| Professionals in the health and allied industries, | | | | prospective clients (a very important aspect of any |
| including doctors, nurses, psychologists, counsellors, | | | | counselling relationship). |
| social workers, etc, often work from their own | | | | Another effective strategy to build a professional |
| self-employed businesses. In Australia, a considerable | | | | profile is to educate others. Creating and distributing |
| section of the industry is self-employed, whilst many | | | | informational flyers, writing a newsletter or eZine, |
| other professional counsellors who have not yet | | | | conducting workshops and attending discussion |
| become their own bosses, aspire to do so. | | | | groups are all good examples of such activities. |
| In this article, we discuss one the most critical | | | | Through this process, counsellors position themselves |
| aspects of starting and perpetuating a business: | | | | as specialists in their area – thus, attracting |
| marketing. You will learn how counsellors can gain | | | | prospective clients. The cited activities are also useful |
| exposure and build a positive image for their business, | | | | for professional development and efficient in keeping |
| whilst developing a good client base – despite | | | | the counsellor up-to-date with industry developments, |
| their theoretical orientation or experience with | | | | counselling theory and practice. |
| self-employment. We hope many of our readers will | | | | Improving Marketing through Delivery |
| find this particularly useful to achieve their own | | | | A very common way service professionals achieve a |
| business (and personal) New Year resolutions! | | | | differential position in the market is the interesting - |
| Marketing and Counselling | | | | and potentially risky - art of over-delivering (and |
| We begin with a basic question: what constitutes | | | | under-promising). But what exactly is over-delivering? |
| marketing? Many counsellors and small to medium | | | | Over-delivering is providing a level of service over |
| business owners believe marketing is simply | | | | and above that expected or anticipated for the |
| advertising. This is a HUGE error. Marketing is so much | | | | service provided. |
| more than just your advertising. Advertising is simply | | | | Over-delivery is providing a level of service beyond |
| one method, medium or process by which to | | | | what you’ve promised your client in your |
| communicate your product or service to prospective | | | | marketing message. An example of service |
| clients. | | | | over-delivery would be to provide your client with a |
| Marketing however encapsulates: | | | | surprise complimentary gift after the first session. |
| Strategy; mindset; planning; capital; branding; products | | | | The gift may be in the form of a tele-coaching |
| and services; product packaging; positioning; pricing; | | | | session, a seminar, a book, or perhaps a voucher to |
| business location; communication; market drivers; | | | | the movies or a massage session. |
| business models; innovation; distribution channels; | | | | Many astute counsellors actually provide services of |
| policies and procedures; guarantees; relationship | | | | other business professionals in order to provide their |
| building; sales processes; goals and objectives; | | | | over-delivery. For example, in the case of a free |
| business philosophy; and more. | | | | massage above, you may be able to do a deal with a |
| Marketing encapsulates everything that influences the | | | | health spa that is willing to provide a complimentary |
| CHOICES of your prospects and clients. And the | | | | session to your clients in the anticipation that your |
| choices of your prospects and clients relate to: | | | | client will continue to use their service in the future. |
| - their perception of your business, products and | | | | This type of arrangement is a powerful win to all |
| image; | | | | parties - You are able to provide your client with an |
| - whether they purchase or not; | | | | added benefit, the health spa gets a potential long |
| - whether they continue using or re-use your service; | | | | term client for low cost, and your client gets a free |
| - whether they refer your service; | | | | massage. |
| - whether they pay; | | | | The intention of service over-delivery is to build |
| - how much they are willing to pay; | | | | goodwill with your clients. It’s intended that this |
| - whether or not they endorse; | | | | goodwill will translate into business benefits for you. |
| - and much more. | | | | Those benefits may be longer client contracts, |
| As you can see, there is a lot more to effective | | | | increased referral and stronger product endorsement. |
| marketing than just running an ad. How effectively a | | | | Generally your perceived gain from over-delivering |
| company undertakes marketing is the primary | | | | your service would be greater than your cost to |
| determinant of its level of success. Marketing is | | | | provide the additional benefit to your client. (In the |
| WITHOUT DOUBT the most leveragable process in | | | | above example your cost is actually zero). Clearly |
| your business. It is also the most overlooked, and | | | | it’s very important that you take into |
| hence the reason for the majority of business | | | | consideration the cost of over-delivery in your |
| failures. Being a qualified counsellor with great | | | | financial planning. When engaging in this process, you |
