SINGLE MODULE CHECKOUT
Module 1
How to Get Clients
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Even if you’re just trying to get your FIRST client, this module will help you learn how to master the art of getting clients. As someone who now has to employ other therapists to keep up with the HUGE VOLUME of clients who call her office, Dr. Chloe sees many therapists who are great therapists but just don’t know how to get clients. If you want more clients, this module is for you. Actually, this whole series has to do with getting clients but this module gets things started! Learn the biggest mistake Dr. Chloe sees other therapists make as they try to get high functioning clients who can pay their full fee in private practice. Start right away with homework and worksheets to help you put her lessons into action for yourself to get your practice full, or even just start your practice out the right way! You’ll start learning valuable information right off the bat, and of course even at Module 1 you can get feedback directly from Dr. Chloe as she helps you create your dream practice.
Private Practice Essentials Module 1
29
How to Get Clients
Module 2
Set the Stage for Success
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If you want to work with high functioning, intelligent clients who can afford to visit a private practice then you need to make sure your space is set up the right way. Have you ever had a new client come to see you once, never to return, and you weren’t sure why? It could have to do with the unconscious signals being sent by your office space! Would you like to get more referrals from existing clients? Clients are more likely to refer when they feel they’re sending their friends to a space that looks extremely professional yet warm and inviting. Dr. Chloe will teach you how to make sure your space is set for success. Even though she started her own practice with cheap furniture from Target in her early days, nobody could tell– because she knew how to create a space that worked. She’ll teach you how to bootstrap your way into a successful practice with a plan you can start right away, and with an organized “wish list” to fill as your practice grows in profit, just like Dr. Chloe’s! When you want to raise your fees, the setting in which you discuss this raise will definitely matter. Get Dr. Chloe’s personal advice on your own space, see her checklist for what every successful private practice office should have, and get started on your own office today! High functioning, private pay clients feel comfortable in a different setting than low-fee medicare clients. Is your space 100% on point? It is not just a matter of money- it is a matter of understanding the signals you’re sending. Make sure your space is properly configured to support your successful practice!
Private Practice Essentials Module 2
29
Set the Stage for Success
Module 3
Create an organized infrastructure
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Have you ever wondered how to handle things like billing and reception? Would you like to have those professional services but you’re not sure how to afford them? Dr. Chloe will teach you the secrets to create a polished feeling to your practice, even on a shoestring budget! High functioning clients want concierge-like services to make booking a breeze. A great way to attract and book high functioning clients who can afford your private practice full fee is to have your practice run like a well oiled machine that makes life easy for busy professionals, which also lets you relax and focus on doing great therapy! Dr. Chloe gets compliments from clients all the time who say they were attracted to her practice partly just because of the wonderful way it’s organized. Don’t YOU always like to go see a doctor, massage therapist, or other professional whose office is organized in a manner that’s conducive to easy booking and payment? Well, so do high functioning clients! Learn how to make your office run like a million dollar practice, even if you’re just starting out— Dr. Chloe can show you how! Not only has she personally created a million dollar practice, but her husband is a graduate of Harvard Business School, so she was able to get plenty of top notch business advice that she’s now going to share with you! Many therapists make the mistake of being “old school” (read: archaic) by doing absolutely nothing to make it easy for clients to book, pay, get information about fees, talk to a live person if they have a last minute scheduling issue, etc. This is an old “ivory tower” habit that has left many therapists behind in terms of business… oh well, their loss can be your gain! Your professors in graduate school were not 100% focused on their practice because they were teaching class, so maybe they didn’t mind not getting many new inquiries from potential clients- but if you want to grow your practice with full fee clients, you need to know how to provide a great client experience that shows you realize you’re serving an upscale clientele whose time is precious!
