[JOE SANOK] This is the Practice of the Practice podcast with Joe Sanok, session number 759. I’m Joe Sanok, your host and welcome to the Practice of the Practice podcast. Today we have another Ask Joe episode, and we do these most of the time every Wednesday throughout the summer. We’ve had a few different series where we’ve focused in on those but we’re going to be getting back into them. If you want to ask me a question, just head on over to practiceofthepractice.com/askjoe. You will see the form there and it’s going to be something that we use in the show hopefully. What I’m really excited is we have Katie Ziskind from Wisdom Within Counseling in Connecticut who had a tough time starting a private practice and now has a thriving group practice. She asks a really awesome question, “How do I market for higher fees at $225 to $275 per hour and see 15 clients a week at this fee? I feel like a lot of private practices are only around $80 to $130 so I feel my fees need me to do different things in my marketing. It feels there’s been a lull in new clients and I don’t know if it’s my marketing or my intake process. I’m happy to be a guest on the podcast too, if that’s easier to troubleshoot.” Katie, maybe we will have you on the show. I would love to have you take this advice, see how it goes and if it still doesn’t work, would love to have you chat on the show, have us be able to talk a little bit more about it. Now, this is such an important question that Katie asks. I think that so often we aren’t thinking through our fee structure. We’re just doing what we’ve been told we’re supposed to do rather than actually saying, “What do I want?” So she’s clearly run some numbers to say, “Here’s the range. I need only 15 clients a week.” She said she has a thriving group of practice but there’s been a little bit of a lull. So first I would say, let’s see how many clients you are actually doing right now. If you want to be at 15 clients, then we need to get you at 15. As long as you keep doing 20 or 25, there’s less of an incentive to really be out there. So I would say start to reign in your clients and maybe even clients that you would’ve seen pass on to other people in your group practice so that you can be freed up to be doing that 15 or so clients a week. I’m going to actually give you seven things that you need to think through if you want to be bringing in those higher end clients. This is from my own experience. When I started my counseling practice, I was totally private pay, when I sold it we were totally private pay and it was only because at the beginning, insurance companies weren’t accepting anyone on their panels. So I’m like, well, I want to do counseling. I want to make this money. I want to be able to help people. So I just opened a practice and had no idea what I was doing. At the going rate at that time was $80 per session and so I thought, well, I’ll be $70 per session. If I’m cheaper, then that’s going to be easier. Then I really learned about the idea of the race to the bottom where there will always be someone that’s going to be less expensive than you. Over time, when I ended up closing my practice or selling it and then closing my own personal practice, I don’t, I signed a non-compete, so I wouldn’t even do counseling locally for five years. I was charging $250 per session. This is a counselor saturated Northern Michigan town. We don’t have a ton of people here. It’s not gigantic but we have two satellite graduate programs here, no three satellite graduate programs here, two social work programs and one counseling program. So every year there are 50 to 100 new graduates that are getting jobs at the crisis line for $18 an hour, $25 an hour. And so we really, to think through this is a really smart thing that Katie’s thinking through. [JOE SANOK] First thing is look at quality branding in your practice. Look at quality branding. Frequently people use some of these website builder platforms and it looks like everyone else, like Weebly or Wix and they’re like, I did it myself. It just doesn’t look that good. Whether it’s hiring a website designer like our team to do your branding, we quietly build websites for people that want them. It’s not something we really promote that much. You can just email [email protected] if you want to talk to her about that. But we do logos and things like that. Having quality branding or working with someone like Brighter Vision or other places that make beautiful websites is really important. I would actually do some research in other private pay types of things in your community. Look at the yoga studios which yoga studios look like the ones that really would attract a more affluent crowd. Look for places that have Botox or other sort of like beauty products though people are paying out of pocket at those places. Look at the top real estate agents. What do their websites look like? What’s their branding look like? The things that attract a higher-end client, look at those in your community to see what their branding looks like, to see how it has a different feel to it. A lot of private practices that really thrive are ones that they just look different. You walk in, you say, “Oh my gosh, this feels like a spa.” You want people to say that, that it feels posh, it feels really nice. [JOE SANOK] Next you want to also think about having a very clear niche and one that’s lacking in your community. For example, in Northern Michigan finding a play therapist that uses toys and hangs out with kids in a way that’s kid friendly is really hard to find. Luckily, we found a great one. She sits on the floor with the kids and they play and they talk. It’s a really beautiful thing. Finding that clear area that’s lacking is going to make it that you have more and more clients that come to you. If you have a group practice finding those clinicians that have a niche or are willing to get certified or trained in a niche that’s lacking is really important. My oldest, Lucia, who’s 11, during the pandemic we had some extra tutoring