Having a practice that stands out can make the difference between someone choosing you over another practice. It can keep your client retention levels balanced. It can also result in a higher referral rate. When you bring more to the table the clients notice it and are usually pleased with the results they are seeing. Knowing how to diversify your practice is a great investment for the overall well-being of your practice and can lead to practice growth. Below are the steps you can take to make your practice more diverse.
Educate your audience- When it comes to marketing a private practice you will need to shift your mindset. Marketing through education does not yield instant results. Often times marketing methods that yield instant results are not right for a practice and has the potential to leave your practice with a caseload of clients that are not a good fit for your practice. When you educate your audience it allows them to understand the meaning behind the services you offer. It aligns your audience with your approach, making for a long-lasting client relationship. By allowing your audience to learn from you instead of convincing them of what they need, you allow them to make the decision and we all know that yields a better therapy experience.
Change the way you present therapy- Have you ever heard of the saying one size fits all? It is a term that is used often. When you think about therapy it is not typically a term that describes someone's future therapy sessions. However, if you think about it that is kinda the approach that is taken if you present one on one therapy to every client. Some clients like to read, some like to feel supported in a group setting. Some clients like to work on themself outside of therapy. If you have additional offers that are an add-on to your one on one therapy sessions it will not only bring in other potential clients it will also offer additional support for your current clients. Think of an offer you can put together to attract new clients and bring more value to your therapy offer.
Seek guidance- A practice can change often. Keeping up with the best business practice can be hard to manage. Adding new and inventive ideas to your practice is key to growing your practice. Seeking guidance from a mentor or a coach is a great way to make sure your practice stays in shape. It is also a great way to discuss practice changes, especially ones that can help make your practice diverse. I had a coaching client one time come to me with an idea to grow her practice in a different direction. She said that she was looking to start a family and wanted to bring a few therapists on and she only wanted to offer group therapy as a service she provided. With my guidance, she was able to make more by offering just groups than she ever did by offering one on one therapy. She also discovered that she loved the process of group therapy and held 1 group each day. Only working a total of about 2 hours a day. She said when she told others about her vision that everyone thought she was crazy. However, I saw her vision and she now has a flourishing group practice and is the only one in the county that offers the type of group therapy sessions she offers. She set herself apart from the competition. She became a more diverse practice.
Show gratitude to your community- As a therapist, you were called to this profession. It is a natural instinct to want to help others. You know this but it may be hard for others to see that if they don't work with you one on one. Or if they do not know you at all. There are many ways you can make your passion for mental health seen. Hosting a support group, leading a fundraiser, creating a mental health association for the county providing help for those in need. The list goes on and on. I had a client that once wanted to give back to her small community. She was a therapist for teens and after a few teen suicides in the community, she was devastated. She decided that she was going to go to schools once a month and educated the students on mental health. I helped her plan the whole thing. It was a therapeutic presentation that was made into a fun interactive assembly. It made the students feel like what made them different made them special. She made an impact and people were noticing. She ended up moving into a group practice and now has three locations. The community received her gratitude and supported her practice.
There are many different ways to stand out from the rest of the practices. Do what feels right for you and your practice. Set yourself apart in a way that aligns with your approach and practice values and I am sure you will see the desired growth happen.
If you need help with your practice feel free to schedule a free call.