Private Practice Essentials Module 3
29
Create an Organized Infrastructure
Module 4
Customer service for PRIVATE PAY clientele
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When it comes to choosing a therapist, high functioning clients have more choices than ever before– how will you stand out? Given that we are in the caring and helping profession, it is essential that we have a warm and client-conscious approach to customer service. Do you have systems in place that help you stay on top of things like birthdays and holiday gifts? Customer service includes how you interact with clients, and also how you set your practice up in the first place- are your policies designed in a way that’s client-focused yet also protects YOU from becoming completely beholden to clients? It’s a fine line… let Dr. Chloe show you how to navigate. And by the way, this extends to your referral sources as well- Dr. Chloe will teach you the “little things” that help build relationships with clients AND referral sources to help them think of you, stay with you, and send their friends to you. The more you think of your clients as customers who have a choice in where they choose to go for services, and your referral sources as customers who have a choice where they will refer, the more your practice will attract, book, and retain the high functioning clients you desire!
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Do you have multiple systems in place that guide clients to give you feedback? Or ANY way to give you feedback besides talking with you face to face? We all want clients to feel comfortable telling us “the good the bad and the ugly” but many clients– especially the “people pleaser” or “perfectionist” or “very polite” types simply don’t feel comfortable sharing what didn’t work for them- they’ll just go somewhere else, and you’ll never get the benefit of learning how to improve your practice. Wouldn’t it be better if you had a way for them to share with you no matter what? Constructive criticism is usually very helpful, if we know how to get it AND know what to do with it. Dr. Chloe will teach you how!
Private Practice Essentials Module 4
29
Customer service for PRIVATE PAY clientele
Module 5
Handling Upset Clients
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High functioning clients can be picky and being picky isn’t always a bad thing– you probably know this intuitively because you’re a high functioning person yourself! So how do you handle it when a really great client expects “special treatment” when they need to cancel an appointment at the last minute due to an important business meeting, a sudden flu, or the myriad excuses that can and will arise with privileged and successful clients who are skilled at getting what they want? When you’re charging hefty fees, you can bet that intelligent clients who work hard for their big bank accounts will sometimes “kick up a fuss” even if you’ve spelled or your out your policies in advance. And what if you make a mistake? Or what if it’s unclear where the mistake lies? Or maybe you’re working with an entitled person or even celebrities who are just plain used to getting their way, and they feel upset by the idea of being treated “like everyone else”. Or what if they have technical difficulties for their video session and then don’t want to pay for the time since “there must have been a problem with your system” even though you’re sure the difficulty was on their end? You don’t want to alienate a client who may generate many thousands of dollars in annual revenue over a seemingly minor issue, but also don’t want to let them take advantage of their perception that you “need their business” or tie up your schedule without compensating you. Dr. Chloe tailored her policies over time as her practice grew. What’s right for someone starting out isn’t always right for someone whose schedule is already full. Dr. Chloe is there to help you navigate. Just think of her as your own personal “lifeline” when it comes to these tricky situations!
Private Practice Essentials Module 5
29
Handling Upset Clients
Module 6
Overcoming Isolation
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The goal of this series is to get as many private pay full fee high functioning clients you want. Ironically, meeting this goal may create the “problem” of having too many clients and not having enough time for yourself if you don’t know how to take care of yourself or when to realize that you can raise your rate in order to cut back since you’ll likely have a waiting list if you do all the modules in this series! Ever done a spreadsheet to see how much more you’ll earn annually just by raising your fee by $21 on 20 clients per week? This type of info helps you decide when and by how much to raise your rates- you’ll get an awesome auto-form that let’s you play with these numbers to easily set your targets in Dr. Chloe For Clinicians, and Dr. Chloe will share some approaches to this that have served her very well. After all, Dr. Chloe is a specialist in goal attainment! That extra income from your highly successful practice will let you model optimal self care for yourself by treating yourself to more spas, vacations, or whatever makes you feel restored and rejuvenated on a regular basis so you can be the best therapist for your clients! You may also find that your colleagues become jealous of your success or that it’s just harder to relate to them, especially if they haven’t invested the time and money you have in learning how to build a successful practice full of high functioning clients. This module teaches you how to handle this “problem” and reframe it as a positive. Plus, this is the time when you will take pleasure in the Dr. Chloe For Clinicians community of other successful therapists so you don’t always feel like your less successful “colleagues” are always just trying to pry your “secrets” out of you on how to be so successful! Remember, a waiting list actually be a “good problem” to have! Or you can just refer the “extra” inquiries you don’t have time to accept out to your colleagues, or whatever works best in your situation. Just don’t be surprised if Dr. Chloe For Clinicians actually leaves you feeling shocked at how many inquiries you receive! :)