for her because we were going to be road schooling and wanted to make sure she stayed up on her things. We really wanted her to move up grade levels as fast as she could because she was struggling early on with some reading. We actually did a whole podcast interview with her coach, Coach Evie on the podcast. Coach Evie’s part of the Fit Learning Model from the Chicago branch and it was way more expensive than regular tutors, like probably three or four times more expensive. But it was based on a positive behavioral support model. It was based on a very clear program that had clear outcomes. So we weren’t wasting my daughter’s time so I’m willing to pay more to save us time, to have good quality people, to know that there’s outcomes. [JOE SANOK] Which brings me to number three, what science or outcomes can you use or understand to help say, hey, I’m saving you time within this counseling. We’re using this specific approach. Why are you worth it compared to somebody else that maybe just talk therapy? What are you doing that’s unique to make you stand out, to have some different quality, to make you really be able to speak to the science of what you do, to speak to the heart of what you do to, help educate people? A lot of people don’t know the difference between EFT or Gottman or if they’re going to be doing cognitive behavioral therapy versus talk therapy. Just understand some of those different ways of approaching things [THERAPY NOTES] Is managing your practice stressing you out? Try Therapy Notes. It makes notes, billing, scheduling, and tele-health a whole lot easier. Check it out and you will quickly see why it’s the highest rated EHR on Trustpilot with over 1000 verified customer views and an average customer rating of 4.9 out of five stars. You’ll notice the difference from the first day you sign up for a trial. They offer live phone support seven days a week so when you have questions, you can quickly reach out to someone who can help. You are never wasting your time looking for answers. If you’re coming from another EHR, they make the transition really easy. Therapy Notes will import your clients’ demographic data free of charge during your trial so you can get going right away. Use the promo code [JOE], J-O-E to get three months totally free to try it out, no strings attached. Remember, telehealth is included with every subscription free. Make 2022 the best year yet with Therapy Notes. Again, use promo code Joe to get three months totally free. [JOE SANOK] Number four is know who you don’t serve. I would be really rigid around who you definitely don’t serve, because for every person that you take that you’re an 80% fit that’s a person that probably is going to say, yes, it was fine, but they were an 80% therapist. Versus if you are passionate about specific areas, about that specific niche to be able to really say, here’s who I serve and I’m awesome at serving, but also here’s who I don’t serve. Let me refer you out. Let me refer you to a therapist within my practice. Let me refer you to someone that’s passionate about that particular specialty. [JOE SANOK] Number five is to really automate your onboarding, so to make it as easy as possible for people to schedule that first session, to have as few barriers as possible. That could be using a HIPAA-compliant bot through your website where you can get that scheduling down, that it can be automated, that they can look at the calendar and know what times are open. I mean, I think about my barber. My barber has such great systems. I get text reminders about my haircut. I can reply and say no, or I can just do reschedule. That’s a $25 haircut with a tip. So if they can do it, if they can manage each chair, if they can make sure that people are getting paid and they’re doing that all, they do it through Square, you want to make sure you really evaluate your systems, but I get a text reminder. I can say, “No, sorry, that’s not going to work.” I can reschedule from within there. It’s super easy. We want to make it super easy for people to schedule that first session. The better your systems are, the more professional people will assume that you are. So to be able to just either text the front desk or even be able to see it automatically, most people, they don’t want to do a big long phone call. Especially millennials and Gen Xers are so used to things being automated. Even calling a restaurant for a reservation seems antiquated versus using open table or other types of apps that just make it really easy. I mean, the other day, like, I got a sandwich from this place that I love. They’re a national sandwich place and every time in the comments like, they don’t have that you can click on add mayonnaise to the sandwich. You have to put it in the comments. They forget something. They forgot to individually wrap the sandwiches because I got one of the gigantic sandwiches and wanted it individually wrapped so that each kid could have one and stuff. They didn’t do it. They’re like, “Sorry, like, our systems are fine.” I’m like, they’re not fine. You didn’t wrap my sandwiches, which isn’t a huge deal. I’m not going to get all worked up over a sandwich but that makes me think, okay, what else aren’t they doing? Are they making sure everything’s clean? So that systems can equal a perception of professionalism. That’s just much, much different from if you don’t have good systems. So that onboarding is the first touch points that that person has with you. The better you can make those, the more you can continue to level up. [JOE SANOK] Number six is follow-up. The finances are in the follow up and this means follow up with your networking people, so the people that you connect with, the people that are out there that are serving other types of clients that are your ideal clients, but also following up with clients that didn’t convert over a month later. Say, “Hey, I just wanted to check to make sure that you ended up finding a therapist.” Even if it’s someone that maybe didn’t work with you, say they weren’t