Getting Clients Newsletter November 2006 Welcome to GETTING CLIENTS! Each month we bring you the best information and resources we can find to help you get clients and build your ideal practice. If you are receiving this from a colleague and wish to subscribe Missed last month's tele-seminar? Visit our Audio Catalogue and check out our Seminar of the Month CONTENTS Announcements November 1st F`ree TeleSeminar - How to Have Fun, Play Large, and Retire Smiling Our next 90-Day Practice Building Intensive begins January 11th Our next 12 Week Get Clients Full Practice Training begins January 10th Private Practice Marketing on a Budget December 6th F`ree TeleSeminar How to Create Passive Income with David Steele and Jeff Herring Feature Article: How to Have Fun, Play Large, and Retire Smiling Cool Resource of the Month Invitations ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. November 1st - F`ree Tele-Seminar - 9am Pacific/12pm Eastern/5pm UK How to Have Fun, Play Large, and Retire Smiling with David Steele & Jeff Herring Between them, David Steele and Jeff Herring have 50 years experience in private practices that led them beyond the four walls of their office in ways they never dreamed. Join David and Jeff for a look into how you can leverage your private practice into your dream job and Have Fun, Play Large, and Retire Smiling. If you've ever worried about earning enough to pay your bills, had dreams of writing a book or similar accomplishment and held yourself back, or wondered how you'll ever retire on your current income, this seminar is for you! In this seminar you'll learn: How David and Jeff went from struggling practices to leaders in their field in just a few years How having fun and making money can go together like peanut butter and jelly How to amaze yourself by accomplishing things you never thought possible How to go beyond success and make a true difference in the world How to open your own doors and find the opportunities and resources you need for success How to leverage your time to work less and get more done (while your friends ask "When do you sleep!?" Plus much more… Don't miss this teleseminar! Come play with us! No need to register. This seminar is F`REE for subscribers of our f`ree monthly practice-building newsletter GETTING CLIENTS To subscribe and receive your invitation to this seminar, please visit http://www.buildingyouridealpractice.com Can't attend? No problem. A CD of this program will be available at a discounted price for 30 days as our Seminar of the Month Please share with your colleagues! 2. Our next 90-Day Practice Building Intensive begins January 11th! Ready to build your ideal practice? Want to work less and make more? Would you like to learn how you can actually have fun building and marketing your business? If so, then join our Practice Building Intensive! We will meet for 12 weeks, Thursdays at 9:00am pacific / 12:00pm eastern / 5 pm UK, and you will learn everything you need to have a successful private practice. This step-by-step program includes: E-book version of How To Build Your Ideal Practice In 90 Days Weekly assignments with all the step-by-step instructions needed to complete them Weekly consultation tele-class, Thursdays 9am pacific/Noon eastern, recorded for your listening convenience (web audio recordings also available) E-mail discussion list for your questions, ideas, feedback, and support Access to our exclusive Practice Development Resource Bank, Knowledge Bank, and Audio Catalogue for the best "how to" information and f`ree/low cost practice-building resources Facilitated by Jeff Herring, President of BuildingYourIdealPractice.com. And the REALLY great news is that this 90-day program is very affordable - as low as $39.00 per month! Now is the time to jump in and get the information and support you need to build your ideal practice. "All the other programs I have ever taken barely cover the tip of the iceberg of what you deliver." "I am so glad I have met the two of you and I'm in this program!" "I have some good news. I have another person wanting to become a client. I now have 5! I have followed your advice for internal marketing in the Getting Clients book and it really works. The thing that I notice here is that you really have to believe you have the goods that can help these people. If I can do an intake session then they usually sign up. What you said about building a relationship with the clients has really stuck with me. They are people not projects. Once they realize they can trust you and that you can help them the closing is usually pretty easy. It feels so good to see success in my internal market. I heard a man once say if you can succeed in your warm market then the external marketing is just the icing on the cake. One happy client has opened a bunch of doors for me I am meeting with a Singles Pastor on Wednesday to see how I can help his Singles become more successful Singles. I meet another minister on Tuesday to see if we can form an alliance. I have three other people who want to have an intake session with me and a bunch of people who want to hear me speak at a church. I will keep you posted. You and Jeff Herring rock!" - Jeff Burns, Raleigh, NC For more information 3. Our next How to Get Clients Full Practice Training begins January 10th! If you do not yet have a full practice, this program is for you! You must survive before you can thrive. To survive in private practice you must master the skills and strategies for getting clients. This 12-week program includes: Weekly tele-classes, Wednesdays 10:00am pacific / 1:00pm eastern / 6pm UK Step-by-step e-mailed assignments E-mail discussion