You’re probably either really intimidated by the idea of marketing or really excited about it. Like many therapists, you might hear the word “marketing” and think of pushy sales people, cheesy ads, or sitting for hours in a physician’s waiting room. This isn’t the case though.
Sure, some small business owners take this approach to marketing, though few find great success from it. Marketing refers to all the efforts you take to connect your business with those in the community who can use your services. It can be so many things and none of them have to make you feel cheap or dishonest, in fact it shouldn’t.
Marketing is about Relationships
Marketing is about relationships, it’s about communicating your value and then delivering on that promise. You’ll need to do some things to get your business’ name out there and then from there you’ll want to use every opportunity to get to know your patrons, show them who you are and what you have to offer, and then delight them with exceptional service, a personal relationship, and a therapy plan to is unique to their specific needs and expectations.
Old School Marketing
When we think about “marketing” our practices, images of sleazy car salesmen often pop into our heads. You definitely don’t want to be like “those guys”.
Why is it that we view marketing and selling this way? Those of us in the healthcare industry especially feel like marketing is this dreaded thing we’d rather do without? It’s unprofessional. That’s somebody else’s job.
By the end of this blog post, its my hope that you’ll start seeing marketing in a different way. A way that you will embrace not push away from.
Here’s the dictionary’s definition of marketing:
“The action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.”
That’s the old school way of defining marketing but I’ve got a different take on it, here is a new definition for you to try on.
New Marketing is about two things:
- Creating meaningful connections with people
- Focusing on helping people for the long-term
It’s that simple. That’s the definition for how today’s therapists can successfully market their practices. I think we can all live with that.
The more long-term meaningful connections you make with clients, the more your practice will grow in a natural, genuine manner. You don’t have to adopt a persona to market your skill just be yourself.
There should be nothing in your marketing efforts that should feel like you are forcing your clients to do something that is not in their best interest. All marketing should focus on creating long-term relationships with clients that know and trust you. Marketing is keeping in touch and looking for ways to make their lives better.
That doesn’t seem so bad, does it? Of course not. Therapists make meaningful connections with patients everyday. Therapists love helping patients lives get better. However, many therapists need wake up and smell the coffee in the competitive new healthcare economy. It is an essential job skill to learn how to keep in touch with satisfied clients for the long-term and be relentlessly helpful.
And this is why it works.
Therapy can change people’s lives in a very profound way. You have an impact on people’s live everyday.
The more people that connect with you and your skill, the better off their lives will be, and the better off this world will be.
The reason to do marketing — the reason why you should market your practice — is to make this world a better place.
ON FIRE: IGNITE YOUR PASSION WITH A CASH THERAPY PRACTICE
Learn more about how to own your therapy practice and work for yourself in my new book On Fire!. I believe now is the time for therapists to lessen their dependency on physician referrals and large corporations. That’s why I’ve written a book. I want to inspire you and help you stay true to your calling while doing the work you love.
On Fire: Ignite Your Passion with a Cash Therapy Practice is now available on Amazon in multiple formats. There are paperback, Kindle and audiobook versions to match your learning style. Just click this link to learn more about On Fire!
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