Earlier this month, I was asked to speak to a group of new professionals interning at Aurora Mental Health Center.  The topic was on why it’s important to join your state and national professional associations.  Just in case you are hesitating, here are 23 reasons that I believe you should join your professional associations today.

1. This is your number one career development tool.
2. This is how mental health professionals get things done.
3. Often there are special resources available to you.
4. This is where you go to learn how to be a professional.
5. This is how you stay informed about your profession’s standards of practice.
6. This is where you learn about professional trends and mandated changes in practice.
7. This is where you can build relationships and expand your network.
8. This is where you get continuing education at affordable prices via conferences, workshops, and forums.
9. Often those continuing education opportunities include a free breakfast, lunch or dinner.
10. This is how you protect and promote your own profession.
11. This is where you increase others awareness of your practice or your employer’s visibility in the community.
12. Student memberships are often reduced or no fee.
13. There are always opportunities here to give back to / build up your profession by your volunteer efforts within the organization.
14. There are often opportunities for community service.
15. This is where you go to stretch your own thinking and stay creative in your work.
16. This is where you learn what others in your profession are doing.
17. This is where you can easily establish yourself as a leader.
18. This organization may choose to sponsor your work, research, or workshop.
19. Many organizations offer members free listings and links on their websites.
20. This is who negotiates for the best and most affordable liability insurance.
21. This is where you get free advice on ethics issues.
22. Many organizations offer job placement services.
23. This will allow you to know other professionals to consult with and refer to (and vice versa) as your needs dictate.

I’m sure there are more benefits / reasons to join.  Can you tell me why you’ve joined your professional associations?

Tags: Ethics, Insurance, Relationships, Workshop

Are you one of those mental health professionals who is constantly coming up with great ideas for therapeutic products but has no idea how to get them developed?  If so, you may want to check out Courage To Change. This online and print catalogue is interested in your ideas for books, workbooks, and games  that address dealing with life challenges at any age.

If you have prior experience with this company or if you decide to pitch an idea to this company, I hope you’ll drop back in and let us know about your experience!

Tags: Pitch Your Idea, Products

If you market your services via the internet, television, radio, in print or face to face . . . even if you volunteer to man a booth for your community expo . . . you are engaging in direct marketing.  Ken McArthur has just posted new guidelines for direct marketing in the United States.  Tempted to put your head in the sand and ignore the guidelines?  Really??

"Apple Planet" by Jorge Elias

Here are some snippets from Ken’s post:

• Terms like “Free,” “Free Trial,” and “Risk Free” are to be avoided.
• So are potentially misleading offers.
• Don’t offer ‘false sense of urgency’ i.e. “Last Week to Purchase at This Price!” if the offer will continue.
• Endorsements must be honest and accurate depictions of likely use of your services / products.
• Affiliate marketing programs must make concerted effort to track participating marketers and minimize fraud.
• Opt-out procedures need to be written in 12 point font or larger.
• Pre-checked boxes are no longer allowed.
• Billing cycles are regulated.

Other issues addressed include Refund Policies, Up-Selling, Actual Descriptor of Merchants, Fulfillment of Transactions, and Requirements for Customer Service. Check out Ken’s full article, New Credit Card Merchant Account Guidelines for Direct Marketing.

With so much sleaze involved in marketing and online sales, I see this as a giant step in the right direction. What’s you opinion?

Tags: Best Practices, Direct Marketing

Last month I read a post by David P. Diana on the use of trigger points in marketing.

"IMG_2407" by pkdon50

Take a look at his post and then check back in here and let me know what trigger points you’ve found useful in building your practice.

Tags: trigger points

Are you juggling

25 great ideas in your head

all at once

and getting no where with any of them?

If so, my advice to you is to pick one and GO!

It’s easy to get stuck in the middle of gathering ideas, stirring them up and daydreaming about how perfect each one will be . . . and six months later finding that you haven’t moved forward on any of them!