a fit and maybe they wanted help with eating disorders and you don’t do that, and you said, here’s three therapists. if a month later you call that person and say, “Hey, I know that we weren’t a fit. I gave you those three names for eating disorder therapists or can I help you anymore? Or did you find someone good? Oh, you found someone great?” You’re going to stand out to that person so that if someone does want marriage advice, does want post breakup advice, whatever it is that you do, you’re going to be top of mind for them. Also with your own clients if they discharge and they’re done to six months later, just say, “Hey, just wanted to check in, see how you’re doing, hope everything’s great for you.” They may want to do another session. They may want to refer a friend or family member. So you never know. Remember, the finances are in that follow up. [JOE SANOK] Number seven is make it special. Make your practice stand out, make it special in regards to how it feels and looks. When Apple was starting their Apple store, they sent all of their people that were working there through a training with the Four Seasons, the hotel chain so that they would know how you treat people really well. How do you have good customer service? How do you do things in a way that’s different? Sometimes thinking outside your own industry to get to know a spot owner, say like, “What systems do you use and what essential oils are in the air and how do you make your cucumber water?” I mean, that could go a long way to create a friendship with a spa owner to just say, “Can I pick your brain and buy you lunch to just learn about your mindset in regards to running your spa?” I mean, those are things that are really important. Actually, a bonus one, I know that’s number seven would be just doing that networking with people that are connected to the types of folks that you want. The more that you can be making that community of people around you, the better. I’m actually a bonus to the bonus. Being able to really make sure that you’re raising your rates when you’re about 60% to 70% full, I would say that’s when you want to be raising your rates and by $25 to $30 so it’s a big rate jump, going from $125 to $150, going from $150 to $175, that with those new people, as you get more full, you keep raising your rates. Then as people discharge it slowly transitions your caseload into a much more financially sound caseload. That is my advice for this week’s Ask Joe. We’re going to try to keep doing these every Wednesday. We did get it a little bit off there in regards to all of our stuff. So actually, also a couple things to note before we do our sponsor read is today is August 2nd. We have opened up tickets for Killin’It Camp only to those that are in our membership communities, so Next Level Practice, Group Practice Launch, Group Practice Boss, Audience Building Academy, and then anyone that is a 2019 Killin’It Camp founder. You should be getting an email with that secret link about Killin’It Camp. We’re going to be doing Killin’It Camp in Cancun, Mexico, kicking off October 20th. We’re going to be doing so many awesome things, poolside and we also have a room for sessions. It’s going to be an amazing event. It’s going to be fun to be in a warm tropical place and to really just be able to dig in. So for the next couple days here, those members get the ticket for $95. We negotiated an all-inclusive resort. We’re staying it at the Club Med Cancun. It’s under $200 a night and that includes your food. I mean, it is a killer deal. Then after that, if you want the $95 ticket, the volunteer spots are going to be open for just a little bit and you can go to killingitcamp.com to get links to that. The tickets then go up to the early bird price of $195. If you’re not in one of those membership communities, you’ll have to wait until I believe it’s the evening of the 3rd of August for those to go on sale for that $195. Then that early bird lasts for just a little bit and then it’s going to bounce up even higher. Make sure you grab your spots. We have limited spots because we have our room block and all of that, so make sure you grab those. You can go to killingitcamp.com to get links there as well. If you do know one of the members, they are able to buy you a ticket, so get to know some of those members of Next Level Practice, Group Practice Launch, Group Practice Boss or Audience Building Academy. Lastly, we could not do this show without our amazing sponsors. Therapy Notes is the electronic health records to help you get to the next level. They have teletherapy included in it and they have so many great automations, calendars, being able to bill, really when you’re looking at having those quality systems we talked about today, Therapy Notes needs to be a part of that for you. Just use promo code [JOE] at check out to get your free months of that. Thank you so much for letting me into your ears and into your brain. Really excited about this month, all that we’re doing. In the next episode we’re going to be talking with someone who works with the FBI in special Ops about sleep. Then we’re going to be talking about the emotional freedom technique (EFT). Then we’re going to be talking about practical sustainability and then copywriting and then the neuroscience of pleasure, I mean some really cool things coming up this month. Then after that we have a whole month of people who have leveled up in crazy ways within their private practice that we’re just going to be telling their stories and getting to know them. Thank you so much for letting me into your ears and into your brain. Have a great day. I’ll talk. Talk to you soon. Bye. Special thanks to the band Silence is Sexy for your intro music. This podcast is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. This is given with the understanding that neither the host, the producers, the publishers, or the guests are rendering legal, accounting, clinical, or other professional information. If you want a professional, you should find one.