list for support and feedback Supplemental audio recordings for missed classes, more info E-version of the “How to Get Clients Toolkit.” “I have been a therapist in private practice for 30 years. I regret that I didn't know this earlier.” " I wanted you to know that I followed what you taught us for the enrollment process and I picked up two new clients tonight! This stuff really works!" “I really like the way the content is organized. It seems obvious, simple and easy while being rich and deep.” “Thorough delivery and materials. It's like having a consultant to guide you through to a successful practice. I wish I had this sooner” “This program took the mystery out of getting clients” “A sure fire, step-by-step marketing plan that takes the dread out of doing your own marketing.” “It's been one of the greatest boosts my practice has ever had. The tools are practical and effective, plain and simple. I recommend this training without hesitation." Facilitated by Jeff Herring, President of BuildingYourIdealPractice.com Please join us! Wednesdays, beginning January 10th 10:00am pacific / 1:00pm eastern / 6pm UK For more information visit our website 4. Launching Private Practice Marketing on a Budget! Because the most effective ways to get clients and build your private practice don't cost anything! Jeff and David have been hard at work these past few months creating affordable "kits" to give you the information and tools you need to get clients and build your ideal practice. Kit #1: How to Fill Your Practice by Creating Unlimited Prospects Kit #2: How to Fill Your Practice by Converting Prospects to Clients Kit #3: Leveraging Technology to Boost Your Practice Kit #4: How to Have Fun, Play Large, and Retire Smiling Click here to get your copies today! 5. December 6th F'ree Practice Building TeleSeminar Join us in December for "Creating Passive Streams of Income" with David Steele and Jeff Herring Table of Contents   FEATURE ARTICLE How to Have Fun, Play Large, and Retire Smiling By David Steele If you are like me, you pursued a career as a helping professional because you want to make a positive difference in the world. And, if you are like me you want to live comfortably, send your kids to college, have fun, grow old with your soul mate, live a full and meaningful life, and leave a legacy. This is my definition of "Success." In this article I would like to share a bit about what I learned about how to have fun, play large, and make the biggest possible difference in the world as a helping professional. Doing What Matters Most As a child, I never imagined I would grow up to be a therapist and coach. As a therapist I never imagined I would transition my practice to coaching. As a coach I never imagined I would found a worldwide relationship coach training program. And I never imagined, in my entire life, that I would write a book as substantial as Conscious Dating that (in the words of my heroes Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks) makes "a significant contribution to the world of relationships." Wow. I look on my bookshelf and in addition to Conscious Dating I see: How to Build Your Ideal Practice in 90 Days How to Get Clients Toolkit Conscious Dating for Relationship Success (Audio CD) Conscious Dating Relationship Success Training Program for Singles Partners in Life Program for Couple s (soon to be "Conscious Mating") Relationship Coaching Home Study Program Private Practice Marketing on a Budget (four "Kits"- see announcement above) And on the internet I see: http://www.RelationshipCoachingNetwork.org http://www.RelationshipCoachingInstitute.com http://www.BuildingYourIdealPractice.com http://www.PrivatePracticeMarketingPodcast.com http://www.PrivatePracticeMagic.com http://www.PrivatePractice MarketingOnABudget.com http://www.ConsciousRelationshipSeminars.com http://www.ConsciousRelationshipArticles.com http://www.ConsciousRelationshipPodcast.com http://www.ConsciousRelationshipSpeaker.com http://www.ConsciousDating.com http://www.ConsciousDating.org http://www.PartnersInLife.org http://www.DavidSteeleOnline.com Quite a body of work. All by ME. Gosh, did I do that? One of my twin sons, eight years old, at the beginning of second grade last year (shortly after Conscious Dating was first printed) when asked by his teacher what he was most proud of replied- "My Dad, because he writes books." Now THAT has got to be the highest compliment I've ever received. How did I do this? How did I get here? I can only say... by pursuing what matters most to me. I believe we all put our priorities into what matters most to us. While we might talk the talk, how we show up in our walk will reveal what matters most. What matters most to you? Fun? Security? Love? Money? Safety? Comfort? Knowledge? Making a difference? Following what matters most to me led me to make a contribution to the world that my son and I are proud of. Feels good. Yet, it feels like my journey is just beginning. There is so much more I want to do, which keeps me motivated every day. If you are reading this, you are most likely in my network as a fellow helping professional. You are following what matters most to you as well, and I acknowledge and appreciate you as a fellow traveler trying to make our world a better place. How to Change the World Since my first counseling job in 1978 I knew that I wanted to help people have successful relationships, and for a long time it challenged and fulfilled me to do so as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Then I burned out. I was clear that my mission to lower the divorce rate and help create happy marriages and families hadn't changed, but