One thing I’ve learned from my writer friends in Boulder Media Women is that if you want to write a book, you have to sit in a chair and write; and, if you want to implement a new project in your private practice, you need to put one foot in front of another to achieve that goal.

It doesn’t happen by itself.  And, it doesn’t happen if you are spread too thin by feeding all your great ideas at once.

Carve out time on a weekly basis dedicated to your one new project.

Block out the time on your calendar.

Set measurable goals for your work.

Develop the idea / product / project.

Finesse the details. (Need a focus group to help?)

Create a marketing plan.

Fill your seats / meet your goals.

Then you’re ready to pick (another) one . . . and GO!

Tags: Goals, Project, Spread Too Thin

I put off building my websites for at least five years simply because I didn’t know where to start.  Now that I have two, I thought it might be useful if I shared some of my thoughts to help you get your website started.  There are several things you need to consider before you even talk to a web designer.

Why Do You Want A Website? A good website will not be all things to all people.  Do you want it to build your credibility?  Do you want it to provide information? Is there another reason that you want a website?  Get clear about it and stay focused.

Who Is Your Target Audience? Be specific here because it matters.  The look and feel as well as the content of my counseling website is geared to women with a particular focus on complex trauma.  It’s not necessarily going to be attractive to servicemen or useful to parents of small children.  It’s not very focused on addictions or compulsive sexual behaviors.  Take the time to identify and speak directly to your targeted audience.

Why Will People Take Time To Visit Your Website? Are they looking for relief?  Entertainment?  Information?  Know why they will take time to visit your website and then use that information to meet their needs.

How Will People Find Your Website? Will they be looking for someone like you or will they be looking specifically for you? Your networking will both affect how and be affected by how others find you / your site.

What Are The Measurable Goals For Your Website? After being up for one year?  After five years?

Answering these five questions is critical to developing a good website.  Once you are able to answer them, you are ready to begin the next phase of developing your website.  Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll walk you through the next step!

Tags: Goals, Website

I’ve mentioned in the past that one of the ways that I keep my marketing  fresh is that I borrow ideas from other professions.

This morning I was reading Erika Trimble’s blog, Physical Therapy Biz Success, when I ran across a great little post on setting priorities. She recommends the A-B-C-D-E Method for setting better priorities.

A = Critical and Urgent

These are the things that if you put off, will cost you your practice.

• Professional licenses and certifications
• The rent for your office
• Your mental – physical – emotional – spiritual health
• Transportation to and from work
• A way for your clients to contact you
• Securing your client records (to protect confidentiality)

B = Important

These are the things that really need to be done but they are not critical.  If you don’t do them in the short term, there are only minor consequences.  However, if you put them off indefinitely, the cumulative effect can bump these into the A = Critical and Urgent category.

• Vacuuming the office
• Networking
• Emptying the trash can
• Cleaning the windows
• Upgrading your computer to the most current Windows settings

C = Nice to do

These include all the niceties and, often, fun-to-do’s that can so easily distract you from your business-building tasks.  They may be of added benefit to you or your clients but if they don’t get done, you don’t incur negative consequences.

• Sending birthday / holiday greetings to your clients
• Heating up the coffee / tea pot for your clients
• Lighting the candle in your office
• Writing a new blog post
• Facebook chats
• Returning friends phone calls

D = Delegate

If you don’t do it easily and well, you need to give serious thought to delegating or contracting to get the task accomplished.

• Designing artwork for your new project’s marketing campaign (unless you are artistically inclined)
• Writing the copy for your website
• Billing clients / insurance companies
• Janitorial / building maintenance services

E = Eliminate when possible

These are often acts of repetition or 100% time wasters.

• Surfing the Internet
• Creating handouts for your clients over and over again
• Explaining your policies for payment, no shows, and late arrivals
• Some correspondence including letters of introduction, marketing letters, and reminder letters

As you are gearing up for 2010, make sure you take some time to re-think your priorities.  Assign each of your to-do’s an A, B, C, D, or E using Erika’s method of prioritizing and then let me know what changes for you.

