February Recap #happylittlepractice

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Hi Friend,

In case you missed something, here’s what I sent you in February.

Bring your marketing, messaging and mindset questions and I’ll do my best to pitch in the Happy Little Practice Way. If you haven't already, here's how you can reserve your spot and receive the replay. 

More Updates

I have been quietly giving access to my Great Little Talks program to any member of the Club who decides that giving a signature talk as their primary marketing strategy is for them.

You can learn more about this marketing strategy at GreatLittleTalks.com.

Please note, I have not updated the Club the info page about this bonus. So consider yourself on the early notification.😊

If you want the details of joining the club, it’s here.

Of course, please get in touch if you have any Qs about this. 

  • What I’m mulling over — Thinking about starting a wildly imperfect, not at all polished Youtube Channel for Happy Little Practice, Happy Little Life with a less is more perspective.

  • What I’m using - Asana.com, a free project management tool. I use this to keep my business projects (AKA all the ideas swirling in my head) organized by category: current project (only 1 at a time for me), in progress/waiting (what I’m working on with someone else like my website designer), next-in-line (what I may choose to do next), someday (sounds good, maybe later) and completed (hurrah!).

Here are two podcasts that explain using Asana in business: Here is 1 for a broad overview and 6 min into this episode shows you a similar version of what I do with the "board view" in Asana for projects. (A piece of paper for each category and a pencil works great too.) 

  • What I’m thinking - How does one stay in business and contribute to what matters when there seems to be so many challenges - The Ukraine crisis and so much more?

It is not by asking myself "is this the right time for being in business?"

It is by asking myself "what kind of business do my clients need from me at this time?"

As always  - all in and in this with you,

Karin

Creator of the Happy Little Practice Method

 

PS - Want help? Three ways I can help: The Happy Little Practice Club, private coaching and bring me in to speak to your group. 

PPS - Watch this class to see if the Happy Little Practice Method is for you.

Thanks for reading! 

Why You Must Keep in Touch

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When you communicate and keep in touch regularly with your list of potential clients, say weekly or twice per month with a short and sweet, helpful message, it says this about you... "I'm here for you when you're ready. In the meantime, please accept this quick tip to help you address X challenge I know you're facing. My treat. It's on me. Glad to be of service! I'm thinking of you and I'll be in touch in a week or two with another valuable tip."

(Replace "tip" with insight, video, audio message, article, resource… you get the idea. There are so many ways to deliver your know-how. You get to choose what works for you. Use the language that suits you.)

If you communicate to them infrequently, your potential clients get the sense that you only reach out to them when you have something to sell.

This is contrary to what most people thing. Most wellness pros think if they only communicate to their list now and again, they'll avoid bothering their audience, but the exact opposite is true.

The greater truth is this…

1 - If you write once in a while, you and your services will be forgotten.

2 - If you write once in a while, you actually end up bothering people (contrary to popular belief!).  It makes it seem like you only reach out when you have something to promote, instead of staying in communication like a good, reliable, trusty-worthy advisor that you are.

3 - So stay in touch regularly. I recommend twice per month to get started. Keep it short and sweet and valuable and people will love hearing from you.

To your success,

Karin

 

About the Author and WellProNet.org: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners using the power of authentic marketing strategies. In 2009, she expanded her private practice and launched The Wellness Professional Network as the go-to place for practitioners to learn about making more money doing what they love.  Karin lives in Upstate New York and works from home with her husband and baby boy.

Marketing Material Tip: Use of "We" vs. "You"

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In marketing materials, and in particular your newsletters, health and wellness pros tend to use the word "we" when speaking to their reader. "We all need to… " or "When considering XYZ, we must also think about…"

I find this to be habit of softening your opinion's effect and make it palateable to a wider audience.

The intention is good, as you want your message to resonate with as many people as possible, but it's largely ineffective.

It can also be an unconscious way of not standing out too much and avoiding the risk that not everyone will like what you have to say.

However, if you want to make your message memorable, you have to have an opinion.

Not a loud, pushy and obnoxious opinion (unless that's your authentic style) but an opinion that gives the reader a sense that you are taking a stand for what you know to be true and that you're not afraid to share it.

Your willingness to state your opinion actually gives confidence to your readers in your services and products.

Anything less weakens your message and frankly, makes you sound less confident about your expertise.

