Marketing in 2010, I predict, will be easier and make more sense, and it won’t take learning new technical skills or strategies.

This is a “good news” video about Practice Building in 2010.

Looking for more?

If you’re interested in how to make building your practice even easier this year with specific tips, don’t forget to check out Practice Building for Therapists in 2010, my new 90-minute teleclass program on February 8 to teach you how to get clients the old-fashioned way – by building relationships with prospects and referrals sources in your community at http://InTLI.com/2010/.

So what questions do you have about practice building? 
Are you looking forward to marketing that doesn’t required you to be a techno-lover? 
I’d love to hear from you!

If you are just starting out or need a motivational refresher, here is a 5 step Practice Building Quick-Start Guide for you.

(Video is 6 minutes long.)

After you watch it, take a few moments and consider:

Do you need to refresh or change your marketing to attract more clients?

What are you next action steps?

Happy practice building!

Could you use more support and tips?

Please join me is my newest 90-minute teleseminar:

“Practice Building for Therapists in 2010″
February 8, 2010

In this teleclass we will explore:

How to shift your thinking from “private practitioner” to “private practice business owner” so that you are set up for success.

How to make friends with money. (No matter how great the marketing plan – if you don’t feel good about money, you won’t attract the clients you want.)

The four marketing personality types. Once you know yours, you can reduce that overwhelmed feeling – and get a sense of what might work for you. You may even surprise yourself and end up liking the process!

Whether or not you want to market a specialty to attract clients. (While this was once touted as mandatory, let’s take a second look at it based on today’s cultural changes.)

The minimum marketing one needs to get started – as well as suggestions for those who’ve done the basics and want to increase their marketing efforts.

How to not get ripped off with internet marketing schemes.

What I predict will be the best way to attract clients in 2010. (Hint: Speaking.)

This will be a content-rich class. I will fill those 90 minutes with as much content as I can and you will get some handouts to follow along. We’ll have some exercises and new ideas to get your energy up and your mindset shifting. All participants will receive the audio recording to listen to again and again.

But please don’t misunderstand. This call is only 90 minutes. It is the beginning. It is for the person starting or restarting a practice – or for those who want to get current on the cultural and technological changes in 2010 and how that impacts today’s private practitioner.

This teleseminar is the foundation – designed as a quick-start – to get you thinking bigger and moving into action. And if you decide you want more practice building support later, we have other programs – including our upcoming 4-part teleseminar series “Fill Your Appointment Book with Speaking” and our very exciting 3-day, live and in-person event “How To Make a Bigger Difference: Marketing Makeover Magic” April 15-17, 2010 in southern California to further support you in your private practice business success.

But, for now, let’s build that solid foundation. Let’s look at how you need to think and what you need to do to get those clients in the door….so you can make the difference you became a therapist to make.

Please join me for:

I look forward to “seeing” you on the call.

Holding the vision for you,

Casey

P.S. I really do get it. You want to help people – more people. You want to have a great reputation in your community You want to earn more money. This practice is your dream. I’d like to support you in that dream.

If you are ready to shift into the business owner mindset and and identify what you need to do next to attract more cash-paying clients in 2010, please join us for this 90 minute teleclass.

If you have 15 minutes to watch an inspiring video, check out Steve Job’s commencement address at Stanford’s 2005 graduation below. Listen to the end – all three of his stories. I loved the honesty and the emotion it invoked (in me). He has a lovely turn of phrase … such as:

“No one wants to die – even people who want to go heaven don’t want to die to get there….Sorry to be so dramatic but it is quite true.  Your time is limited so don’t waste it  living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition – they somehow already know what you truly want to be come .”

This begs the questions:

What makes a great speaker? How is a great presentation constructed and delivered? Is a presentation about facts more or less appealing that those about possibilities? Are the answers as varied as the audience?

Here are some of my musings on what makes a great speaker and presentation and I would love to hear yours.

1. I’ve been told by friend and colleague Dianne Legrow that magnetic speakers ask powerful questions. A powerful question is one that may not have an answer. One that makes the audience stop and think. A powerful question can change the listener forever. Curiosity is evoked. Transformation can happen.

2. Have you noticed that often great presentations come from presenters that are present in the moment?

In other words, when people read a presentation or have it so structured that the focus is on the content only, the audience has implicit permission to not be present at that moment either.

3. A great presentation appeals to multiple learning styles.

We all know that some learners are visual, some auditory and some kinesthetic. We’ve also been taught about emotional intelligence. So why is it that we still do many of presentations with a power point projector and time at the end for questions? I have been guilty of this myself at times.