What is it that  you think is important . . . to attend to, to delegate, and to eliminate as you build your private practice?

Tags: Critical & Urgent, Delegate, Priorities

Before you even decide where you are going to locate your office,

"Mr. Zip, 1966" by Roadsidepictures

you need to conduct market research on possible locations. 

One way to begin that process is to learn about the demographics of different zip codes in your area.

Check out ZipSkinny to help you start your own market research because location matters.

Tags: Demographics, Location, Market Research, Office

Marketing and the Ethics of Advertising is a free 60 minute teleconference offered by CPH and Associates.  Take advantage of this free opportunity to learn.

Tags: Advertising, Free, Teleconference

Are you still marketing yourself as a generalist?

"Donald Roller Wilson" by Wonderlane

Do you pride yourself as a Jack or Jane of all trades i.e. “I work with everyone!” ?

If so, you are confusing what you do with how you market.  What you do and who you work with may very well include a large variety of issues and clients.  However, if you have too many empty time slots on your calendar, your generalist marketing may be your problem.

There was a time when marketing yourself as a generalist was the hallmark of a go-to therapist.  It was thought that she could do it all.  But things have changed and so should you.

• Today, clients want an “expert” and nicheing lends itself to the perception of expertise.
• Marketing yourself as a generalist makes you forgettable.  And, marketing yourself as someone who has a special interest in X, makes you memorable.
• Nicheing allows you to market your services in a more focused way.  That translates to less money, less wasted time, and more strategic contacts.

So the real question is . . . What’s keeping you from nicheing your practice TODAY?

Tags: Expertise, Generalist, Niche

According to Richard K. Harding, M.D.,

One does not escape war by leaving the war zone.”

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1057/751707089_c25111d1c8.jpg

And, here’s the reason why . . . .

From a business perspective, this is a potential niche for you.

Is anyone out there already working with veterans?  Care to comment?

Tags: Military, Niche, War

I just realized that many of you are asking about what’s happening in the 2009 Annual Series of Private Practice from the Inside Out and I haven’t been very good about letting you know.  Here’s what they’re saying after our last session . . . .

It was really good for me to look at my low confidence and speak it out loud.”

“Direct feedback on my business cards and brochures was the best part about our class today.  It took the concepts we had talked about and it made them practical, usable and real.”

“My energy and excitement continues to grow as we talk about (and as I write / journal about) building our practices.”

“I am encouraged and motivated to do get my business cards made . . . and to create the language I want to use for my business.”

If you are interested in joining me for the 2010 Annual Series of Private Practice from the Inside Out, drop me an email back channel and I’ll put you on my tickler list!

If you have been marketing to the educational community with little success, you may need to slow down and reassess your own educational history.  Your personal relationship with education may be getting in the way . . . .

Linda L. Lawless and G. Jean Wright suggest in their book, How to Get Referrals: The Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Strategic Marketing, that you ask the following questions when reviewing your educational history:

"Not My Hat!" by Alan Levine / cogdogblog

• Are there any teachers in your family? Are any family members employed by the school system?  What is their input to other family members regarding their work and the system?
• What has been the family response to their vocation?
• What educational levels have been attained by family members?  Did they attend public or private schools?  If private, was it religious or nonsectarian?
• What has been shared about their experience?  What was the quality of the experience?
• What has been your educational experience from kindergarten through graduate school?  Your siblings?  How do you rate it?
• Who were your favorite teachers?  Worst teachers?  In your experience and /or perceptions, what were the characteristics of each that made them “good” or “bad” teachers?  As you reflect on these relationships, what are you feeling now?
• What are your family’s belief systems, biases, prejudices, regarding education and the educational system (school taxes, the school board, election of board members)?
• Did any family members ever serve on the school board?
• What is your trust level of teachers?
• Do you have special training that would correlate with the experiences and needs of educational professionals?
• Do you have children in school?  If so, public or private?  How do you make decisions regarding your children’s education?

