Building a Thriving
Practice with EFT
By Gary Craig
Table of Contents
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part I: Do you have Bad Breath?
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part II: Why would I choose you?
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part III: Golf anyone?
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part IV: When nothing else works.
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part V: Snoring.
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part VI: Self Image-itis.
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part VII: Corporations are looking for you.
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part VIII: Advertising--Do you know my name?
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part IX: Advertising -- Building a newsletter.
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part X: Advertising -- Become an AUTHORity.
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Building a Thriving Practice--PartXI: The Lazy Man's Way to Riches.
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part XII: Advertising on our web site referral pages.
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Building a Thriving Practice--Part XIII: Taking apart an actual ad.
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How to generate referrals for EFT
Building a Thriving Practice--Part I
Do you have bad breath?
There are no secrets to building a thriving practice. I know because I have had both feet in the business world (very extensive experience) for over 30 years. To succeed, you don't need an MBA from a prestigious university nor do you need to spend mega-money for someone's mail order magic answer to the supposed "mysteries" of the business world. Business success is based on attitude, common sense and experience. There are no other ingredients. Luck has little or nothing to do with it although some may "stub their toes" a bit more than others as they gain experience. I have seen people build impressive enterprises from scratch using nothing but the above ingredients and, by contrast, I have seen others handed a thriving business which collapsed on them because they ignored the obvious.
Your practice is a business--pure and simple--and that realization is essential if you are going to bring your skills to the public in a way that benefits everyone concerned (including you). A healing practice has a product (in this case, a service) and it has customers (clients). It must have sales (fees) to prosper or it will die on the vine. It must be promoted through advertising (including word of mouth) and, to be ultimately successful, it must develop a Premiere Presence in the market place.
Ways to produce that Premiere Presence will unfold during this series. Properly done, your referral sources will multiply to the point where your biggest problem will be how to tactfully say "no" to new prospective clients. Your professional status will increase within your community and, if you wish, you can have a national or international reputation.
Think about it. You are a provider in one of the largest markets in the world--the need for growth and healing. It is HUGE and literally dwarfs the assistance available. Stated in economic terms the demand exceeds the supply by a wide margin. How many people, for example, can you name that don't have some form of fear, self-image problem, trauma, guilt and/or physical malady that they would love to have relief from? Virtually every person on the planet could use what you can do with EFT. Even if you didn't have EFT, you could still provide far better healing with the other "empower tools" than was possible only a decade ago.
You have the tools. Your market place is massive. There is far more business out there than you can possibly handle and there are financially rewarding ways to service rich and poor alike (we will explore many of these). If you are not flourishing, something is wrong. Please pardon this way of putting it but if paying clients aren't lined up outside your door it is only because in the business world...
you have bad breath!!
Forgive me again. I'm not being rude with that statement. I'm just using it to shift this discussion into one of the most fundamental principles in business, namely, that the market place is your best friend.
Only your best friend will tell you if you have bad breath. If your business is below your expectations and if referrals are less than you would like, then there is something wrong with how you are promoting/presenting yourself. In the business sense you have bad breath and are being told that in obvious terms by the market place. We may not want to hear this. We may even want to blame others for not referring clients to us or for being ungrateful for all our good work. We can also blame managed care or our state regulatory environments, if we wish. There is no end to the excuses and aggravations we can create for ourselves to avoid dealing with the only person responsible for our success--ourselves. However, when we do this, we take up residence in Stagnation City.
The market place is our best friend and when things aren't going as well as we would like, it drives a truck through our living rooms with a big sign on the side that says....
"CHANGE YOUR WAYS --WHAT YOU ARE DOING ISN'T WORKING."
How obvious could the message be? The market place isn't mincing words or being tactful. It is blowing trumpets and pounding drums in an effort to tell us we have bad breath. If we don't pay attention, we will surely pay the price. Binaca anyone?
Enough said for now. I hope the point is made because the rest of this series will display ways to sweeten your business breath. Some methods may seem more important to you than others. Some ideas may even violate your
beliefs. That's OK. Stay with me. There will be much to choose from. In the end we will discover ways to serve more people with more love and do so with an ever expanding financial base.
More next time. Cheers, Gary
Building a Thriving Practice--Part II
Why would I choose you?
I just looked under Psychotherapy in the San Francisco Yellow Pages. Interesting.
I asked myself, "Who in these Yellow Pages could help me if I had the number one fear in America--The Fear of Public Speaking?" As it turns out, not one therapist in all of San Francisco advertises in the Yellow Pages that they can help this very prevalent fear. In fact, very few specialize in anything at all. The vast majority of these ads are very general in nature and sound a lot like this actual example:
"Early Abuse Issues, Addictions, Trauma, Relationships, Conflicts, Divorce, Anxiety, Depression, Phobias."
One might think the above represents a list of specializations. However, the list is too long to be convincing. To me, whose problem is the Fear of Public Speaking, these ads say....
"We take a shot at everything, but specialize in nothing."
That may not be what they intend to say but that is how I interpret them. And remember, I am the customer here. It is my interpretation that counts--not that of the advertiser. My problem is very important to me and I would feel much more confident if I went to someone who specializes in my problem. Why would I choose you if you deal with abuse, depression, divorce and many, many other things that, to me, are irrelevant? My impression is that I'm going to receive a watered down version of what I really came for. If there was a specialist in my problem, s/he would get my call--not you. Fortunately, you can garner the benefits of being both a specialist and a generalist in this field. More on this as this article unfolds.
We don't have to look far for evidence of the hold specialization has in our society. It is all around us and is part of our built in belief systems about how we shop. You go to K-Mart for one type of shopping and Nordstrom's for quite another. You would much rather buy a Mercedes-Benz from a Mercedes dealer rather than from a dealer that sold Mercedes, Oldsmobiles, Motorcycles and Skate Boards. The same idea is true with medicine. You wouldn't dream of having back surgery done by a podiatrist or having an eye exam by a proctologist.
But, for some reason, the field of psychology tends to ignore this obvious leaning by our society. It makes a mega marketing mistake by training generalists and then sending them out into a market place which has been
conditioned to expect specialization. While there are a few specializations within the field of therapy, most
practitioners seem to adopt a generalist attitude and think they will get more business if they cast a wider net. This may be helpful in very small communities but, for medium to large cities, this is something like the medical doctor who thinks s/he will get more business if s/he claims to take care of everything from flu shots to brain surgery. Not so. The pregnant woman will not go to this jack-of-all-trades. She will go to her ob-gyn. Plain and simple.
To me, the only reason people tend not to go to specialists in the field of psychotherapy is simply because very few specialties exist. In most cases, clients are forced to go to what appears to be a generalist because there's not much in the way of specialized treatment available. From a marketing point of view that is strange, very strange. I am quite aware that EFT does a fine job on a wide variety of issues and provides a priceless tool for those who prefer to be a generalist. Indeed, you can often get rapid relief for someone's Trauma just as easily as you can dissipate the Fear of Public Speaking. You can also take care of almost everything in between. You know this and I know this. However, most clients still have beliefs to the contrary and it is those beliefs with which you must
deal. In time, perhaps those beliefs will change but, for now, to ignore where the client is coming from
(specialization) is to have bad breath in the market place. The client will be inclined to ignore you and go to a specialist (if they can find one) for their issue.
