The Top 10 Questions Therapists Ask Me...#3

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

#3: How Do I Get More Clients?

I could give you a list of hundreds of practice building activities, but that would be overwhelming and unpleasant, so for today I’ll tell you only about the very fastest and most reliable way to get your phone ringing.

Nurture Your Relationships.

The most effective way to get more clients quickly is to reach out to people who already know you professionally and nurture those relationships. When you hear “networking”, you might picture going to networking events or reaching out to people you don’t already know. There’s a place for that in your practice building strategy, but it is a relatively small place. Why? Because going to a networking event to collect stack of business cards and hand out a stack will accomplish nothing.

First, make a list of every single person you know who might come in contact with your ideal clients. Write down the name and contact information of every single therapist you know. Write down the name of everyone else you know who might also refer your ideal clients. Use a spreadsheet if you already know how. Now set a realistic goal of how many people you can reach out to each week. Make a very thoughtful phone call followed by an email to that number of people.

I have a lot to share with you about how to reach out, but the summary is this:

Quality trumps quantity in your outreach. If you reach out in a generous and thoughtful way, with the intention of referring to the other person more than asking for referrals from them, they will be happy to talk to you. Over time, you can reach out to more people, and add those people to your list of relationships to nurture.

What if it doesn't work?

Many people struggle at some point with this method, even though it pretty much always works if you stick with it. If you are using the method I describe here and your phone doesn’t start ringing, there is something amiss in your approach. Maybe you’re not totally clear about your value as a therapist and that lack of clarity is coming across. Maybe you’re not actually following through consistently, only networking in fits and starts.

If you find yourself struggling, get support from a business coach to help you with your mindset, your approach, and your accountability.

You can start here: Take my free assessment to find out what might be getting in your way.

This networking approach will always be central to building and maintaining your practice. Over time, you will also develop your online presence and you’ll do lots of other things to build your practice. I’ll cover more of them in this blog series.

Next time I’ll answer question number 4: Do I need a niche?

The Top 10 Questions Therapists Ask Me...#2

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

#2: How Do I Decide What To Charge?

To figure that out, let's take a step back and look at your beliefs for a moment. We all have a lot of beliefs, some conscious, some unconscious, about money and fees. If you don't know what yours are, you can't make good decisions about your fees. Let me walk you through an exercise.

First ask yourself, what is a fee you think is way too high? This fee is too high because you think no one would want to pay it or it would be impossible to get yourself to ask for it out loud.

Now ask yourself what is a fee you think is way too low. Maybe you've charged this fee in the past. Working for this amount would make you feel resentful.

Your right fee for now is going to be somewhere between these 2 numbers. 

Now think about a number closer to the higher fee, and ask yourself this: 

What would be the worst thing that would happen if I charged this higher fee? (This will bring some of your beliefs to the surface).

List every fear that comes up, both realistic and possibly not so realistic. 

Now let's check out these fears. Here some common ones, and my replies.

1. If I charge a high fee, clients will have a hard time deciding to work with me. 

You may be very wrong. When looking at different therapists, most people aren't comparing fees to make their decision. They are talking to different therapists to get a sense of who they believe can help them. If you charge a high fee, some people will associate that with a higher quality of service. I know that association is not accurate or fair in many cases. Many therapists with waiting lists charge higher fees, so cost is clearly not the biggest factor.

2. If I raise my rates, my current clients will leave. 

You might be right. Some of your current clients might either leave or choose to decrease to every other week. This could be bad for you because you probably love working with these people, it might not be the right time clinically for them to terminate, and you also don't want to lose that income. Consider keeping your current clients at the same rate and significantly raising your fee for future clients only.  If you keep your current clients at the same fee, you might feel more able to raise your fee to where you really want it now, rather than deciding what you think your current clients can pay. You might raise your fee much higher than you would if you were anticipating going through an increase with every one of your current clients. Of course there may be times when you need to raise a current client's fee, especially if you work with that person for a very long time.

