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Why are you a CQA and not a CEO if you don’t implement systems in your practice? Which simple practices help you convert leads into clients? Why is fear never a reason to stop pursuing your goal?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok discusses the exact five steps to get to seven figures with Nicole McCance.
Podcast Sponsor: JotPsych
If you’re in private practice, you already know—it’s not just about seeing clients. It’s notes, treatment plans, onboarding, scheduling, insurance, forms… the list goes on.
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Meet Nicole McCance
Nicole is a Psychologist (retired) turned Business Coach for therapists scaling to a group practice. She expanded her private practice to 55 therapists and multiple 7 figures in 3 years (with toddler twins at home). Nicole sold her clinic in her 4th year and then retired as a Psychologist in her 5th year. She now teaches therapists how to help more people, make more money, and have more freedom following her proven method.
Visit The McCance method and connect on Facebook and Instagram. Listen to Nicole’s Podcast!
In This Podcast
- Step 1: Systemize
- Step 2: Build you dream team
- Step 3: Attract the clients
- Step 4: Convert client leads with consult calls
- Step 5: Follow up with clients
- Nicole’s advice to private practitioners
Step 1: Systemize
You want to build the container before you fill it … I see so many people hire first, but then they’re not the CEO, they’re a CQA, Chief Question Answerer! Because there are no manuals, there are no processes, and they don’t get any freedom at all. So number one is get everything out of your head and put it in a Google Doc. (Nicole McCance)
As Nicole explains, you need to build out your processes before you begin to fill them up with clinicians and clients, otherwise you will be running around putting out fires that come up when people don’t have a system to rely on.
Having no system and process manual at all also leaves you with very little agency to move away from the business and take time off, because you would be the only one who knows how to put out the fires.
Create systems, train people in them, and establish the rules and guidelines somewhere so that you can begin to build up your practice as an entity that is separate and can function without you always needing to be there to maintain it.
Step 2: Build you dream team
Here is where the fun starts. Once you have your systems set up and ready to receive people, you can begin to hire admin and clinicians.
Your first hire however, apart from an admin, should be a “mini-me”. Hire someone who is already in your specialty and fits within your brand so you can begin to give them more clients, which frees up your schedule to become more of the boss.
Step 3: Attract the clients
I think therapists underestimate power of their website. If they don’t have a website that converts, nothing else will convert, because you are attracting clients to a leaky bucket. So step one, before turning on SEO, Google Ads, all the things, please talk to somebody who’s a professional about your website. (Nicole McCance)
To attract clients and have them ready to jump into your business, you will need to have a great website, your digital storefront and market space.
Once your website is ready and functioning well, then you can get busy with digital marketing and creating funnels to bring clients specifically to your website and into your network.
Step 4: Convert client leads with consult calls
When prospective clients are starting to come to your website through your social media funnels and digital marketing or networking efforts, they are still leads.
You need to convert them into signed clients, and one of the best ways to do that is via consult calls.
I suggest the perfect segway is [being] bookable online. I love Jane App … I suggest that the consult call be 20 minutes long. We’ve tested this: you need 5 minutes at the end to get the credit card, put it on file, to go over the cancellation policy, and to book four to six sessions to get those pre-booked to increase the show-rate. (Nicole McCance)
Most therapists only have 15 minute consultation calls and while it builds the rapport, the last few minutes risk being rushed and losing the entire lead. Those extra five minutes can save you hundreds of dollars of marketing investment to bring that client on-board.
Step 5: Follow up with clients
The next best-secret is retaining these clients with follow-up calls. Oftentime clients get nervous or they even just forget about what they need to do admin-wise because, as we know, all of us have many different plates spinning.
Sometimes they don’t mean to ghost, and a simple and warm follow-up is a great way to rekindle and spark that connection to lead to a conversion.
Do you follow up after they cancel? After they no-show? Do you follow up if they do not book on the consult call? And, do you follow up if they ghost? … Research tells us by just following up, and your admin can do this, you can get a 20% bump in revenue. (Nicole McCance)
Nicole’s advice to private practitioners
“Do it scared!” Just because you’re scared, it doesn’t mean stop, it just means you’re on the edge of your comfort zone – and there’s almost certainly something great on the other side!
Sponsors Mentioned in this Episode:
Sign up here for our Seven-Figure Practice Owner Retreat in 2026!
Get 50% off your first two months with code JOE at JotPsych.com/Joe.
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- Check out our Practice Academy!
- Visit The McCance method and connect on Facebook and Instagram. Listen to Nicole’s Podcast!
- Sign Up to the Group Practice Boss Conference!
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Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
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