This may seem like a dilemma because, although you have the tools to be a superb generalist, you are advertising to a prospective clientele who is conditioned to respect specialists. Properly addressed, this is a major
opportunity in disguise. You do not need advanced degrees in business to recognize that you can ethically and
properly promote yourself as a specialist and still deliver a wide variety of healing to your client. You can advertise yourself as a specialist in Sexual Abuse or War Memories or Self Image or anything else and attract those looking for a specialist in "their problem." Once you have given relief in this area you have gained their confidence and you can quite easily move into other areas with the same client (and there are usually many such areas). You gain their confidence at the outset by specializing in their problem and then, to the client's delight, show abilities to enhance many other aspects of their lives. Your specialization serves to bring new interest in the door. Your skills as a generalist keeps them as a client.
Specialization helps get your name out there. It helps give you a Premiere Presence in the market place. You are far more likely to get featured in the local media if you have a specialty. For example, someone effectively helping war veterans or improving golf scores is far more newsworthy than even the most talented generalist. If you were a journalist, which category would you choose to cover?
Further, if you live in a medium or large city, there is probably more business than you can possibly handle for most specialties. Within a 1 hour drive of you, for example, how many students are there that would like help with
learning blocks? How many people would like relief from the anger that is ruling their lives? How many victims of childhood sexual abuse are right in your back yard? Could you even begin to handle them if they all came to you? Try this. Pick a specialty--any specialty--and then look in your local telephone directory and see how much
competition you have for it in your community. Look hard. How many are there? One, Two, Three, None? Try a specialty like Rape or Fear of Flying or Women's Issues (a bit broad but far better than no specialty at all) and you will see that you have been given a great big business gift. The vast majority of your competitiors are putting themselves out there as some kind of generalist (including those who list only their names) leaving you with just about any specialty you want to put your name on. How obvious could something be? It is like having your own 5 lane freeway with no one on it but a few bicycles and your Greyhound Bus.
However, despite the clarity of this opportunity, I'm not suggesting here that anyone immediately drop their existing widely based practice and go off and specialize in some narrower area. On the contrary, if you already have a satisfying practice you would be well advised to keep and nurture that important client base. In fact, what you can do quite well is be both a specialist and a generalist. You don't need to upset what you are doing. No uprooting is necessary. Keep servicing your existing clientele but gain new ones by promoting yourself as a specialist in some area.
As a start you could let it be known that you have special skills in a particular area (which you do) and see what happens. In fact, it is perfectly ok to have several specialties. Just don't put them all in the same ad. As a trial to see how your ads pull, promote 2 or 3 specialties by running simple ads in some of your local community
newspapers/magazines (the inexpensive small ones that reach a few hundred or a few thousand people). It is best to run different ads in different publications. They might look something like this:
John Johnson, MA
Specializing in the Fear of Public Speaking 555-1234
John Johnson, MA
Effective Relief for War Memories 555-1234
John Johnson, MA
Sports Performance Specialist 555-1234
It is perfectly ethical to run ads like this so long as you can deliver on your promise (which you can with EFT). They are short, to the point, and cost next to nothing to run. They also give you a low cost look at which specialties might prove most worthwhile. Give it a shot and don't be surprised if your phone doesn't ring a bit more often. There are also some advertising principles which we will discuss in a later installment but, for now, these straightforward ads should provide you a reasonable beginning.
There is much more to say on this. Part III will carry this idea further. Cheers, Gary
Building a Thriving Practice--Part III
Golf anyone?
Note: For several cases and testimonials regarding EFT and Golf see EFT enhances golf
Here's a common sense way to use the idea of specialization to develop endless referrals, a fulfilling practice, a Premiere Presence and (perish the thought) wads of money. I hope this doesn't sound too grandiose. I am quite serious about it. Further, it can be launched without having to compromise your existing practice.
Here's what you do. Seek out the golf pro at a local country club. Tell him you have discovered a way to knock several strokes off someone's golf score (EFT will do this). Tell him the process deals with the mental side of the game. Tell him it serves to relax the golfer whenever self doubt or tension appears. Every golf pro on the planet recognizes this problem and knows its solution is crucial to success. Tell him you want to run a study and you will do it for free for 10 golfers. You do it for free to get your foot in the door without resistance. You want 10 golfers because you don't want to pin your star on what happens with just one golfer. With 10 golfers you are almost certain to have some impressive successes. With the help of the golf pro you will get volunteers and it doesn't matter what age or sex you are. Golfers are in constant pursuit of lower scores and some of them will give you their Ferrari if you can knock 5 strokes off their game.
Spend a little time on the weekends doing this. This is time when you are not usually in session with paying clients. Just before each shot have the golfers tap the EFT Shortcut Sequence (EB through UA). This takes 7 seconds to do and doesn't hold up or impede the play of other golfers on the course. This will usually serve to remove subtle tension in the body. Some golfers may find it more effective to do the tapping only when they feel self doubt about their next shot. Forget about the Psychological Reversal correction, the Reminder Phrase and the 9 Gamut procedure for now. They take too much time and are too "strange" at this stage. Use them later to further improve results. Your only goal at this stage is to relax any tension that may be in the body and that may interfere with an otherwise smooth shot. Thumping on these points (without saying a thing) each time will likely do this. Just tell them it is an "emotional relaxation technique."
5 to 8 out of 10 golfers should get noticeable, if not dramatic, improvements. However, I would propose giving a much lower figure to the golf pro. Perhaps 2 or 3 out of 10. That way when you more than double the golf pro's expectations, he will be most pleased. Whatever your result, however, the golfers you have helped will become your instant and enthusiastic supporters. To golfers, golf is a big deal. They spend a lot of time and a LOT of money in pursuit of improving their game.
With these successes under your belt you can run "clinics" or charge for individual help. You can go out with a foursome and charge each of them $100 with a money back guarantee if their score doesn't improve. When you become better known you can charge $200, $300, $500 etc. The more affluent the country club, the better. Golfers are people and they have other concerns besides golf. This is a natural and obvious place in which to expand your services. Maybe they get headaches or have asthma. Perhaps a spouse suffers from depression. Maybe a child has a learning disability. Many of them own their own businesses and have employees with PTSD, grief and other problems. Maybe they are influential in a large corporation and readily recognize how your non-golf services could help the executives and other employees in their company. Maybe they want you to work with their sales personnel to reduce their fear of rejection and thus boost sales. This list of possibilities can go on endlessly. All this is possible (and likely) by displaying your techniques on the golf course. Golf tends to be an affluent sport and, in some country clubs, the affluence is extreme. With golf your results will be irrefutable because it all comes out in the score. The numbers don't lie. They are undeniable. When someone's handicap goes from 15 to 11 because of your efforts, you are a hero/heroine. No one can debate your effectiveness, especially when you do it with 5 to 8 out of 10.