4. A great presenter knows how to manage the level of interaction with the audience.

This one is not always easy – especially when we want the audience members to be happy. But we’ve all been to presentations when someone who says they have a question but ends ups giving a lengthy personal comment or commentary.

If this happens to you, understand two things. First – this person is usually clueless as to how their behavior is affecting the others, so you may need be be direct with him or her. Second, the rest of the audience is counting on you to do just that. You might say, “You certainly have something interesting things to say. Is there a specific question you have?” Or if they go on repeatedly, “I bet you and I could talk about this for days, but let’s give someone else a chance shall we?”

My personal favorite was when a presenter told a rather talkative attendee, “You have had the opportunity to share a lot. Keep raising your hand and I will eventually call on you again. But for a while, I will be calling on others.”

5. Finally, great presenters speak to the resistance to the topic early on in the presentation.

This is also called sharing the ‘WIIFM’ You audience wants to know “What’s In It For Me?” They may, inadvertently of course, come with a rigidity and resistance along with their curiosity about the topic. Great presenters address this early so that the attendee is more relaxed and able to enjoy the information, and hopefully, the transformation, that is to come.

I am curious. What do you think makes great presentations? Feel free to share them in the comments section below.

Until next time,
Casey

PS Have you noticed that what worked to build your practice in the last decade may not be working this decade? Stay tuned for more tips on how to refresh your marketing for 2010. But as a hint – giving presentations in your community is a great way to build your connections, reputation and attract prospects.

Question: How do I attract clients
and make more money in 2010?

Great question because what worked in 2009 may not work in 2010.

As you may know, I started running half-marathons last year. I walked most of my first one. Then I moved on to walk-running and then to running the 13.1 miles.

I finished faster in each race. That felt good but I wanted to get faster still. So, after my last race in October, I decided to run each workout faster than the last. If I could get faster in practice, then imagine what I could do on race day.

Since October, I ran faster each and every week. You can see how this story goes. I struggled with a lot more injuries. Tendonitis in my ankles and knees. Sore hips. Lower back issues. Due to these injuries, I dropped out of the next race.

What worked for me last year is not working for me this year.

I hired a running coach – Victor. He trains athletes to get maximum performance. Victor recommended I do some strange things to get faster. Get this: “Casey, you need to run slower – in lower heart rate zones.”

RUN SLOWER? TO GET FASTER? It is counter-intuitive and I have to tell you I didn’t swallow it at first. Eventually I agreed to try his program. Guess what? I am now running faster and injury-free!

What worked last year may not work this year.

The answer to the question:
How do I attract clients and make more money in 2010 is simple…

1. Repeat what works.

2. If it isn’t working – do something different.

We need to refresh our marketing strategies
to fit our 2010 culture.

What worked in 2009 may not work in 2010

If what you are currently doing to get clients is working, then simply repeat what works.

However, if you aren’t having the success you want – then maybe it is because your marketing strategies are out of sync with the culture in 2010.

In 2009 many therapists jumped on the internet with websites and online locator listings. But now there are literally thousands of therapists with websites. The internet has created more competition for you that you had before – especially in your local community.

It is time to take a moment – take a breathe – and rethink your strategies.

Your website needs to stand out among the other therapists in your area. How are you going to do that?

I’ve mentioned before that you need to offer something for free (a “pink spoon” or a free taste like the small taste on the pink spoon in the ice cream store) on your web site. Maybe it is an audio or “white paper” or, a really short video that engages your visitor.

But that was in 2009. Now the internet is flooded with “free” Even free isn’t enough to make your website stand out among the competition. You want your pink spoon to be CAPTIVATING.

As your web visitors gets to know you through your pink spoon, they can make a more informed decision as to whether to call you or the therapist around the corner. But by having a CAPTIVATING pink spoon, you will most likely look more engaging and appealing and your phone will be the one the client calls.

Stand out! Do what will work in 2010.

For step-by-step instructions on how to create your Pink Spoon, consider checking out “Pink Spoon Marketing for Therapists*” in our International Therapist Leadership Store at www.intli.com/store/

Step Up Your Game:
Pink Spoon Small Group Coaching:

Want some advanced support to get your pink spoon completed? Get it done in just 4 weeks with my new hands-on, Attract More Clients Now with your Captivating Pink Spoon group coaching program starting January 28th. Join me for seven sessions of group coaching to help you get that pink spoon out of your head and on your site. In just 4 weeks!

But wait to hear the rest! Pink Spoon Group members will also receive:

1. One half-hour personal strategy session with me, Casey Truffo to review your pink spoon concept.

2. One GOLDEN no-charge admission TICKET to my live, in-person 3-day event “How To a Bigger Difference in 2010: Marketing Makeover Magic”  ”in southern California April 15-17, 2010.

