in this issue April Edition
• Do You Have a Hobby or a Small
about
Theramatch is an interactive directory of
clinical services for consumers and professionals. The directory
provides consumers with a searchable index of health care providers
as
comprehensive information about professionals to help with the decision about choosing the best specialist. Theramatch can help consumers find the right psychologist, social worker and/or healthcare professional with expertise in a variety of areas such as drug addiction, anxiety, anger management, depression and developmental disabilities.
Do You Have a Hobby or a Small Business?
by Joe Bavonese, Ph.D., Uncommon Practices
When I first started my private practice part-time in 1992, I was excited when I got my first few clients and saw the potential for doing my clinical work in a more authentic way than I could at the clinic I was working at. I also saw the potential for making some decent money (though at that time, before I studied business and marketing concepts, I had no idea just how much I could make). I started with three clients, a shared office and some really cheap furniture.
And I continued that way for a while, picking up clients here and
there from people I knew. It was easy and fun, and since it was part-time, I really didn’t worry about how well it was working. A year later, though, I decided to take the plunge and go full-time into private practice. I left my clinic job and now was totally dependent on my practice for my entire income. It was scary because I had always had a regular paycheck in all of my previous jobs. I had no real plan for getting clients, other than letting my friends and colleagues know I was in private practice now. Freeing up extra time in my schedule helped me increase my caseload, and within six months I had a few weeks where I saw over 20 clients in a week. And then I’d have five cancellations and my client count would be closer to 10.
When things went well and the money and referrals flowed, I was ecstatic. On those weeks, I was also more likely to get complacent and just assume things would continue this way. A colleague and I even joked that on weeks when we had more clients, we were "good therapists" that week, even though we knew that the sheer number of sessions in a week actually had little to do with our clinical skill.
As I look back now, those days were like a roller coaster. It would go up and down, feast or famine, and I couldn't seem to get any steady consistency to it. I recalled what my friends who were in practice told me: this is just the way it was: you'd have good days, good weeks, good months, and even good quarters, but you'd also have bad ones. You had to roll with the punches, get used to varying cash flow, save up when the going was good for those inevitable slow times.
Well in retrospect, I was dead wrong. What I now can see clearly is that the reason I was on a roller coaster was that I was treating my private practice like a fun, lucrative hobby. Now I treat my practice like a small business, and that has made all the difference in growing my practice from a small, up-and-down one person operation to a steady group practice with ten therapists. But it was only after I studied business principles that I realized the difference. Let’s look at the difference in these two mindsets.
A Lucrative Hobby
A lucrative hobby is characterized by these qualities:
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you begin doing it because it's relatively fun, easy, fulfilling (and possibly profitable)
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you attribute much of your success to internal factors, such as your excellent skills; or you engage in fantasy or magical thinking when things are going well (e.g. I have good karma; I’m a good person; I do affirmations; people know how good I am)
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you attribute your lack of success to external factors outside of your control (managed care, the economy, changing philosophies of treatment, etc.)
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you don't really have a specific plan for where you want your hobby to go to; you're content to just take it as it comes. Of course you hope it continues to grow, but beyond a certain point you're not sure how to increase the likelihood of that happening so you take a passive approach and hope for the best
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though you have a general sense of times when things seem to go well or not, you don't systematically keep track of how you're doing in your hobby (e.g. you don’t know exactly how many clients you see in a month or a year; you don’t exactly know where they come from; and don’t know how much you spend in running the practice)
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you tend to think about short-term results when you think about making some changes in what you do (e.g. I think I’ll do that lecture I was asked to do and see if anyone from that becomes a client)
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any further training you undertake is primarily for the purpose of learning how to perform your hobby better (e.g. more training in a clinical area)
A Small Business
Which Do You Have?
By looking at the above comparisons, you can begin to think about whether you have been viewing your practice more as a hobby or a small business. If you do have a hobby, I would encourage you to start to develop a small business mindset. If you already have a small business mindset, I would encourage you to further deepen and refine it. Your future income and survival as a private practitioner depends on this.
The benefit of a mature small business mindset is that you gain a tremendous amount of predictability and control of your practice. Instead of wishing or hoping, or being pleasantly surprised or sadly disappointed, you have a much greater sense of control of your hours, your income and your clientele. By virtue of your business knowledge and application of sound business principles, you are much better prepared to withstand any unusual circumstances in the marketplace or in the world. My practice was successful before the Internet was a common part of life, and now that the Internet has become so ubiquitous, I’ve been able to apply my business knowledge – as well as studying Internet marketing to add to that knowledge - to take full advantage of the opportunities it presents. We never stop learning how to be better clinicians; we should also never stop learning how to be better businesspeople.