Don't limit yourself to just one golf course, however. Go to 3 or 4 and make the same pitch. This puts the odds of having successes more in your favor. As you gain experience, you will find ways to further improve your results. This leads to repeat business. You can charge for beginner, intermediate and advance levels.
This is the kind of thing that gets written up in the country club newsletter. Journalists and local TV/radio will likely find it newsworthy. As your name evolves as someone to see in this field, your Premiere Presence begins to take hold. Develop a first class reputation like this and professional golfers will seek you out. Believe me, if you can demonstrate doing the job, they are looking for you. One or two strokes per round can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars to them each year. You can go from there to other professional sports such as football,
basketball and baseball. These teams already spend a lot of money on sports psychologists and you, with EFT, can run circles around the results they are currently getting.
This is real, very real. It is fertile ground. It is virgin territory. Someday you will see professional athletes tapping on themselves before they take a golf shot, shoot a free throw, kick a field goal, swing a bat, etc. This will happen (you can't possibly doubt this, can you?) and those who establish themselves now will have first crack at the big
opportunities. Further, you can initiate all this while maintaining your current clientele. You don't have to give up a thing while the new pursuit is producing fruit.
This is but one example of the power of putting yourself forward as a specialist in some field. More next time. Cheers, Gary
Building a Thriving Practice--Part IV
When Nothing Else Works
Here's a simple idea to add power to the idea of specialization. Just add the phrase "when nothing else works" in your advertisement. Examples of possible ads are as follows:
The Fear of Public Speaking (when nothing else works) Anxiety Issues
( when nothing else works) Chronic Pain
( when nothing else works) Headaches and Migraines ( when nothing else works) Sexual Abuse Problems ( when nothing else works) War Memories
( when nothing else works) Nightmares
( when nothing else works)
The list of possibilities here is, of course, endless.
Two advantages to advertisements worded this way. First, they are inexpensive to run because they are simple, to the point and do not require elaboration. Second, they imply quite subtly (and therefore powerfully) that you should be the first person they see, not the last. They suggest a superior technique because, after all, you are saying that your technique is likely to work where others fail. This is true, by the way.
More next time. Cheers, Gary
Building a Thriving Practice--Part V
Snoring
Opportunities are all around us for gaining new clients. The following post by Jill Zimmerman on snoring provides an excellent example.
JILL'S POST: "Well, as Gary tells us, try EFT on everything. I just had a client do it right before bed for snoring (Even though I snore,....) and had the wife report after three days that her husband has not snored. Now there's a marketable achievement to save marriages. Ha!" Jill Zimmerman, Ph.D.
While there may be some humor in snoring it is a very serious subject for those who have to live with it. It leads to daily (nightly) aggravation and separate bedrooms. This screws up the "cuddle factor" in a marriage and, when that factor goes, all the other factors are on the line.
World class snorers (and there are many competing for the title) may not have dissociative disorders, trauma or any of the other very serious problems which you face and are skilled to handle. However, their problem is quite real to them and they (particularly the spouse) have major motivation to correct it. It is a now problem. It happens every night. It thwarts romance and one of nature's most biological drives. I mean hugs turn to shrugs and abstinence makes the heart grow wronger.
This can be a serious problem in any relationship. Yet...where do these people go for help? Who has relief for this problem...except you? All you need to do is let your community know you can do something about it and the motivated ones will find you. Accordingly, I'm wondering what would happen if you ran the following ad... Snore No More
New technique has high success rate Sarah Sundstrom, MA
555-1234
Appointments only
You may not take care of every snoring problem with one tapping session (as was Jill's experience). However, if you have them perform EFT several times a day for a week (including just before going to bed) you are likely to have many successes. Chances are the snoring client also has asthma, sinus problems or some other form of breathing difficulty which is also addressable by EFT. Those "side problems" may even clear up simultaneously with the snoring treatment. If this happens (likely) be sure not to take any credit for it. If you did, your new client might refer you to others and ask you to delve into their other problems. Now we wouldn't want that, would we? Opportunities are everywhere in this field. Just look at the posts on this email forum. Almost all of them point the way to more business. Even snoring.
Hugs, Gary
Building a Thriving Practice--Part VI
Self Image-itis
Perhaps the world's most prevalent disease is Self Image-itis. Almost everyone has it, including some therapists (at least that's what I'm told).
Self Image improvement is a BIG market because most of us recognize that limits to our Self Image are expensive. These limits show up in our business performance (wallet), relationships (love) and many of our other vital pursuits. Entire sections of most bookstores are dedicated to it. Self improvement books and seminars are consistently in demand and have been so for decades. People buy those books and attend those seminars with hope and gusto. It feels good to let go of some limits. People love it.
For most people, however, Self Image improvement tends to be fleeting. They read a book or attend a seminar and enthusiastically go about purposely generating positive and joyous thoughts--at least for awhile. But alas, all too often the ent husiasm fades and the Self Image reverts back to its former self. This story has been told many times. What is needed, I think, is some kind of magical technique that would permanently kick limiting passengers off of one's emotional bus. I speak here of neutralizing the useless forms of guilt, fear, grief, trauma, anger and self doubts that weigh down our Self Images. To the extent we can remove this ballast, of course, better Self Images would quite naturally emerge.
Of course I have no idea where one might find such an effective all-purpose technique (smug grin). However, if it was available one could Try It On Everything (sound familiar?). Fantasize with me a bit and ponder what the following improvements in one's well being might do to one's Self Image.
?? Neutralizing all instances of past guilt.
?? Eliminating learning problems such as dyslexia.
?? Curing the fear of public speaking or the fear of heights or any other irrational fear (phobia).
?? Improving sports or music performance.
?? Lifting depression.
?? Relieving headaches or chronic pain.
?? Replacing past anger with gentleness and peace of mind.
?? Vanishing nightmares and the effects of all traumatic experiences.
If you were privileged to have such a technique wouldn't you advertise yourself as an expert in the field of Self Image enhancement? Could you not truly deliver the results that other techniques only promise? Might you not be tempted to run an ad something like this?:
5 Weeks to a More Joyous Self Image. Results guaranteed or your money back. Thelma Therapist 555-1234
When nothing else works.
Once you established a reputation for this Self Image "specialty" (interesting specialty since it only seems like a specialty--in fact, it is another name for a generalist practice) how many parents would seek you out to handle their children's Self Image problems? How many corporations might engage your services in behalf of their executives? How many sports teams would request your services? How many everyday citizens yearn for a more self confident approach to life? And the list goes on.
Would you be able to live with the money back guarantee? Sure. Keep a log of the many successes you achieve with the client. Write them short letters summarizing what happened (in case they go apex on you and forget). With this magical technique you ought to be able to create a long list of successes, all of which result in less emotional weight (and thus a better Self Image). Most clients simply can't deny this tangible evidence. The money back guarantee draws people to you. It sets you apart. It says you can deliver and you are willing to back up your claims. It points toward a Premiere Presence in your field. Who else is doing it?
