Establishing a steady stream of referrals that brings you more clients than you can imagine is a goal for most mental health professionals in private practice. This series will take you on a road trip; the purpose of which is to give you a whole new perspective and purpose when it comes to marketing your practice. Each message builds on the last. Learn what it takes to build your business and feel good about how you do it.
This is day seven of a 10-day series of messages created just for you. Today, we’ll continue our journey from Point A (not enough referrals) to Point B (a strong referral network). Today — let’s be sure that they hear what you say and read what you write…
Day 7: Give them something that grabs their attention
Whenever you are using the 6 Core Strategies (Michael Port) to promote your practice there is a rule of thumb that will determine how attractive your efforts might be.
The 80/20 rule is something that you’ve probably heard with regard to other things. When you use it in the context of gaining awareness for your private practice, the rule is designed to remind you that the content of any message you send (in any form) should be at least 80% about the client/customer (referral source) and no more than 20% about you.
Thant means that 80% of what you put on your website, in your brochures and flyers, on your business cards, etc. should highlight the benefits to your target. Sure you can (and probably need to) tell folks about the features of your practice or about what you’ve accomplished in your career — just limit it to no more than 20% of what you create.
When you talk about you and your practice, be mindful to word things in a way that puts across your message in terms of the benefits to the consumer. For example:
Not this…
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Try this…
In 6 weeks, you will learn how to better manage your stress using “mindfulness skills”. These skills will teach you how to view your stress in a way that minimizes its harmful effects, and allows you to focus more on productive and fulfilling areas of your life. Your instructor, Jack Smith LPC, is a licensed, certified counselor with expertise in mindfulness.
Use the 80/20 rule when creating your web pages and marketing materials. Your potential clients do need to know that you are a professional, but the really WANT to know what you can do for them. You want to serve, and they need you — what a great combination… Work it!