3. If I charge a high fee, I'll only get to work with wealthy people.

This is rigid thinking. If you are charging a higher fee, you can then set aside a few slots with a very low fee. You can offer a group workshop or an ongoing group that is more affordable in addition to your individual work. If it fits the way you work clinically, you can offer a brief model for clients who can't make a long term financial commitment. 

4. If I charge a high fee, I'll feel like a fraud.

You are in such good company! Most therapists making good money have felt this way. Most of our feelings and beliefs about what we should get paid come from our experiences before age 10. So much stuff comes up when we think about fees, including our identity issues around class, race, gender, and family history. Look inside at what is telling you that you're a fraud. Do you believe a therapist who charges a higher fee dresses a certain way, looks a certain way, or behaves a certain way that you don't? Do you believe your office doesn't look like the office of a therapist who charges a high fee? 

Once you've worked through some of the inner issues around value, look at the image you're putting out there and notice if there are ways you are undermining your value. For example, if you think your office is shabby, do something to spruce it up. If the photo on your website is a snapshot, get a professional photo. These things are an expression to others of your belief in your own value. 

What other fears come up when you think about charging a high fee? Examine them. 

Now look at that high fee again and see how it feels to consider asking for it. Your goal is not to charge the highest fee you possibly can, but to charge a fee you will feel really good about charging your next client for possibly a very long time. Your right fee will allow you to pay your bills while you work a reasonable number of hours, take time off, and pay for the support and consultation you need. 

I’ve got a free assessment you can take right now to find out how you're doing with your fee and 4 other important factors for building your practice. Click here to get started. 

Next time I'll answer question number 3: How do I get more clients? I'll see you back here next week. 

The Top 10 Questions Therapists Ask Me...#1

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

#1: Can I make good money as a therapist in private practice?

The short answer is yes. If this weren’t the answer, I wouldn’t want to be a business coach for therapists!

 I think when therapists ask this question, they are usually wondering a couple of things:

1. Are there clients out there who want to pay for therapy? and

2. Do I have what it takes to build a full practice?

I'll answer the first question first. Yes, there are clients out there who want your help. 

Many therapists have full practices and are turning clients away every day.

I know a lot of therapists with full practices who are making 6 figures. Yes, there are plenty of clients out there who want your help.  In the last two years, roughly 27% of adults in the U.S. have received mental health treatment. People in your city or town are looking for a therapist right now. They want to work with the right therapist for them, the person who will really understand them and offer hope and help. You would need a very small number of those people to work with you in order for you to run a full practice.

Now for the second question: Do I have what it takes to build a full practice?

You will need to do some inner and outer work to have a full practice. It is not about being a better therapist. If you are already helping people to find relief and to gain peace or fulfillment or better relationships, then you’re already doing the clinical work (although I know you’ll keep on working throughout your career on being a better and better therapist because that’s just how you are).

You need to be a better entrepreneur.

If that sentence makes you uncomfortable, it is probably because you haven’t been taught how to integrate being a good therapist with being a good business owner. In order to have a full and fulfilling practice, you will need to grow your entrepreneurial mindset and skill set in an authentic and ethical way.

Private practice is not for everyone,  but if working in private practice is your dream, then learning how to build it is worth it. You get the freedom to do your work the way you do it best, set your own schedule, choose your clients, and make a good living.

I’ve got a free assessment you can take right now to find out where you are now and what you need to do to have the practice you want. Click here to get started. 

Next time I'll answer question number 2: How do I decide what to charge? I'll see you back here next week. 

Trying and trying?

When you're building your business, there are 2 major steps, one focused inward, the other focused out. The first step clarifying your vision. Before you act, you have to know who you are as a therapist, and who you most want to serve. Getting clear on this vision and purpose will help you with every business decision you'll have to make. With a clear vision, you can create a great strategy and then...The next major step is about taking action. With your clear vision, you get out there and start sharing your message, letting your potential clients and referral sources know who you are and what you have to offer. This includes creating or revamping your website, building relationships with colleagues, public speaking, and all of the other potential marketing activities you might choose. 