All you need now is the magical technique (pompous smile). I remember a few months ago we had a Self Image discussion on this email forum that was spearheaded by Stephanie Rothman and her client, Lori. Stephanie thought she had found such a technique and asked Lori to perform it several times a day for 5 weeks. I conclude this article with Stephanie's email post followed by that of her client. Don't give these posts too much weight, of course. They are probably just pointing the way toward someone else's success.
Hugs & Warmies, Gary Craig
Note: Some practitioners on our email forum felt that some states/countries might frown on a money back guarantee. If so, a money back guarantee isn't necessary. It may, however, be quite useful where permitted.
From Stephanie Rothman
"About five weeks ago, when I was first introduced to EFT, a sweet lady (39) called me up to ask me if I could help her with her low self-esteem. She told me that she was very pretty (which she is) and that because of that, people had certain expectations of her that she would "have it all together," be very dynamic, and sure of herself among other attributes she did not feel that she had.
She had no life outside of work. She did not have any friends or boyfriends. She was extremely mistrustful of people. She did not go out very often, and when she did she felt insecure and self-conscious. She was truly despondent. And although I know nothing about Voice Technology, I would have had to say, by listening to her, that she was at the end of her rope.
She told me she had been through a lot of therapists who had given her cognitive cures (told her to fake it 'til she made it) and certain ways to think so as to modify her outlook. But she never did any of it, nor did she ever get any relief.
Her background is that she comes from a family of Jehovah's Witnesses and her family would not let her be friends with anybody outside the faith. So she had no friends as a child. She was mommy's little buddy growing up, and felt a responsibility for keeping her mom happy (and not displeasing her). She had a couple of rough experiences with men disappointing her and cheating on her.
When I initially spoke to her, I told her about EFT. I was a newbie (although I had taken Level 1 TFT). I did not hide the fact that EFT was new to me. She was still open.
Well, her willingness to "chop down her trees of disappointment, negativity, and sadness from her past" was great. Why she was willing to do EFT (and nothing else her traditional therapists told her) is interesting to me. Maybe it was the fact that when we were in our first session, she had an "aha!" plus I challenged her and asked her pointblank whether she was going to commit to working at it or not! and I told her she had to "do it!" religiously in order to make the changes that she wanted to make - and was she willing to do that? (I can be very forceful). Apparently she was. She wrote down her list, and daily (several times a day) she did EFT to "chop down her trees." This girl has done a One-Eighty! She is dating a few guys (and has a very healthy attitude about it). Plus people are wanting to set her up with all of their male friends. She has even asked her next door neighbor out for a beer (a guy!). She has never done that. She is now open to making friends. She said that there are a couple of gals in her office that want to be her friend. She has noticed that when you change, and begin to feel better about yourself, people are drawn to you (this is something she said to me). She went out with some friends the other night, and danced with abandon. She is volunteering to do marketing for a group that builds homes for the underprivileged. And boy oh boy, this girl is happy!!!! The girl is truly happy. She feels lovable and carefree, and joyous about life. And there is no Apex Effect here, either. She says openly that if it weren't for me and EFT she would never come as far as she has. And boy, has she come far! Interestingly enough, she also is not just numb to her sadness. When I hug her, tears come to her eyes. She is very emotional and grateful about the changes she has made. All in only FIVE WEEKS!!!!"
Stephanie Rothman
A New Life For Lori Hi Everyone,
In both the EFT course and in my email posts I often pound the table for being persistent with these techniques. With proper persistence, it is possible to completely re-engineer one's emotional profile and, indeed, create
freedom where there was previously self-imprisonment. I have seen this many times. Lori, a client of Stephanie Rothman, CHT, is the latest recipient.
I had the privilege of meeting Lori at the workshop I conducted recently in San Diego. She had already made major headway with EFT but learned of more new levels to work on as a result of the workshop. She was most
gracious...and grateful. A pleasure to be around. A bouquet to Stephanie for her work in this regard. Here is how Lori was moved to tell the story in a letter.
LORI'S LETTER: "My experience with EFT has been so life-changing, and so life-affirming, that on occasion it is difficult to believe that the person I was 8 weeks ago has blossomed into the happy, resourceful, content woman I am now. When people began to respond positively to me, I knew that what I THOUGHT had happened, had ACTUALLY happened, that is, that I had removed the many, many blocks that had held me back for so long and had really begun to live a great life.
All my life I had felt a certain melancholy, depression, and anxiety. One therapist that I went to for four years put a name on "my condition"- she called it dysthymia. So at least I understood what was wrong with me. And - I learned that I was not alone in the world. That helped a little bit. She and another therapist that I saw for talk-therapy repeatedly told me that I had to "fake it till I made it," or to "act as if," but I never felt any relief from doing these things and in short order, gave up on doing them. All the self-help books in the world (at least 100) did me no good, either. I was at the end of my rope.
In late-June, 1997, I arranged an appointment with Stephanie Rothman to explore treatment for depression and feelings of hopelessness. When I first spoke to Stephanie on the phone, I remember quite clearly telling her I could not go on the way I was feeling - that I had to do something. Stephanie told me she had a technique to help remove the negative thoughts that were causing me such pain. At my appointment, she taught me the [EFT] Basic Recipe and we tapped together for one particularly negative emotion. I went from a ten to about a three or a four, and felt great relief, and not a little amazement, at the ease of the technique and its effectiveness.
Starting with a list of seven negative emotions, I tapped at every opportunity, but at least three times a day:
morning, noon and night. I could not remember a time when I did NOT feel socially and interpersonally inept, on the outside looking in, unattractive, or feeling just plain boring. Any slight, for whatever reason, was proof-positive that I was unlovable. For years I had been told I was attractive - something I personally could not see. I suffered from generalized anxiety over almost any social situation. I tapped away at these negative emotions on schedule, and also whenever I actually experienced them. At times, when I tapped away a particularly large "tree," another one would pop up. So, as Gary Craig says: "persistence, persistence." I tapped away at the new "trees" also, and just as faithfully.
I will be 40 years old this year and am having the time of my life. I have several new friends, and am dating two wonderful men. My relationships within my family have improved greatly. I am very thankful to no longer be plagued by anxiety, worry, fear of social situations and just plain feeling lousy. EFT has brought out my best by removing my worst negative emotions. There is nothing in my life that has worked for me like EFT. I will use it and rely on it for the rest of my (wonderful!) life."
Lori
Building a Thriving Practice--Part VII
Corporations are looking for you.
Corporations are looking for you. Most of them don't know you exist and, even if they did, they may not believe that you can support your claims. At least not at first. Nonetheless, they are looking for you. They need what you can provide, badly. And they have no problem paying for it.
Why? Because you can substantially increase the productivity of their employees. You can relieve traumatic memories and PTSD and thus eliminate or reduce intrusive memories that inhibit productivity. You can relieve headaches (including migraines) as well as numerous other physical maladies that keep employees from
performing well. You can provide relief for dyslexia, asthma, depression, phobias and a long list of other ailments. This leads to a reduced use of the company medical plan. You can also (and this is big, really big) relieve the fear of rejection and sales call reluctance from the corporation's sales force. That translates to more revenue in the door--very important to every business, including yours.
