The Third Part of Worry Free Client Attraction: Support

Support is the third part of Worry Free Client Attraction.

(You can read last week’s article about the first 2 parts.) When you’re challenging yourself to build your practice to the next level, you need a higher level of support. So what do I mean by support? You need support that is both kind and challenging: someone you can turn to when you’re feeling discouraged who will offer you empathy and then help you get back on track. For some of you, support can come from a colleague who is motivated and comfortable with the business side of running a private practice. You might create an accountability partnership with this person in which you each check in about your strategy and support each other in owning your value.

For some of you, you’ll need to step up your support and work with a business coach individually or in a group.

If you have a clear sense of your value and pretty good strategy and you still aren’t filling your practice, you may need some professional support. A kind and challenging business coach will see where your blind spots are, where you need to take more action, and will hold a bigger vision of your business than you do.

I’ll give you an example. I worked as a business coach with a therapist who had a decent private practice but wanted to bring her income up. Her strategy was good, and she had a sense of her value, but she had hit an income plateau. I challenged her to step up her activities, hold a stronger vision of herself as an expert in her field, and I held her accountable with deadlines. When unexpected illnesses and family problems came up, we adjusted her strategy, and then each time I supported her in getting back on track. In each session, I took a stand for the bigger vision that she wanted for herself. She was able to push past that plateau and fill her practice while also raising her fees.

Consider what kind of support you’ve got right now for your business. Here are some questions to consider:

1.     Who are the top 3 people you call when you run into a business dilemma or problem?

2.     When you are discouraged about your business, who is kind to you?

3.     When you are discouraged about your business, who challenges you?

4.     Who holds a bigger vision of your business than you do?

5.     What would you do differently in your business if you had more support?

To learn more about Worry Free Client attraction, sign up for my free webinar on September 18th here. If you can't make it live, you'll receive a replay. 

Introducing Worry Free Client Attraction

On September 18th, I’m offering a free webinar in which I’m going to introduce you to Worry-Free Client Attraction. One of the hardest things about building a private practice is the worry, anxiety, stress, and self doubt you can experience. I help therapists build their businesses in ways that help them feel more peaceful, confident and optimistic. I’ll tell you a little bit about Worry Free Client Attraction right now, and you’ll learn more on the 18th.

When you’re implementing Worry Free Client Attraction, you own your value. You are so clear on what you have to offer and how it helps your clients heal, you don’t spend much energy doubting yourself. You know that when you work with the right people, they benefit immensely and you feel great about the work you do. You know who your people are, so you don’t worry about the fact that you’re not for everyone. When you put yourself out there in authentic ways, it attracts your people. I’ll tell you a story on at the webinar about how a therapist got to the other side of this and learned to own the value she offers her people.

Another part of Worry Free Client attraction is knowing the right strategy to build the private practice you want and deserve. You get so clear on your strategy that you stop worrying whether you’re doing the right things or whether you’re doing enough. Of course practice building still takes work. This isn’t work free client attraction. You have to do certain things consistently. You know for today, for the next week, and for at least the next three months, exactly what you have to do and why. With this clear strategy, you don’t worry every time you get a cancellation or the phone doesn’t ring for a week.

You feel like the captain at the helm of a solid ship, and those waves that move the ship around are just waves. You know you'll move through them. When your practice has a dip, you see that as part of the process because you have the big picture in mind. You know that you’re doing the right things to get what you want.

I’ll tell you a story at the webinar of a therapist who through our work was able to cut through all the clutter of the things she was trying to do and I'll tell you how we created a clear and streamlined strategy.

Next week I’ll tell you about one more crucial part of Worry Free Client Attraction.

Make sure you sign up for the webinar right now because space is limited. 

One Reason You're Not Getting More Referrals

This article is a sneak preview to my free webinar: The 3 Reasons You’re Not Getting More Referrals.

One of the reasons many therapists and other healers don’t easily fill their practices is that they listen to the wrong advice. Let’s say you run your practice building ideas past your colleagues. Maybe you show your new web copy to your partner or best friend. Or perhaps you talk to your mom about a workshop you’re thinking of developing. Unless they share the issues of your ideal clients AND they have an entrepreneurial mindset, your colleagues and loved ones might be the LAST people who can encourage you in building your business. Your colleagues have the same fears about practice building as you do. They may discourage you from making bold and authentic moves because they are not ready to do that themselves. Your loved ones may feel protective of you. If they see you doing something new, they may respond with caution because they don’t want you to get hurt. People who have known you for a long time may not be able to see the professional you are becoming because they can only see the person you’ve been up until now.

I am working with a therapist who has allowed me to share her story because it illustrates this perfectly. Sarah Soul had been planning on marketing a more general therapy practice, but through our work together she got clear that her specialty is in helping women suffering with eating disorders and body image issues. This is her passion. She’s helped a lot of women in this way, and she wants to help thousands more. Once she got clear on this focus, she was able to write her web copy quickly and her practice building work is flowing easily. 

