Experience and attachment always influence perceptions. I’ve fallen victim to shortsightedness on numerous occasions in both my personal and professional life, and you might venture a guess that it rarely produced positive outcomes.
As synchronicity would have it, I was reminded of my current level of frustration and subsequent closed mindedness when I sat down one Saturday afternoon to view a favorite movie of mine. Here’s the clip that had me laughing and helped me to break free.
I work for a large behavioral health care organization as head of business development. My perspective is often influenced by what I hear in the community and by my own pressing needs, most notably the need to keep our three treatment centers busy! If I’m not careful, my view of the problem areas, the areas I believe demand improvement, become the ONLY problems.
The same cautionary tale applies to all of us no matter what role we play in the profession. It makes it hard to uncover new possibilities, hard to find new ways to grow within the profession.
In the past, when I’ve been willing to set aside my views and talk to others I’ve been amazed at the differences in perspective and the new insights I gain. When I am open to the experience, new options and opportunities reveal themselves.
“…invent a future, fall in love with it, live in it – and then abandon it on a moment’s notice!”
I love this quote from Seth Godin because it reminds me to wake up when I find myself shutting down! As I’m challenged with how to grow my business, I could get stuck on the issues that relate to my personal agenda. And if I ruminate on those issues, if I become attached to them alone, then when someone challenges me – when someone without blinders on asks a perfectly relevant question, I’ll find myself arguing that “these go to eleven”.
I don’t know about all of you, but I was never comfortable with the idea of generating media coverage. Actually, it wasn’t so much that I was “uncomfortable” as it was the fact that it all seemed to be one big mystery, a secret process I was never privy to. I certainly saw mental health professionals give interviews on local tv stations, heard them on radio shows, and even saw a few “lucky” therapists on national television and in national magazines. It just seemed like an opportunity reserved for someone other than me.
But here’s the surprising reality: There are very few steps between you and Yahoo News, you and the New York Times, and even you and Oprah. You’re closer than you think when it comes to earning media coverage and building the kind of credibility that can dovetail into untold opportunities.
So here’s an offer for you! If you’d like to learn more about new ways to generate publicity for yourself feel free to join me this Friday the 5th of March at 3pm EST to view a free demo from a fascinating online media provider called PRweb.com.
If interested all you need to do is two things:
1) Email me at david@davidpdiana.com. PRWeb.com needs your email address to send you a link so you can view the live demo from your computer.
2) At the time of the demo, call 605-477-2100 and enter the participant code: 763523# so you can listen in and ask questions.
Here’s a great video from PRweb.com that will wet your appetite a little.
The cost for PRWeb.com is fairly reasonable, though not insignificant, at $80 a press release for their basic plan. However, if you’re looking to make an impact, a series of strategically placed press releases might be just the thing you need to launch you in a new direction. That alone may be worth the investment (Note: I have no relationship with PRWeb other than my own interests using the service). Listen in and see if it might fit into your plans for growth and expansion.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
- George Bernard Shaw
The Human Connection in Action
The school year had just begun and Linda was already overwhelmed. Not the regular “overwhelmed”, but the kind that occurs when a teacher realizes she has a particularly challenging class. So Linda turned to her good friend Beth, a child therapist, for help and guidance.
Beth felt for her friend and knew this would be a difficult year if she didn’t receive help. “Perhaps she could share some of her expertise?” She pondered this question, took pen to paper, and created a short and practical reference guide focusing on developmental disorders. On the front page she listed facts and common misconceptions. On the back she identified a series of basic “do’s and don’t’s” for the classroom.
Linda was touched by her friend’s generosity, and amazed at how helpful the guide was in the classroom. It would not be long before she shared it with other teachers and guidance counselors in her school. As the weeks passed, Beth became a frequent topic of conversation, a critical piece of the puzzle for this small elementary school community. And just like that, her small gesture created a whirlwind of activity. Her reference guide spread across the County, and her private practice burst at the seams with referrals from teachers, guidance counselors and parents. All of whom trusted and respected her as the leading authority on developmental disorders in the community.
Changing the Game
There are countless stories like Beth’s that can be found across the profession, and they are powerful examples of the importance of connecting with others in a way that is open, honest and giving. It is this level of openness that offers someone like Beth the opportunity to connect with people on the ground floor.
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if more of us decided to change the rules a bit within our profession? Scratch the outdated and ordinary in lieu of a more engaging, honest, candid, and even curious approach to the field of psychology. One that reveals its beauty and blemishes on equal footing.