All of this is critical to the corporation's profitability. Every sizeable business on the planet is acutely aware that their bottom line is directly dependent on employee output. The larger corporations have whole departments dedicated to the betterment of the workforce quality. Many have Human Resource Departments (HRD). Others have
Employee Assistance Professionals (EAP). Some have both.
Less than 1% of all the healing professionals in the world are even aware of EFT or any of the other energy based healing modalities. You are among that 1%. If you attended our advanced seminars, you are among the elite 1/10 of 1% that are on the cutting edge of what is really possible here. Many corporations are out there paying big money to the other 99+% for results that are nowhere close to what you can provide. In time, this will change, of course. But, for now, you have a HUGE OPPORTUNITY knocking at your door.
The possibilities here are endless. For example, you could be a consultant to several corporations and go from company to company as an independent contractor. Or you could be a full time employee of one corporation and receive retirement benefits, medical plan, sizeable salary, etc. In either case, your concerns about getting new clients would vanish. You would have a captive audience. Another possibility is to act as a trainer for the EAP departments of various companies. You could also establish a newsletter that would go to hundreds or thousands of corporations.
I know. I know. This all sounds good. But how do you do it? How do you break out of an existing paradigm and go out into the (gasp!) business world where, perhaps, you have little experience and are out of your comfort zone? How do you get these people to recognize your talents? What is the magic formula for doing all this?
Sorry, there is no magic formula. If there was, others would have overused it by now and made it ineffective. To be successful in any business venture you must be willing to stub your toe. You must try something and keep that part of it that seems to work while discarding the rest. Then add new ideas to what works until you get better and better at what you are doing. The business world offers great rewards for those who have a first class product and are willing to persist. You have the first class product. Are you willing to persist?
Borrowing on the experiences of those who have had some business success is a good place to start. I happen to be one of those "business success" people so I'm going to share an idea with you that should get you started. It has several parts:
?? Make a list of at least 30 of the larger corporations in your area.
?? Call up the corporation and find out who the decision maker is (usually the president). You don't
necessarily need to ask for an appointment but you do need to get the name of the decision maker. I would be pleasantly persistent and pursue the president of the company even if s/he tries to push you downstairs to the EAP department. The president is ultimately the decision maker. Typically, that's who you need to see.
?? Send each decision maker one letter a week discussing a success you have had in your own practice. That's 30 letters a week. That's the same as 30 sales calls. This should be easy to do with the modern mail merge facilities that are included within most word processors. Compose one letter and it is automatically customized for 30 people. An example of a letter is given shortly.
?? Send the first letter by certified mail. This gives it an air of importance. They need to sign for it and are thus more likely to remember your name. This is important. Future letters will be more easily recognized and accepted.
?? Follow up by phone as you deem appropriate. Even if you don't follow up, however, sooner or later some of them are likely to call you. If your letters truly portray what you are doing in a professional manner, they will
have interest. Be informative. Be helpful. Be factual. Be low key. Also, be aware that the ones who will contact you are most likely to be those for whom your letters have a personal meaning. If the recipient of your letter has a given problem which needs relief (or if a family member has such a problem) this is likely to prompt their call. It will be your opportunity to prove your claim. Expect this.
?? Don't stop sending your letters until they ask you to stop. Keep them coming. Each time you send a letter they see your name again. That helps with rapport and familiarity. After awhile you become a friend. A sort of pen pal. That means when you eventually call them, you are not a stranger. It is not a cold call. It is a warm call. Very important. Don't stop sending the letters. Each one builds your credibility and helps establish rapport.
Here's a sample first letter. Adjust it however you deem appropriate. Good morning Mr. Jones...
I've been looking for you and, perhaps, you've been looking for me.
Much has been happening in the field of performance psychology in recent times and several "empowerment therapies" have been developed which dramatically cut the time necessary for effective emotional relief. In
countless cases I have witnessed lasting changes within one session. Using these new techniques, I often give relief to the debilitating effects of traumatic memories, PTSD, grief, fears (including fear of rejection and fear of public speaking) as well as some common physical ailments such as headaches (including migraines) and asthma. I don't expect you to believe me (yet) but I'm hoping you will stay open. If I can deliver on my claims (which I can) then I suspect you are looking for me. I'm looking for you because I know you have many employees whose various issues inhibit their productivity. We can help each other.
For your interest, here is a recent case I completed with Cindy. [Now discuss the details of the case using a before and after scenario. If Cindy agrees (usually she will), invite the recipient of your letter to call Cindy to discuss how she feels about the result. This connection between Cindy and the letter recipient is very powerful. The mere fact that you make it available sets you apart from the crowd.]
Sincerely,
Adam Johnson, MSW
Hope this helps, Gary Craig
P.S. May you know the blessings on your shoulders.
Harry Corsover comments on the client being available for calls
Gary Craig writes....
For your interest, here is a recent case I completed with Cindy. [Now discuss the details of the case using a before and after scenario. If Cindy agrees (usually she will), invite the recipient of your letter to call Cindy to discuss how she feels about the result. This connection between Cindy and the letter recipient is very powerful. The mere fact that you make it available sets you apart from the crowd.]
Hi, Gary.
Thanks for the info, pep talk, and suggestions. Personally, I need that, along with a specific structure. I probably (still) have some tapping to do on my reluctance to enter into the business world.
As for the above paragraph, I feel a need to point out some ethical guidelines and restrictions that apply to asking a psychotherapy client or even former client to be available for such calls. As far as I know, in all the professions, doing so would be considered unethical. The power differential, and thus the potential for exercising undue
influence even makes it difficult for us to gently suggest that clients refer others to us. To do anything that is designed for the benefit of the therapist and not the client is stepping onto the proverbial slippery slope.
Now, to do the above with a consulting/corporate/coaching client is a different story. The distinction (from what I've gathered in consulting with attorneys, grievance board and attorney general's office personnel) is that there must be no expectation of or experience of a psychotherapy relationship in order to do some of the things that have been discussed here.
So, it may appear to be a Catch-22: you've got to have some non-psychotherapy clients in order to be able to point to specific people/results as a way to gain non-psychotherapy clients. Perhaps one way to develop that would be to do some free introductory work, and offer that in the letters?
Regards,
Harry Corsover, PhD
Gary Craig responds to Harry Corsover
To Harry Corsover and the list,
Harry, your thoughts about there being some possible ethical difficulties with having a psychotherapy client answer calls, give testimonials or referrals, etc. are well taken. Everything written on this forum is meant strictly for the use and perusal of the readers but only to the extent they choose to use the ideas presented. If one's state, country or licensing boards would frown on a given suggestion then one must act accordingly.
However, even if it is not possible to have a live testimonial (such as I suggested), you could always offer to play any of the sessions on the EFT videotapes or audiotapes. They are loaded with live testimonials and actual sessions. Further, you could still write up one case history per week without disclosing any identifying information. That is very compelling, especially when it shows up in your prospects' mailboxes week after week after week after week after week after week....
