Clients - What They Want from You

A growing number of individuals are finding themselves called to help others and go on to fulfil this call by training to become a practitioner in one of the healing arts.

The range of conventional, traditional, holistic, complementary and alternative therapies is extensive with new thoughts on old themes being introduced almost daily. In some ways, the professional training undertaken to practice the therapy or therapies you have chosen, is the simple bit. Yes, I know there are lots of hours spent studying, lots of time dedicated to practical work, lots of supervision and lots of examinations but believe me, this was relatively easy to complete because there was some passion behind your purpose.

The fun starts when you hang up your sign and open for business. Some enlightened Professional Institutions are now including modules on practice management in their curriculum, which is a good thing. Many still don't. It doesn't matter how stunning your therapy skills are, if you have no clients to work with, your practice will not survive. You must learn how to manage cashflow, how to maximise your personal productivity, how to develop your client base and how, in due course, to appoint and manage staff.

Whether you are starting out on this path straight from school or college or whether this is a career change for you, know that practising any healing art is a wonderful offer to your community and your fellow man. I hope that my efforts to make the business side of practising your therapy "easy", will free your energy to do what you do best.

Remember that the success of any therapeutic intervention depends largely on the attitude of the therapist ? the client is greatly affected by your intention, attitude and expectation. Be impeccable, know what you are capable of achieving and always walk the talk. Set high standards for yourself, even when you are off-duty clients have expectations of you. A successful therapeutic practice depends on clients being willing to trust and refer. They will not do this if they see you doing your supermarket shopping or filling up the fuel tank of your car whilst wearing your whites. You know all of this but you will also find, if you haven't already, how easy it is to forget and lapse into easier habits!

There is nothing quite like working in your own business, calling the shots, making the decisions and knowing that the profit is all yours. There is also another side to being an entrepreneur which is carrying the risk, isolation, being the last to be paid, playing many roles some of which you feel ill-equipped to handle. I wonder, is it still sounding like such a good idea?

8 times out of 10, expertise in your field is not enough to ensure business success. In fact the more diligent you are in your technical work, the more pride you take in doing a good job, the more likely your business is to fail in the first year. In his book, "The E-Myth Revisited" Michael Gerber refers to people such as you as "The Technician". You have technical expertise in your chosen field. Every business needs technicians but problems can and often do arise when the technician gets his hand on the tiller and ends up steering the ship.

Successful businesses exchange value to customers for money. Part of this is doing a good job but there are other aspects to supplying value to clients:

The trading experience ? is it easy, pleasurable and consistent?

Follow up service ? is there any?

Product/Service ? is it what your clients want, when they want it and how they want it?

Yes, I know the technical expert within you is arguing with me as you read this. Yes, I know that receiving a wonderful treatment is important to your clients but it is only one ingredient in the recipe which produces a successful Private Practice.

Donnie Harrison is a Coach and Business mentor who specialises in working with clients who are setting up or building a Professional Private Practice, particularly in the healthcare sector - be it traditional, complementary or alternative. Further information from http://donnieharrison.com

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Google News Updated : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:50:43 GMT Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' - Bloomberg Ottawa Citizen Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' Bloomberg - 7 hours ago By John Brinsley and Rebecca Christie Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson indicated that pumping government funds into banks is a priority and said financial markets will remain volatile. US to buy shares in struggling banks Los Angeles Times Obama welcomes Paulson plan to buy equity in firms Reuters MarketWatch - International Herald Tribune - Bizjournals.com - Washington Post all 2,114 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:21:05 GMT McCain calms supporters, urges respect for Obama - Los Angeles Times The Associated Press McCain calms supporters, urges respect for Obama Los Angeles Times - 2 hours ago 'NO MA'AM': Sen. John McCain takes a question from a supporter who called Democratic rival Barack Obama an Arab at a town hall meeting in Lakeville, Minn. McCain-Palin's hot rhetoric risks GOP backlash San Francisco Chronicle McCain Lauds and Attacks Obama in Same Day New York Times Boston Globe - Washington Post - Minneapolis Star Tribune - Reuters all 460 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:04:20 GMT Thai protest leaders released on bail, vow new rallies - AFP GulfNews Thai protest leaders released on bail, vow new rallies AFP - 20 hours ago BANGKOK (AFP) - Leaders of Thai anti-government protests were granted bail Friday after surrendering to police and immediately vowed new rallies, raising fears of mounting turmoil days after deadly street clashes. Video: Raw Video: Tear Gas Fired at Thai Protestors AssociatedPress PAD leaders surrender to Thailand police United Press International The Associated Press - Washington Post - New York Times - International Herald Tribune all 2,495 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:31:03 GMT Mugabe Hands Ministries to His Party - New York Times Voice of America Mugabe Hands Ministries to His Party New York Times - 52 minutes ago By CELIA DUGGER JOHANNESBURG - In a step likely to lead to the collapse of a painstakingly negotiated power-sharing deal, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, in office for 28 years, has unilaterally declared that his party will retain the most powerful ... Mugabe 'gives Zanu-PF key posts' BBC News Zimbabwe's Mugabe hands key ministries to his party Reuters United Press International - AFP - Aljazeera.net - The Associated Press all 1,687 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:57:49 GMT Palin violated ethics law, inquiry concludes - International Herald Tribune Washington Post Palin violated ethics law, inquiry concludes International Herald Tribune - 1 hour ago By Serge F. Kovaleski NEW YORK: Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, abused her powers as governor of Alaska by pressuring subordinates to try to get her former brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired, according to an investigation ... Palin ethics lapse cited Los Angeles Times Alaska probe finds Palin 'abused her power' Indian Express Baltimore Sun - Boston Globe - New York Times - Reuters all 4,043 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:58:28 GMT Stevens's Reputation 'Sterling,' Powell Says - Washington Post Washington Post Stevens's Reputation 'Sterling,' Powell Says Washington Post - 8 hours ago By Del Quentin Wilber Former secretary of state Colin L. Powell told jurors in the corruption trial of Sen. Ted Stevens yesterday that the powerful Alaska Republican had a "sterling" reputation among the nation's military and political leaders. Reporter's Notebook: Powell Takes the Stand for Stevens FOXNews Powell says Sen. Stevens' integrity "sterling" Reuters CNN - Kansas City infoZine - The Miami Herald - ABC News all 2,865 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:13:53 GMT Morgan Stanley, Goldman May Gain Investment From US Treasury - Bloomberg Wall Street Journal Blogs Morgan Stanley, Goldman May Gain Investment From US Treasury Bloomberg - 7 hours ago By Christine Harper Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the biggest independent US investment banks, may reap cash infusions as part of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan to buy stakes in financial institutions, ... As Stock Falls, Morgan Looks to Japanese Bank New York Times Morgan Stanley hangs on Mitsubishi's $9bn pledge guardian.co.uk Forbes - New York Post - New York Times Blogs - Barron's all 895 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:30:39 GMT RSS to HTML Increase Search Engine Traffic

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