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

---

Todays Definition of Marketing. Has It Changed?

With the continued proliferation of the Internet, the meaning of... Read More

Directional (Not Direct) Marketing

Those who believe the web is not a direct response... Read More

Marking Your Territory

We all know the familiar adage "if it walks like... Read More

5 Tips to Grow Your Business Globally

Entering into Global markets is a great way to organically... Read More

Encouraging Contact

The small time promoter has to work hard and on... Read More

Packaging Trends You Cannot Overlook (part #1):

1) People are buying in smaller quantities. Our busy lifestyle... Read More

Set Your Business Apart With A Unique Selling Proposition

Unless your company has absolutely no competition now or in... Read More

Successful Marketing Through Seminars

One of the best ways for potential clients to find... Read More

When The Stars Align - Choosing the Right Entertainment

Savvy event producers follow the Golden Rule: know thy audience.... Read More

Educating Your Customers

One of the biggest marketing mistakes businesses make today is... Read More

Celebrity Product Placement: A Primer

With more and more companies wanting to integrate their products... Read More

Think Creatively While Reinventing Your Marketing and Selling -- Its For Your Survival!

We live in a world that for many has become... Read More

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

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

How To Recognize Your Niche Marketing Agenda

Starting a business, whether it's retail products or services, must... Read More

Postcard Direct Mail Marketing Tips And Ideas

Postcards are perhaps the least expensive way of reaching a... Read More

Massage Marketing Made Easy: A Simple Nine Step Marketing Plan for Therapists and Bodyworkers

Marketing is actually very simple. It involves telling people what... Read More

Know Thy Competition

BREAK FROM HO-HUM MARKETING ? IT'S TOO BORING! Once you... Read More

E-commerce : The Bottom of Pyramid Approach

For centuries and most of the decades in the 20th... Read More

Direct Mail Response Rate Boosters (12 tips and ideas)

1. Mail to a different list Your list is the... Read More

Marketing Hesitation Costs Dearly

Timing is everything. Hate to be late? The early bird... Read More

Burnout

Today I want to share a question from a reader... Read More

What You MUST Understand About Your Web Numbers

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

Business Marketing Strategy

The term business marketing strategy might sound like it is... Read More

Marketing Got You Stumped?

It's not unusual for entrepreneurs to find the whole idea... Read More

What IS the Difference Between Marketing and Sales?

There seems to be a never ending argument among marketing... Read More

A Forgotten Marketing Tool ? The Postcard

The postcard can be a very powerful marketing tool. Many... Read More

A Business In One Sentence

Marketing expert and author, Geoffrey Moore, has a useful fill-in-the-blank... Read More

4 Steps to Successful Offline Drawings

There are many different ways to market offline, each important... Read More

What Does Marketing Mean?

You can have the best little business ever with wonderful... Read More

Motivate Your Market Force

IntroWant me to tell you something on how you can... Read More

Contrarian Marketing at Benettons

Perhaps, with apologies to Dale Carnegie, we should call this... Read More

Are You Marketing Backwards?

Marketing is like rowing a boat. When you know how... Read More

Five Steps to Partnering with Companies to Build Your Client Base

Wouldn't you love a simple formula for easily growing your... Read More