Does Your Ezine Cut to the Meat, or the Chase?

I used to be a cut to the chase type of person. You know the sort who wants info products to get to the point, and not waste my time with personal notes and frilly graphics and random other people's opinions (usually called testimonials...LOL).

I get way too many ezines, and all that overly friendly relationship building stuff doesn't really get me feeling all warm and fuzzy about the sender.

This morning, after getting yet another formulaic ezine I realized that either I'm a terribly unusual consumer, a hard sell (both may be quite true), or I've already been sold and trying to sell me again is having a boomerang effect -- it's actually pushing me away.

The chase makes me run the opposite way. The excessive exhuberance comes off as a little desperate.

So for all my colleagues out there who are falling into the habit of formatting your ezines this way:

• personal note
• picture of family or some past event
• testimonial that promotes your latest program
• promotion about something you're selling
• finally!! the meaty tips that keep readers on the list
• another promotion
• another promotion for someone your list has never heard of
• another promotion for a joint venture partner
• no kidding, another promotion for another JV partner
• and yet a 2nd or 3rd promotion for what you're selling

may I suggest that you think about cutting to the meat of your message instead of leading with so much chase. Quality over quantity, ya know?

4 Things You Absolutely MUST Spend the Money For

Just starting out in private practice, or moving from agency work to be out on your own? Haven't had to market for clients before and don't know where to start?

There are 4 tools and services you need to function as a business owner who relies on attracting clients for one-on-one counseling, coaching, or naturopathic healthcare. They are as important to your business as electricity is to your home.

A Client Attractive Website for Your Practice

It's a well known fact now that most people who have computers do an internet search first when thinking about needing our services. In addition, many allied professional want to check us out before referring, and want to see our website. If you don't have one, it's like announcing to the world that you aren't ready for prime time.

You don't have to pay a designer thousands of dollars to have a website. They really aren't that difficult to create on template-driven webhosts. See my Web-Based Marketing Resource Packs for Counselors, Coaches, or NDs for a list of recommended, inexpensive and easy to use do it yourself web-builders.

Your Own Domain Name

Rather than having your website address be something like yahoo.com/TopekaTherapy it really is better to buy just Topeka Therapy.com. It's more memorable and clear, and looks more professional, like you are serious about your work and the success of your business.

Many webhost / website builder companies will also have domain name registration as part of your package. Some charge more than they should, but many make the whole process very easy. One that I like so much that I became an affiliate of is Webstarts.com.

An Autoresponder Vendor That Can Send Attachments

To build relationship with potential clients who are yet ready to make appointments and commit to therapy or coaching, you'll want to be able to provide them with a useful piece of self-help in exchange for collecting their email address. In the beginning before you have more than 50 names on your business email list, you could manage this manually with your personal email program.

Once your list goes beyond 50 names you really will need an account with an email broadcast vendor such as Constant Contact, MailChimp or Aweber. Short information pieces -- such as tip sheets -- or a series of short articles, these can be delivered by your personal email, but will tend to get blocked from delivery if you send to a group larger than 50.

The best solution is to pre-program an autoresponder to send your self-help tip sheet or special report on request. Constant Contact is the easiest for that, but can't yet send attachments. Aweber sends attachments but is more difficult to configure. All broadcast email services provide a sign up box you can install on your website.

Listing in Locator Directories

Once your website is live on line, with its own address, and with an autoresponder email collection box on it, it's time for the last of the 4 essential items you must spend money for -- listing your practice on a locator directory, such as Psychology Today, CoachDigg, or HealthProfs. Some are free, but the better ones charge a monthly fee to list your practice. Look for the ones that rank high in natural search results, which means more people use those directories to find practitioners.

Don't forget that all these expenses are likely to be tax deductible in the cateogry of Advertising because they are spending you need to do to let the public know you are open for business.

What To Do vs How to Say It

Have you been frantically or even systematically chasing one marketing strategy after another, hoping to find the magic answer to "what works" for getting more clients in your private counseling, coaching or NM practice -- with the only result being holes in your shoes and in your monthly income?

Perhaps it's time to consider that the problem isn't knowing what to do, or even having excellent follow up in doing it. Maybe the problem is knowing how to say it.

I'm finding with my clients that what seems like a direct, specific description to insight oriented counselors and coaches often isn't as concrete and clear as needed for marketing.

Writing for marketing tends to require all of us to learn the language of marketing. It's a hard switch to make. Marketing isn't one of the foreign languages taught in high school -- but it probably should be!

To help learn this foreign language called marketing, I've developed a 9 week curriculum for beginners and advanced "speakers." These videos outline what you will learn and complete by the end of either course.

