From Idea to Implementation: Turning Know–Like–Trust into a System Patients Can Feel
Because winning the patient’s heart is only the first battle — the real victory is keeping it.
Last time, we talked about how patients decide who to trust in a post-COVID world. We broke down the Know–Like–Trust journey, and I told you that if you can’t guide patients through it, someone else will.
That’s the strategy.
But here’s where too many chiropractors stumble: they get the idea but never build the infrastructure.
They keep “meaning to” send that follow-up email, “planning to” shoot a welcome video, “thinking about” upgrading their website copy. And before long, their good intentions are buried under the daily chaos of running a practice.
In Churchill’s words: “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”
If you want results, you have to turn Know–Like–Trust from a concept into a system — something patients don’t just hear about, but actually experience every step of the way.
Step One: Know — Make It Easy to Find You, and Even Easier to Understand You
Let’s start at the top of the funnel.
Patients don’t “get to know you” when they walk into your office anymore. They meet you long before you ever see their face — in a Google search, a Facebook group post, or a friend’s text with a link to your website.
That’s your first battlefield.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth: if they can’t figure out in 10 seconds who you help and why they should trust you, they’re gone. Off to the next search result.
This is where your digital storefront has to work as hard as you do:
A Google Business profile that looks alive — fresh photos, current hours, real patient reviews.
A website that answers the exact question they’re asking (“Why does my back hurt when I wake up?”) instead of burying them in generic copy.
Short, clear videos where you talk like a human being, not a textbook.
These aren’t just marketing tactics. They’re trust signals. They say: “I’m here, I’m listening, and I speak your language.”
Step Two: Like — Make Them Feel at Home Before They Even Arrive
Once they know you exist, the next question is: Do I like these people enough to give them my time?
Post-pandemic, “like” isn’t about flash. It’s about familiarity and approachability. People want to feel like they already know you before they commit to a first visit.
That’s why smart practices are sending a quick welcome video when someone books — “Here’s what to expect on your first visit, and here’s who you’ll meet.” Not a corporate promo. Just you, speaking to one person, through their screen.
This is also where technology earns its keep — not as a gimmick, but as an extension of your voice:
A warm, automated email right after booking that explains what to bring, what will happen, and reassures them they’re in the right place.
A quick text the day before: “Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. You’re in good hands.”
These little touches may take seconds to set up, but they lower walls. They make the first visit feel like a continuation of a conversation, not a cold transaction.
Step Three: Trust — Prove You Deliver, and Keep Proving It
Trust is built in layers. It’s the consistent alignment between what you promise and what you deliver. And in the post-COVID world, it’s also about transparency.
Here’s the scenario we’ve all seen:
A patient starts care, gets some relief, and then their insurance coverage ends before you’ve finished the plan. If you treat that moment like an awkward money conversation, trust fractures. If you treat it like an opportunity for clarity, trust deepens.
That means saying:
“Here’s what your insurance covers. Here’s what it doesn’t. And here’s why the parts they won’t pay for are the ones that make this last.”
Pair that with visible progress markers — range of motion scores, posture scans, before-and-after photos — so they’re not just feeling better, they’re seeing better.
Trust is also about staying in their life after the initial pain is gone. Not in a pushy, “when can we schedule you again?” way, but by making wellness care the obvious, natural next step.
Where Strategy Meets Technology (Without the Dust)
The danger in conversations like this is that they turn into tech-speak and checklists. That’s not what this is about.
Technology is just the amplifier. The message, the experience, the humanity — that’s you.
The smart move is to use tech for the repetitive things that keep people connected, so you can spend your actual time on the human moments that build loyalty:
Automated reminders and review requests? Yes.
Personalized progress updates, in your own voice? Absolutely.
Wellness invitations tied to their real goals, not your schedule? Every time.
Think of it like building a bridge. The strategy is the blueprint. The tech is the steel and concrete. The trust you’ve earned? That’s the traffic that keeps coming back.
Your Move
You can keep fighting this battle with yesterday’s weapons — waiting for referrals, running generic ads, relying on hope and habit — or you can build a patient journey that works in today’s trust economy.
That’s what I help chiropractors do inside my Growth Coordinator coaching program.
We don’t just talk about Know–Like–Trust. We build it into every stage of your patient experience, with the systems and tools that make it automatic — and the human touches that make it unforgettable.
No cookie-cutter scripts. No dusty binders. Just a modern, repeatable way to keep the patients you’ve already worked hard to earn — and turn them into lifelong advocates.
If you’re ready to stop bleeding retention and start building a practice that grows on purpose, reach out to me here and let’s talk.
Because as Churchill said: “It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required.”
And in today’s market, what’s required is better than “business as usual.”
Dr. Glenn Jaffe is a chiropractor, practice owner, and national advocate with over two decades in the profession. A former president of the North Carolina Chiropractic Association and current legislative leader, he writes about the intersection of leadership, cultural relevance, and the climb chiropractic must undertake to reach its full potential — while quietly helping chiropractors build practices that work as well as they heal.