When she shared this plan with her loved ones, some of them worried that a more narrow focus would hurt her business. I helped her check in with herself again, and she was clear that this is the right path for her to take. Her loved ones had no way of knowing that when you market only one specialty, you still have the opportunity to work with many people outside of that specialty. Here’s her website.

If you listen to advice from the wrong people, as well meaning as they are, it will slow you WAY down in building your practice. When you work with me, we sort through the messages you are soaking up so that you can distinguish the stuff you need to listen to from the stuff that holds you back. You become more clear and confident and you learn what is right for you and your unique business. 

Sign up below for my free Webinar: "The Three Reasons You're Not Getting More Referrals"

Thursday, September 18th 11:00-11:45 a.m. PT

3 Reasons You're Not Getting More Referrals

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How To Get Stuff Done

Part of building a full and profitable private practice is getting stuff done.

You’ve got your website to build or tweak. You’ve got colleagues to communicate with, and potential clients to call back. Then there are those things you decided you should do, like put a video greeting on your site, or look into public speaking venues, or start a newsletter.

When you don’t have much time, how do you get this stuff done?

I have a lot of time management tips, and here I’ll share one of my favorites. It’s something I do every day.

Picture yourself at the end of the day.

Imagine it is the end of today, and you are looking back on what you accomplished. What would make you the most happy to have completed? What would make you the most stressed out or disappointed to still have hanging over your head?

Now you know your priorities. For example, if you’d be happiest with this statement tonight:

“I’ve returned all my phone calls, called a potential web designer, and wrote a blog post.”

Then don’t let this be the reality:

“I spent 2 hours clearing out my email inbox, paid my bills and folded my laundry.”

You’re the boss of you, so stay conscious of what you’ll be happy with at the end of the day. You may have to stare at some unfolded laundry in the process, but you’ll find you can move forward and avoid getting pulled in directions you didn’t intend to.

It's Honesty Time!

We’re a bit more than halfway through 2014. I’m wondering how you’re feeling about your psychotherapy practice. Are you where you were hoping you’d be by now? Are you halfway to where you want to be by 2015? Let’s use this mid-year point to reassess, see what you might need to shift and what you should be celebrating. Don’t wait until it is New Year’s resolution time or until you’re adding up your 2014 income for your taxes.

It is honesty time!

I want you to look at a few areas of your practice right now:

#1: How is your income?

Are you tracking it? Exactly how much came in every month from January through June in client fees?

I want you to have a number in mind of what you need to bring in to make ends meet and another number of what you need to earn to feel well paid. If you’re not making ends meet, focus on getting there first, but also commit to being well paid soon. That number will be different for every therapist, depending on your expenses, both business and personal, what you want your life to look like and how many hours you want to work. How close did you come to being well paid in the past 6 months?

#2: How many referrals came in each month?

If you’ve been following my guidelines in this area, you know exactly how many calls and emails (inquiries) have come in. You know whenever possible where those referrals are coming from. You’re tracking what’s happening with each inquiry: how quickly you get back to them, whether they schedule a free consultation, and whether they become clients or are referred out.

#3: What have you done to build your practice?

How have you been reaching out to your ideal clients to let them know you’re doing the work you do? Write down every practice building activity you’ve done. Be specific. Have you been networking? How? Have you been going out to lunches or for coffee? Have you been creating or improving your website so that it attracts your ideal clients? Have you been getting your website out there more? Have you been speaking?

If you’ve been consistent at these things, six months is enough time to know whether or not they are starting to work. Six months is enough time to whether you are doing enough or doing the right things to build your practice.

Is the plan you came up with for 2014 working?

If it isn’t working, what do you need to do to change that for the 2nd half of the year?

Picture yourself on Thursday, January 1st, 2015.

You’ve continued on the plan you’ve been using so far. You do the same amount of practice building. You’ve got the same amount of information and tools. You have no further support. You’ve made the same amount of money and got the same number of referrals in the second half of 2014 as the first half.

Now, picture where you WANT to be on Thursday, January 1st, 2015. Where do you want to be, and what will that take? What can you commit to changing? Can you commit to getting more support? Can you increase your accountability? Can you increase your skills in practice building?

It is time to turn it around. No one can build a practice without support, so call or email me today for a free consultation. I'll help you clarify what your next steps should be. 

Who Will Refer To You?

I have been hearing a question lately from therapists new to private practice: “Who are my ideal referral partners?” I’m a big advocate of having at least 30 professionals who you trade referrals with regularly. I have found that when you have at least 30 professionals referring to you, have a good chance of building a full practice.

