Marketing Your Private Practice - Part II

C.J. Hayden, in her book “Get Clients Now!,” outlines the six basic methods you can use to market yourself:

– Direct contact and followup. Look at who has referred to you in the past. Call and ask if you can take them to lunch to thank them and learn more about how you can help the people they know.

– Networking and Referral Building. If you specialize in infertility counseling, for example, you should get to know a couple of different audiences. The first is infertility docs. They are going to be your number one source of referrals, likely. The second is OB-GYNs in general, with general practice physicians coming in after that. You’ll want to find out if there are any local chapters of support groups, like RESOLVE. You might also want to connect with local pastors or ministers, who might work with parents who lost a child during birth, or before. Send them a letter and business card and then call to follow-up.

– Public Speaking. Look for opportunities to speak and educate prospective clients — which also increases your visibility with referral sources. Or, look for opportunities to speak to groups of your referral sources. Every therapist in the state has numerous opportunities to speak at professional association meetings. Whether you’re speaking to the public or peers, make sure you create a handout with your contact information; have plenty of business cards on hand; and have a drawing or sign-up sheet so you can collect people’s contact information.

– Writing and Publicity. Article writing is another way to increase your visibility. You can write articles to publish on your website, your blog, or for publication in newsletters — for example, association newsletters, or group newsletters. If your area has chapters of national organizations, like CHADD, they are always looking for content.

– Promotional Events. Consider hosting a luncheon for a group practice of physicians. These types of events aren’t limited to pharmaceutical reps. Call the local practice and ask if you can bring in lunch and introduce yourself. Or participate in local community events, like health fairs or outreach events. You can host events for prospective clients or referral sources, or both.

– Advertising. Finally, there’s advertising. This encompasses everything from newspaper and magazine ads to Yellow Pages, direct mail, and much, much more. Advertising won’t get you the results that some of your other efforts will, but it can help increase your visibility and name recognition.

More in Part Three.

What IS Brand You?

As I talk about in my e-book, "Therapist's Guide to Branding Yourself Online," as a therapist, you probably already have a brand, you just don't know what it is.

To have a strong brand, you must be clear about who you are and who you are not. A successful brand as a therapist must be authentic -- it must reflect your unique personal attributes or qualities.

To cultivate the brand that will help you reach your goals, you must understand and be able to articulate and communicate what makes you exceptional and compelling.

In talking with many therapists, however, they have a hard time with this!

You may think that by articulating a specific niche area you work with that you will only be able to work with clients with this issue or presenting problem. On the contrary! If you are known as a specialist, you are more likely to get general referrals -- simply because your name is more well known.

If you are interested in learning more about branding yourself and marketing your private practice online, purchase the 20-page e-book.

You'll learn:

• Whether or not you are "digitally distinct" (page 3)
• 11 questions to help you identify what makes you unique as a therapist (page 4)
• Five things you must consider when writing your online profile (page 7)
• Strategies to attract your "ideal" client (page 8)
• Specific tips for writing an online profile (page 11)
• How to turn visitors to your online bio/profile into clients (page 14)
• What one thing can attract 50-70 percent more inquiries to your profile (page 15)
• How to drive prospects to your online presence (page 16)

The Importance of Clarity

Therapists too often communicate in jargon and processes. Instead of talking about how a client can benefit from therapy, they talk about doing the therapy itself.

I recently experienced this when researching inpatient rehabilitation options for a family member who had suffered a stroke. I received a packet of materials describing one particular program. Some of it was good; much of it was bad. (The description -- not the program!!)

The worst was a chart called "Admitted Diagnoses." The colorful bar codes showed statistics for 2007, 2008, and 2009 ... but the description of what was being measured was lacking.

Some diagnoses were clear: "Ortho," and "Neuro," for example. I even figured out "TBI" (traumatic brain injury). But what is "CVA"? (I later found this to mean a Cerebral Vascular Accident -- like a stroke), but I still don't know what a diagnosis of "Amp" or "MMT" is.

One page highlighted "Our Professionals" (and I quote:)

• Board Certified Physiatrists
• - 5 inpatient specializing in BI, CVA, SCI
• - 3 outpatient specializing in musculoskeletal

What? Huh?

Among the medical jargon and "process" talk were some gems of genuinely good information. In one brochure was this description:

Stroke Rehabilitation Program

When an individual experiences a stroke, the ability to function independently can be impaired. Through early rehabilitation intervention, the [name of facility]'s Stroke Rehabilitation Program helps patients regain their independence. Our specialized treatment team evaluates the needs of each patient and addresses the medical, physical, cognitive, linguistic, and psychosocial challenges they face. A goal-oriented treatment program is developed to recover physical, perceptual, and communication abilities to achieve optimal results.