But these two steps are not only linear, rather they are a dance, a back and forth. Let's say your vision is clear, so you go into action mode: building your reputation, bringing in more clients, marketing yourself, revamping your website, going and going and going. At some point, after months or years of success with this, you start to feel less inspired. You're trying and trying with diminishing results and diminishing satisfaction. That just means it is time to go back to step one!

As soon as you start to feel burned out or uninspired, take a step back and reset your vision. You are always changing as a therapist. You're learning new skills, getting wiser and more seasoned. Every now and then you need to slow down and think about what inspires you NOW. Maybe you've learned a new method recently. Maybe a new set of issues feels compelling to you now. Develop a new vision based on all of your growth and new interests. 

Once you integrate all the ways you've changed as a therapist into your vision, your step two efforts will feel less effortful, and those marketing activities will once again be a natural outgrowth of the work you're here to do.  

How To Make a Good Decision

You're stuck on a business decision. You may be deciding whether to invest in additional training, pay for a service, raise your fees, move your office...There are so many decisions you may get stuck on. Maybe you are able to decide and then a day later you doubt yourself. Here's a way to get grounded and clear. Think about your bigger purpose. Think about why you are doing the work you do. Remember what your message is and what your unique gift is.

Now with all of that in mind, look at the decision again.

Will this choice bring you closer to your bigger purpose, or will it be a distraction? For example, if you move your office, will you be better able to serve those who need you? If you purchase that training, will it help you get even better at what you're here to do? Now you're asking the more important questions. And you'll know the right answer. 

What I Learned In a Tourist Trap

Whenever I have passed through pier 39 or walked past the line for the cable cars at Powell Street here in San Francisco, I have thought, “these tourists need to know about the more interesting parts of San Francisco. I should really tell them about my neighborhood and all of the other interesting spots they should visit instead of these tourist traps.” I’m an introvert, so I’ve never actually offered this unsolicited information. Today I walked by pier 39 on the way to a Ferry, and I looked up at the people’s faces. They were having a wonderful time! Almost to a person, they were smiling, chatting with their companions, and appeared to be enjoying the moment.

Not everyone is craving what I have to offer. That’s true about my advice to tourists, and as a business owner it is true about what I offer my clients. For my ideal clients, my services and my message are spot on. And there are people looking for something else. Not everyone is craving what YOU have to offer either.

Every customer or client or consumer is driven to get what he or she likes and need right now. It is your job to offer your unique gift to the people you understand best, and who are hungry for what you have to offer.  Let’s pretend you’re a spot in San Francisco. If you’re still reading this, you are probably not pier 39. You are more likely a small quirky café or bookstore frequented by locals as well as some tourists. What you offer isn’t appealing to everyone, but YOUR people love you. So don’t waste any energy conforming to what you think most people need, or trying to reach out to people who aren't looking for YOU. Focus your message towards the people walking around looking for you.

What Will Be Different When You Make It?

If you were as successful as you want to be, what would be different? Would you spend more time with your family? Would you feel more confident? Would setbacks feel less painful? Would you buy a nicer sweater?

I challenge myself to always think about what I fantasize will be different at the next level of success.

I’ll give you a small example. One thing I used to think was that once I “made it” I would have fresh flowers in my office. Flowers are a luxury, and I tend to be frugal. For me, fresh flowers are a symbol of frivolity but also of beauty and celebration. When I look at flowers I like, I feel joy. A while back my business coach challenged me to go ahead and get flowers now, and to replenish them every week for a month. I never stopped. I have a different arrangement every week, and the ritual of buying them and bringing them to my office makes me happy. Some of my clients love to look at them during sessions.

I challenge you to choose something that you fantasize you will have AFTER you get to the next level of success and give it to yourself NOW. I’m not suggesting doing things you can’t afford, but rather opening yourself up to what is possible right now.

Who Do You Listen To In Your Business?