Why you should build your relationships with other newer therapists:

Some therapists who are new to private practice ask me if they should bother putting energy into relationships with colleagues who are also new to private practice. “None of us have enough clients, so we really can’t help each other.” I disagree. I want you to look at your practice building from a long point of view. When you’re thinking about another new therapist, ask yourself if you respect this person’s work and could imagine referring a client to this person. If the answer is yes, invest in that relationship. It is priceless to have long-term colleagues who you trust and who you’ve known throughout your career. Also, even the newest therapist will have people to refer out from time to time. Conflict of interest issues come up at every stage of private practice and no one can work with every person who calls.  

Why you should ALSO build relationships with seasoned therapists:

Just as often, newer therapists ask me if they should bother putting energy into relationships with their former supervisors, former teachers, or other highly experienced clinicians. “They already have full practices, and they don’t want to refer to a new therapist.” The truth is that seasoned therapists want to know colleagues from all stages of development. We want to know some therapists who are closer to the beginning  because it keeps us fresh and engaged. Newer therapists often have a passion and excitement for the work that seasoned therapists like to be around. That’s part of the reason so many of us supervise interns. Also, don’t assume that seasoned therapists all have full practices. Many of my coaching clients have over 20 years experience and have never learned to market themselves.

When newer therapists worry about who they should build relationships with, I notice an underlying fear: scarcity. When you believe that there aren’t enough clients out there for you, you’ll find yourself believing that networking with other therapists will be fruitless. If you don’t have a full practice, that scarcity narrative can be so convincing! Shift your mindset and see your colleagues as your collaborators. Work to have a group of referral partners who you like and respect. Over time, nurture relationships with colleagues who are diverse in experience level as well as in area of specialty.

Take the long view, and you’ll have a group of referral partners to share your success and struggles with throughout your career. 

Why Should a Therapist Blog?

Should you write a blog? Here are some reasons blogging might or might not be a good fit for your practice building strategy. 

Why blog?

Because you like to write

If you prefer writing to public speaking or networking, blogging is a way you can “speak” directly to your ideal clients. You can let people get to know who you are as a therapist by sharing your ideas and your voice. If you like writing enough to write for an hour each week, blogging might be a good tool for you. If you’re comfortable with video, you can sometimes create simple videos instead of writing.

Because you have something to say

You’ll need to come up with topics regularly. You don’t have to come up with unique or earth shattering ideas for each blog entry. Your blog entries will address what your ideal clients come to you for help with. You can discuss research, share your opinions, and sometimes give advice. Your purpose here is to share your voice and how you think about these issues, not to come up with all the answers. Blogging is different from writing articles for professional journals. You’ll want to keep your voice accessible and personal.

Because you want to improve your search engine optimization

If you blog regularly, once a week or more, you can begin to improve your S.E.O… But don’t start blogging if you don’t like to write! Therapists who start blogging only because someone told them this would improve their web traffic end up feeling like the blog is a burden and a chore. Those blogs quickly end up in the graveyards of the internet.

Think carefully about whether blogging will be an enjoyable way to reach out to the people you love to work with. If the answer is no, don’t blog. You can create your strategy using dozens of other practice building tools that will fit you better. If you do decide to blog, contact me for a free consultation. We can discuss how to avoid common pitfalls and make sure your blog works to build your practice. 

Is It Hard For You to Claim Your Expertise?

One of the best ways to build a robust private practice is to become an established expert in one area of specialty. When you choose an area of specialty and then become known for that by writing, public speaking, and talking to colleagues about that specialty, your practice will grow quickly. Many therapists get uncomfortable about this and they say “I don’t want to claim to be an expert.” If you’re thinking this, maybe you need to adjust your thinking on what it means to be an expert.

If an expert is a person who knows everything about a certain issue, can help any person solve problems around that issue, has 20 years of experience, and has none of their own problems with that issue, well then perhaps you can’t be an expert. Let’s question that definition! Here’s a secret: some of the people you think are experts probably doubt themselves too.

Here’s what I think an expert is: a person who is passionate, knowledgeable, and regularly engaged with a particular issue; someone who perhaps struggles with that issue as well, and has a lot of both personal and professional experience with the issue; someone who has a lot of ideas and questions about an issue and likes to be in complex conversations about that issue.

In order to be seen as an expert, you never actually have to say “I am an expert.” As you stand tall in your knowledge, skills and point of view in your area of expertise, others will recognize that you are an expert. Perhaps your clients will recognize that you are the kind of expert they can get real help from, the kind who doesn’t claim to know everything and is open to different ideas.

The Top 10 Questions Therapists Ask Me...#10

This is the last in a series of blog posts: The Top 10 Questions Therapists Ask Me.

#10: Why aren't my practice building efforts working?!

You’re putting in a lot of time trying to build your practice. Why isn’t it working? Here are the four main reasons your efforts may not be increasing your income:

You’re trying to do too many things, not doing anything consistently.