Still a bit jargon-y and flowery ... but better.

This would have been even better:

Did you -- or a loved one -- suffer a stroke? Are you worried about whether you'll ever be back to "normal" again? About whether you will regain your independence? You're not alone. Many patients can achieve partial or full functioning through our early rehabilitation and intervention services. A team of professionals collaborates to ensure your medical, physical, cognitive, emotional, and other concerns are addressed. We'll set specific goals for your progress that are designed to help return you to a life of independence."

See the difference? The original phrasing is very "US" centered ... while the revised version is very "YOU" (or patient) centered.

-- For more on branding yourself as a therapist, purchase our special report, "The Therapist's Guide to Branding Yourself Online."

Tips for More Effective Therapist Websites

I'm often asked to critique therapist websites. Here are my general criteria to make your website more effective.

1. Each therapist should have a separate page on the site.

2. Articles are a great addition to a practice website, but they need to be

• Consistent (all PDFs or all links -- ideally, use links)
• Written by a therapist -- not just compiled information. Put YOUR name on it.
• Updated regularly. (Reference a current event in the article to make it relevant.)
• Listed alphabetically, or listed by category. Or, better yet, both.
• Error-free. (No typos!!)
• Internally linked. At the bottom of each article page, it should take you back to the individual therapist's page who wrote the article.

3. Individual therapist's pages should like to a "Contact Us" page. E-mail and phone numbers should be on each therapist's page. The practice phone number should be on every page of the site.

4. The site needs to be professional -- no broken links, no ugly pages.

Marketing Your Practice Online and Offline

As promised, here are the notes from my presentation on "Marketing Your Practice Online and Offline," at the APPT Fall Conference "Back to Basics" on Nov. 7.

• There is no secret formula or magic bullet to filling your private practice - the key to success is to select a few simple, effective tactics and do them consistently.
• These should be things that you are comfortable doing: newsletters, talks/workshops, writing articles, networking, articles, etc.
• In order to build your private practice, you need to cultivate relationships -- with prospective clients, new clients, referral sources, and influential individuals (this can be members of the media, insurance company representatives, and affiliates).
  

People do business with people they know, like, and trust.

Tell people what you do -- over and over again. And get your message to the same people over and over again -- because consistency creates familiarity.

Be sure you track how you are getting clients. Ask them how they heard about you.

In Ellie Fields' presentation in the morning, she mentioned that you can be a generalist, but should have something to hang your hat on -- something you are known for.

There is a five-step process to cultivate your brand identity.

You do NOT need a website, but you should have an online presence.

Call other practices (mystery shop) -- block your caller ID. Pretend to be a client seeking therapy services. Look at their websites. Google other therapists. Google yourself!

There is still a lot of value in printed pieces. Not all clients are technologically savvy -- nor are all therapists. Printed brochures are still very much widely used! And on-demand technology (print-on-demand, or color copying) lets you print as few or as many as you need.

DO put your website address (your domain name) on everything.

Do make sure your business card is a mini-brochure.
Free Samples - Business Cards, Return Address Labels, Rubber Stamp and Many More!





Your business identity is vital to creating your brand identity. A professionally designed logo will help you build visibility and credibility.




If you are thinking about going out on your own, get a dedicated business cell phone, domain name, and associated e-mail address. Then you can create your business card.

I'll share more marketing tips from my presentation in a future blog post!

Your Website

I probably get more questions about websites than about any other tactic for marketing your private practice. Therapists often ask me, "Do I need a website?" My answer is: "No."

Should you have an online presence? Yes ... but it doesn't have to be a website. You can have a simple profile online, contribute to online forums, write a blog ... even use Google's AdWords service to market yourself.

And even if you DO have a website, it doesn't have to be elaborate. It can be as simple as one page (although I recommend 3-5 pages, including sections for your Bio, Services, Articles/Resources, and Contact Information).

An easy way to get started is a paid profile service, like that offered by Psychology Today. For just $29.95 a month, you'll have your own web page online, and Psychology Today's The Therapy Directory service also promotes you online on major search engines and health websites. Watch the demo on their site to see how to set up your profile. (Use this link to receive a free listing for 90 days!)

Once your profile is online, register your own domain name, and "point" it to your profile.
Check if your domain is available, and register it now!

comnetorginfousnamebizcctvwsmobi

With an online presence already established, you can then work on developing your actual website ... starting with 2-3 pages initially and working your way up to a full-fledged site.

The cost of developing a "standard" private practice website can be as little as $400-$600. Contact us for more details.