It is critical when marketing to the educational community that you feel comfortable and that they know that. Liberally share your unique school stories with other professionals in the educational community.  Use your unique experiences to help guide where you choose to enter the market.  If you attended a private or parochial school, consider focusing your energy on the same.

By taking the time to reflect on your own school experiences, you will increase your comfort and effectiveness in marketing to this community.

Related Posts

Another Strategy for Marketing to the Educational Community:
Collaborating with Your Competitors

Gathering Market Research on the Educational Community

Teachers Needs Vary and So Should Your Marketing Strategies

Tags: School, Stories

Casey Truffo has extended a generous offer to you on her website . . . . Until  9 pm Eastern / 6 pm Pacific on Sunday December 13th , Casey is inviting you to download her entire 300+ page book, Be a Wealthy Therapist, Make a Living While Making a Difference.  You can take advantage of her offer right here.

Tags: Free

I’ve been reading Louis Baraja’s book, Small Business, Big Life: 5 Steps to Creating a  Great Life with Your Own Small Business.  In it he lists the  22 Temptations of a Small Business Owner that entrepreneurs often fail to notice and then stumble over while building their businesses.

That list got me to thinking about the many ways that psychotherapists and allied health professionals get tripped up on the way to building their businesses so I decided to share my list of 22 things you say (with a nod t o Louis Baraja) before you even know your private practice is in trouble .

You Know Your Private
Practice is in Trouble When You Say . . . .

1. “I’ve always been ‘Dear Abbey’ with my friends so I might as well hang my shingle out and charge for it!” Just because you are good at something doesn’t mean that you should do it professionally.  And, even if you decide that you want to work in health care, you need to take time to consider the huge differences between working for yourself and working for someone else.  Those differences matter.
   
2. “I’m not really sure what I’m doing business-wise . . . but I have a client!” The vast majority of businesses that succeed start with a plan . . . not necessarily a Business Plan but they all have a plan.  By that I mean you need to have an understanding of how the business fits into the larger plan for your whole life . . . and how it contributes to that bigger life plan.
   
3. “I haven’t thought about how many hours I want to work or how much money I want to make this year . . . but I know I want to help people. When you enter into private practice especially in health care, you need to begin with the end in mind.  The end matters and will actually dictate the choices that you make along the way.  By keeping your values and your priorities at the forefront  (including how many hours you want to work and how much money you want to make), you will be better able to stay focused on the tasks necessary to achieve your ideal business.
   
4. “I don’t have regular business hours.  I work late into the night on my business” and eventually “I’ve burned out.” It’s easy when you’re getting started to over-commit and over-invest in your business.  What I know is that you cannot give what you do not have . . . good boundaries, balanced life, energy and focus, etc.  Self-care is critical especially at the start of a new practice or a new project.  Reinforce those habits now . . . at the beginning.  And, if you don’t have them, find a therapist or coach to help you put them in place.  Otherwise, you will not survive the demands of private practice.
   
5. “My preference is to hire and network with people just like me.” I know that you’re more comfortable with people just like you (Me, too!) but they won’t help you long term take your business to the next level.  Differences in skills, experiences, and even politics will be assets to you in many ways.  As long as the people you hire and network with can share your vision for your practice, their differences can serve you well.
   
6. “My business partner and I constantly struggle with the direction of the business.” If that’s true, then you’ve got too many leaders in the room.  In your practice, your vision is the one that needs to be the guiding force.  Be cautious and be clear about why you want to partner with someone.  Often it is a better choice to hire or consult with individuals (assuming they buy in to your vision) rather than bringing in an actual partner (who has a different / competing vision on his own).
   
