What this guide covers
What you’ll be able to do
- Evaluate a complete piece of work
- Read results with their definitions and limits
- Compare proposals against the same practice problem
The Playbook treats marketing, conversion and fulfillment as connected responsibilities. Evaluate a partner by how well they understand those connections, use evidence and fit the practice you actually run.
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Chapter 01
Give the partner a real practice problem
“We want more patients” leaves almost everything open. Explain your current situation: what already brings inquiries, where people hesitate, which appointments are available and what the team can support. A thoughtful recommendation should change when those facts change.
- 01
Describe the current situation
Bring the actual journey, available appointments and unresolved questions. Give the prospective partner enough context to diagnose a useful priority instead of selling a standard package.
- 02
Name the desired change
Explain what should be different for the patient and team. Distinguish more inquiries from better booking, clearer preparation or a workload the practice can sustainably support.
- 03
Ask what comes first
Invite the partner to prioritise and explain the tradeoff. A recommendation that ignores your constraints deserves more questioning before its creative polish wins the decision.
In this fictional example, Dr. Casey’s team receives interest but Maya cannot find clear first-visit information or an after-work time. A proposal for more traffic alone misses part of the problem. The partner should explain whether to improve the message, destination, response or demand level first.
See it in action
See the work behind the pitch.
A good partner can explain the creative choices.
Look at what gets made and how it represents you.
Clarify who approves, launches and improves the campaign.
Sample creative. Fictional practices; no client results implied.
Examples & steps
Give every potential partner the same starting brief
A useful agency conversation begins with the practice you are building, not a request for a generic proposal. Describe the current situation, the desired change, the work already in place and the constraints the partner must respect. This lets you compare judgment rather than presentation style.
Practice brief for a first conversation
“We want to improve [specific part of the patient journey]. Today, [current observed situation]. We already have [useful assets, channels or systems]. Our team can contribute [actual time and responsibilities]. We need help carrying [work we want delegated]. Our appointment capacity is [verified situation]. Show us what you would inspect first, what you would preserve and what you would change.”
The final three questions are revealing. A thoughtful partner should be able to identify useful existing work, ask for missing evidence and explain why a proposed change belongs first. A recommendation to replace everything before inspecting anything deserves a closer look.
Describe the operating problem as well as the growth ambition
A practice can be getting patients and still want a stronger partner. The owner may want clearer priorities, better creative, more reliable follow-through or less personal involvement in routine marketing work. Those are legitimate buying motives. Do not let the conversation collapse into a contest over headline lead counts.
Dr. Stacey’s historical account is useful here because she already had ads producing results. She valued the plan, testing, reporting and work around the response. Her story supports asking about the operating relationship, not assuming every agency buyer needs to be rescued from failure.
Chapter 02
Ask to see the whole piece of work
A striking ad is one component. Ask how it leads to a useful explanation, how the next action works and what the receiving team sees. Let the partner show an actual permitted example or a clearly labelled demonstration.
- 01
Inspect the full route
Ask to see the opening message, destination, response and handoff in a permitted example or clear demonstration. One impressive creative cannot establish that the surrounding work connects.
- 02
Ask why it works
Have the partner explain the intended patient decision at each point. Specific reasoning is more useful than a list of tools or a claim that every component is optimised.
- 03
Find the operating owner
Identify who updates the facts, handles the response and reviews the outcome. A finished example should make the continuing responsibilities visible as well as the launch materials.
The important question is why each choice was made. Which patient concern did the message address? Why that next step? What changed after reviewing the response? Specific answers show judgment more clearly than a large collection of screenshots.
Examples & steps
Ask for a demonstration you can follow
Ask the partner to show one complete route: the creative, the destination, the contact or booking step, the receiving process and the review decision. The example may be a current demonstration or a historical campaign. It should be labelled accurately so you can distinguish what the agency has built from what it is proposing.
| What to inspect | Question to ask | What a useful answer contains |
|---|---|---|
| Creative | Why this message for this context? | A clear human subject, practice relevance and intended next decision. |
| Destination | How does the page continue the promise? | The actual explanation and functioning action. |
| Response | Who handles the person who asks a question? | Roles, current facts and an exception route. |
| Measurement | What can you see after the inquiry? | Defined stages, periods and known limits. |
| Management | What changed after reviewing the evidence? | A concrete decision with its reason. |
Look for the reasoning behind the work
A polished portfolio shows craft. The explanation behind it shows judgment. Ask why a particular image, headline or destination was chosen. Ask what the agency learned and what it would do differently in another practice. A useful answer should connect the work to a decision, not merely describe the software used to produce it.
For AI-enabled work, ask what the technology actually does and how its output is checked. Research support, production assistance, routine answers and human handoffs are different capabilities. A model name or a large automation diagram does not demonstrate that the practice’s real route works.
Inspect enough detail to understand the service
You do not need access to another clinic’s private records. A de-identified example or clearly labelled demonstration can show the mechanism. The partner should still be able to explain responsibilities, limitations and current scope without hiding behind confidentiality.