Private Practice Essentials Module 6
29
Overcoming Isolation
Module 7
Using social media and major media
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Dr. Chloe Carmichael, who has appeared on FOX, CBS, VH1, Huffington Post, and an extensive list of other media, did not even have a personal Facebook page when she started her practice! Like many academics, she shied away from social media, thinking it wasn’t “serious” enough for someone like her…. thank goodness she learned better! Now you can learn how Dr. Chloe went from having zero social media to gradually getting small quotes in minor publications, then getting quotes in larger publications, and eventually getting asked to contribute to media outlets such as Forbes and US World News. The beauty of the digital world is that no matter where you live, you can connect and contribute to major media outlets. When potential clients see you are quoted in credible outlets, they are naturally more attracted to you because you’re positioned as an authority and obviously being seen and respected by the mass amounts of people who read the article. Dr. Chloe will show you how to maximize your online presence, easily pursue media opportunities from your laptop, create your online brand and reputation, and make the most of every single chance you have to gain exposure for yourself and your practice. Learn how to create opportunities for yourself with the best free advertising in the world: social media as well as local and national media! You can likely recycle some of your old term papers into short and punchy blogs, if you don’t feel like writing. You don’t have to do every single module here, but since some therapists wish the press would call them sometimes and therapists tend to pull Dr. Chloe aside at events to ask how she started getting media inquires, she decided to share this module!
Private Practice Essentials Module 7
29
Using social media and major media
Module 8
Self Improvement Through Ongoing Education
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What are the things you can do as a therapist to keep making yourself more attractive to high functioning clients? We all know to attend continuing education courses and attend conferences, but which ones are going to actually help your business? Learn to think strategically and really get the most for your investment when you develop yourself through ongoing education. You may be surprised at some of the classes and types of study that Dr. Chloe recommends… but remember it’s all geared towards empowering you to have a successful practice that lets you live the lifestyle you desire while enjoying a client list that is full of intelligent, stimulating, creative high functioning clients who are ready, willing, and able (even eager!) to pay full fee at your successful private practice.
Private Practice Essentials Module 8
29
Self Improvement Through Ongoing Education
Module 9
Using your network
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You have probably heard that networking is the key to success. Dr. Chloe has used networking to grow her practice and now she is going to teach you how to do this too! Dr. Chloe has actually taught workshops on networking for professionals in fields such as law and finance and been featured in Forbes on the topic of networking, as well as used her own networking skills strategically to build her practice. She is now going to teach you the skills you need to develop a successful practice with high functioning private pay clients. Everything from where to go, what to say, how to follow up, and most importantly how to turn networking into opportunity for your practice. Utilize the network you already have or expand your network strategically– you can take either option, or even do both! The choice is yours. This course is chock full of lessons so you will never feel stuck when it comes to your successful private practice. Learn how to activate your existing network for success– again, these are the things they don’t teach you in graduate school!
Private Practice Essentials Module 9
29
Using your network
Module 10
Yourself
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Many clinicians or coaches with excellent skills struggle to get full fee, private pay clients. Why? Because they’re unaware of how their social signals are getting in the way. You don’t need to spend a ton of money to pass muster, but you do need to understand that of course clients are “sizing you up” and they should be! Don’t you notice “the little things” that make certain people look professional, confident, and stand out? If you’re ready to “graduate” from low-fee clinic settings and start booking a high functioning private pay clientele, then do what high functioning people do when they have a big interview: review your professional image and strategically improve it. There is practically no one who couldn’t benefit from reviewing their professional image and making a few “tweaks” to ensure they’re sending the right social signals to attract, book, and retain high functioning clients. Remember, these clients are already capable of managing basic-to-medium business and social interactions. They’re seeking someone who can help them go to “the next level”, and the way you present yourself is often the way prospective clients will consciously or unconsciously gauge whether you are someone they can trust to help them navigate personal and professional situations where social skills matter. As someone who has worked with many Fortune 500 corporations as well as executives and trendy New York City singles, Dr. Chloe is happy to review the important signals therapists must consider in how they present themselves if they wish to attract, book, and retain an upscale, private pay clientele.
Private Practice Essentials Module 10
29
Yourself