Private Practice Marketing: 3 Secrets I Wish I Knew When I First Started Out

I don't know about you, but I am still waiting for my first class in graduate school about how to develop, market, and run a private practice.

I'm also still waiting for my father to have a discussion with me about the facts of life.

My wife and I have 2 kids, so I guess I figured it out for myself. Just like I had to figure out for myself how to market and build a practice.

So here are three secrets I wish I knew when I first started my practice.

Secret #1 - Grow Rich in a Niche

A niche is simply a narrow and specific area in which you want to specialize.

The opposite of having a niche is being a generalist. In the private practice therapist world, I call it "Death by ICF." Most therapists will tell you that they work with individuals, couples and families.

Well, who doesn't? Doesn't every one? If you say you work with individuals, couples, and families, who don't you work with?

Individuals, couples and families makes you sound like you are just a garden variety plain vanilla therapist. It tells potential clients nothing about what you do.

It makes no one say

"That's the person I want to talk to right away!"

Choose a niche in which you enjoy working. What really gives you a kick to do? What do other people marvel at you doing well?

Then make sure it is self replicating.

Recently I was talking with some friends at lunch and the subject came up about what would need to happen in the economy for each of us to continue to do well in our respective careers. I realized that all I really need to stay in business is for people to keep getting married and having kids.

#2 - Return your calls

I know it sounds so simple to do, but it's also so simple not to do.

I'm always stunned by the number of counselors that tell me about how many days old messages they have on their desk to return.

I have a rule that I will try my very best to return a call in the same day I received it.

Sometimes it gets a little stressful when I have 8 calls to return, five more clients to see, and a family that for some crazy reason wants me home at night.

Here's how I reframe it to help me handle it better: "I've worked very hard for a long time to get this many people to want to talk with the likes of me......."

#3 - Return new referral calls within two hours

I'm even more shocked by the number of clients that have told me that they were given 3 names, I was the first to call back, and one of the others took a week and the other one never returned their call.

Unbelievable.

At this point in my practice, as a result of these tips I am giving you, usually when a new client calls specifically and only for me, I still get back to them within a couple of hours.

As you are building your practice, many of your clients will be shopping around for a practioner.

Be the first one to call back.

Practice building mentor coach Jeff Herring, MS, LMFT is the President of BuildingYourIdealPractice.com, empowering private practice professionals to build, market and live the practice of their dreams. You are invited to subscribe to the free Getting Clients Newsletter and our free monthly Practice Building Tele-Seminar

---

Google News Updated : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:25:10 GMT Will Gustav prompt GOP to delay its convention? - Houston Chronicle Boston Globe Will Gustav prompt GOP to delay its convention? Houston Chronicle - 34 minutes ago By PEGGY FIKAC Copyright 2008 San Antonio Express-News AUSTIN - A Republican National Convention spokeswoman left open the possibility today that the Minnesota gathering set to nominate US Sen. John McCain could be delayed if Gustav hits the Gulf Coast ... Video: Gustav Strengthens, New Orleans Braces AssociatedPress New Orleans asks: Will the rebuilt levees hold? The Associated Press Financial Times - Bloomberg - MSNBC - BusinessWeek all 3,311 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:50:50 GMT Salmonella Outbreak Ends With Questions - New York Times New York Times Salmonella Outbreak Ends With Questions New York Times - 3 hours ago By Mike Nizza The United States government’s response to the Salmonella outbreak has emerged in a series of utterly frank briefings, so it was fitting that officials wrote the last chapter with a hint of uncertainty. CDC: Salmonella outbreak appears to be over CNN CDC: Salmonella outbreak appears to be over The Associated Press International Herald Tribune - eFluxMedia - Seattle Post Intelligencer - CIDRAP all 526 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:03:08 GMT A blogger takes office in Malaysia - Christian Science Monitor BBC News A blogger takes office in Malaysia Christian Science Monitor - 6 hours ago Five years of blogging has brought Jeff Ooi a measure of notoriety. His biting posts on Malaysian politics sparked police investigations. Anwar Makes Victorious Return to Malaysian Parliament Voice of America Anwar, back in Malaysia parliament, stages walkout The Associated Press AFP - Inquirer.net - TIME - BBC News all 1,421 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:45:52 GMT Giambi delivers game-winner for Yanks - MLB.com Washington Post Giambi delivers game-winner for Yanks MLB.com - 3 hours ago By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com NEW YORK -- Jason Giambi's game-winning single to center field in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Yankees over the Red Sox, 3-2, on Thursday salvaging the finale of the last regular-season series between the storied ... Giambi and Yanks avoid sweep by Red Sox Sports Network Giambi's Heroics Lift Yankees In Finale Hartford Courant New York Times - The Associated Press - International Herald Tribune - The Republican - MassLive.com all 1,077 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:52:53 GMT Aaron Sorkin Signs Up for Facebook - Zap2it.com Times Online Aaron Sorkin Signs Up for Facebook Zap2it.com - 8 hours ago Sorkin is in negotiations to write an untitled film project about the creation and expansion of the popular social networking site Facebook. Coming soon: 'Facebook: The Movie'? Los Angeles Times 'West Wing' creator may be writing movie about Facebook Computerworld Christian Science Monitor - Reuters - eFluxMedia - BBC News all 126 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:18:21 GMT Garden Grove man dies after West Nile infection - Los Angeles Times ChattahBox Garden Grove man dies after West Nile infection Los Angeles Times - 2 hours ago By Stuart Pfeifer, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer A Garden Grove man has died from after being infected with West Nile virus, the second death in Orange County from the mosquito-transmitted disease this month, the Health Care Agency disclosed today. West Nile virus causes 2nd death in California San Jose Mercury News West NIle mosquitoes found in Tinley Park Chicago Sun-Times Amherst Bulletin - KEYT - Denver Post - Newsday all 454 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:38:44 GMT Death toll climbs as Gustav barrels through Caribbean - AFP AFP Death toll climbs as Gustav barrels through Caribbean AFP - 54 minutes ago KINGSTON (AFP) - Tropical Storm Gustav battered Jamaica Thursday as the death toll climbed to 51 in Haiti, two days after the storm raked across the impoverished nation at hurricane strength. Video: New Orleans Watching Gustav's Path AssociatedPress UPDATE 3-Gustav threatens Jamaica, new storm in Atlantic Reuters The Times-Picayune - NOLA.com - WSAV-TV - BBC News - WJTV all 5,341 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:30:35 GMT RSS to Blog RSS For Web Pages

