Today, part 2 of Lynn Grodzki’s Practice-building in Hard Times, fit perfectly with the themes and strategies she emphasized last Wednesday. She focused today on marketing within our comfort zones,
building on the idea that not everyone is comfortable marketing their private practices.

She said that private practice is a wonderful way of offering services but as soon as a practice is created, clinicians immediately have to wear “two hats,” one of a clinician and one of an entrepreneur. Especially during a recession, small business-owners need to be marketing their practices in order to be more visible.

Therapists in private practice should notice their mindset regarding marketing, which has become a necessary component of owning a business. She compared this approach to shaping up with a personal trainer, who helps clients to stretch themselves, but not to stress their bodies in ways that could be painful or harmful. Although not everyone’s comfortable with marketing, therapists could stretch themselves a bit into becoming a better businessperson, rather than stressing themselves to feeling unlike themselves.

There’s a big difference between promotion and attraction, she explained. Promotion is like those irritating, unwanted phone calls we inevitably receive during dinnertime that advertises a product, and attraction meaning a natural, magnetic-like appeal toward services you uniquely offer. This is the difference between push and pull marketing. Pulling potential clients or referral sources toward therapists is a great way to market comfortably. The way to do this is to clarify what’s most important about your practice, so those who need these services can find you.

Grodzki takes us on a step-by-step overview journey, beginning with how to prepare for marketing, marketing strategies, and then how to track results. She left us with action steps and a reminder to remain with what feels comfortable. Marketing methods are not one-size-fits-all.

If you’re starting to feel like your business is declining along with the economy, it would be good to consider the practice-building package, because it includes a whole slew of information in which you can pick out what might work for you. See more information here. You can also go up to Grodzki's website which offers a ton of relevant resources.

I feel like I’ve learned so much about marketing from these talks. Grodzki made a lot of sense when she described the seemingly conflicting values of private practice, how therapy is a service, but therapy practice is a business. Grodzki seems to truly get at the heart of how to reconcile discomfort with marketing and business in order to broadcast the strengths of our individual practices.

Make sure to share your opinion on these ideas and strategies here, if you got to listen in!