Courses start in July. Registration at www.TheNoHypeMentor.com/id5.html

The Shy Counselor Client Solution

So many of my clients -- counselors, coaches, even naturopathic doctors -- are basically shy when it comes to self-promotion. Others might be better described as energetically introverted, and many could be said to have been trained into being inhibited when it comes to marketing their private practice.

I can relate.

It's hard to put ourselves in the spotlight intentionally. It's draining to follow the conventional advice that always pushes for high visibility with a persuasive patter of what feels like selling ourselves.

And we have our professional image to consider -- not to mention professional licensure to protect.

Most service businesses owned and operated by single individuals fail because of either not knowing how to market, doing the wrong type of marketing, or doing no marketing at all.

If you're not getting enough clients for your practice to survive, here's what I'd recommend doing THIS WEEK:

1. List all the marketing activities you are doing on a daily basis, or have in place.
2. Review how well they are working for you -- when was the last time you got a client from each effort?
3. Critique your website for client attractability -- what could be changed , removed, or added?
4. Choose ONE marketing activity and create a multi-step promotional campaign for it. Work at that campaign until it starts working for you by itself.

Not sure how to get started on some of these things? See my new website http://www.ShyCounselorClientSolution.com

Is the Internet Oversaturated with Clinicans and Coaches?

Close to 100 years ago one of the "fathers" of modern advertising taught that it generally took a man 20 exposures to an ad to buy the product [apparently they didn't let women out of the house then, or we couldn't read, or it was illegal for us to carry money and transact a purchase, or something, but that's a different topic :D].

As television caught on 60 years ago and marketing psychology got more sophisticated, the conventional wisdom of the time pared the 20 exposures down to at least 7. But that was when tv only had 2 or 3 channels, you had to actually get up and walk across the room to change the channel -- imagine! -- and it wasn't on 24/7.

Now an electronic marketing message has to compete with all the other electronic media that nearly everyone is plugged into these days, sometimes more than one at a time. Plus, lots of people are pushing virtually the same services without making their unique distinctions crystal clear and without connecting to the emotional suffering of potential clients in any authentic, relationship building way.

Years ago I learned some cool things about developing and giving a signature talk as a way for people to get to know you, like you, and trust you, and thereby want to work with you or refer to you. As an introvert but experienced teacher, I found doing signature talks comfortably like teaching and much more preferable than going to braincell-sucking networking breakfasts (not that those don't work for some, they just never worked for me).

My take on the latest marketing fad about getting out of our caves and into the community is that people are craving live experiences again because we've all gotten overly isolated in our little ipod/iphone/inetbook, rss, tweetme then retweetme worlds. They want to experience our personality, energy, humor, empathy, compassion, knowledge and expertise BEFORE they commit to working with us, and being in the spotlight of a speaking event might be a place where you too can shine and then close the sale.

AND, it's also still quite possible to let your personality, energy, humor, empathy, compassion, knowledge and expertise shine through your website and other writing -- yes, even still on the internet and without having to close the sale -- because the world is not oversaturated with YOUs.

If you aren't one of the millions for whom public speaking is only slightly less objectionably scary than getting buried alive in an ant hill after a honey bath, it can be an alternative way to leverage your time and effort in reaching many people at once rather than schlepping to doctors' offices one at a time with baskets of muffins.

Bottom line, in my view, is that the smart thing to do is to make use of whatever marketing strategies fit your personality and comfort zone the best.

Just for Coaches!! A Special Quick Start Guide

Today I have something a little different for my coach colleagues -- a hot-off-the-desktop-press Web-Based Marketing Resource Pack with tons of tips and links to make your early days getting your practice going a whole lot easier.

Included in the Resource Pack are:

• marketing must-haves and must-do's
• building a website: where to start
• online locator directories to join -- specific for coaches
• useful cheap online marketing tools
• other services you'll need -- conference call services & small business helps
• the 12 marketing mistakes new coaches make
• FAQs my clients frequently ask
  
• extroverted marketing activities for the first year in practice
• 5 crucial rules of thumb
• tagline examples and a fill in the blank format
• example and fill in the blank format for your compelling elevator speech

For a limited time this Resource Pack for coaches is available at no charge. Scroll down to the form where you can email for the Resource Pack.

Your Name
Your Email Address
City & Country
Your Coaching Niche
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I want to schedule a consult with you	Yes -- this week Yes -- this month Not yet
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7 Things to Think About When Creating Your Website or Hiring a Designer

Websites and blogs both need to be designed. Fortunately, many template-based, free or low cost, easy do-it-yourself (DIY) platforms exist for tech-less solopreneurs to accomplish this relatively quickly.

