I get asked often: “How do I find more clients and contracts for my therapy practice?”
If you’re asking that question right now, you may feel overwhelmed with all of the “to do’s” as you embark on all of the marketing tasks it takes to get clients:
- Build a website (and either spend thousands or learn how to do it yourself!)
- Get active on social media
- Attend networking events
- Call every program on the planet
- Make and print business cards, brochures, and fliers
- Sponsor the local high school soccer team
- Put up fliers in coffee shops or take them around to doctor’s offices
- Build an email list
- Write a weekly blog post
- Make company t-shirts, pens, and squishy balls (I still have squishy balls from 2012…)
And so much more…
While all of these “To Do’s” are valuable, they are not weighted equally. In fact, if you are feeling any measure of overwhelm, I recommend limiting your activity to ONE primary task.
Build Relationships.
How do you build relationships?
Let me start by telling you how to not build effective relationships.
Do Not sit behind your computer creating instagram reels.
Do Not spend hours writing content for social media or your website.
Do Not drop off brochures or fliers without talking to anyone.
Do Not cold call a program and simply leave a voicemail.
Do Not send an email blast and hope to hear back. Some day…
We tend to gravitate towards these options because, well, they’re easier. They’re easier than the scary face to face conversations where we worry that we’ll say the wrong thing and lose an opportunity. They are safer because they require less vulnerability, and why not skip that intimidating networking even when it’s so much easier to hide behind your computer?
The problem is, we can only form relationships with people by actually talking to them.
As humans, we crave intimacy. The world of marketing is no exception. If you are going to create real, meaningful connections and relationships with your prospects, you need to get out there and talk to them. In real time.
That means live phone conversations. It means face to face interactions.
Of course this begs the question: How do I get in front of my target client to start this conversation?
The answer?
- Call them
- Attend live events and meet them
Make Phone Calls
When you find a program that works with your ideal client, give them a call. Learn about what they do, who their decision makers are, and ask whether you might be able to work together. Listen to what they currently do, and offer support in areas where you might make a difference.
If you can’t get the right person on the phone, don’t leave a message, and don’t wait for them to call you back. Just call them as often as needed to get them on the phone.
Then, once you get to have that golden conversation, listen more than you talk. Give more than you take. Be kind and understanding, as well as straightforward with clear boundaries (think rates, schedule, etc.).
It’s kind of starting to sound like a real relationship, isn’t it? Funny how we crave that as humans. If you make positive relationships a priority in your work, you will thrive, and so will your clients.
It all starts with a phone call.
Attend Live Events
Live events are an amazing place to make real, lasting contacts. Of course they can’t happen as often as phone calls, and sometimes they can be hard to find. However if you make it a priority to find them and participate, you will make some of the most meaningful relationships because of the face to face interaction.
To get involved in live events, find out where your target client goes, and be there too. This might include conferences, networking events, support groups, community councils, and so on. Simply search for programs, associations, and events related to your market, and see what pops up.
You can discover opportunities for live events when you make phone calls to programs as outlined above. Ask the person on the phone if they know of any support groups, events, or organizations related to the market they serve. They may be able to point you in the right direction and help you deepen your community relationships.
“So that’s all well and good,” you say, “but I hate making phone calls.”
That’s why I recommend the 30 minutes per day rule. If you simply block off 30 minutes per day for “community outreach”, you can have a clear beginning and end to your efforts.
If you do this on a regular basis, the results that pour in will make up for any initial resistance. You will see that it actually works, and that can give you the motivation to keep on going. Momentum will build over time, and you will begin to move your business forward.
Marketing is about building the habit, setting up the environment, and knowing that calling is simply a part of your daily routine. Whether it’s 4 calls, 10 calls, or 15 calls, you can set your own standard, and see the results light up your business!
I know you can do it!
Xoxo
Jaycie
P.S. If you need a bit more guidance in how to track your calls, what to say, and how to turn this idea into an actionable habit, don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s connect, and I can help you turn your dream into reality.
Your clients are waiting!
**SCHEDULE a Strategy Session Today**
**Note**
In case you’re wondering about other marketing methods…
After you have established your business and gained momentum through a few solid relationships and clients, then feel free to add other methods of marketing to your arsenal. Perhaps you start doing more on social media, revamp your website, or print more materials. The point is to not burden yourself with those tasks now. What you need first is real relationships, and this is how you create them.
Now go for it!