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Global Market in the Cyber world?Go and Get It !

With the Internet opening up the doorway to the global... Read More

The Role of Marketing for Boards of Directors

Small and emerging companies often do not put together a... Read More

Mortgage Marketing to Realtors ? Creating a Memorable Positioning Statement

Mortgage marketing to Realtors involves having a crystal clear position... Read More

How to Run a Successful News Release Program

Marketing public relations gives you cost effective ways to reach... Read More

How to Use Marketing Judo to Beat Big Competitors

If yours is a small business and you have big... Read More

Loan Officer Marketing ? Why Realtors® Don?t Read Your Brochures

When you place brochures from every mortgage company side by... Read More

Mortgage Marketing - What Your Client Wants

Your business depends on the success of your marketing efforts.... Read More

The Art of the Business Card

Use a business card as a note pad for recording... Read More

Has the Free Report Had Its Day?

For years now we have been inundated with offers of... Read More

Creating Customer Value

The purpose of business is to create and retain a... Read More

The Biggest Needle In The Haystack

Hello everyone! Have you ever been curious about something, and... Read More

Small Business Marketing Tip ? Putting the Customer First.

I am a great believer in the keeping to the... Read More

Creating Great Charts for Persuasive Trade Show Presentations

A well-designed chart can be one of the most persuasive... Read More

Moving a Business Relationship from Free to Fee: Power of Freebies - Part 2

In the last issue we looked at 5 reasons why... Read More

Use The Neglected Weapons In Your Marketing Arsenal

Business marketers have a lot of weapons in their arsenals... Read More

Cook Up Something Special: How To Create A WOW Experience For Your Clients

My niece recently graduated from high school, and my family... Read More

Networking, iNetworking, What Is The First Rule?

Networking on the Internet is the same as networking in... Read More

Inform vs. Excite

excite v. 1 a: to call to activity b: to... Read More

9 Highly Effective Marketing Tips

Here are 9 low-cost but highly effective marketing tips to... Read More

Mailing Lists ? Keeping it Simple

The right direct mailing list targets people who want your... Read More

Maximize Your Lead Generation Efforts by Recycling Your Leads

The basic lead generation process is pretty much the same... Read More

Consider Consumer Psychology

In your marketing efforts, be they on or offline, it's... Read More

Wooing Women With Packaging

In just one month three California vineyards have introduced new... Read More

What You MUST Understand About Your Web Numbers

Two years ago, when I first started selling online, I... Read More

Are You Sabotaging Your Marketing Success?

What?!? Sabotage your own success? Who would do that? Well,... Read More