To work as the effective center of your web-presence, your website and/or blog needs to be created with multiple functions in mind. The old idea of a website simply being an online brochure is no longer a smart approach for attracting clients.

At minimum, this is what all solopreneurs in the healing arts need:

• a visually attractive and attracting design
• conversion elements such as data base builder contact management and autoresponder widets
  
• good search engine optimization (SEO)
• compelling copywriting
• purposeful strategic marketing
  

Those who are a little more technologically able or fascinated, may also want to include the following (and some DIY web and blog builder programs offer the ability to include these fairly easily):

• appropriate community-building components such as a forum and rss feeds
  
• social media integration

Not all private practitioners will need the more gee-whiz capabilities, particularly if your business relies strictly on in-person clients, and you aren't even trying to reach millions of consumers to become an internationally recognized expert or product seller.

Most web designers can provide pretty pages with smooth navigation and install conversion elements. Many can ensure or advise on SEO. Some will know how to best incorporate community building and social media components.

Few are really skilled in helping you write compelling content. Almost none will know how to develop good client attracting marketing for the private practice professions that have more conservative ethics than the majority of internet businesses.

If you don't yet have a website or blog for your business, or if you know you need to update and upgrade, ask yourself:

• what do I want my website or blog to do?
  
• what do my ideal clients need from my website or blog?
• what's the easiest, cheapest, best way to provide that?
• how much can I create and control myself?
• what will I need a designer's or tech-savvy person to help me with?

Multiple Streams -- of income or hassle?

There's a lot of excitement in some quarters about the old idea of having multiple streams of income. What that means is that you have additional ways to make money aside from your one-on-one client appointments.

There are two common ways to do this for the novice solopreneur:

• developing and selling products -- books, self-help tools, diagnostic kits, dispensary items
  
• developing and selling live group services -- group therapy / coaching, workshops, signature talks, teleclasses, etc
  

The more experienced business owner may also venture into:

• affiliate programs -- where you get a percentage for referring clients to others
• creating online membership programs
• train the provider programs

What's important to realize is that establishing multiple streams of income when you are your only employee means that you are running more than one business. It can become a multiple nightmare -- assuming you even had time to sleep -- in keeping up with your bookkeeping, different tax structures, various regulations, not to mention different marketing campaigns and business plans for each income stream.

However, some of these same activities can be more simply started as marketing strategies for your one initial service.

What's your plan for transitioning multiple marketing strategies into multiple streams of income?

Are You Time Rich and Cash Stingy? Perfect!

For some reason -- whether it's because of hefty student loan repayments, poverty consciousness, self-sabotaging distaste for marketing, fear of doing the wrong thing and wasting money, etc -- counselors are notoriously risk averse when it comes to investing in their business.

I've noticed that many life coaches and some NDs are similarly reluctant to spend money to make money.

So here's the good news: it's possible to spend very little to get maximum impact. Here are my top 5 recommendations:

1. Get a do-it-yourself website -- it's THE best time and money saving strategy you can take.
Costs: from about $8-$16 annually for your own domain name, and from about $5-$30 per month for hosting
(online website builder programs are usually free with a hosting package)

2. Start a blog -- it's THE best fresh connection to your client niche you can continually & easily produce.
Costs: Nothing if using sites like Blogger or WordPress

3. Host tele-groups / workshops --it's so much easier than you think to reach many people at once.
Costs: Nothing if you have an unlimited long distance phone plan.

4. Do signature talks -- it's THE better, more comfortable way to do personal networking.
Costs: ranges from nothing if you are invited into a group or find a free location, up to $300+ to pay for a room.

5. Build your mailing list with free give-aways -- it's THE best way to get email addresses.
Costs: Nothing but your time.

Something here sound do-able to you? Not sure where to start? Check out the tips on my website.

Essentials of Your Marketing Message

One reason marketing is so overwhelming for solopreneurs just starting out in business is that not only do we need to know WHAT to do and HOW to do it, we also have to know what to SAY and how to say it.

What you say is your message.

You message needs to be crystal clear on 5 main points:

• who you're talking to (your ideal client)
• who you're not talking to (the prospects you intend to screen out)
• the experience they have that they don't want (their pain or problem)
  
• the outcome they want that they are willing to pay you to get (their need, goal, desire)
  
• your claim regarding what you can help them get (benefits and value of hiring you)

This may sound like a lot to think about. Ironically, sometimes the best way to crystalize all this is by thinking of your tagline, or one breath introduction.

A trick I learned years ago when I was a journalist writing headlines is useful here -- you don't have to say everything in detail. Readers naturally fill in the blanks. Less can be much better than more.

