{"id":41956,"date":"2022-05-20T13:37:18","date_gmt":"2022-05-20T17:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=41956"},"modified":"2022-07-07T12:20:53","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T16:20:53","slug":"uncover-the-six-essential-steps-for-having-a-thriving-online-private-pay-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/Online+Private-Pay+Practice","title":{"rendered":"Uncover The Six Essential Steps For Having A Thriving Online Private-Pay Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GoodTherapy<\/p>\n

Part 1 of 2 <\/i><\/b>by Alexandra Whitehead, CEO, The Practice Activator<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

There are six steps that need to be taken to have a profitable online practice. If you\u2019ve been working with insurance companies only to get clients, you might have found that while your schedule is as full as it can be, this hasn\u2019t resulted in a better business. There might be little profit – so it\u2019s hard to invest in your business and create additional offerings that serve both you and your clients – and it\u2019s unlikely that you can afford to work 20 hours per week or less.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If this is you, then you might be wondering how you can attract more online, private-pay clients. If you were able to do this easily, your practice would have a nice balance – you\u2019d have more financial security, and you might just get your wish of having Fridays off – forever!<\/span><\/p>\n

Attract a Predictable Private Pay Revenue Stream<\/h2>\n

The reason why online therapists fail to attract a predictable stream of online private pay clients is that they haven\u2019t followed the \u2018six-step\u2019 process. They might not even know that the process exists – and even if just one step is missed, it\u2019s difficult to grow a profitable practice. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In addition, so many therapists take small \u2018marketing\u2019 steps in isolation from one another, and unfortunately, these don\u2019t add up to additional clients or revenue. They can be a real-time suck too!<\/span><\/p>\n

6 Essential Steps to Attract Private-Pay Clients<\/h2>\n

If you want the freedom and control that comes from having a profitable online practice, comprised in part of private-pay clients, then these are the six essential steps you need to take:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Know what your desired future is, even if it seems unrealistic right now<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Know why you want that desired future<\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Uncover a profitable and viable niche<\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. Know and share your story (why do you work inside this niche?)<\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. Create an irresistible offer for your ideal clients<\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. Get the right eyeballs on your irresistible offer via a traffic source\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We\u2019ll go through Steps 1-3 in this article, and you can explore Steps 4-6 in Part Two of this article <\/span>here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    When you choose to follow this six-step process, is when you\u2019ll get private-pay clients saying \u201cHeck Yes!\u201d to working with you and signing up for your services. These people are great-fitting, ideal clients almost every time, and so getting your system set up to attract them is worth it. It\u2019s also where you get to shine – you know that you are highly suited to helping people who come into your world via this process.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Build a Sustainable Client Attraction System<\/h2>\n

    Let\u2019s unpack each of these steps in greater detail, so you can self-assess where you\u2019re at right now, and what you need to do going forward to build out this sustainable client attraction system.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

    Step 1: Imagine your desired future even if it seems bonkers<\/b><\/h3>\n

    You\u2019re probably familiar with the saying \u201cShoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.\u201d It can be a mistake to just look at what everyone else is doing and decide to also do the exact same thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Because you\u2019re the CEO of your business (and yes, if you\u2019re a solo practitioner this counts!) you get to decide what your business becomes. You get to create it from the ground up. And the ripple effects of creating a profitable, sustainable, and impactful business will appear in your everyday life.<\/span><\/p>\n

    You might imagine having a thriving online business, saying yes to speaking gigs, moving to the mountains, buying your kid\u2019s first home, or going on holidays without changing the filter from \u201cprice: lowest to highest\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

    When you decide upon the future you want, it makes it <\/span>possible<\/span>. Far more possible than never having thought about it before (if you don\u2019t know what you want, then how will you get it?). And remember, you don\u2019t have to tell anyone!<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you\u2019d like to fast-track the knowing part of your desired future, you can grab our free meditation\/hypnosis audio <\/span>here.\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

    Learn more about The Practice Activator<\/a><\/h3>\n

    Step 2: Know WHY you want this desired future and feel into it<\/b><\/h3>\n

    If you\u2019ve ever read books like \u201cThe Law of Attraction<\/a>\u201d, you\u2019ll know how important it is to connect emotionally to your desired future, so that it feels like you\u2019re already living in that reality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Behind the desire for \u201ca bigger house\u201d and \u201cmore holidays\u201d is always a \u201ccore desire\u201d or the alleviation of a pain point. For example, if you have a bigger house you can easily have friends over for dinner parties. What you might really be seeking is a deep connection or companionship (in disguise of a big house).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Once you know your \u2018why\u2019 behind each desire, really feel into it and allow it to become your reality, even if it\u2019s for 5 minutes. In this case, you\u2019d imagine how it feels to be surrounded by great friends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Why is this important? Building a profitable business isn\u2019t easy. Yet, it\u2019s also not hard. So why do people give up? Because it takes time to get the results you want. When people realize that it\u2019s not just about \u201cbeing profitable\u201d and it\u2019s also about companionship, for example, people are much more motivated to take the actions they need to take to get what they want. So don\u2019t skip this step!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Step 3: Uncover a <\/b>profitable and viable<\/b> niche<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Not having a viable niche is the biggest mistake therapists make – especially in online practice. Niching became hip and cool a few years back, and there was a vast amount of incorrect information about how to niche effectively all over the internet! This led to many therapists thinking that they have a niche, when in fact they do not. For example, \u201ca psychologist for anxiety\u201d is not a niche. Nor is \u201ca psychologist for women with anxiety\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    A niche is crucial for online practitioners because this is a sure-fire way to stand out from a crowded marketplace. It gives potential clients another reason to book in with <\/span>you<\/span><\/i>, specifically rather than someone who might be cheaper or more convenient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Your niche needs to be a sliver of the market segment that has a problem that you can solve. For example, \u201ca psychologist that helps teachers overcome social anxiety\u201d is a niche.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s the niching formula: <\/b>
    \n<\/b>
    \n<\/b>[specific person] + [specific problem] =     Niche<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n


    \n<\/b>And here\u2019s how your niche plugs into one giant arm of your business model:<\/b>
    \n<\/b>
    \n<\/b>[specific person] + [specific problem] + [you and your irresistible offer] = <\/span>
    \n<\/span>[client transformation] + [profitable business]<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re not a little bit fearful that you\u2019ve \u201cniched too much\u201d – you haven\u2019t got a niche :-)<\/span><\/p>\n

    To overcome the fear around niching, it\u2019s a great idea to check you\u2019ve got a viable niche.\u00a0 The best way to check for viability is to write down at least 20 possible niches. Then it\u2019s time to research which ones appear to be viable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    You\u2019ll want to choose a niche that has some competition. No competition is a bad sign. To check for this, you can:<\/span><\/p>\n