ABOUT AUTHOR: Joe is a Licensed Psychologist and Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Relationship Institute of Royal Oak, Michigan. Joe has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. He has worked as a Research Psychologist and Consultant for General Motors and was the Clinical Director of Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for Medical Center Psychiatric Associates in Warren, Michigan. He has worked as an Adjunct Professor for the Graduate College of the Union Institute, a Field Faculty Advisor for the Graduate Program at Norwich University and is a member of the American Psychological Association. read more...
Why Now is the Time to Step Up, Not Pull Back
by Linda Claire Puig, president, Claire Communications
As a therapist in private practice, it may seem counterintuitive to increase your marketing efforts when the economy is weak. The tendency is to want to pull back. After all, it can be a time of belt-tightening, not only for your prospective clients but possibly for you, as well.
Here are five reasons why now, with home foreclosures inching higher and layoffs beginning, is a better time than ever to market your services. I’ve also included some tips on cost-effective marketing during a slow economy.
1. People are in Transition
Some are laid off. Others are changing jobs or positions
(voluntarily or not). And some brave souls are doing career
makeovers—starting a business or going back to school or taking time
off. In each case, the key word is “change.” When people are
experiencing lots of change, they may need more support, advice or
consultations. From this place of need, they’ll be looking for the
person who can help. Often the first person they’ll turn to is the
one whose face they’ve been seeing on that newsletter all this time.
2. Anxiety Levels are Higher & People are Hurting
In a weak economy, anxiety levels rise, and folks need support of
all kinds. The anxiety may kick off a panic disorder, cause
insomnia, lead to depression or result in greater fighting between
couples. Increased worrying can eat away at self-esteem. In short,
people may need even more help than when the economy is robust. This
is the time to build strong, positive relationships in the
communities you serve. Also, in times of high stress or anxiety,
people are more open to your messages of being available for
support.
3. Clients May Leave
I’ve heard professionals say, “I don’t need to market; I’ve got a
full practice.” However, if they’re worried about their financial
situation, even longstanding clients may decide (rightly or wrongly)
that they can’t afford your services. It can happen in less time
than you imagine, leaving you in the same place: worrying about your
finances. Whether you’re used to a full client load or are just
starting out, consistent marketing means you’ll be able to replace
departing clients quickly.
4. Not Everyone is Hurting!
It’s so easy for us to fall into a collective worry pattern, spurred
on by doom-and-gloom media reports. But the reality is that not
everyone suffers during the economic doldrums. In fact, many are
status quo, while others actually profit from bad economies. Your
marketing needs to reach these people as well!
5. Marketing Works
If you’re that one in a million independent professional who has
never had to market and has a voluptuous practice, yay! But the rest
of us have to do our marketing to let people know we’re available to
help them. If you want to have more clients in your practice or sell
more products, you must market. Why would you stop doing this, or
reduce your efforts, during an economic downturn?
4 Rules of Thumb for Marketing During a Slow Economy
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Get crystal clear about whom you serve. When you know your ideal client—including an understanding of that person’s needs, gathering places, language, etc.—your marketing will be more targeted and more effective.
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Focus on your “biggest bang” efforts. Is it public speaking? Distributing your newsletter to targeted locations? Leading groups and inviting all your current and past clients to attend? Placing an article or column in your local newspaper? What is it that gets you the most clients for the least effort? Whatever that thing is, double your efforts in this area when the economy sputters.
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Consistency rules! A newsletter or ezine (or better yet, a printed newsletter AND an ezine) is one of the best ways to put and keep your message out there—before, during and after a bumpy economy. When people see a new newsletter from you every month or two, they connect your face with your expertise and availability over and over again. When they need support or advice, you’ll be the one they call.
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Ask for referrals. It’s just a question, right? Some people make it a habit to ask everyone they know for one referral. The more important habit is following up with those referred. A print newsletter is a great referral tool in that you can stack copies of your newsletter in the offices of all kinds of other professionals with a client base.
One Last Thought About Marketing
Marketing can sometimes be a stretch for therapists. You were trained to help people heal, resolve issues and grow—not to be a marketer. And yet, for your practice to thrive, you do need to market it. Your practice won’t grow if you use the Field of Dreams approach: “Build it and they will come.”
You can get the training you need at a very special, live event in May at Columbia University in New York City. It’s called Day of Marketing, and I’m a co-organizer and speaker at the event.
At Day of Marketing, you’ll learn from 10+ marketing experts—rather than from your own frustrating trial and error—exactly how to build a solid clientele and a thriving private practice. The event also includes one-on-one expert consultations for everyone, marketing makeovers, a creative business-building panel and more.
Day of Marketing takes place all day Friday, May 16, 2008, and half a day on Saturday, May 17, 2008, at Columbia University in New York City. Go to http://dayofmarketing.com for more information and to register.