For example, look at the tagline for this blog: Getting More Clients to Your Door with Grace and Ease for Solopreneurs in the Healing Arts. It tells my ideal client -- solopreneurs in the healing arts -- and by specifying that it implies who I intend to screen out -- retail businesses with employees, executive coaches, etc. It suggests the problem -- you need more clients -- which also is your outcome goal and desire -- actually getting more clients. Finally it makes the claim that I provide easy solutions that will feel and be graceful to implement.

How you relay your message is key.

There's an old adage in the retail business that the 3 most important factors of success are location, location, location. For professionals like coaches and counselors, and even the solo-practice ND, who market primarily on the internet, the 3 most important factors of marketing success are emotion, connection, and delivery.

The most important lesson from this post is: describe, don't explain.

Describe your client. Describe what they want. Describe the problems they have in getting it. Describe how that impacts their life. Describe what they want instead.

Describe using emotional words. Name the pain. Actually say: you're feeling this (it implies: and I know it). Why? Because that begins to create an emotional bond. It begins to feel to them like they are connected to you. Feeling connected naturally leads to calling for appointments.

Delivery is about style. Be yourself in writing your message. Speak with the warmest, most authentic and empathetic aspects of your personality. Don't explain that you are warm and caring. BE warm in caring in your delivery.

There ya go -- the quick Friday lesson in the essentials of your marketing message. Work on that this weekend, and let me know what you come up with, eh?

4 Web Techie Tools Even I Can Use

I keep saying I'm not a techie. But it's true that after some 10 years or so of doing web-presence marketing, I have learned a few things.

Here are 4 techie tools I use and recommend because they are supremely easy, free or really cheap, and have high benefit even if you are still figuring out your first website.

www.Constant Contact.com
A broadcast email marketing service.

• 60 day free trial
• Then only $15 for up to 500 names on your email list(s)
• You can have as many lists as you want
• Send as many emails a month, week or day as you want
• Plenty of design templates are attractive and customizable
• Includes ability to have one autoresponder option that sends up to 5 pre-set email installments when triggered

www.Davesite.com
Online free html tutorials. Scroll down past all the junk on this site to the links for the tutorials. I'm totally intimidated by the thought of computer programming, but his instructions are very clear.

• Really really easy to understand
  
• Instructions for making text bold or italic
  
• Creating a bullet list, and many other basic html code features
  
• Make your web-presence stand out even more
• Examples of what to do and what happens
  

www.Bravenet.com
Free membership gives lots of very cool features to add to websites and blogs. Listen, if I can do these things, you can too. Bravenet makes it easy.

• Poll widgets
  
• Email forms
  
• Speaking avatars with your recorded voice
  
• Message forum tool you can use to add a discussion board to your website
• More spiffy tools available from Bravenet with paid membership upgrades
• You can use the free stuff forever

www.StatCounter.com
Free membership to see how much site traffic you're getting and where it's coming from.

• Track the most recent 500 hits to your websites and blogs
  
• Multiple "projects" lets you track many different sites you own
• Shows what country visitors came from
  
• Gives what pages they looked at, how long they stayed on your site, and more.
  
• You can pay to see more than the most recent 500 hits
  
• Old hits are replaced by new ones, so most of us don't really need that paid feature

10 Reasons Counselors, Coaches & NDs Need Good Web Presence

Marketing online is perfect for introverts and those solopreneurs who suffer insecurity, low confidence, shoestring budgets, and greater than normal risk aversion when it comes to self and/or business promotion. But more than this, web marketing is a business success necessity in the 21st century.

You may be surprised at these facts:
1. More than 90% of households with computers in the US use the internet to find health care providers

2. The top search in Google is for health and medical related services, products, and information

3. More than 75% of the 78 million Boomer generation research for their needs and buy online

4. 73% of people aged 45+ say that shopping online is a favorite activity

5. Traditional advertising is declining in credibility and increasingly ignored among internet users -- consumers want to be in control of when and how they learn about something they are in the market to spend money on

6. Word of mouth marketing can be more quickly successful in the era of social media than old school referral systems

7. Social networking increased a whopping 774 % from 2006 to 2007 -- yup, that's seven hundred seventy four percent

8. People who buy from email links spend 138% more than those who don't

9. In 2006, e-books (which are gaining favor among internet users) generated $20 million in sales

10. Web marketing is cheap, flexible, easily correctable, low risk, with potentially high return on investment

In short, marketing is no longer about persuading the unknown masses to have interest in your product or service, convincing them that they need it, and relentlessly pushing them to buy it right now.

It's about being where your specific clients are already looking for what they already want, and becoming a familiar and trusted entity to them by providing enough immediate help to engage their natural desire to want even more and be willing to pay you for it.