Marketing Shouldn't Be Painful!

I often talk to therapists who are uncomfortable with marketing because they think they have to do things that they don't WANT to do in order to successfully market their practice.

That's not the case at all! There are so many marketing strategies out there that it is possible to pick a couple that won't cause you any anxiety at all. If you don't like public speaking, don't select "Giving workshops and seminars" as your marketing strategy of choice. (Instead, write articles or do a newsletter or send e-mails.)

If you're not tech-savvy, don't focus on e-newsletters and your website. There are plenty of ways to get the word out about yourself in the "offline" world. You can give talks or workshops, network, or use traditional publicity (radio, television, newspapers).

Five Steps to Developing Your Brand Identity as a Therapist

The first step in developing your brand identity is identifying what your identity is. What makes you unique as a therapist?

• Specific training or credentials
• Working with special populations (i.e., disabled individuals, geriatrics, individuals with addictions, middle-aged women)
  

Next, identify the target audience for this brand. Who needs your help? What is their gender? Age? Work status? Where do they live? What do they read/watch? What other professionals or companies serve these clients? (Schools, churches/clergy, physicians, other therapists, nonprofit organizations)

Cultivate a list of outcomes these clients can expect -- what are the results?

Develop your message: What do you want to say to your target client? What problems can you help solve for them?

Next, develop your messaging strategy -- how do you want to communicate with your prospective clients? (website, brochures, newsletters, articles, public speaking engagements, fact sheets, fliers, posters, banners, magazine ads?).

Finally, develop your "product" -- what services or product will you deliver them to generate revenue? These can include: individual sessions, groups, phone coaching, on-site consultation, tapes, books/booklets, etc.

These are the first steps to marketing your practice online and offline.

Don't Need Any New Clients?

Congratulations. You don't need to read this post.

For everyone else, you may already know that as soon as you stop seeing new clients, your practice begins to stagnate and die.

Even if you have clients who are committed for life -- things change. People move. People die. People are "cured" and no longer need your services. Natural attrition is reason enough for you to continually seek out new prospects for your services.

Your success as a private practitioner depends on five things. They are:

• Your ability to assess the needs of your clients.
• The ability to provide services that meet your clients' needs.
• Skill in communicating the benefit of your services.
• Providing follow-up to keep a loyal and satisfied clientele.
• Developing and maintaining a professional network as a referral and support system.

How are you doing in meeting your goals in all five of these areas?

Using Your Mailing List Effectively

Mailing lists are an excellent way to increase your referrals.

1. Build a mailing list of all past and present clients and referral sources. Also consider adding your suppliers (vendors) and members of the media.
   
2. Send a mailing to everyone on your list at least quarterly, whether it's a newsletter, copeis of news clippings or articles, announcements of TV or radio appearances, workshop or group notices, special offers, or just general information about your services.
3. Keep your mailing list up to date -- add the line "Address Correction Requested" below your return mailing address. You'll have to pay for the address correction notice you receive, but it's cheaper than undelivered mail.
4. Include a request for more information in all your mailings. This can be a simple box that asks "Want More Information About Our Services? Call 000-0000" or it can be as elaborate as a postage pre-paid postcard.

Interested in mailing to other mental health practitioners? Call APPT at 402-393-4600 on how to get a list of all licensed mental health practitioners in the state, or just those in our database.

Using Fact Sheets to Market Your Practice

Don't want to commit to a newsletter to market your practice? Consider using psychoeducational fact sheets to help clients and referral sources understand the scope of services you provide.

Once you have a relationship with a referral source, you need to keep in touch with them. One of the ways to stay in touch is by supplying them with useful and timely information.

Topics can include general interest items such as Depression, Manging Holiday Stress, Parenting Tips, or Overcoming Your Fears. Or you can target specific populations, such as "Coping with Infertility" or "Helping Teenagers Handle a Divorce."

Identify key audiences for your fact sheets -- for example, pediatricians, OB-GYNs, guidance counselors, family law attorneys, etc. (dpending on the topic). Pick a niche and then plan 4-6 fact sheets for that audience. A quarterly fact sheet is a good frequency to send materials. Less often, and your referral sources might forget you!

Here's some tips to get you started:

• Identify a potential audience of referral sources. Then brainstorm topics that would be most useful to that audience.
• Collect necessary research.
• Create a template for the fact sheet. Make it simple, straightforward, and easy-to-read. Use bullet points for emphasis, and avoid using too much jargon.
• Include lots of helpful tips -- your audience isn't just the referral sources -- you want them to pass the information along to their clients.
• Make sure to have someone edit the fact sheet before you send it out!