Chapter 03
Read results as a story with definitions
A result needs a period, a defined group and clearly named outcomes. Inquiries, bookings, attendance and care starts describe different moments. Potential care value, billed revenue and collected cash are different financial views. Ask which one a headline uses.
- 01
Define every stage
Ask what the reported number counts and over which period. Inquiries, bookings, attendance and care starts are different outcomes and should not inherit one vague conversion label.
- 02
Separate financial meanings
Establish whether a figure represents proposed care value, invoiced services or cash collected. Ask which costs are included before interpreting a return multiple as profit.
- 03
Check transferability
Compare the example’s audience, service, capacity and responsibilities with your practice. A relevant historical result informs questions; it does not forecast your next quarter.
Then ask what the example can teach your practice. Similarity in audience, capacity and service matters. A result from a different setting can illustrate a method without predicting yours. The useful discussion is about conditions and decisions, not borrowing somebody else’s best month.
See it in action
Follow the campaign beyond the ad.
Ask how the finished website will work and stay current.
See how the page connects to your team.
Examples & steps
Read a case study as a defined account
A strong result becomes more useful when its meaning is clear. Ask who was counted, which channel or cohort was included, what period was observed and how each stage was defined. Then separate the operational outcome from the financial interpretation.
For example, Dr. Dan’s historical account reports 79 opt-ins, 38 scheduled appointments, 28 attended visits and 25 choosing care in an eight-week Facebook audit. Those stages describe different actions. His separate $150,000 calculation is potential receivables, not cash collected during that period. Preserving the distinction makes the account more credible, not less compelling.
Questions for any result presentation
“What exactly does this number count?”
“Which people and dates are included?”
“What costs are included in the calculation?”
“Is this collected revenue, expected care value, or another measure?”
“What did the practice contribute?”
“Which parts of this situation are relevant to our practice, and which are different?”
Check the relationship between the artwork and the result
A modern creative shown beside an older result may be a service illustration rather than the actual campaign that produced the outcome. Ask which it is. Attractive current work and historical evidence can both be useful, but their relationship should be explicit.
Use references for the operating questions
When a suitable reference is available, ask about the experience of working together: how priorities were set, how the team communicated, what the practice had to supply, and how problems were handled. Respect the person’s time and privacy. A reference conversation is most useful when it answers a real concern you have, rather than asking for a general endorsement.
Dr. Dan’s account of checking with a colleague before contacting Hayden illustrates this kind of due diligence. It does not remove the need to evaluate the current scope and operating fit for your own practice.
Chapter 04
Understand what both sides contribute
Ask what the agency produces and runs, and what the practice provides. Doctor participation, factual review, appointment availability and real patient conversations require an agreed contribution. Technology can assist the work; it does not remove the need for that agreement.
- 01
Write the work division
List what the agency produces and operates, what the doctor reviews, and what the front desk handles. Clarify cover, change requests and how incorrect practice facts are corrected.
- 02
Make costs comparable
Separate service fees, production, media and other required inputs. Ask what remains optional and what the practice must supply before comparing one headline price with another.
- 03
Clarify control and exit
Understand access, ownership, export and termination arrangements in the actual agreement. Have consequential commercial terms reviewed appropriately rather than relying on a reassuring sales conversation.
Put the commercial details beside the delivery plan: media, production and service costs; access and ownership; review cadence; and the process for making changes. “Optimisation” should translate into work you can understand, such as improving a weak explanation or reviewing the progression from inquiry to attendance.
Examples & steps
Make the agreement understandable before comparing the fee
Two proposals can use the same service names while assigning very different work to the practice. “Content” might mean finished creative, an outline for the doctor to produce, or a template library. “Follow-up” might mean a configured acknowledgement, ongoing message handling or staff training. Ask for the exact work and responsibility behind each label.
| Area | Clarify |
|---|---|
| Production | What is delivered, in which formats, with what approval process? |
| Practice input | Which facts, recordings, access and decisions must the clinic supply? |
| Response | Who monitors inquiries, answers routine questions and handles clinical escalation? |
| Costs | Which fees, media spend, software and optional work are separate? |
| Control | Who owns accounts, domains, source files, content and data under the agreement? |
| Continuity | What happens to access, assets and active work when the relationship changes? |
Ask about the first milestone
A proposal should make the first useful deliverable concrete. It might be an inspected current journey, a complete campaign packet, an implemented page and response route, or another agreed scope. “Launch marketing” is too broad to verify. Ask what you will be able to open, review and use.
Ask how a change is handled
The practice will change. Hours, offers, capacity, staff and priorities may move. Clarify how updates are requested, who decides whether they are within scope and how urgent corrections are handled. A good relationship needs a way to adapt without turning every small change into confusion.
Read the actual agreement for the contractual terms. This guide helps you ask better questions; it does not replace a review of the terms you will accept.
Chapter 05
Choose the partnership you can explain
Compare proposals against the same problem. One may offer more creative production; another may carry more website or response-system work. Neither is automatically preferable. Understand what your practice still has to do and whether that fits the team.
