Outreach and Marketing

Laurie Kolt, Ph.D.

Here are some questions to consider:

1. Who is the client?

Age, gender, interests, general issues and needs, statistics
Where will you find them?
What do they have in common?

2. What do they want or need...

To eliminate?
To gain?
To satisfy?

3. What will give them the courage to call if they are feeling lost or in pain?

What will give them the conviction to call if they are ready and eager to break through their personal barriers so they can find their mate?

Pull up your sleeves and get into the heart of what they are feeling. What are they dealing with? How can you convey a message of hope - or motivation to reach their goals - especially if you are not physically there when there get your message?

4.Who are natural referral sources?

Professionals
Groups & Organizations
Settings

5.Develop a detailed plan to reach them?

Use the annual marketing plan worksheet
Break your plan down into small steps on your
Project Planner
Record your results on your Weekly and Monthly
Summary Forms
Continue to review, troubleshoot and refine your plan
Enjoy the journey

6. Tips To Turn A Caller Into A Committed Client

When a potential client calls you, how many of them set an appointment, come in, and actually get committed to psychotherapy? If you are like most therapists, there are some that are ready and there are others that seem to be "just shopping."

There are things you can do to increase your opportunity to work with a new client and also prepare them for making it a very useful and life changing opportunity. Here are some tips:

Call them back as soon as possible. If you don't, they may have already found someone else.
View the call as an opportunity to develop critical rapport. It is only when they feel safe with you, feel heard by you and understood by you, that many clients will take the plunge and enter therapy.

Let them experience therapy with you. Find out what they are dealing with and strive to move them a bit from their position of pain, anger or despair, so they begin to feel a sense of hope. And when hope is experienced with a stranger over the phone, they will also experience a sense that they can trust you. It can certainly set the stage for good work good work to follow.

Prepare yourself for questions about money. If you are like most therapists, one of the reasons you entered the field is because you care about people and want to make a difference. And because of this, you may also feel a bit uncomfortable accepting your full fee. But in today's world, you have to get over those issues if you want to grow a practice that can support you.

Some callers will ask a few specific questions at the beginning of the call, such as what do you specialize in and what is your fee. Try to redirect the questions about money until you have more information. For example, you can say, "Let me learn a little about what you are dealing with so I can give you an idea about how I would work with you. I think I can respond to your questions more directly that way."

After they have a better idea about the value of your work, explain what an initial evaluation is, and how long it takes. Then they can see the value of the time and put the value of your fee into perspective.

Get them scheduled quickly. The longer they wait before they get in, the greater the chances that they will loose their commitment to come for one reason or another. If you schedule them within a day or even two after the call, the initial connection and positive experience over the phone can sustain them to follow through.

Have flexible hours and a convenient location with plenty of safe, free parking. You want to eliminate any perceived barrier to seeing you. If you have to, extend your regular office hours or days to see them for the first session.

Market research by the APA (1996) shows that the most positive perception the public has about us is that we:

1. educate and support people on how to deal with life changing events and
2. that we are understanding and caring people. If you can show them a sense of your approach in this way, you will increase your chances of turning a phone call into a client. Let go of the professional jargon with potential clients and reach out to them. It may be the best thing you ever did for them, and for your practice too.

DID YOU KNOW...

What Holds Practitioners Back?

What are the 5 most common things that hold a practitioner back?

Take a good look at the list and see if any of them fit you.

1. old habits
2. excuses
3. fear
4. lack of business skills
5. lack of vision.

DID YOU KNOW...

Many Therapists Report That It Is Hard To Get Mobilized:

Like a deer with huge, staring eyes, that is standing frozen in the middle of the road, the approaching car will kill your practice if you don't move fast. Fear, inertia or lack of direction may be stopping you. And they can also put your practice in danger of extinction.

When you have a client that is dealing with a major life transition, what do you do with them? You help them process the challenge so they can become empowered to move on. You get the deer to breathe again, move again, and get off the road so it can survive.

As a therapist, you need to practice what you preach. You need to become mobilized so you can walk off the road and do what it takes to make your practice grow. Develop new levels of confidence, vision and sound business tools, and you will be armed with the necessary ingredients to take your practice to the next level.

DID YOU KNOW...

Marketing Makes Sense For Therapists:

An important component of marketing in our field, is to let people know how we can help them. Various defenses including fear, anger, denial, low self-esteem and withdrawal can keep people away for a long time. They may not know that they have a problem, or be ready to deal with it, until they go to a seminar or read an article that speaks to them. Whether you want to develop your skills for seminars, media work, or countless other creative and ethical ideas, you need to create a plan to let people know what you do and how you can help them.

Dr. Kolt is a clinical and organizational/industrial psychologist, marriage and family therapist and career development researcher. She is the author of numerous practice building and goal setting training manuals and has written over 100 articles on the topic. If you have questions or comments, Dr. Kolt can be reached by email (LJKOLT@aol.com) or phone (858- 456-2005)