So you own or market a therapy or counseling practice? Welcome to a very crowded marketplace…
But, what’s the bright side? I’ll tell you right away… With just a few strategic branding changes, you can easily rise above the crowded industry, cut through the noise and attract the ideal clients and patients that you have been desperately searching for.
First, allow me to add a little “social proof” to my background, who I am, why I “feel confident” that my advice here will help change the growth trajectory of your therapy or counseling business forever. My name is Josh Webber, Co-Founder and CEO of Big Red Jelly. Our world-class team specializes in helping companies, big and small truly identify their unique value propositions and position themselves within their market so they can exponentially increase their growth rates: In marketing, sales, advertising, you name it.
It’s all about your brand… It’s all about your brand positioning… I promise.
I have helped thousands of businesses around the world take a step back, pause and discover who their ideal clients REALLY are, identify their messaging direction, and connect the dots so they can better connect with who their audience TRULY is and scale their practice like never before. We have worked with new businesses, old businesses, big, small and everything in between. There is a method to the madness. And, more likely that not, you are fighting an uphill battle, by competing directly with your primary and secondary competitors and not truly understanding how to position your practice in a unique place of value.
Bought in yet? I hope so… Let’s dive in.
Tip 1. Empathize with your patients’ customer journey
When was the last time you took yourself through your own customer journey, from start to finish? Actually take a day or two and…
- Visit your website
- Call your office phone
- Schedule an appointment
- Or… Schedule directly online
- Show up to your appointment
- Talk to the front desk
- Sit down in your room
- DO the appointment
- Leave the room and schedule your next appointment
- Get in your car (yes)… And drive home
Learn anything? I can almost guarantee you did…
As business owners and entrepreneurs we suffer from extreme tunnel vision. We are in our business, working 24/7/365, we forget what it’s like to be a customer, we forget what it’s like on the other side. However, when you force yourself to go through the process above, you might see important points that need to be improved. Like, for example:
- Did someone answer the phone and greet you when you called?
- How easy (or hard) was it to find the phone number, email or form on your website?
- Did you get an automatic welcome email when you filled out the form?
- Were you redirected to a page that provided value?
- Did someone reach out personally afterward?
- Was it CLEAR what the next steps were?
- Was it CLEAR what to expect for your first appointment?
- Were you nervous, lost or confused?
- How did the front desk treat you when you walked through the door?
- How long did you have to wait?
- What was the ambiance like in the waiting room?
- Did the front desk schedule your next appointment right after?
- Did you get an email, text and online reminder?
- What happened between your first appointment and the next?
I think you get the point… You can NEVER overly obsess over your customer journey. I suggest you follow the process above, at least twice a year and look for areas to optimize and improve.
Tip 2. Be brave enough to be different
Does your website showcase some stacked river stones? How about some stock photography of a happy family, walking through some ambitious, heavenly field of grass? Or, maybe there is some handwritten script font that highlights some versions of quotes that inspire “zen”…
While researching for one of my clients… I took several hours and visited over 100 therapy websites in the Western United States… After only 15 minutes, it felt like I had fallen into some forbidden void of river stones, buddha quotes, and stock photography… Everything blurred together…
Don’t do it.
- Be original
- Invest in ORIGINAL content
- Take your brand identity seriously!
- Be brave enough to explore other colors, aesthetics, and imagery
- HAVE VIDEOS
Tip 3. Outline your “sales process”
After visiting 100+ therapy and counseling websites. I filled out their appointment forms… Out of the 100 that I completed, guess how many followed up with me?… Just over 35… Shocking.
And, guess how many followed up with me more than once?… 12.
Even more shocking…
I can go into great detail how many touch points it takes to “win a new patient”. Hint, it’s more than you think. I highly encourage you to lock in and integrate a CRM if you have not already, take it seriously and outline what your “sales” and on-boarding process really looks like. There should be automated portions and non-automated portions. But the principles remain true: it should be clear, fast, frequent and personalized. With today’s technology, this is easier than you think and it actually leads to a much more pleasant client and patience experience.
Do it!
Tip 4. Outline brand touch points BETWEEN patient appointments
Now it’s time to explore your client/patient journey even further. Break out the whiteboard and draw a timeline of everything that happens between appointments for the average patient:
- Do they get “homework” or something to do between appointments?
- Is a confirmation email and text sent to them immediately after their appointment, notifying them of the next?
- Are there at least a couple appointment reminders sent to them via text and email? To reduce last-minute cancellations?
- Are there “spontaneous” thoughts and tips shared with them between appointments?
- Are they enrolled in a curated nurture email sequence that provides on-going value?
- Are they encouraged to follow you on social media for more direction, tips and support?
- Are they added to an online support group or directed to online resources?
- Are they encouraged to visit a resource library or support page on your website?
This truly is where the magic happens. The appointment itself only takes up a FRACTION of the time for you and for your patients. It’s everything in-between that counts. For your brand, and more importantly for their wellbeing and success.
Tip 5. No, you’re not niche enough
I don’t care what industry you’re in… When I do entrepreneurship or branding workshops… I always start with this point. I ask the business owner to describe a few things:
- Describe your IDEAL customer or patient
- Tell me in 30 words or less what REALLY makes your practice special or different
- Tell me in 30 words or less why I should choose YOUR business over the countless alternatives
- Identify your top 5 primary AND secondary competitors
Many of you will struggle to answer those questions quickly and succinctly… And, I promise if we were chatting face to face, I would be able to show how broad your definition of “ideal customer” real is. The truth is, the more niche you are, the more likely your marketing and advertising is to accelerate to a whole new level. You immediately differentiate yourself and energy, budget and efforts focus on a more niche group of people who need your services OR you specialize in terms of HOW you do things or WHAT you offer.
I’ll save the tactics for “how to effectively niche down” for another time… But, the point is, if you try to be all things to all people… You are fighting an uphill battle, and it’s not easy. Be niche. Trust me.
BONUS TIP: It’s all about the PEOPLE
If I had a nickel for every therapy or counseling website that I visited and I couldn’t find team member photos, bios or videos, I would be a very, very rich (but sad) man… Why? Once someone books an appointment with your practice for the first time, your practice “brand” is no longer front and center in their mind… That all falls away.
It becomes instead… “Oh yeah, you have to go see Jennifer… She is the BEST therapist… Here is her contact information.”
Or
“Oh yeah, I have my next appointment with Jeremy… next week Thursday.”
In the therapy and counseling space, it’s ALL about the therapists! Therefore, take your personal brands seriously! Showcase your people, front and center!
- Are your people shown on your home page?
- Do you have HIGH QUALITY photos of your people?
- Do you have HIGH QUALITY videos introducing your people and team?
- Do you have photos showing your office space?
- Do you have WELL written bios, stories and background for your people?
- Do you showcase the supporting staff?
- Do you encourage your therapists and experts to be thought leaders and share their expertise online via social media?
- Do you allow your patients to connect with your experts online?
That’s it y’all. In conclusion, you are doing business in a space that is ripe for growth and competitive advantages. More importantly, you are helping people get better, feel better and live life in a better way. I care about this industry, I want it to succeed, I want you to better connect with more potential patients and clients. Implement the tips above and I am confident that your therapy or counseling practice will grow.
Good luck!