- 01
Compare the same starting point
Return to the practice problem and first proposed improvement. Explain why one partner’s combination of judgment, delivery and remaining practice workload fits better than the alternatives.
- 02
Resolve the decisive unknown
Ask the question that could change your choice, whether it concerns scope, evidence, ownership or the team’s capacity. Do not bury a major uncertainty under minor feature comparisons.
- 03
Confirm the first milestone
Before proceeding, understand what will be prepared first, who approves it and how completion is checked. Keep a proposed plan distinct from work already delivered.
A good discussion includes difficult questions and useful resources before a commitment. You should leave knowing what would happen first, why it matters and how both sides would decide what comes next.
See it in action
Know who carries the next step.
Use real examples to agree on work and ownership.
Examples & steps
Choose the partner whose work and judgment you can explain
After the conversations, compare each partner against the same practice problem. Record what they propose to preserve, what they propose to change, the evidence behind the recommendation and the work each side will carry. If you cannot explain the proposal without repeating the agency’s slogan, ask for a clearer demonstration.
Use a short evaluation note
- Understanding: did the partner identify the actual practice situation and ask useful questions?
- Work: did you see a complete, relevant example at a readable level?
- Evidence: were results and financial meanings defined?
- Operating fit: are responsibilities, capacity and owner contribution realistic?
- Control: are access, ownership and transition terms understandable?
- Next step: is the first milestone specific enough to inspect?
Do not turn the note into a fake precision exercise. A partner with a high total can still be unsuitable if a decisive requirement is missing. Write the reason for the choice in ordinary language and name the unresolved question that would change it.
What PowerSURGE wants you to see
The reason to hire PowerSURGE should be visible in the work: a practice made understandable, creative with a clear job, a connected route into conversation, and continued responsibility for improvement. The resources let you learn the method. The paid relationship brings the judgment, production, implementation and coordination needed to apply it to your practice.
That is the standard to use in the conversation. Bring the part of the journey you want to improve and ask to see how the work would connect.
Put it to work
Run a better agency conversation
Use one practice brief, one demonstration request and one decision note to compare partners.
Prepare the same brief for every conversation
State the current problem, desired change, existing assets, appointment reality and work you want help carrying. Include what you value about the practice and what must remain intact. Avoid asking every partner a different question and then trying to compare the answers.
Request one complete demonstration
Ask to see the creative, destination, response route and review decision. Have the partner explain the role of each piece. Ask which elements are current, historical or illustrative. You should leave able to describe what someone would encounter and what the agency would actually do.
Choose one result to inspect
Work through the definitions, period, costs and financial meaning. Ask what the practice contributed and what remains unknown. A clear answer is more useful than an impressive number detached from its context.
Complete the responsibility record
Agency owns: [specific work]. Practice owns: [specific input and receiving work]. Shared decisions: [what requires both]. Separate costs: [verified items]. First milestone: [reviewable deliverable]. Approval process: [actual arrangement]. Change and transition terms: [agreement references].
Write the decision note
Summarize the strongest reason to choose the partner, the principal tradeoff and any unresolved condition. If the concern is unclear scope, resolve scope. If it is the quality of creative, inspect the work. If it is the operating relationship, ask a relevant reference question. Do not use another generic presentation to answer a specific uncertainty.
The right decision leaves you clear about what you are buying, why it fits the practice and how you will know the first stage of work is complete.
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06 / Put it to work
Compare partners against one real practice problem
Choose a partner whose work, reasoning and responsibilities you can understand—not only a result you would like to repeat.
Which uncertainty could change your partner choice?
Your next move
The presentation is stronger than the explanation
Ask the partner to walk through one complete, permitted example and explain each patient decision. A collection of attractive assets does not establish how the destination, response and team handoff work together after someone becomes interested.
- Follow one full demonstrated journey.
- Ask why each piece is there.
- Record what is live, tested or illustrative.
Put your plan in motion
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Explore my free campaignThe method behind the work.
Continue with the original guides and the source material behind this lesson. Worked examples are teaching illustrations unless explicitly attributed.
Internet Playbook ↗Open the complete original guide.The Internet Playbook for Chiropractors ↗Current 18-page V13. Pages 4–7. The eight moves connect marketing, conversion, patient experience and advocacy.Historical buying and verification account ↗Dr. Dan’s original 2:55–4:24 account describes seeing a colleague’s testimonial, asking about the experience and contacting PowerSURGE. Historical source context only; no outcome prediction.Learn the method before deciding ↗Hayden’s original 0:41–2:08 explanation invites understanding and discernment before deciding whether to work together. No new service, free bespoke audit or commercial term is promised here.Sources and context
Dr. Stacey on the work around already-performing adsHistorical buying motive: plan, follow-through, attribution and testing.
Dr. Dan’s verification and buying journeyTestimonial encounter, colleague check and conversation with Hayden.
Dr. Dan’s historical auditEight-week stage counts; potential receivables remain distinct from collections.