working with couples on the verge of divorce for so many years was taking its toll. Then, I stumbled upon the growing field of personal coaching. What a breath of fresh air! What a great way to approach helping people be successful and making a difference in the world! Becoming a relationship coach fit my personality, values and goals much more than as a therapist, and my work became more fulfilling and more fun than I ever thought possible. Discovering coaching caused me to re-examine my methods and assumptions about how to make the world a better place, and I had three new awarenesses about how private practice professionals can change the world: 1) AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE Couples wait an average of seven years before getting help for their relationship, and by then, a lot of damage has occurred that greatly decreases their chances for success. I realized that my reason for burning out was that it is ineffective to try to fix something after it is broken. I resolved to pursue a pro-active coaching approach to having successful relationships. 2) WE NEED TO PLAY LARGE Most private practice professionals see individuals and couples in their office, and perhaps run a group or two, and impact a small number of the people that need our services. I realized that if I was going to change the world I needed to see the bigger picture, play larger, and find ways to serve my entire community, instead of a few people in my office 3) WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER Most private practice professionals work alone. We spend our days doing our thing in our office with our clients, disconnected from each other. There are more than 350,000 licensed mental health professionals in the U.S., and we haven't made a dent in the divorce rate. Imagine what would be possible if we started working together towards a common goal. Most helping professionals that have been in private practice for awhile tell me they don't like working alone and yearn to be part of a team. Seven Habits of Highly Successful Practitioners While many helping professionals are able to eke out a living, a small percentage are achieving "success" by anyone's definition. In my experience mentoring private practice professionals to get clients and build their practices, I have found successful practitioners to share the following characteristics: 1. PASSIONATE Highly successful coaches love their work, and are so excited by it that they would do it for free, and have no thought or intention of retirement. They truly could not imagine doing anything else, and consider themselves lucky to have the best job in the world. Their passion is easily expressed, and very attractive to their potential clients. 2. POSITIVE These coaches always have a "can do" attitude. They truly believe in themselves and trust that they will find a way around obstacles to survive and thrive, and thus are able to effectively empower their clients to be positive as well. They assume abundance instead of scarcity. While they may experience fears and doubts, they are never reasons for "no." 3. ENTREPRENEURIAL Highly successful coaches have an entrepreneurial attitude, consider their practice a business, and take the trouble to learn and apply the business skills needed to be successful. While most helping professionals understandably wish to focus on serving their clients and resist the business and marketing aspects of their practice, successful coaches enjoy the challenge of pioneering a successful coaching business that is an expression of their gifts, mission, and purpose. 4. PLAY LARGE Successful coaches are always expanding by growing themselves and their practices. They desire to play as large as they can, and take every opportunity to do so. They get impatient with the status quo, and are always in motion seeking to maximize their time, energy, opportunities, and resources. 5. CREATIVE Highly successful coaches pioneer their work with their clients and their coaching practice. They like to build on what they've learned, and are excited by developing their own approaches to their work that express their gifts, talents, and perspectives. Most enjoy the thought of writing a book or developing a program that would make a unique and powerful contribution to the world. 6. SERVICE-ORIENTED Highly successful coaches truly wish to make a difference in the world, and are grateful for the opportunity to be of service to their clients. While they may have their financial goals, they wish to practice "right-livelihood," and it is more important for them to fulfill their mission and purpose than it is to be financially successful. 7. WALK THE TALK Highly successful coaches believe in the value of coaching, have their own coach, and are enthusiastic clients as well as coaches. They put time and effort into developing themselves and building the life that they really want, while they are making a living helping others do so. They have walked in their clients' shoes, and continue to do so. Dreams Are Better Than Goals My friend and mentor Dr. Phil Humbert has this to say about the role of Vision in our success: "Recently I was asked to name the single most important requirement for success. After working with hundreds of entrepreneurs, managers, professionals and salespeople, and having read hundreds of books and attended lots of seminars, the answer is easy. The single most critical single factor in determining your future is a crystal clear vision. Or, if you prefer, a dream that is big enough to be worthy of you. Obviously, other things play a part. Skill is important. And so are goals and a written plan. An