| experience and a well-established practice won’t | | | | must be aware of the cost/benefit relationship that |
| help unless people know about it! | | | | will arise from it, ensuring that for every cost |
| Networking for Exposure | | | | involved, there is a mutual benefit. |
| In the counselling industry, one of the most powerful | | | | However, every investment requires a systematic |
| ways to build your business image is networking. | | | | approach in order to be successful - and |
| Counselling clients can be derived from varied | | | | over-delivering is not different. You’ll need to |
| sources, particularly community networks – it is | | | | establish goals in order to measure the outcomes of |
| very important that counsellors recognise that factor | | | | your efforts, and also to avoid having financial |
| in order to get the appropriate exposure which their | | | | problems due to an ill planned promotion. You can |
| businesses require. | | | | include the following points in your over-delivery |
| Following are some suggestions that can be helpful: | | | | strategy: |
| Talk to your family Doctor and let him or her know | | | | Establish primary objectives |
| what you are planning (or about your recently | | | | List each advantage of over-delivering in a priority |
| established business) as you may have to make | | | | order. Referrals, networking and partnership |
| referrals to him/her. Many counsellors get referrals | | | | possibilities are all reasons for this type of promotion. |
| from Doctors and this is usually the result of | | | | Your primary objectives will also be parallel to your |
| establishing a meaningful trust relationship. | | | | current position in the market: whether you have just |
| Likewise, discuss your plans with your family | | | | started your business, included a new service, found |
| Pharmacist as he/she may also be able to help | | | | a new niche, etc. |
| building your professional profile. | | | | Find a target market |
| Talk to your local Naturopath/ Homoeopath/ | | | | The main objective of over-delivering is to provide |
| Physiotherapist/ etc. and suggest an exchange of | | | | more satisfaction to customers. For this reason, look |
| business cards. Explain that you would like to have | | | | for groups that can offer a great deal of options for |
| someone specific to make referrals to and maybe he | | | | your business, such as networking possibilities. Once |
| she may care to reciprocate. | | | | you’ve established the right target, you’ll be |
| Contact Support Groups and Agencies in your area | | | | able to refine your promotion and possibly calculate |
| explaining the service that you offer. Maybe you can | | | | the most likely outcomes of each interaction. |
| offer to help them out from time to time, even on a | | | | Choose your gift |
| voluntary basis. Voluntary work is an excellent way | | | | Now that you’ve decided what your target |
| to gain experience and create links with both the | | | | market is, you need to decide on what you are going |
| community and other professional in health care | | | | to offer. You may provide extra services of your |
| industries. You can offer your voluntary work in | | | | own, or negotiate with a local service provider to |
| places such as hospitals, aged care facilities, | | | | exchange vouchers for referrals. There are many |
| community centres, etc. | | | | options to choose from, but the most important |
| One of the best ways to promote your business is | | | | thing is to ensure that whatever the gift is, it will |
| by word of mouth, and one of the most effective | | | | have some value to the client. |
| ways to ensure that this happens is to run group | | | | Create protocols |
| activities such as Grief and Loss discussion groups. | | | | You are going to face a constant trade-off between |
| Building Your Profile | | | | the amount of extra time you are going to spend |
| As a counsellor, recognition of your knowledge, | | | | with ‘give-aways’ and how much you can |
| experience, qualifications and competence are very | | | | actually spend. Creating protocols will help you to |
| important. How can you effectively build a positive | | | | balance this equation and ensure you’ll neither go |
| profile within your prospects and current clients? That | | | | too far on over-delivering, nor too low. It will also |
| is a pertinent question in a counsellor’s career. | | | | give you enough flexibility to deal with various |
| As we’ve cited previously, marketing activities | | | | opportunities that may arise throughout the process. |
| such as networking and volunteering play a major | | | | It is important for the counsellor to realize that |
| role in building the counsellor’s profile. Primarily, it | | | | marketing is an ongoing process – and to ensure |
| is a way for the counsellor to validate his/her skills | | | | that the service delivered is of the highest possible |
| and qualifications throughout working directly with | | | | quality. With the appropriate training, the passion to |
| clients and other professionals. Secondarily, | | | | help people and the dedication to get a business |
| maintaining a meaningful trust relationship with other | | | | practice on its way – your career is likely to |
| professionals and volunteering will help creating the | | | | become a success! |
| image of a ‘contributor of the community’, | | | | Subscribe to our FREE eZine. |
| which is a premise for building trust and rapport with | | | | |