My e-friend, David P. Diana, was kind enough to send a copy of his new book to me.  I’ve only read one hundred pages into Marketing for the Mental Health Professional but already I can tell you that it is an excellent addition to your practice-building library.

As David notes in the preface, this is a book full of ” innovation, opportunity, and abundance.”  He is quick to remind you of what you already know . . . understanding human behavior . . . while teaching you what you may not know as well . . . the tools of marketing, business, and sales.

Here are some of the nuggets that I have already gleaned from David to help you grow your business:

• On making mental health relevant – Become “part of the conversation people are having both online and offline.  Offer helpful information.  Build awareness by sharing your expertise.  Reach out to others in ways that show you genuinely care about them.”
• When you are doing something right – ” . . . you are highly visible within the marketplace . . . ” and  ” . . . you are viewed as a valuable resource and partner, people begin to seek you out without any soliciting on your part.”
• To gain power and influence when networking – “Take some time to notice when you are rushing your speech and begin making an effort to slow down, relax, and confidently present your point.”
• Concerning the need to establish credibility – If you (or any other mental health professional) do not have “distinguishing characteristics or credentials, then why would someone choose that person when so many options are available?”
• About strategic use of your time and energy – “. . . shifting your time and energy in new and more productive ways can have such a powerful impact.”
• On the art of public speaking – “Try to identify two to three new concepts and ideas that you will feature in your presentation.  Your audience will buy you and your message if you are able to do so.”

• And, here’s a tip that I didn’t know – “When customers consider a particular set of choices (services or products), they tend to favor alternatives that are so-called compromise choices. These are choices that fall between what a person needs at a minimum, and what they could possibly spend and fully desire at a maximum.”(Thanks to David, I’m actively re-thinking my menu of services and ways to include more-than-the-minimum compromise choices.)

So have I peaked your interest in Marketing for the Mental Health Professional? If I’m learning from it, I’m betting you have some things to learn, too.  Run out and get the book.  Read it.  Apply it.  And, let me and David P. Diana know what is changing because of it!