attractive personality, a warm handshake and a sincere smile are helpful, along with ambition and lots of energy. All of these things are helpful, but the one that makes all the difference is a big-enough vision. Over and over again, I see folks with a sense of "calling" or passion, or enthusiasm or "grit" succeed - they pull it off - while others with far more potential, more assets and resources, fall by the wayside. And, a small vision won't do it. Successful people find something huge, and devote their lives to it. It's something that seems to possess them, to drive them, to challenge them to over-come and to persist until they find a way. There's a wonderful quote from the ancient general, Hannibal: "We will find a way, or make one." Goals are obviously important. They provide benchmarks along the way and help you stay focused. They give direction and incentive. But by themselves, goals will not get you up early and keep you going all day. In fact, goals can be a limiting factor, because they narrow your focus, and you may miss a golden opportunity that came "out of left field". Talent and skill, by themselves, will not guarantee success. We have all heard about geniuses who squandered their time, their talent and, ultimately, their lives. Money and resources and business plans and a network of supporters are very helpful. I recommend that you have all of these things. But in the end, a determined, focused sense of who you are and what you are going to accomplish is the most important ingredient for unusual success. " Retiring Smiling In truth, I don't anticipate retiring. I'm having way too much fun! I have my dream job doing what I want to do when I want to do it. Why would I ever want to give that up? To me, "retirement" has two forms- Forced Retirement when you can't work anymore Chosen Retirement when you don't have to work anymore Because I'm self-employed and create my own work, if and when I stop working it will be because I want to, not because I have to. I can work from a hospital bed, Tahiti, visiting family across the country; wherever I want. When I stop working it will be because I've achieved all that I want in my profession and want to focus full time on my family, my soul mate, and other fun and meaningful activities. I never thought I would stop being a therapist, and I did. I never thought I would write a book or start an institute, and I did. These twists and turns in my career tell me that life is full of surprises, so I've learned to expect the unexpected and be open to where my journey leads. While I don't know exactly what to expect in the next 20 years of my life, it gives me great comfort and pleasure to know that if and when I retire, I'll retire smiling. This is my wish for you as well. Please join us on Wednesday November 1st for our next F*R*E*E Monthly Practice Building Seminar - How to Have Fun, Play Large, and Retire Smiling with David Steele and Jeff Herring Subscribers - watch your e-mail inbox for an invitation with the bridge number to join. For more information about this and future Practice-Building Seminars To subscribe to this newsletter and access our seminars Table of Contents   COOL RESOURCE OF THE MONTH Private Practice Marketing on a Budget Because the most effective ways to get clients and build your private practice don't cost anything! We've carefully designed for you affordable "kits" to give you the information and tools you need to get clients and build your ideal practice. Private Practice Marketing on a Budget How-To Kits Kit #1: How to Fill Your Practice by Creating Unlimited Prospects Kit #2: How to Fill Your Practice by Converting Prospects to Clients Kit #3: Leveraging Technology to Boost Your Practice Kit #4: How to Have Fun, Play Large, and Retire Smiling Click here to get your copies today! INVITATIONS We invite you to share this newsletter with a colleague. There is a tremendous need for our services, and we need to work together. Practice development is always in need and we want to be the leaders in our field. Please contact us with ideas and resources you have found useful so we can pass them on! We invite you to get the support you need to be successful in your practice. We are available for information, training, ideas, mentor coaching, etc. We invite you to become an affiliate of BuildingYourIdealPractice.com and begin to earn extra income just by sharing our programs and products with your friends and colleagues. For more info visit our website. If you are a private practice professional who received this from a colleague, we invite you to visit our web site and contact us for information on joining us. How do you like our newsletter? Your feedback is welcome! Until next time… David Steele, MA, LMFT Founder and CEO of BuildingYourIdealPractice.com Jeff Herring, MS, LMFT President of BuildingYourIdealPractice.com The purpose of this newsletter is to connect, support each other, inform, and build a strong community of helping professionals who want to have thriving businesses and fulfilling lives. Your submissions and feedback are welcome! If you are receiving this from a colleague and wish to subscribe Share this newsletter with a colleague! Our Mission: To provide the tools, information and support to help private practice professionals have their ideal practices in the most effective and efficient ways possible. Copyright notice: This newsletter is copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Please share with others as long as our contact information and authorship is included. U.S. Library of Congress ISSN#:1530-3055 Table of Contents

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