Every worthwhile practice building method requires consistent effort over time. For example, I’ve talked to therapists who claimed that networking doesn’t work because they had some coffee dates with colleagues and didn’t get referrals from those people within a few months. Networking successfully is about building real relationships over time with referral partners. It takes time and it takes follow through.

If you find yourself trying one approach, getting fed up and trying another, you’re slowing down your success. Pick a few solid approaches, and stick with them consistently. Don’t switch your approaches before they start working!

You aren’t giving people a clear sense of what is unique about you.

If you aren’t clear about what sets you apart from every other therapist out there, all of your practice building efforts will have a much smaller impact. When you know what is unique about you as a therapist and you communicate it clearly, your practice building efforts have a powerful motor. Everything you do, from networking to improving your website to public speaking is all working to easily draw your most ideal clients into your practice.

You aren’t comfortable with making money.

If there is part of you that feels uncomfortable with making a good living as a therapist, you probably won’t. Your money set point is the maximum amount of money you feel comfortable earning. It comes from many conscious and unconscious sources, including your family history around money and your political views. If your money set point is lower than your conscious goal, you’ll sabotage your success. Even when success is within reach, you’ll get in your own way.  

Your efforts are working, but you don’t realize it yet.

Let’s say you’ve been working consistently on practice building for several months, you’re not having any of the above problems, but your practice isn’t making you a good living. Take a look at what is happening in your practice right below the surface. Are you getting more calls than you were a few months ago? Are there more visitors to your website? Are more of your colleagues aware of your unique work? If any of these things are true, your practice may be right on the verge of a big increase. Stay with it!

 If you get stuck in your practice building efforts, don’t make the mistake of trying to do it alone. If this is the work you’re called to do, and you know you want to work for yourself, don’t give up and don’t let anyone talk you out of it. I’m here to help.   

The Top 10 Questions Therapists Ask Me...#9

This is part of a series of blog posts: The Top 10 Questions Therapists Ask Me.

#9: What numbers do I need to track in my practice?

Let’s talk about the numbers in your business. Are you glazing over? Feeling dread?  The numbers involved in your practice may bore you or stress you out. I can promise you that when you know these particular numbers, you’ll make better business decisions.

Track only what is necessary and let go of the rest, because your time is precious.  

Here I’ll tell you the 5 numbers you NEED to track in order to know what is going on in your business.

Why track at all?

Why not just do the work and let the numbers work themselves out? When you don’t track, you don’t know the true story of your business. On a good day you will feel that your business is doing well, and on a bad day you’ll feel that your business is failing. Tracking these numbers will help you step back, feel grounded, and see the real story. When you have the real story, you can adjust your strategy wisely.

So here are those 5 numbers:

Average number of sessions per month

Keep track of every single session you have, and you’ll be able to calculate this easily. The easiest way is using your appointment calendar. You may already be recording this without realizing it. Add these up at the end of the month and keep a record so you can calculate the average. Consider using a spreadsheet.

Average number of intakes per month

When you see a client for the first appointment (not counting a free consultation), note that in your calendar so that you know how many people are coming into your practice. Calculate this average over time.

Average fee

Write down the fee you charge for every single session, and you’ll be able to calculate this monthly. The easiest way is to record it in your appointment calendar, and then calculate at the end of the month on that spreadsheet.

Average number of Inquiries per month

These are the calls and emails that come in from potential clients. The easiest way to track this is using a spread sheet. On that spread sheet, have a column for each of these things: date they contacted you, name (You need to keep this spreadsheet in such a way that the identities of the people are totally protected), referral source (how they found you), and current status (playing phone tag? scheduled an appointment?). The headings will look like this:

Date, Name, Source, Status

You’ll know what practice building methods are working best,  and you’ll know for sure that no calls or emails are falling through the cracks.

Expenses per month

Track every practice expense. Consider using an online program to make this tracking easy. For a simple therapy practice, programs like mint work fine. When you know exactly what your practice costs to run, you know how much you need to earn just to pay those bills. You can also look at your expenses and cut out anything you’re not using. If you don’t track your expenses, you’re very likely to miss a bunch of deductions at tax time.

When you’ve been tracking those 5 things for a while:

You’ll see more clearly when your efforts are working. For example, if you’ve been working hard on marketing and your monthly income hasn’t gone up, take a look at your inquiries per month. If that number is going up, you’re probably going in the right direction and the impact hasn’t hit your bank account yet.

You’ll see what isn’t working. Let’s say you’ve been basing your projected income on how many sessions you THINK you have each month. If you discover you have a lower average number of appointments per month than you thought, you might adjust your schedule. Maybe you’ll discover that you need to have 20 openings in order to have an average of 15 sessions per week.

Next week I'll answer the question: Why aren't my practice building efforts working?!