Private Practice Success Edition of 8/19/2006

Private Practice Success

Edition of 8/19/2006

Private Practice Success Newsletter

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Private Practice Success Newsletter

August 1, 2006, by Lynn Grodzki, LCSW, MCC (Master Certified Coach)
www.privatepracticesuccess.com

Hot, Hot, Hot

It’s either August in Washington, D.C. or else I am having a triple M (Major Menopause Moment). Probably all of the above. Since June, its been a muggy, unrelentingly hot few months in my neighborhood.

What to do during a heat wave? As little as possible, it turns out. Not only have I been feeling slow and lazy, but I hear from other therapists, coaches, consultants, and healing professionals that many of us have a bad case of the summer doldrums.

We all need downtime. If you have been working hard all year, than this is a chance to conserve your energy, relax, recreate, and get prepared for Fall.

Today, even writing the newsletter feels too much, so I decided to get a little help from my friends. Here are excerpts from other smart business coaches that they kindly offered me to share with you, to add to your summer reading. They both touch on the topic of networking and speaking, approaching it from a strengths-based perspective. I hope you are reading this in a cool place, with a breeze gently ticking your toes and an ice-cold glass of lemonade in hand. Enjoy!

Also, for those of you who are ready to start gearing up for the Fall, please see the new Teleclasses following the newsletter articles.

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.-- Sam Keen

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What Do You Say After You Say Hello? Networking Tips for Shy Folks
by Casey Truffo
(haveawealthypractice.com)
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Do you know Scott Ginsberg?

At a college event 5 years ago, the attendees were asked to wear nametags. Scott continued to wear his after the event. He found people were friendlier to him that night. He decided then and there to wear a nametag everyday for the rest of his life. Scott Ginsberg is the only person in the world who wears a nametag 24-7-365 (since November 2, 2000) to encourage people to become friendlier and more approachable.

Now I am not recommending you wear a nametag 24-7. (That must be tough when wearing nice pjs.) However, I do recommend that we begin to think of how we can be more approachable. How do you go about it?

First of all, I call or email the person and ask if they'd be open to getting together for coffee or lunch to talk about your businesses and how you could mutually support one another. (I like the word "open" - it is hard to say "No, I am not open to that.")

The first time I had lunch with a possible referral source, I sat nervously across from Molly. As we were handed our menus, I blurted out "Who is your ideal client?" Molly smiled at me, put her menu down and said "Casey, are you a California native?"

You can break the ice by asking a question about the person's roots. I am continually amazed at the interesting information this question elicits.

Next you can ask about the person's family. "Do you have sisters and brothers?" "I see you are wearing a wedding ring, how did you meet your husband?" Then you can ask about how they got started in their profession. Finally you can ask who would be a good referral for them. You can also ask about hobbies if you like.

You can close by saying "I look forward to referring business to you" or "I'll keep you in mind when someone I know needs a referral for your services."

Sometimes when I am at a networking meeting, someone will ask me "Did you do something fantastic over the weekend?" This one always stumps me. My weekends are usually relaxed. We visit my 91-year old mother-in-law. I work on my website. We watch a movie or TV. When I hear this question, I feel bad that I can't describe some exciting event.

Now if someone asks me "What was the best part of your weekend?", I have great answers. I tell about how wonderful my mother-in-law is and how we patched the cement on her front walk. I can say "I took a nap on Sunday and it felt so wonderful!"

You want to get people talking about themselves. So when they ask you a question, respond with a short answer and ask them one in return. Keep them talking. They'll love you! People will refer to you only after they decide they like you. Networking conversations can help people get to know and like you.

Finally, don't forget to keep in touch with people. After you meet with them, send a handwritten note and let them know how much you enjoyed speaking with them. Put a note on your calendar to get together with them again. Send any information that you promised.

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. -- Russel Baker

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From the "Too Busy To Read? Newsletter"
by Wendy Allen
(wendyphd.com)
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I consider all solopreneurs to be Leaders.

Why do I say that? Every single client I coach has a unique service or product to sell. Like snowflakes, no two are the same.

So, you really are the world’s expert on the unique way that you are positioned in your field. By offering up your training, education, style, and beliefs that go into what is uniquely your take on the subject, you stand solidly in your community as a leader.

Consider this. Every time you put yourself out there, every time you show up in your community, you are making a giant statement. You are saying, “This is what I love, this is what I do, this is why you should chose me instead of somebody else.” You are putting yourself on the line, with tremendous promise and because you work with people that means you never quite know what is going to happen with each session. Nothing is formulaic—you are walking with your client, sometimes on the edge, and with courage.

This is why I call you Leaders. What do Leaders do? They motivate people. They ask for and help guide a client or customer to change a behavior. We are in the behavioral change business.