A better and more powerful way to present your work is to use the word "you."

This is more direct and speaks to the reader as if you are writing only to them. It really hits home and it's more personal. It's bolder, fresher and doesn't 'beat around the bush.'

And in the health and wellness field, most potential clients desire that wake up call. They need it in order to take the risk of investing in your services/products and chance giving their health goals another go.

One way to help you step into this more effective communicating style, is to imagine one particular person that you loved working with, who achieved great results working with you, and write to THEM.

Those who are similar to them will REALLY resonate with your words and those who simply aren't ready yet, won't — and that's actually perfect.

Let your writing speak directly to your readers, rather than speaking about them, and you'll have a greater impact.

To your success,

Karin

About the Author and WellProNet.org: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners using the power of authentic marketing strategies. In 2009, she expanded her private practice and launched The Wellness Professional Network as the go-to place for practitioners to learn about making more money doing what they love.  Karin lives in Upstate New York and works from home with her husband and baby boy.

WellProNet Featured Member: Lisa Cummings

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Lisa Cummings of LiveWellByDesign.net, WellProNet Member Meet Lisa Cummings.

Lisa joined WellProNet when she was ready to transition out of her art director career and leverage her passion for health and healing into a new exciting business. Now she's traded her daily commute and high-powered meetings for writing helpful newsletters, articles and giving presentations on the power of nutrition.

Here's what she has to say about being a member of the Wellness Professional Network:

"When I first joined WellProNet, I was looking for help to get me  started in my first year of running my own practice.

Looking back, I know I made the right decision. I can't imagine any other way to continue building my practice and confidence levels as a health coach than with WellProNet. And I can finally say, I'm getting the things done I said I was going to do and stopped procrastinating. Do you know how good that feels?

WellProNet gives me ongoing support in a "how-to" practical, step-by-step manner that resonates so well with me. And Karin delivers it all with passion, knowledge, humor and fun.

Listening to the WellProNet training tele-classes every month and the weekly coaching minutes, it's as if Karin knows exactly what I am thinking each week and what part of my business needs attention to keep it healthy, profitable and sustainable. Whether it's how to set up an online scheduling system, learning the do's and dont's of networking, creating a marketing calendar, or filling an event or promotion,I really feel like I am on the cutting edge of information to keep my practice alive and running strong.

The best part of it all is that during these tele-classes, Karin teaches me that I don't have to be different, change my personality or become an ego-maniac to become successful. I have learned through her excellent leadership and training that I can be an expert in my field and just be me!

I am grateful to have Karin and WellProNet as an ongoing resource for my business. I highly recommend membership for anyone interested in taking their health practice to the next level and learning so many positive things about themselves with the support of other wellness professionals during the process. It's a win-win all around!"

Lisa Cummings Health and Nutrition Coach LiveWellByDesign.net

To learn more about joining WellProNet and developing your own authentic marketing skills for wellness pros, visit http://wellpronet.com/whyjoin.

To learn more about Lisa, visit LiveWellByDesign.net.

To your success, Karin

About the Author and WellProNet.com: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners.

In 2009, she expanded her private practice and launched The Wellness Professional Network as the go-to place for practitioners to learn about making more money doing what they love.  Karin lives in Upstate New York and works from home with her husband, Drew Rozell, who also runs a successful coaching business.

Speaking Wisdom for Soothing Nerves and Attracting Clients

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Hands down, giving presentations to your chosen niche market is the FASTEST way to attract new clients - be in the form of tele-classes or in-person. There are other good ways to attract clients -- networking, article writing, video marketing, social networking and more  - but they take much longer to attract clients and frankly, nothing comes close to someone experiencing you LIVE  in a seminar to inspire someone to work with you privately. With each presentation, the key thing to remember is to plan to include a compelling offer (like a limited time free or low/cost breakthrough session with you) and can except 5% -20%  of the group to say YES (if done right) and the remaining 80% or so to join your emailing list (so you can begin connecting and marketing). 

Most wellness pros offer tons and tons of info in their talks and then wonder why no one asks to work with them. (I did this myself when I was a nutrition coach.) First, if you over teach and jam pack your talks with tons of tips, you'll turn people off by overwhelming them. And second, it's up to you to present your compelling offer effectively (HINT - Don't wait until the end!). Don't make people figure out what the next step is.

