…And Then There Was The Accountant Who Spun Plates!


In most professions you get the generalists and the specialists. In medicine you have the GPs and the Consultants. In Law you have the Conveyancers and the Criminal Lawyers. You have the local dentist who does fillings and polishing, and you have the orthodontist. In counselling and therapy too, we have those who specialise in one field such as addiction,or adolescents, and those who can turn their hand to many issues.

Plates Spinning on Sticks
Plates Spinning on Sticks


If you are a specialist, you can market yourself as an expert in that field and become known for your niche. But what if you are a generalist?
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASome years ago, when I worked in the accountancy profession, I came across a guy who had this problem. Let’s call him John. According to himself, John was the stereotypical accountant. In his own words, he had little personality, no distinguishing characteristics, he looked grey, he wore grey, and he worked in a grey industrial town, full of accountants just like him. He was a generalist. His work was in the main standard compliance work, he prepared and submitted accounts and tax returns for his clients.
John struggled to find a way to get new work, because no-one remembered him. After years of earning a mediocre living, he decided to do something about this. He learned to spin plates. That’s right, just like one of those guys at street carnivals, first cousins of the fellows who eat fire and juggle swords. He learned to spin plates, and then he taught all his clients who wanted to learn, for free. He became the talk of the town. His clients told their friends, and when their friends were looking for an accountant guess who’s name came to mind…that’s right! I have no idea how good an accountant he was, but he had all the work he could handle and then some.
I know John was telling the truth, because I heard his story at a conference, and while he was telling it, he was spinning twenty dinner plates on sticks at the same time!
The moral of this is that we need something to distinguish us from the crowd. I’m not suggesting that therapists need to learn parlour tricks to teach their clients in order to get work, but the principle is sound. If you don’t have a niche, you need something that people can remember you for. How does a potential client distinguish you from any other therapist in your area?

If you would like to talk about any aspect of starting or running a therapy or counselling practice please click here: Contact Us. Or perhaps you’d like to attend one of our workshops with IAHIP: The Therapist as Business Owner or Starting a Practice.