Stand Out Without Sacrificing Your Soul
So you’ve finally faced the fear of a guaranteed set paycheck and leapt into the unknown of private practice. CONGRATS! That dizzying scene in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” comes to mind… “Only in the leap from the lion’s head will he prove his worth.”
By now you’ve heard a million times that you have to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Whether through niching, specialized training, cool new ways of offering services, or snazzy graphics and copy, HOW will you serve yourself up on a silver platter, so to speak, in a way that makes you money?
Easier said than done.
If you’re anything like me or so many of my colleagues, it can feel both overwhelming and even nauseating to consider facing yet another networking event, gimmicky sales pitch, the dreaded impostor syndrome…or worse yet, the love/hate relationship with your visibility.
But alas, my friend, it must be done. Don’t think for a second that you have to sacrifice your soul, your authenticity, or even your schedule to do it!
The Good News
1. Just because you’re a one man / one woman show, doesn’t mean YOU have to do it all.
The most successful entrepreneurs focus on their strengths and then surround themselves with a tribe to handle what they’re not so great at. Or what they hate to do.
Why not let other people help you look good?
Brighter Vision was the first step for me. Their truly awe-inspiring team turned my vision for my practice into a modern and evocative, user-friendly site I constantly get rave reviews on. There’s no way in hell I could do that on my own, especially for the price they manage to do it at!
Their tech support has been invaluable as I continue to grow and explore new possibilities. Even when I can’t eloquently explain what I’m looking for, graphic designers (I would call them magicians) like Sam, Sascha, and Arielle somehow manage to translate my ideas into literal pictures and clickable links.
Testimonial slider? No problem! New encrypted email or link to client portal? Absolutely!
My favorite thing about Brighter Vision is how quickly they get back to you and know you on a first name basis. Much like our clients love from us…right?
Grasshopper for my phone system and Simple Practice as an EHR are just two other ways I manage to take the guess work and struggle off my plate. This keeps clients flowing through the process from initial questions to final bookings, payment, and more. The best part? It’s all automated! Even my grandma or 10-year-old could set them up.
Having a streamlined system boosts your visibility and client satisfaction compared to your competitors.
If you have any doubts about this, Google counselors in your area. It’s like watching reality TV after a bad day; you’ll feel so much better about yourself when you see what’s being offered out there! 😉
I’m not dissing those who choose to “keep their overhead as low as possible” but today’s marketplace is skewed towards perceived value and convenience. Your return on investment should be what you pay most attention to.
More Good News
2. Your schedule belongs to YOU.
One of the biggest perks about private practice is seeing clients when YOU want to, not when some agency decides they want to be open. This means if you’re an early riser, you can offer sessions before your clients have to be at work. Why not make a couple hundred bucks before your second cup of coffee?
Maybe you’re the type who does his/ her best counseling when you wake up around 9 or 10 am and then get a workout in, leisurely strolling into the office when others hit their lunch-break. Cool. Pay attention to that! Your clients need you at your best. And there are plenty who will be happy to fill those late afternoon and early evening slots.
To help organize your own unique ideal schedule, I recommend first figuring out how much you need to make to live the lifestyle you want (e.g., $100k). Then decide how many weeks’ vacation you want to take (e.g., 2 weeks off a year). Now, divide that by your fee (e.g., $100/session) to see how many sessions you need to offer a week to reach that goal. (Zynnyme has a ton of FREE trainings on this and other related topics if you’re interested or get stuck.)
- $100,000 / 50 weeks a year to ensure at least 2 weeks’ vacation time = $2,000 a week
- $2,000/ week / $100/session = 20 sessions a week
So if you know you need to offer 20 sessions a week to reach your goal and you’re a morning person like me with kids who carpool, perhaps working from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. five days a week is ideal. Cash + Kids = One Happy Mama!
Personally, I have found Bill Barren’s Scheduling Secret and Michael Hyatt’s Living Forward Ideal Week Planner most useful in adapting my own “Tetris schedule” as I like to call it – moving blocks around here and there as needed (e.g., when school’s out).
This little extra bit of effort into planning, even if it makes you want a shot of tequila just thinking about it, means less stress in the long run because you will be the good little doobie who prevents burnout AND it also means more dollars in your pocket. Your preferred clientele will be drawn like moths to a flame to a clinician who is happy, healthy, and available!
I have personally used this to my advantage by offering ONLINE sessions from home in the evenings and also a couple sessions on Saturday mornings either in person or online before my pubescent daughters are starting to crawl out of bed towards the harsh cruel reality of daylight.
My competitors who aren’t open at that time miss out on those extra few bucks. Standout accomplished.
The BEST News
3. Your service is as unique as you are.
What is it about this field that lights you up inside? What makes you leave work feeling high without the psychotropics? Therein lies another answer to authentic marketing, and perhaps the most important of all.
This is YOUR unique gift to the world.
Doesn’t matter how many other CBT therapists there are in your community. No one will do it the way you can. Because no one else has your exact vision! And we just discussed two other ways of implementing your vision to help ensure you stand out.
It all starts with the who and how. For example, my specialties are in sexuality and spirituality. There are plenty of counselors who love those things as well. But I am also a passionate existentialist with a shaved head who’s always barefoot in session. I combine Choice theory with EFT and Internal Family Systems in my work as well as various spiritual explorations depending on clientele. I obviously attract a certain kind of person. As do you.
If you remember that there are hurting people out there waiting with baited breath for a counselor EXACTLY LIKE YOU who can do what only you can in the way that you do, it helps to face those fears about serving yourself up on a silver platter.
You made the biggest leap. Now onto the next one.
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