What are all Leaders eventually asked to do? Speak about what they know. Since public speaking is one of the highest-anxiety tasks on the list, standing up, showing up, and speaking up are the hallmarks of very courageous and determined people.

So, it’s no wonder that I signed up for a Women in Leadership conference in my small town of Santa Barbara. It was given by a few women, one of whom, Lois Phillips, PhD has been a mentor for me a few times in my career. She works in organizational management and provides training in public speaking to executives in public and private organizations. She makes it her business to know everybody and be very good at what she does. I am just one of the many ducklings who has grabbed on to her tail feathers over the years.

Lois has written a book called, “Women Seen and Heard: Lessons Learned from Successful Speakers.” It is a small book with a big heart, just like Lois! It has many, many useful presentation tips for both men and women.

A lot in this book is not about how women should be like men, but how women can use their female and emotional intelligence to be taken as seriously as important speakers. Men can do the same with all of the skill sets she sets forth.

This book is divided into 12 chapters, each with a different focus about presentations and how women can utilize their strengths and change their potential liabilities. For example, in “Feminine Traits” Lois talks about the natural tendency of women to use relationships in order to relate to the audience. Women are good at reading their audiences’ non-verbal cues and can adapt their talks to signs of boredom, anxiety, or disconnect.

“Are you able to read your audience like a book?” Lois asks. “Is the listener tilting her/his head to once side, nodding and smiling?”

To do this, women must have a very solid foundation for their speech, one grounded in research, education, and/or their personal experiences in life, which most women can talk about with ease. Connecting to the audience is a matter of deepening your relationship with them by sharing a relevant experience that makes them understand how strongly passionate you are about the topic and your opinion.

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Be Part of Our New Teleclasses Starting this Fall!!

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"Strong Start" for Therapists and Other Healing Professionals

Starts October 2006

Starting a private practice or renovating a stalled one can be daunting. It helps to have the right kind of support when you are building your practice. The right kind of support is a professional group of your peers who will celebrate with you when you succeed, commiserate (but not indulge you) when you have a tough time, help you stay consistently motivated, encourage you, and hold you accountable for your goals.

The Strong Start Teleclass Program is a twelve-hour, four-month-long progressive practice-building program that follows the first several months outlined in Lynn's best-selling workbook text: "12 Months to Your Ideal Private Practice: A Workbook", to help therapists and healing professionals take the right steps to build their ideal private practices. We meet by "bridgeline" — an easy to access conference line, that you dial just like a long-distance phone number at the given time, to be connected to everyone on the call.

For logistics, fee, and registration information go to: Strong Start Teleclass
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"The Coach as Entrepreneur" for Personal and Professional Coaches

Starts October 2006

Building a thriving coaching business is a challenge. With an estimated number of 40,000 coaches worldwide, and with the majority hanging out their coaching shingles during just the last five years, the coaching market is definitely growing. But data shows that these same coaches are finding that despite their best efforts, the business side of coaching is not as financially viable as they had initially hoped.

Whether you are a veteran coach or new to the coaching profession—this Teleclass can help promote your business success. If you have questions about what it takes to start or expand your ongoing coaching business, we will talk together to provide answers that have been tested in the marketplace. If you are at a loss as to how to attract clients, retain clients, or earn what you need, we can share strategies that will shorten your learning curve. If you love being a coach but don't yet love being in business and feel stuck or burnt-out, we can help you find an easier way to thrive in this challenging business.

This Teleclass, based on the book, "The Business and Practice of Coaching", will help you take steps in the right direction. We meet by "bridgeline" — an easy to access conference line, that you dial just like a long-distance phone number at the given time, to be connected to everyone on the call.

For logistics, fee, and registration information go to: Coach as Entrepreneur Teleclass

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Books by Lynn Grodzki, published by WW Norton. To order, click on each book.

	The Business and Practice of Coaching By Lynn Grodzki and Wendy Allen (2005) An estimated 40,000 coaches have entered the coaching profession in the past five years, but unfortunately, the majority report they are unable to earn a living wage from their coaching services. This book shows you how, using a coaching approach to the business of coaching.
	Building Your Ideal Private Practice By Lynn Grodzki (2000) The best-selling guide to what you need to do and who you need to be in order to have a highly profitable, personally satisfying private practice. Often called the "private practice bible" this book has become a resource for tens of thousands of your colleagues.
	The New Private Practice:Therapist-Coaches Share Stories, Strategies and Advice Edited by Lynn Grodzki (2002) A groundbreaking look at the profession of coaching through the eyes of 16 successful therapist-coaches who tell you how to become a coach, what to charge, and show you how they coach their clients.
	12 Months to Your Ideal Private Practice: A Workbook By Lynn Grodzki (2003) This planned, motivational workbook will help you build the practice you desire. The workbook incorporates fresh ideas, new exercises, further skill sets and much more to give you a direct experience of being carefully coached by Lynn, month-by-month, for a full year.