7. “I am constantly reinventing the wheel.” Take the time to create systems and templates to streamline your work so that as your appointment book begins to fill in, you are able to efficiently delegate or complete your repetitive tasks.    
   
8. “I work with everything and everybody.” Don’t say it!  Stay focused on your ideal client and market to him or her.  Of course, you’ll work with others but target your message and your efforts to working only with your ideal client and withing your niche.
   
9. “I need to work harder at ___________.” [fill in your weakness] Successful entrepreneurs delegate or manage their weaknesses; they focus on their strengths.  In fact, Marlane Miller in her book, BrainStyles, says that by focusing on our weaknesses, we just build stronger weaknesses.
   
10. “I can’t spend money until I start making money.” Wrong!  Have faith in your calling and invest in your practice.  If you aren’t willing to invest in you, don’t expect anyone else to invest in your either!
    
11. “My friend needs a little extra income so I’m going to hire her to do my accounting.” Hire people because they are exquisitely qualified and not because they are your friend and you want to help someone out.  You are running a business, not a social service organization.
    
12. “I’m really good at flying by the seat of my pants so I’ll just deal with it when it comes up.” Not a good idea.  Take the time to create a plan . . . a blueprint for your practice and for your life.  Then, stick to it.
    
13. “I don’t need to hire anyone to do anything.  I can do it all myself!  (And, besides, I’ll save money doing it this way!) If this is what you’re thinking, then you have some control issues to deal with.  You cannot do everything well and if you cannot do it well, you need to find someone i.e hire someone else who will do it well. 
    
14. “I’ll hang my shingle out and the masses will come!” No.  They won’t.  What will get clients is a strategic plan and follow through.  Who are you going to talk to about your practice? Where are you going to publicize your practice?
    
15. “In order to open my private practice, I need all the bells and whistles . . . a white noise machine, new office furniture, a posh location, special software to keep my progress notes in, etc.” Not really.  What’s going to prepare you to open your private practice is you laying the foundation for name recognition, building trust in the community, and following through on your commitments.
    
16. “I will work with anyone who will pay me.” Another bad idea.  Work with your ideal clients.  It’s your calling.  Refer the others out.
    
17. “This is too hard so I quit.” Many therapists throw in the towel and quit too soon because they didn’t go get the info that they really needed – the business and marketing info that you didn’t get in graduate school.  Take the time to learn the info . . . take classes, read articles, interview other more seasoned therapists, hire a business coach.  Learn what you need to know in order to jump start your practice. 
    
18. “I’m doing great so I’m not going to ask for feedback.” When you’re doing great, is the perfect time to ask for feedback!  Learn what you are doing well so that you keep getting that feedback.
    
19. “I know everything there is to know about being in private practice” or “There are things I need to know but I’m not going to pay another professional to get that information because  I’m not worth it or I’ll figure it out.” Again, quit fooling yourself and go get the help / info that you need.  Hire a counselor or an attorney or a coach or whomever.  Don’t just delude yourself into failing.  It’s not necessary!
    
20. “I don’t know how to explain to clients why they should work with me.” That’s a really big problem.  Then you need help learning to articulate what gifts you bring to your practice.  Sign up for a class, hire a coach, work with a copywriter or wordsmith.  It’s one of the single most important things you can do to build your reputation in the community.
    
21. “What’s wrong with my clients?  They aren’t getting better.” Well, that’s definitely a problem . . .  and it’s a bigger problem for you than it is for your clients!  If your clients aren’t getting better, you need to change . . . start or stop doing something, learn something new, talk with a consultant, etc.  Whatever you do, don’t blame it on “resistent clients.” 
    
22. “I don’t need an exit strategy because I’m going to be in this business forever.” Even if you do plan to be in private practice forever, you still need make an exit plan.  It will help you focus on building your practice up . . . to promote, to sell, or to expand.

Have you tripped up on these already?  Or, do you have other red-flag statements to share?

Tags: Priorities, Strategic Plan, Strength, Systems, Vision