You could also refer them to the Case Histories section of our web site. That should help open their eyes. The bottom line here is that everyone using EFT or any of the energy therapies can do things that are, to date, unheard of in the corporate world. Corporations need these services for their employees (and executives) and sooner or later will be using them. That is inevitable. Whether or not you are on board when the train is speeding will depend on what you do now. It is a HUGE (and obvious) business opportunity. We are all on the ground floor of a healing high rise. If you want to get on the elevator, start calling on corporations.
Hugs to all, Gary
Building a Thriving Practice--Part VIII
Advertising: Do you know my name?
Advertising is common sense. It doesn't take a genius to do it and, while experience is certainly useful, it doesn't take decades to become effective. A few weeks or few months of practice and trial & error with the right principles should make good advertisers out of anyone.
Advertising takes many forms. There are, of course, those ever present TV ads with their frogs, lizards, clowns and 30 second mini-dramas. There are also billboards, blimps, neon signs and a long list of other efforts designed to write jingles, slogans and logos on our mental walls. Are they effective? Of course! The advertising industry collects $billions per year from the corporate world and they do so for one reason and one reason only...it works!
Most of the advertising we see is designed to install "name recognition." This is important because name recognition fosters confidence and trust in a product--even if it is mediocre in quality. Consumers would much rather buy products they have heard of than "take a chance" on the unknown. Even though the amount of money spent for advertising has nothing to do with the quality of the product, we still prefer Budweiser, Tide, Goodyear and IBM to competing products that are not advertised. If we haven't "heard of it," we tend to be suspicious. Familiarity breeds confidence and comfort. “You’re in good hands with Allstate.”
I’m telling you the obvious here and I doubt seriously if I’ve gone over anyone’s head. It's like I said, advertising is common sense. For any business (including a healing practice) name recognition is imperative for true success. It opens doors and gives the public a perception of competence. Practitioners with name recognition don’t have to keep selling themselves. Nor do they have to explain their methods or hunt for new business. People come to them--they seek them out--because they are recognized “names” in the field. Examples are Joyce Brothers, Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra. You may be more effective at what you do than these folks--but that doesn’t matter. Given the choice, most clients want to deal with the big names.
So, do you have a few $million to spend on name recognition advertising? If you do, just hire some Madison Avenue firm to make up some cutesy little ditty about Harry/Helen the Healer (you) and splash it all over your local radio and TV stations. No need to read any further. Just throw big money at the problem. Your advertising worries will be over. Your budget and marriage may be over too but, what the heck, at least people will know your name. Fortunately, there are many ways to create name recognition that require little or no cost. You can develop an enviable and recognizable presence in your community/state/country without raiding your piggy bank or refinancing your home. We’ll explore some possibilities along these lines, but first, let me ask you a question…..
Do you know my name?
Unless you are a real newbie to this list, you know my name quite well. You could even say I have name
recognition in this field. Some might say I have a major presence. Doesn’t that seem a little odd? I mean, how does an unknown person without any formal credentials or conventional training become a brand name in a field filled with highly educated people that place MA, PhD, MD, etc. behind their names? Here’s the answer. It’s insultingly simple.
I write you letters frequently.
I give you case histories and how-to-do-it suggestions. I make announcements. I feature the ideas of other people. I give you inspirational stories, humor and personal experiences. I write about my Mom and my high school football coach and tie all this into our new Healing High Rise. And every time I do this my name passes before your eyes— name recognition. “You’re in good hands with Gary (smile).”
Interestingly, none of this was planned. Less than 2.5 years ago I retired and chose to spend part time launching EFT into Therapy Land. My goal was simply to make it available to the healing professions on an easy-to-learn and affordable basis. That was all.
But my message turned out to be a compelling one and an email list was a natural outgrowth of that. To day this email list is almost 100 times what we started with and thousands of practitioners around the world are using EFT regularly. Without conscious effort (or formal advertising), the EFT name (and mine) have developed substantial name recognition within the field. And there is more to come.
And what did all this cost? Peanuts. Anyone can start an email list for little or no cost. No stamps. No letterhead. No stuffing envelopes. Just write your message, press the send key and multitudes receive it.
In many ways this is more effective than paid advertising. Why? Because a newsletter can be written in a non-commercial way. It is a letter from a friend. People read it with interest. They study it and share it with their friends. It contains helpful information. It can be trusted. By contrast, paid advertising doesn’t enjoy anywhere near this level of acceptance. Why? Because the advertiser has paid to sell you something. Even if the message is a valid one, it must still get by a degree of suspicion if it is to be effective. Believability is a challenge with paid advertising but it is no challenge whatsoever with your friendly email newsletter. The corporate world would love to have this advantage.
Now I hope you have a glimpse of just how common sense, and practical, advertising can be. The informative fun-to-read email newsletter is but one example of effective, low cost ways to generate name recognition and get your point across. There are others, many others.
But that’s enough for now. Next time we’ll discuss how to start and grow a newsletter of your own. Hugs, Gary
Building a Thriving Practice--Part IX
Advertising: Building a newsletter
Hi Everyone,
More common sense. Business is really quite simple.
Remember the essence of our last installment. The more someone hears your name in a favorable light the more you become an "old and trusted friend." This is true even for those who have never met you. It is the core idea behind all of advertising and is essential for success in the healing professions (or any profession, for that matter). Until your name becomes favorably recognized, you will be forever wondering why it is so hard to have a steady stream of clients. After your name becomes favorably recognized, you will be wondering how to handle your waiting list.
I'm serious!
The question is, how do you do this? How do you get your name recognized without spending b'zillions for advertising? For starters, let’s try a newsletter.
A newsletter puts your name in front of many people and does so as often as you send it. How simple. This is the essence of advertising in a single sentence. I’ll say it again…
"A newsletter puts your name in front of many people and does so as often as you send it."
So long as your message is a compelling one, you will develop name recognition after just 3 or 4 issues. By the time you get to the 20th or 50th issue, your name will be a household word to each and every person who receives it. Your name and newsletter articles will be passed around and discussed with others.
Now let me pause a moment and emphasize that your message must be a compelling one. It must be well written, informative and fun to read. Otherwise, you will bore people. You will turn them off and create a negative form of name recognition that will work against you. Tell stories (people love stories) with a message. Have a humor column. Include inspirational sayings. Spend time writing and rewriting your messages (I rewrite some of mine 3 or 4 times). Start with a small list of friends and ask for feedback. Write and rewrite. Keep asking the marketplace how you are doing. Remember one of our previous lessons --namely--the marketplace is your best friend.
Here’s another interesting insight. Many people who use newsletters screw them up by pushing their goods or services too hard. This is OK to a point but it is often overdone and becomes a MAJOR turnoff. When this happens, newsletters lose their subscribers and dwindle off into non-existence. Please remember that the primary purpose of a newsletter is NOT to sell your goods and services. It is for favorable name recognition. That’s all.