3. A digital copy of our workbook: Pink Spoon Marketing for Therapists* – a 190 page, step-by-step manual to help you create your Pink Spoon.

4. An audio recording “How to Create CDs” from the Chill sessions – plus some cool ideas about how to get clients using CDs.

5. Our InTLI.com virtual assistant resource list of some people you might hire to help you with the technical parts of getting your pink spoon on your website.

Ready to get that pink spoon done and receive all those bonuses?

Click here for more information.

So step one to attract more clients and make more money in 2010 is to get your website up and that Captivating Pink Spoon completed!

In the next issue, I will share another way to get refresh your marketing strategies to match our 2010 culture and earn more money.

Have a great week!

Committed to your success and with love and respect,

Casey

I promised I wouldn’t nag you about your 2010 goals. But here is a different twist:

What did you DECIDE in 2009? What did you decide that made it the best year you’ve had. (Or even what decisions did you avoid that, in rethinking it, should have been made?)

Here is a 2 minute and 10 second video of the decisions I made this last year. Warning: significant narcissism involved. But it is also a hint of what we at International Therapist Leadership Institute have in store for you in 2010! (Please press the play arrow and wait 15 or so seconds while it queues up to run. You will see a white screen while it is loading.)

The decisions I made that affected my year profoundly:

1. Do something I’ve never done before. (I ran 3 half-marathons.)

2. Invest in a MENTOR to help me push the envelope and offer services (such as the Virtual Conferences) that in my humble opinion made history in conference delivery.

3. Let go of playing it safe. I continue to look for ways to push the envelope in ways to support you.

But what about you… What decisions did you make? What do you plan to make?

For years, I have set goals. I read about the Harvard studies where people who wrote down their goals were more likely to achieve them.

For years, I identified and quantified those goals. I’d visualize the outcomes and daily did my affirmations, EFT, and NLP work. (I still see myself in a lovely red jacket speaking on stage at the Evolution of Psychotherapy conference but so far I haven’t received the invitation. But I know it is coming!)

Then I found myself discouraged when I didn’t meet some of those goals – feelings of failure would creep in.

I went back to reading about the Harvard studies where people who wrote down their goals achieved them. I was hoping for some motivation. But then I read that those stories were urban legends!

For a while I decided to put goal-setting aside and focus simply on serving and on my journey. I encouraged my coaching clients to do the same.

But what drives human nature? Maxwell Maltz said it decades ago. We humans are like self-correcting missiles. We are guided by our goals – conscious or otherwise. Our clients have goals, They want to feel better. They want to have better relationships. They want to enjoy life more, to feel more successful.

Recently I heard this: “Your clients have goals. Don’t ask them to sacrifice the goals for the journey.” Hmmm…

Think back to the time when you felt most purposeful in your life. I bet it was when you were on a mission – perhaps getting licensed – or parenthood – or serving your target market.

As usual, it probably isn’t as black and white as those images. In my last half-marathon, I had two goals: 1) To finish well 2) To enjoy the 13.1 mile run.

I accomplished both with my fastest time to date and I completely enjoyed the ocean vistas as I shared the experience with thousands of other runners.

What do you think?

Are you setting goals for the new year? Do you encourage your clients to do the same? Or do you think that setting goals creates too much pressure and takes away from ‘being in the moment?’ and enjoying the journey?

I’d love to engage in some dialogue about this here. Click on “comments” below.

As we end the year, I wish you and yours many, many blessings!

With a great deal of love and respect,
Casey

Case in point – the 2009 Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference. The first time I attended this conference as a student. Each speaker seemed to embody all truth. This was actually quite a problem for me when they disagreed with each other! The second time I attended (in 1995) I was a fledgling clinician looking for specific answers to case conundrums. In 2000, I simply absorbed and enjoyed feeding my curiosity.

And this time – 2009? It has been about …

1) catching up with the speakers and

2) seeing their vision of the future

Just as we all change over the years, so do our speakers and thought leaders. Conferences like this give us a chance to see what our thought leaders are thinking now – SINCE they wrote their last book.

But let’s bring this back to you.

How are you different since your last big conference?

What has changed?

What do you value now that you might not have before?

What do you know now?

Look forward to hearing your comments!

This is a chicken and egg thought (plus a giggle about my worlds colliding) – would love your thoughts. (Please press the play arrow and wait for a bit (maybe 15 seconds) while the video queues up – you will see a blank screen until it queues.)

Just attended a panel discussion on Research about the Efficacy of psychotherapy. I will be writing more about it but thought you might like a quick view. (Please press the play button and the movie will queue up after a 15 or so seconds. You will see a white screen while it queues.)

(Please press the play button and wait several sections while the video queues up. You will see a white screen until the video appears.)