I’ve never met a satisfied and successful business owner without a successful leader or mentor. I spoke with a colleague about this yesterday, and we were both trying to identify a single colleague who had become successful without a leader who was also successful. We are social creatures, and the input of those around us defines what we see as possible for ourselves. When you’re surrounded by people who are struggling, you can’t see another path.

This is the biggest reason I’m never without a coach. We each have self-limiting beliefs, and sometimes we don’t even see them. My coach helps me distinguish between valid concerns we should pay attention to and self-limiting beliefs that are really useless. She’s made her own dreams come true and she’s been successful in her businesses for longer than I have, so she can easily see my self-limiting beliefs and bat them away. My coach is also never without a coach. My coach has her own self-limiting beliefs, and she knows she’s got to be led in order to keep growing.

Any time you are going to do something new with your business, something that will bring you closer to being your full and bold self, expect some backlash. This backlash may be criticism from your peers who have not felt entitled to make their own bold moves, or it may come from inside. The bigger the move, the louder your inner saboteurs will become. These inner voices will shout out with fears and anxiety, reasons you can’t do it, and reasons you really shouldn’t try. At this time you need a leader. You’ve got to have someone ahead of you who can help you quiet those voices, someone who doesn’t take them seriously. You can do it, but no one can do it alone. 

What If Everyone Doesn't Like Me?

Marketing can feel exposing. I define marketing as creating and nurturing relationships to let the people who need you know that you're here to help them. To market effectively, you've got to be genuine, and allow people to see who you really are. It's hard to let go of wanting everyone to like you. I encourage my coaching clients to let go of the fear of repelling people. You've got to let the people who will love you know who you are. When you boldly step in to being you, YOUR people find you, and the people who don't love you walk away. When the people who aren't meant to work with you walk away, that's just making more room for your people.

Imagine you're going to a party, and you're planning to try to make everyone like you. Maybe you will do this by anticipating what every person would like you to say or how every person wants you to act. You'll have to wear something you think everyone will approve of. If there's a quality about you that stands out, you'll have to be careful to make sure everyone likes that quality or you'll have to tone it down. If you have a loud laugh, for example, you'll need to lower it a bit in case it bothers someone. If you love video games, you'll have to make sure every person approves of that before you mention it. Doesn't this sound like an awful way to spend your time? And if anyone at that party would have really liked YOU, they won't even know it. 

That is how most people approach marketing. So no wonder so many of you hate it. ​What if you were to step into every aspect of marketing with the faith that your people will recognize and love you? What if you knew that when you repelled people, they weren't meant to work with you? I encourage you to try these ideas on. From the moment you get dressed in the morning, to when you are talking to potential clients, to when you are talking to colleagues, to when you are writing copy for your website, look for every opportunity to be your unique self. I'd love to know how it goes.

Time Management: What Should I Do Now?

I keep hourglasses in my office, and I even wear one on a chain around my neck sometimes. I like to be reminded about how precious time is. You have so much to do in your business! Marketing is just one part of running your business. How do you decide what to do with that small amount of marketing time? It is easy to feel unfocused and overwhelmed. Ask yourself a few questions to help you see what to dedicate your time to. ​

1. Where did I get my last few clients?​

This is a clue to what is working. If you got your last few clients from colleagues, spend some time nurturing those relationships and building relationships with similar colleagues in your circle. See my last post "Networking=Nurturing Your Relationships." 

2. What can I follow through with?​

Do a few things well and consistently. You can spend a lot of hours trying to keep up with dozens of marketing activities and not have an impact with any of them. Contacting someone once, writing one article, dipping your toe into social media, or having a not really done website are all ways to spread yourself too thin. Identify a few things that you can do well and don't stop doing them. 

3. Am I using my marketing time to market?​

I define marketing as creating and nurturing relationships to let your ideal clients know you're here to serve them. Marketing is incredibly important and yet not urgent. Important things don't get done if we let the endless urgent ones get priority. When it's time to market, don't let anything else take over. ​

Align every marketing activity with your core values and let it always reflect your love of what you do. This will ensure that your marketing time is always moving you towards your ideal business.