Two Gifts for You
Thank you for the opportunity to share helpful information with you. I love supporting those who support others! Before I close, I’d like to leave you with two gifts:
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The first will help you market your practice more effectively starting right now. On the Day of Marketing website, you’ll find the replay of a Q&A call we did on March 31, 2008. You can listen to it for free. On the call, many of the marketing experts who will be at Day of Marketing answered questions submitted by therapists and coaches…probably many of the same questions you have! It’s chock full of excellent marketing advice.
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Because you’re connected with Theramatch, if you sign up to attend the Day of Marketing, you’ll receive 25% off ($120) of your registration. Here is the link for your special registration rate:
http://continuingeducation.tc.columbia.edu/default.aspx?pageid=134&PK=2062
ABOUT AUTHOR: Linda Claire Puig is a newsletter-marketing expert and a writer with 25 years’ professional experience. She is president of Claire Communications, which provides solutions to busy therapists, coaches and other professionals who want to keep their name and expertise in front of the communities they serve. Her website http://newslettersfortherapists.com offers full-service, low-cost newsletters and ezines for therapists who want a valuable and easy marketing tool so that they can focus on their clients, not their newsletters. Ready-to-go, customizable newsletter articles are also available at http://articlesforsale.net. read more...
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A Day of Marketing at Columbia University (May 16-17, 2008)
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Are you an experienced therapist with a private practice that’s not as successful as you want it to be?
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Are you fairly new in private practice—full of enthusiasm but short on business-building know-how?
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Is your marketing all over the map, begging for a coherent strategy?
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Do you feel “no good” at this marketing thing and wanting to spend your time practicing your trade?
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Are you wondering how to market your services in a down economy?
If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, boy do we have a program for you!
Want to Get a Feel for the Quality of the Event?
Click here to listen to a recording of a recent amazing Q&A teleclass with the speakers from Day of Marketing.
by Dr. Ellenmorris Tiegerman, co-founder of Theramatch
As the parent of a child with a disability, I have been faced with the dilemma of identifying medical and clinical experts to help my child and my family over the past two decades. It is true that my son is an adult at this point but there is also a reality that his specialized needs have not changed just because he is older. Families who are faced with either medical or clinical crises have long term needs that are presently not being met by insurance companies and the existing health care system. This is not just a problem in the United States, it is a world wide issue for consumers searching for specialists and experts to meet their health care needs. If you have medical insurance then you are provided with the standard health care directory which gives you name, address and telephone number. If you have access to the internet and the time to do an online search you can certainly find more detailed information about clinical practitioners. The problem that I see is that there needs to be a centralized data base of information which is much more comprehensive than the existing Blue Cross Blue Shield medical directory.
As a consumer, what would you want to know about a medical or clinical practitioner? Many people that I interviewed indicated that they wanted more personalized information about therapeutic practices, techniques, and procedures. Over 50% of the people interviewed, indicated that they wanted some background information concerning educational training and published research. A smaller percentage was also interested in information concerning the practitioner’s personal interests and beliefs about patient care. My generalized sense was that consumers wanted to know about the more personal side of the physician or therapist who would potentially be taking care of them. To me, this highlights the importance of the interpersonal relationship between the practitioner and the client creating a working alliance which provides the frame work for clinical care. Most consumers want to feel not only cared for but cared about. So, the more comprehensive the information provided to consumers about their practitioners, the more comfortable people feel about the choices they make. What kind of a choice do you have when the information you are provided with involves only name, address and telephone number?
Healthcare on the internet is going to explode within the next five years. Consumers are addicted to information and some internet businesses are capitalizing on the growing trends within the healthcare industry. Understand that healthcare represents one of the largest sectors in federal, state and local budgets. Within healthcare, mental health services will continue to grow at an increasing rate given longer and healthier lifestyle trends in the baby boom population. It is clear from the research data collected by healthcare professionals that mental health is a key component to physical longevity. The growth of services within the area of gerontology highlights the increasing needs of consumers who are living, working and playing longer.
There will be great opportunity for investment in businesses which are internet based and focus on healthcare information for consumers. For example, Theramatch Registry is an interactive online service directory highlighting licensed professionals in communities throughout the United States. If you cannot find a mental health practitioner, someone from Theramatch will help you. A real person will actually get back to you in real time. The Theramatch Directory is the wave of the future and Blue Cross Blue Shield along with other healthcare providers would exercise good business sense by linking up with this kind of internet business. In addition, from a public relations point of view most consumers do not have a positive opinion of their healthcare providers. Consumers feel that insurance companies are not honest and forthcoming given many bad experiences with claims reimbursement. It would help the insurance industry to promote information about medical care and clinical providers for consumers. Helping consumers make clinical choices would change the image of the insurance industry.
