ready to take the next step.
In Dr. Carl Cleveland’s very touching and inspiring video called Simple Justice, Dr. Cleveland did an incredible job of highlighting the struggles, courage, and the commitment that the early pioneers of chiropractic willingly faced head-on to ensure that we could serve the way we do today. The image that had the most signifi cant impact on me was the image of dozens of picketers outside a jail with signs that read, “We want our doctor,” and “We need our doctor.” These signs and efforts were put forth by ordinary citizens in support of their chiropractor who was jailed unfairly for practicing medicine without a license. Due to the Advanced Citizenry of the men and women that came before us, we no longer have to worry about going to jail at the end of the day instead of returning home to our families. These incredible doctors did not have the same security or privilege that we have today but they were able to serve with dignity, honor and integrity, because they believed in the power of the adjustment and the strength of their principles.
The success of chiropractors in the early years came, in large part, from their willingness to get involved in their communities and build trust and value in the hearts and minds of their fellow citizens. Through their commitment to education and relationship building, they realized that most patients shop for chiropractic but they buy the relationship you build with them, and that all good relationships are based on value and trust.
If you want to be one of the people your community turns to in times of need, if you are willing to invest the time, energy, and capital it takes to become that Valued and Trusted person, and you are ready to start now, call today and fi nd out how our multi-tier Community Outreach and Marketing program can help you achieve the status necessary to serve at a higher level and affect more lives in dramatic ways. When you become an Advanced Citizen, you will build the practice of your dreams and you will be rewarded with fi nancial success that comes with the status of an Advanced Citizen.
Dr. Slocum is a 1993 graduate of Logan College in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a fourth generation chiropractor, the eleventh member of his family to practice chiropractic. Dr. Slocum and his partner, Rok A. Morin, D.C., are co-creators of Learning Curves™, a three-tier community education and marketing program for the chiropractic profession. Drs. Slocum and Morin lecture on a national basis to chiropractors encouraging them to spread awareness of chiropractic in their communities. Go to www.learningcurves.us, e-mail [email protected] or call 1-800- 613-2528 for more information.