What do YOU say when someone asks you about your private practice?
How do you describe what you do and how you do it?
For some reason, this is a real “sticking point” for many business owners — including private practitioners (I know — I’ve been there too!).
Many cop out to say “I have a general practice”. PERIOD — END OF STORY!! Why the heck would I ever remember you or even ask you more if that was your response to my question: “What kind of practice do you have?”
Worse than that (although you do earn more points for at least trying) is the response that involves: your eyes dropping to the floor; your voice shifting to a whisper; and you sputtering a few syllables that aren’t quite words you’d find in the dictionary.
Why oh why is it so difficult to succinctly, clearly, and confidently tell the world about who you are and what you do? Here are a few of my hypotheses:
- You don’t yet have a solid niche in which you’ve invested your blood sweat and tears
- You don’t feel confident that your niche and/or your practice are valuable to others
- You’re shy when it comes to talking about you and what you stand for
- You’re still a bit confused about the difference between marketing and manipulation, and that makes you uncomfortable
Whatever your reason, NOW is the time to get over it. You MUST find a way to talk about what you do in a way that will make folks want to ask questions and raise their hands.
Here’s a tip that might give you the nudge and direction you need to get “unstuck”:
Think about what you’d like to hear people say to others, when they are describing what you do.
Go ahead… pretend you are a fly on the wall and someone has just asked one of your clients/relatives/friends about your business. What do you want to hear them say?
Now… it’s up to YOU to take it from there. You can do this!!!