Finally, as a parent of a child with disabilities, I have always traveled to find the right specialist. At times of crisis most people will search and travel to connect a loved one with the best possible practitioner. For the poor, the hospitalized, and the physically disabled, Theramatch Registry can also reduce barriers such as distance and weather. There are many communities where the access to service providers is very limited. With internet healthcare services, a soon to be reality will be telehealth by computer, television and cell phone. The technological advances are around the corner. Theramatch Registry is the future of the healthcare industry. So check out this site for your family and email your friends with the information. Someone is always looking for a mental health specialist.
ABOUT AUTHOR:
Dr. Ellenmorris Tiegerman received her first and second master’s
degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 1975 and 1978 and her Ph.D.
in 1979 from The City University of New York. She received her third
master’s degree in special education in 1999 and her fourth in
social work in 2004 from Adelphi University. Dr. Tiegerman-Farber
has been engaged in extensive research involving child language
disorders, parent training, special education advocacy, inclusion
and professional collaboration. She has written five books on
special education and child development. Language and Communication
Intervention in Preschool Children; Collaborative Decision Making:
The Pathway to Inclusion; Language and Communication Disorders in
Children; Language Disorders in Children: Real Families, Real Issues
and Real Interventions and Baby Signals.
read more...
Market Your Specialty Practice
In today’s business marketplace, increasing your referral base
requires a shift in thinking. The internet has become a major pool
for potential referrals. At
Theramatch, we have provided an unique platform to help you market
your practice to mental health consumers. Consumers
want easily accessible information about their professionals and
Theramatch is one great way to share your professional resume with
the world. As a professional,
you have a great deal to offer the clients and the general public
about the field of mental health. Here are a few tips that you
should consider as you market yourself on Theramatch and on the
internet.
3. Networking. To help you build your referral base, send out emails on a regular basis to your clients and colleagues about your profile and your articles on Theramatch. Create a network virus by asking your clients and your colleagues to pass the information on to other people within their address books. You never can tell, someone may be looking for an expert like you. Asking your clients and colleagues to be part of your network virus does not cost anything but it is very effective in letting the general public know where to find you. Remember these are individuals who have received therapy or are interested in it. When they get information about you and your expertise, they are likely to refer someone to you with that particular mental health concern.
4. Our Newsletter. Theramatch has a newsletter which gets sent out to everyone within the database and to consumers who have requested to be included in our database. Submit a story about your practice, about your clinical techniques and/or anything that might be of interest to the general public. The newsletter can also be sent out to your client base and to your professional colleagues. Talking about your clinical practice serves to reinforce your expertise in the minds of others.
5. Create a Video. Have you heard of YouTube.com? Millions of people now look for information through YouTube.com and through other video stream sources on the internet. At Theramatch, you can create a video about your practice that is linked to YouTube.com that allows you to market yourself to a broader audience. Create a video series about your specialization. At the end of the brief video provide your office information. Its another great way to scream on a mountain top about your practice and expertise.
6. Building the Theramatch Network. You need to be in touch with us. We are here to help you build your profile and market your practice. Send us information about what you are doing. Send us information about who to contact. Send us an email list of friends and colleagues. We will keep this information on our database. Theramatch has approximately 1,900 members at this point. If we all contribute ten emails, think about the network base that we are building. If you think about yourself as a sole provider, that’s what you will remain to be. You need to change your thinking as well as your behavior as a practitioner. As a member of Theramatch, you are part of a large network which can act much more effectively as a group. Our members are located from California to New York. There is a lot of information that we can disseminate and a lot of emails that we can collect simply by staying in touch with one another.
7. Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This is a strategy to help your profile page on Theramatch, or your own website, be highly ranked on the major search engines (e.g., Google and Yahoo). For example, if you are an expert on anger management in Seattle WA, we would use special SEO techniques to increase the chance that your Full Profile page on Theramatch would come up within the top 10 sites on the search engines. So, when a consumer types in anger management therapist in Seattle, your Theramatch page would appear. We tend to do SEO for all of our pages, including articles written by our members.
8. The Future. At Theramatch we believe that the mental health field is going to change significantly within the next five years. The technology for telehealth is around the corner. We are moving into virtual therapy and Theramatch will be on the forefront. We want to “Make The World Your Office.” With that perspective, you can have telephone consultations with clients from anywhere in the United States or even the world. The future is a possibility and can only become a reality if you do your part. You need to sign up and show up for yourself. Give us the information and we will optimize you.
These strategies are useful with the Theramatch platform and with your own website to highlight your practice on the internet. The key is to spend the time doing the items above. Spend the time to let the world know how good you are as a professional.
Good luck,
Ellenmorris Tiegerman, Ph.D. and Jeffrey Kassinove, Ph.D.
Co-Founders of Theramatch Registry, Inc.
www.theramatch.com
“Helping Professionals Connect with Consumers”