Many of us get nervous when we think about trying to fill a practice with Private Pay clients. I hear it all of the time from my coaching students: “How am I going to get people to pay me cash, when they can use their insurance with another provider?”
Whenever I hear this question I can’t help but think of something I learned from Zig Ziglar. You’ve GOT TO KNOW what you are selling.
Let’s say, for example, you are charging $85 for a counseling session. What are you selling? What are you offering that is worth at least $85? Why does it make sense for someone to see you and pay cash, rather than use insurance elsewhere? That is…
What are you selling?
Your “value” is derived from a variety of things. Here are some of the top things that contribute to your “value”
- Your education, training, credentials, & experience
- Your reputation in the community
- as an expert
- as a skilled provider
- as a reliable clinician
- as an excellent referral source/good collaborator
- Your consistency in providing excellent service
- Your dedication to your work and your clients
- Your confidence in you and your abilities
Each day you make choices about where to put your time and efforts. Are the things you are choosing to do (with regularity) contributing to your “value”?
If so, you should have a laundry list of reasons why people should pay you rather than someone else. YOU can stop reading here 🙂
If not (let me guess)… are you getting lost in perfectionism (I can’t get it out there until it is perfect)? Are you allowing yourself to be distracted by things that are “safe” or “easy” but are NOT going to make you any money? Are you in the midst of “analysis paralysis”?
When you feel uncomfortable or awkward talking about Private Pay… Are you assuming for your clients that they cannot afford your services (if so, shame on you) or, are you simply shortchanging your own value?
Stop that!
One more note on this topic (and this is the piece I learned from Zig) — If you are charging $85 and you are worried about how you are going to get someone to spend $85, you might be missing something. If that person has a $35 co-pay when they use their insurance, then you are just looking to get them to spend $50. They’ve already decided to spend $35 — you just need to let them know why you are worth the extra 50 bucks!
Know your value…
You’ve GOT TO KNOW what you are selling.