Where do you and I turn to find the information we seek? Fewer and fewer are answering this question with a nod to the Yellow Pages.
In today’s marketplace, getting listed in local online business center directories is an absolute necessity. There are more than half a billion local business searches on Google per month (e.g., “Therapist Los Angeles”) and the number will continue to rise.
This week, I spoke with the President of MyTherapistMatch.com, Corey Quinn, about online business directories and why they are quickly becoming an essential tool for mental health practitioners.
At present, there are four large search engines offering online local business center listings: Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Best of the Web. If you go to GetListed.org and enter your business name and zip code, you will be presented with a snapshot of those directories. It’s a great way to see which search engines you are listed under. In addition, GetListed.org provides you with links to access each of these directories so you can improve your visibility in the marketplace.
Below is a great video tutorial by MyTherapistMatch.com that will help walk you through the process. If you are serious about getting more clients from the Internet, then watch this exclusive webinar.
This video is packed with information so I want to highlight a few key elements to ensure you take full advantage of these free resources. The tips that follow will help ensure you are found often on searches, and that you will rank high when a search match is made.
Most business ideas I hear from mental health professionals sound perfectly plausible. And while some of those ideas would benefit from specific marketing advice (e.g., clarifying business scope, identifying appropriate marketing channels, communicating a clear and compelling message, optimizing market reach), my experience tells me all of that is window dressing.
Sometimes the questions people ask themselves are the wrong one’s at the wrong time.
“Is this new idea based on something I’m passionate about?” Now that’s a much better question. Don’t start by being practical, start by giving space to ideas that energize you. Your commitment to these ideals will bring about a level of genuiness and depth that cannot be replicated.
Take a look at this short video clip by Gary Vaynerchuck. I think he offers viewers some excellent advice. My favorite: “…people don’t recognize that they have to go that low and wait that long.”
Don’t start from the premise of monetizing something. Start from your gut. One of the amazing things about markets today is the ability to have a voice – a powerful voice. You have numerous options where you can share your expertise with others. And when that expertise is the result of your passion for the subject matter it will find a place if you stay committed to the process. Win in that arena, and you pave the way for even bigger opportunities.
A few years ago, a man named Chris Anderson wrote an excellent book called The Long Tail. Chris’s book introduces readers to the power and importance of niche markets. He argues that almost all of the growth today exists when you aren’t like most people. In most cases, the narrower the niche the better.
Take a look at Liana Lowenstein. She’s a therapist who enjoys working with children and their families. More specifically, she enjoys finding new and innovative ways to help children. This has resulted in extensive research and the production of several books on therapeutic exercises and creative interventions for children. Liana plays to her interests, and as a result, she has become an original. Her efforts are paying off tremendously with an online following of 7,000 strong, a booming practice and the creation of her own publishing company that empowers her to continue spreading her message.
“Is there a market for your idea?” If it’s something you love then you’re much closer to answering the question. Your next step is to get out there and share the message. Commit to a process not for the hope of hitting pay dirt, but because you believe in your message.
There are so many under-served markets out there that are not satisfied with what is being offered. Why not serve them and see what happens?
At nine years old I received my first marketing lesson and experienced the power of a deliciously outrageous story.
“Can you believe Mikey’s dead?” A concerned young girl shouted to a group of friends. “It was Pop Rocks! He ate Pop Rocks, drank a soda and his stomach exploded.”
Mikey, of course, was the infamous young child from the Life Cereal commercials. And in a blink of an eye it seemed the entire world now knew his tragic end. In the weeks that followed I could not pass a child or teenager without hearing that our beloved Pop Rocks candy, when combined with a carbonated beverage, created a deadly reaction that would cause a person’s stomach to explode.
The story blanketed a country in a matter of days with little to no effort. There were no dollars invested in spreading the message. There was no Madison Avenue advertising campaign behind its success. And yet, this complete and utter myth was a runaway train.
My first marketing lesson taught me that not all messages are created equal. There are very real and dramatic differences.
For fun, let’s compare the Pop Rocks story with the thousands of other messages I received in school at that time. What experiences do I still hold onto from my fourth grade experience? Not many I’m afraid. The Pop Rocks story? It’s as if I were transported back in time. I experience the emotions, sights, smells and sounds of those moments. The story and the experience come to me in full color.
So what makes an idea, concept, or service stick while others disappear in spite of our best intentions? Part of the answer lies in identifying the common characteristics found in those messages that earn our attention.