Discuss your professional successes, of course. But do so without pounding the table for yourself or your services. Deliver your message as you might to a dear friend over dinner. Discuss your disappointments and limitations as well. What readers get from this is a sense of your genuineness. You become easy to talk to. Believable. Easy to know. This is what you want --favorable name recognition. Be human. When appropriate, write from your tear ducts and let your tears fall onto your keyboard. I’ve done that many times--especially when writing about our Vietnam veterans and our prisoners. At other times, spill your joy into the hearts and souls of your readers. You radiate your thoughts and they come through your words. Everyone benefits, particularly you.
Sometimes just relate an inspirational story or a humorous event that has nothing to do with your profession. Your purpose here is favorable name recognition. Inspiration and tasteful humor will do it every time. Your purpose is also to connect, to love, to spread healing. Properly done, you have an opportunity to connect in a way that the advertising profession can only wish for. The opportunities involved go well beyond financial abundance.
You are certain to stub your toe as you start. This is common. It happens with just about every human endeavor. It happens with marriages, parenting, new employment, therapy sessions and so on. This is how we learn. This is how we improve. This is how we approach perfection. God bless toe stubbing. It’s purpose is to guide us in the right direction and, if we are paying attention, it does a superb job.
Let’s also dip into our common sense sack and not call it a newsletter. That borders on boring. Make up a more inviting name. Perhaps something like, Carol’s Comments....Robert’s Reports….The Healing High Rise….The Next
Level….The Inspiration Equation…The Personal Performance Place….Peace in Your Time…..Touching One Another….Touching Others….Fun Ways to Feel Free…..Making a MasterPeace of Ourselves…..
So develop an inviting name for your newsletter and send it to your friends. Do some trial and error on it for awhile until you get it the way you want it. Actually, that’s wrong. It should not be the way YOU want it. It should be the way your READERS want it. Most advertisers fail to understand this fundamental lesson. They put together an ad that is pleasing to them and think that’s good enough for the marketplace. When the marketplace shuns it, the advertiser blames the silly public out there who doesn’t know a good ad when they see it. Absurd thinking. Expensive. Useless.
There’s a great ad writer in Florida by the name of Gary Halbert. After Gary writes an ad, he takes it down to his local bar and hands it out to his beer drinking buddies for their comments. Often they will say....
“Gary, that’s a great ad. Very clever. I love the headline. Real catchy. Great humor. Good points. You’ll sell a million of them.”
When he hears that, Gary tears up the ad and starts over. Why? Because the world is full of clever, catchy ads that don’t sell a thing. Gary Halbert is not satisfied with his ad until his beer drinking buddies ask….
“Where can I get one of those?”
Totally different response, eh? And much more useful. Then, and only then, does he consider his advertisement worthy of print. Otherwise, it is just expensive entertainment.
The same principle holds true for your newsletter. When your friends and family compliment you on it, just say thank you and keep revising your style, your messages, etc. UNTIL YOUR READERSHIP ASKS YOU TO SEND YOUR NEWSLETTER TO THEIR FRIENDS. When you have reached that place, you are ready to expand. Then, and only then, is your “advertisement” truly effective. If your newsletter doesn’t have the power to grow on its own by word of mouth, then you need to keep revising it until it does.
Here are some other ways to expand your newsletter (assuming it is compelling)…..
?? Give talks at your local service clubs (Rotary, Soroptimists, etc.) and hand out free copies with an invitation to subscribe.
?? Find other people who do newsletters and agree to include their newsletter in with one of yours (assuming you approve of their content). Then ask them to include a copy of your newsletter within their mailing. This is good promotion for both of you.
?? Include others in the healing professions on your newsletters. This can be a first class source of referrals for those “difficult” clients that other professionals can’t seem to handle.
?? If you are using an email newsletter (by far the most cost effective), nose around some of the newsgroups in your field (they are endless) and enter into helpful discussions with some of the members. Often, there are thousands of onlookers. After awhile, include a copy of your email newsletter and invite people to subscribe. If your messages are compelling, you will have no trouble developing a following.
?? Join other email discussion lists and become a prominent contributor on them. Very easy to do. Just write your messages and press the send button. Suddenly, your name becomes known and, in time, you build respect (assuming your messages are helpful and compelling). Later, you can announce your newsletter and invite interested people to subscribe.
This is just a start. If you want to do a local newsletter then you will get clients from your home town. If you want to do a statewide, national or international email list, then you can draw clients from wider areas. Remember, EFT can be done VERY effectively over the phone. No need to be limited to your own back yard.
So, is there a drawback? Sure, it will take time to write and rewrite your newsletter. If you already have a lengthy client waiting list then, presumably, you don’t have the time to do it. So don’t. If, on the other hand, your waiting room is a little light on people, then get out your keyboard and start typing. Apparently, you have some time on your hands and could use a little favorable name recognition.
More next time.Hugs, Gary
Building a Thriving Practice--Part X
Advertising: Become an AUTHORity
Hi Everyone,
This article is about one of our silliest psychological quirks. The advertising industry has been using it prolifically for decades and you can use it too--in very ethical ways--to become an authority in the eyes of your clientele and community.
The whole idea behind our previous discussion on writing a newsletter was to generate favorable name recognition. People with favorable name recognition are given special status in society, including being trusted "authorities" on just about anything. Why else would a golfer like Arnold Palmer be hired to sell you motor oil and Michael Jordan, a basketball player, be hired to sell you shoes, telephone services, hot dogs, men's underwear and batteries?
This "authority thing" is a real kick and has to be among the silliest phenomena in our psychological makeup. It is the real world version of the Pied Piper wherein we blindly follow others who appear to have the "truth." We do this not only for celebrities but for presumed experts as well. For example, one of the prevalent ads during my youth said....
"Three out of four doctors smoke Camels."
How's that for a truly stupid statement! Nonetheless, it was a highly successful ad. You see, if all those doctors smoke that nauseous stuff, I'd better do it too. After all, doctors know what's right. They are authorities.
There are some very ethical ways to promote our worthwhile healing efforts using this "follow the leader" propensity of ours. But first, let me explore the propensity itself and some of the logic behind it. The core reason is that we are so inundated with choices in industrialized society that we welcome short cuts to our decision making. Ideally, if we were going to build a new home, we would study architecture, civil engineering, building materials, plumbing, etc. to make an informed decision on each and every feature of our new abode. However, there's not enough time to do all that AND....
meticulously study all there is to know about nutrition so we can eat properly AND....
read up on all the latest thoughts about relationships and parenting so we can do that important part of our life well AND....
study every word processor and spreadsheet program out there so that we can choose the right one for our needs....AND, AND, AND...
The fact of the matter is that we rarely do any of these detailed investigations. We almost always rely on "experts" or "trusted" sources for our decisions. We would much rather have the 23 year old store clerk tell us which word processor to buy than study all the alternatives. Further, we are perfectly willing to accept the opinion of a celebrity as to which brand of beer to drink or which style of bra to buy. In fact, we MUST do this or go nuts with all the decisions before us. It's a human thing. It's a form of emotional survival.
