Want to know the key to having a recession-proof practice and avoiding client drought?
I can give you the answer in one word- NEED.
Talking with practitioners around the country bears out my own experiences running a practice in a time of austerity. I’ve found that the clients who come for personal development or for a bit of “me” time are the first to go when belts have to be tightened.
For them, you are a luxury. The practitioners who are doing well at the moment, and I mean thriving not just surviving are the ones who have clients with long term problems and are dedicated to dealing with them.
The backbone of a healthy practice will be the clients who come because they need to see you.`
These are often the “difficult” clients. I don’t mean awkward or overly demanding. I mean people with long term physical or emotional problems (usually both). Many of them have been to a dozen practitioners before you and you are their “last resort”.
To be the therapist everyone comes to, you need the skills to get to the source of long years of physical and emotional pain
Dear Dan
Thanks for a great weekend;
I don’t know if you have seen this chaps work, whilst being different and aimed at different client group, something about the way Kstarr is made me think of you.
http://www.mobilitywod.com/
One of his most often used sayings is “If you don’t see change, there is no change”
Best
Ian
Hi Ian,
Glad you had a good time. Thanks for the link. I’m always on the lookout for new stuff, it’s really important that I don’t stagnate too! This guy is a great example of how to find a target market and clearly focus on them and their problems and issues. So, if you were thinking about this client group for your practice, this guy would be a great person to use as inspiration.
I like the quotation. For us, we could modify it slightly. How about “If you don’t feel change, there is no change.” ?
Dan