You Need a Plan!


Do you have a plan for marketing your therapy or counselling practice?

I’ve noticed talking to newly qualified therapists, that few have received training in relation to marketing or promoting their practice. As a result, many arrive at the end of the training process with no idea what to do next, or how to go about getting the clients they’d like to have.plan

It doesn’t happen by accident.

Therapists who grow a thriving practice don’t materialise the work out of fresh air. They consciously decide what they want, how they’re going to go about it, and they go out to do what they’ve planned. If that doesn’t work, they do something else.

So if you’re in a position where you haven’t yet got the practice you’d like, maybe it’s time you had a look at your plan. So take a piece of paper now while you’re reading this, and jot down a few ideas, and later, put some time aside to create a plan for your practice.

What sort of practice would you like?
This is the starting place. If you could wave a magic wand and instantly materialise the practice of your dreams how would it look? How many clients would you have? What issues or characteristics would they have? How much would you be charging? Any special requests (for example, day time clients, clients open to change)?

Photo no (13)What sort of products or services will you be providing to them?
Many therapists never think about this question, assuming that because the norm is to do weekly therapy for 50 minutes or an hour, then that’s what you’ll do. Maybe that doesn’t suit you, or maybe, in addition to weekly and hourly, you’d like to offer 1.5 hour sessions for particular types of work, or for fortnightly clients? Maybe you’d like to offer a block of sessions? Or work over the phone, skype or on email? Maybe you would like to see people in their homes, rather than have your own rooms? Do you provide services other than therapy, for example supervision, or mindfulness?

How would you like prospective clients to see you?
In order to differentiate yourself from others, you need to have an idea of how you’d like to be seen. I’m not talking about creating a persona here, but deciding which aspects of you or your practice you’d like to highlight. Do you want to be seen as an expert in a particular field? Would you like to be known for working in a particular approach? Would you like to highlight some aspect of your background that may be relevant to the clients you want to attract?

How do you plan to promote your services to your ideal clients?
There are many ways to put yourself out there. What appeals to you, and what is most likely to bring your services to the attention of those who you want to work with? Again, this is area you need to think through quite carefully. Are you going to aim directly towards those who are likely to be your clients, or are you going to aim for people who can refer clients to you, or maybe both? If you go for some sort of printed promotional material, business cards, flyers, brochures etc, you need to consider what you’re going to do with them. How are your prospective clients or referrers going to come across your card/brochure/flyer? You can adopt the broad spectrum approach (distribute as many pieces of paper as you can to every possible outlet, hoping that some will reach the desired clients) or you can focus your attentions more closely on those clients you would like, and direct your efforts to where they’re likely to be.

How are you going to measure how you’re doing?
Many people find it hard to be disciplined when there’s no accountability. If you’re one of these, set yourself a goal, either in terms of the actions you’re going to take, or the results you’d like to achieve. Think about finding an accountability buddy to work with, someone to whom you tell your plans, and who will prod you into taking action. Don’t forget to make your goals achievable. A little win is more likely to encourage you to continue than a huge goal that doesn’t happen and brings disappointment!
You’ll find it very satisfying when you see the results of your efforts.

If you are finding it hard to get your practice marketing into shape, I’d love to help you. Contact me here to make an appointment or to avail of your free 20 minute consultation.