The Magic Bullet is Time-Released

We all want results NOW. We have become conditioned in this age of instant messaging to expect clients to flock to our doors and form lines around the building the second we have an online profile posted.

That would be nice.

Reality, however, rarely works that way. Marketing for solopreneurs in the healing arts is a trial and error, prepare and pitch, wait and see, track the stats and adjust the plan game. In other words, it's time-released. There are lots of reasons for this, but what you need to know today is that building your business takes more time and more commitment to daily effort than you have ever expected.

Getting what I call the foundation pieces in place so that they run practically on their own can take months or more of full time effort, even when you outsource major pieces like designing your website. There are always parts that no one else can do for you -- like drafting your web content -- that take most counselors, NDs, and coaches a long time to get just right.

If you are new in practice, or if you are transitioning from paid employment to full time solopreneurship, think of growing your business as if it's taking care of an infant. It requires constant and scheduled attention, multi-tasking, passionate dedication of effort, and a strong vision of and belief in its future.

The coaching question for you today is: Are your expectations of results in realistic alignment with the amount of effort and commitment you are expending on building your client base? If not, what foundation pieces are missing, and where do you need to spend immediate, focused, unrelenting attention?

1 Big Easy to Fix Language Mistake that Can Cost You Clients

Therapists and life coaches -- and some NDs -- have developed a way of speaking with clients that is rooted in the notion that it's best to help people explore their own truths and discover their own insights. I'm all in favor of that when working on psychologically transformative issues.

I'm not in favor of it in marketing.

The problem with insight oriented language construction in marketing is that it comes across as vague, insecure, lacking in confidence, and inexperienced. Your prospective ideal client is looking for specific, grounded, self-assured help. Insight oriented language fails to connect with their needs at the moment they are ready to hire our services.

Taking a brief look at a number of websites for self-employed professionals in the healing arts, I've found phrases like the following that aren't drawing in clients:

• if you feel I can help, give [private practice name] a call
• if you choose me as your therapist, I will be honored to walk with you in your journey
• I believe I can help
• it's hard to choose the right therapist, I'd like to help you sort out the best fit
  
• please browse my website and feel free to contact me if you have any questions
  

It almost sounds like you're begging for permission, or worse, begging for business.

What works better in marketing is conveying a sense of certainty, and giving a bit of direction. The easy fix is: direct, specific, short sentences.

For example, rather than please browse my website and feel free to contact me if..... a more client attracting call to action would be See the free tips at [your website url].

Take a look at the phrasing on your website and online profiles. Is it direct and compelling? Does it give the impression that you are sure about your own abilities? Can you feel the confidence exuded from every sentence?

What to Look for in DIY Website Builder Tools

I've been playing with different website builder programs for the last year, to get familiarity with various ones so I can being more helpful to my do-it-yourself clients who aren't that tech savvy. Here's how I choose which company to go with:

1. Can I register a domain name for under $10 and have low cost web builder from same company? Can I have a no cost trial or see the templates before signing up? Are there any templates I like? How customizable are they?

2. Can I have a site with more than 5 pages? 5 is a good basic start, but quickly becomes static and stale. Extra pages allow new content that attracts clients.

3. Does the tool bar look like something familiar like Word more or less, and can I change fonts and sizes, colors, move elements around on the page easily, create bullet and number lists, import from Word, etc?

4. Does the web builder program have cool extra features -- can I import PayPal buttons for e-commerce or does it have an e-commerce feature? Can I easily add my photos, forms, have a blog on the site, collect email addresses (aka contact management system, CMS), easily upload a pdf file (file transfer protocol, aka FTP), add audio or video, add a date/time stamp which automatically updates every time I make a change to the site(lets people know the site is current), etc?

5. Is there tech support available for the web builder at hours that work for me (why is everything on east coast business hours?!) Are there tutorials to help me problem solve?

6. Can I have an already registered domain name pointed to this new website? Is an email account part of the package or extra? Can I transfer an existing domain name to this company, and what do they charge for that and how long does it take?

I think that covers the initial thought process, but if I remember anything else I'll post again. I would add that if you decide to have a site built for you, you may still want to know all these things PLUS, how fast will they work, and can you take over after it's built in order to add new pages and content?

If you can create a flier in Word, you can build a website. Play, create, have fun!

Change and Consistency

The topics of change and the value of consistency have been "up" for me lately. Events in multiple areas of my life and work are prompting me to think about when change is good, when it might not be, and how can I be consistent during a transition process, and consistent with what. After going through many changes in my professional life through the decades, here's how I'd currently coach my clients on these issues.

Major change is your business is good when it:

• starts from the identification and assessment of a specific problem that can't be easily fixed without major change
• involves all stakeholders in the assessment and solution-generating process, including clients
• develops a solution path that leads to a better way to consistently serve your vision and values
• crafts a strategic implementation plan with well described action steps
• puts in charge the players (or parts of your solopreneur psyche) who thrive on taking risks
• gains emotional investment and accountability commitment from key players and supporters (parts of the solo-psyche)
• assesses impacts and progress during transition openly by collecting and evaluating feedback
• adjusts action plans based on feedback, or weighs the costs of not adjusting and provides rationale for those choices

If you are thinking of taking the next leap with your business, major change is likely to be required. Coaching questions you may want to think through would include:

1. Have you completely assessed the problem you want to solve, involved stakeholders, and developed a strategic plan?
   
2. Do you know where objections and obstacles to change will come from?
   
3. How can you be ready for that?
   
4. Where's your personal emotional investment and level of consistent accountability?
5. How will you measure progress and impact?