So, all this being said, what is the message here? It's simple. If you want people to treat you as an authority and thus follow your lead, refer business to you and give you extra space when you walk down the sidewalk, you must (drum roll) BECOME AN AUTHORITY.
Ok. Ok. I know you're not a famous athlete or celebrity (yet) so how are you going to get the respect you deserve? Where do you start? Well, you don't need to be an athlete or celebrity to become an authority in the perception of others. What you need to do is....
WRITE SOMETHING!! Put your professional procedures on paper and then circulate them in the form of a report, book, manual, newsletter, etc.
There is something magic about the written word. If something is written, it is given extra weight and whoever wrote it (you) becomes an authority. It's that short cut decision thing again. Look at the word "authority" for a minute. Take it apart and notice that the word AUTHOR occupies center stage in it. See...the word is spelled AUTHORity.
Now it would be nice if you wrote a 300 page book and publishers from all over the world begged you to make it available to the masses. If this happened you would, of course, become an instant authority (and celebrity) and would have to hire employees just to help schedule your appearances.
Nice thought.
However, none of this is necessary to establish yourself as an authority. You need only write up a 20 or 30 page book about your procedures (EFT or its cousins, for example) and distribute it in easy-to-do ways that I will describe in a moment. It doesn't have to be a long book. Short, to the point, books are well received and appreciated. However, you will need to spend the time to write it well. Include actual case histories (you can disguise identities, of course) and develop your ideas in a compelling manner. Give your book an engaging title like....
?? Emotional Freedom Techniques (ahem!)
?? The Path to Personal Peace
?? Why Most Psychotherapy Doesn't Work
?? The Emotional Version of Acupuncture (Except we don't use needles)
?? How to Banish Nightmares or Bad Memories or The Fear of Public Speaking or...or...or... (Works Impressively at Least 50% of the Time)
Your book should cost less than $1 to attractively produce at your local copy shop (you can get it done more professionally after you've had feedback and rewritten parts of it). Then, when you have it ready, START GIVING IT AWAY. Give it to your clients. Flip through it with them. Point out important sections. Assuming your book is engagingly written, you will take an instant step up the authority ladder in the eyes of your client.
Then schedule talks at your local Rotary and other service clubs to talk about your book. Hand out free copies. People are more likely to read your book when received this way. After all, they personally met the author--an authority on the subject.
Go to your local bookstores and tell them they can sell the book for $3 and keep all the profits for themselves. All you ask is that a supply of your books be maintained near the cash register for customers to see. Do a similar thing with restaurants.
Include a copy of the book with your newsletter (you ARE writing a newsletter, aren't you? It's another way to be an AUTHORity). Contact other newsletter writers and offer to give them a supply of your books for free so they can send them out as a free gift to their subscribers. Assuming your book is a good one, this becomes an offer the other newsletter writers can't refuse.
Go on the internet to various discussion lists and newsgroups and offer to send people a free book. Send it electronically. That way it costs nothing. Spend time writing about the book and its important features on these various e-sites. That's even more writing and thus more AUTHORity.
Do your own web site and include a complete copy of your book on that site. Let anyone download it for free. Again, this costs nothing to do. No printing. No binding. No postage. Ask for their email address. Add them to your newsletter or start another newsletter.
And what about the costs for those books you print and then give away? How much will that amount to? You may spend a few hundred dollars getting this project going and maybe some more money after that. If your book is well accepted, you may want to write a sequel or a series of concise books which will further your status as an
AUTHORity. That will cost money, too. But what's the alternative? Would you rather continue doing business as a non-AUTHORity? That's expensive--very expensive. It is far more expensive than the cost for some starter books. Maybe you've noticed that.
So, why aren't you typing already?Hugs, Gary
P.S. And, just in case you are one of those marvelous people blessed with a mission, what better way to move the world than to be an AUTHORity with a favorably recognized name?
Building a Thriving Practice--Part XI
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
Hi Everyone,
In 1973 I was flipping through a magazine and came across what was arguably the most effective ad ever written. It was for a $10 paperback book which, at the time, was an ENORMOUS price to ask. Paperback books were then selling for $1 or $2. After reading the ad I enthusiastically bought the book and was thrilled with what I received. It was, and is, a classic in business literature. It sold 3,000,000 copies and never once was in a book store. It all came from this ad and word of mouth.
The headline of the ad started off with the title of the book in bold print…
The Lazy Man’s Way to Riches
And below that was a subtitle that said….
(Most people are too busy earning a living to earn any money)
At the time, that headline (and subtitle) hit my bull’s eye. This ad was aimed at me and I was eager to read more. Incidentally, that ad may not have appealed at all to a priest or to a 12 year old. It may have even turned off someone who believes that one must work very, very hard for their money. To them, earning money “the lazy way” would be unethical and so they would pass the ad by, scoffing as they did so. But that doesn’t matter. Good ads are aimed right at those who recognize a need for your product or service. Those people will read it with great interest. People, for example, who need emotional healing and are tired of all the painful methods out there are likely to respond to an ad headline that says….
?? “The Painless Way to Emotional Freedom”
?? “Rapid Relief for War Memories”
?? “50% Relief for even the Toughest Migraines”
?? “Gentle Method Stops Nightmares…or Your Money Back”
Again, some may belittle such an ad and criticize it. So be it. Accept this as part of the ground rules. In truth, there is no such thing as an ad that appeals to everyone. That which is welcomed by some, is rejected by others. Your goal as an ad writer is to speak to those who are ready to listen. Aim your ad at them. Speak honestly and from the heart and you will gain the trust and business of those who need your services. In fact, these prospective clients have been looking for you for a long time and are thrilled to finally meet you.
Now let’s get back to headlines. They are the most important part of any ad because their purpose is to entice the reader to read further. In effect they are the ad for the ad. If the headline doesn’t do its job then the reader will just pass on by and will never learn of your proposal, products, services, etc.
Headlines are so critical to the success of an ad that they should be tested to discover which headline “pulls” the best. Often, one headline will double or triple the responses of another. I remember one ad for a bed and breakfast lodge that tripled its response by using “A Cabin in the Redwoods” as its headline instead of the former “A Cottage in the Redwoods.” One word (Cabin vs. Cottage) in the headline made a dramatic difference in the responses and turned the business from a break even venture to a handsomely profitable one.
Remember how I started this business series by emphasizing the need to ALWAYS ASK THE MARKET PLACE for its responses to your promotions, services, etc? Well, that little bit of advice is extraordinarily important with your headlines. Ask the market place how your headlines are doing by running the same ad at different times in the same publication while changing only the headline. Keep a record of your responses. Discover which headline did best. Then try another headline. Sooner or later you will find a headline which outpulls your first one by a wide margin. It’s like panning for gold except in this case, the gold is really there.
You can test the wording of the rest of your ad in the same way. After establishing your best headline, try rewording your offer and/or your descriptive phrases. Test only one rewording at a time, however. That way you are able to discern which phraseology changes are generating the improvement.
Eventually, you will sculpt an advertising masterpiece that will set you apart from the rest of your field. It’s a trial and error process, of course, and those who do it will find great rewards in the process. Those who don’t (which is