Do you run workshops as part of your private practice, but you aren’t sure how to market them? Q&A was part of Next Level Practice, the most supportive community for therapists starting a private practice. In this video, Joe answers the question based on how to market a private practice workshop.

Question: How to Market a Private Practice Workshop?

Lindsey: One of my big ideas that I took action on is I created two workshops that I want to do. I have it on my website so people could buy tickets through there. I ran a Facebook ad locally, I got a few Flyers made, I emailed it out to past and current clients, I did a lot of things around this but, one of them is next Friday, and I only have one person signed up. It’s a small workshop, it’s only for ten people max., but I only have one person signed up. So, I’m just nervous if I only have one or two people signed up, do you think I should reschedule the workshop? Or should I do more promotional stuff between now and then? And, if so, what do you think I should be doing to get the word out there?

Marketing a Workshop Answer

Joe: How much does it cost?

Lindsey: It’s $85.

Value for Ideal Client

Joe: And, if I was your ideal client, how would you describe the value of spending $85 and that time to hang out with you?

Lindsey: I marketed it for young women in their 20s or early 30s. And, it’s a vision board party, with wine. So, I marketed it towards socializing, meeting other young women in the neighborhood, bonding, goal-setting, really understanding how to set concrete small achievable goals, and really getting a lot of traction on what you want out of your life right now.

Joe: Do you hope that they become something ongoing?

Lindsey: Yes, definitely. I want to add my other workshop, which is related to that, that I’m running at the end of June. I don’t have anyone signed up for that one either, so that’s my market. And, most of my clients are like 25 to 35 with those very same issues. I really developed it out of a need that I saw.

Joe: What are your actual costs to put on the event? Not your time, but just like rental space, wine costs, vision boards, etc.

Lindsey: So, I did all the math, basically of how much I charge my clients per hour, and it would be well worth my cost. I forget all the numbers, but I spent a long time writing it all out. It’s only a two and a half hour event, and the rent is $125.

Build an Audience

Joe: Okay, I would say the one person that signed up, maybe let them know, ‘We only have you who signed up, so I’d like to also give you access to our June one as well, and this one I’ll just waive the cost of, and I’m going to open this up for free, just to get some more interest’. I would say it’s probably more worth it to eat the cost right now, just to get more of an audience and more of a buzz, then to make the money right now. Kind of a typical mistake people make is to create something that costs money, but they don’t have an audience.

So, I’d say, in general, for these kind of things, I’d start with it being free or super low cost, like it barely covers the cost of the wine, i.e.: $10 a person. But then, from there, that’s kind of a gateway into a three-part thing, for example. So then, it’s like you know late June, late July, late August, we’re going to be doing it on the fourth Friday of the month, and  the cost for that’s going to be $85 for all three, if you sign up now, otherwise it’s going to be $150 for all three after July first.

So then, you start to build an audience. And, the other side is that, if you get ten of these women that are your ideal client, that are brand new and come for this free event and you put it out into other places where people are looking for things to do, in the community calendar, etc., then they’re more likely to come and work with you when they have an issue going on. As long as you’re careful about that blending of roles. This has the potential of being a friend socialization group too, so I would just be very careful about if someone decides to work with you. I’d keep it more that you’re the professional and, for example, if they all go out afterwards, that you say probably not.

Joseph R. Sanok, MA, LLP, LPC, NCC

Joe Sanok is an ambitious results expert. He is a private practice business consultant and counselor that helps small businesses and counselors in private practice to increase revenue and have more fun! He helps owners with website design, vision, growth, and using their time to create income through being a private practice consultant. Joe was frustrated with his lack of business and marketing skills when he left graduate school. He loved helping people through counseling, but felt that often people couldn’t find him. Over the past few years he has grown his skills, income, and ability to lead others, while still maintaining an active private practice in Traverse City, MI. To link to Joe’s Google+ .