Typically, if you're just starting out, most wellness pros will give presentations where anyone will have them.

Yoga studios, gyms, doctor's offices, etc...

In one sense that's good. As it can be good practice.

However, your presentations become much more effective if you're standing in front of a new group of people that you KNOW are perfect for you. That is, they meet the four keys to a profitable wellness market. IE - if you specialize in working with entrepreneurs/business owners, then you would look for business owner groups online and take out your local business journal and find meetings and conferences and offer your presentations there. Or if you specialize in working women over 40, then you would find their networking groups, conferences, favorite hang outs and go there to speak.

And if you've never presented before, start off by doing 10 presentations for free.

However, beyond learning the right way to present your topic and make your offer, do you know what is the most commonly asked question I receive? 

"Do you get nervous?"

Well of course I do!

In fact this weekend, I'm speaking at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition at Lincoln Center in New York City. If I allow my mind to wander about getting on the big stage and presenting to nearly 1500 - 2000 people, then I want to hide under my desk.

Here is what I do to soothe my nerves...

Step 1: Know Your Topic

I could do this presentation in my sleep because I know the topic so well. It gives me comfort to know my stuff and helps a lot with the nerves. I energetically "lean into" what I know for sure versus all the "what if's" my mind can drum up.

Step 2: It's Not About Your Ego

As I prepare the presentation, I remind myself that people aren't necessarily there to see ME. They are there to learn and receive great information. And then I think about how I wish I knew this information when I first started out in private practice and this gives me courage to stand up, share what I know and not vomit.

Step 3: Be the Messenger

And finally, because I'm not a slick and smooth presenter (and few of us are!), I think about seeing myself as a messenger instead of trying to be a perfect speaker. What's most important, in my mind, is to get the information across in a memorable way and make a difference. And that means I don't have to be perfect and can focus on speaking from the heart.

Consider these steps before your next presentation to help soothe your nerves and remember, that while few us were born to be performers and have a craving forbeing on center stage (Those of you with a theatre background are lucky to have this calling!), speaking is such a powerful, effective way to reach your tribe of clients and attract new business that's it's well worth dealing with the nerves.

To your success,

Karin

Like what you just read? Then don't miss an issue of the latest wellness marketing trends and tips from the front lines of private practice. Just enter your name and email at the top right of this page:  http://wellpronet.org

Next WellProNet Member Tele-Training is March 11th: What to Say to Decision Makers to Land Paid Speaking Engagements

About the Author: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners using the power of authentic marketing strategies. In 2009, she expanded her private practice and launched The Wellness Professional Network as the go-to place for practitioners to learn about making more money doing what they love.  Karin lives in Upstate New York and works from home with her husband who also runs a successful coaching business.

 

7 Real-Life Tips for Getting Great Professional Photos

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Here's a great article by a singer songwriter Christine Kane. Dig up some of my early music career photographs, and you'll probably find me standing in an alley with my guitar - wearing a bulky jacket and black boots. Typically, a friend was taking the photo, and I just wanted to get the whole thing over with.

At some point, I consciously chose to uplevel my approach to my work. I invested in a great photographer. And - surprise! - that's when I started getting invited to do radio interviews, and being featured in major media.

We all know that image shouldn't matter. And yet, in the professional world, and even in the arts - it does matter. A professional photo shows that you take your work seriously (yes, even if you're creative and fun-loving) - and it conveys success. Plus, the internet can connect you with so many new opportunities, it only makes sense to put yourself out there in a professional way.

And good news! Your photo session doesn't have to be hard! From my Been-There-Done-That files, here are 7 Tips for Getting Great Professional Photos…

1 - Get Clear

Don't hire anyone until you're clear about what you want to convey in your photo. Make a list of words to describe who you are, how you show up in the world, and what you share with your clients, customers, students, audiences, etc. ("Professional but not stiff." "Fun and funky – but in an accessible way." "Trustworthy and kind." "Successful and no-nonsense.")

Write down colors, thoughts on your surroundings, etc. Start a file of your favorite images from magazines. Share these with your photographer.

2 - Hire a Professional

I know. I know. You can always get your friend Sheila to take a few photos of you after work one Thursday. But I encourage you to uplevel your image and go pro.

You don't have to break the bank to get a great photographer. Many top-notch wedding photographers offer great prices for mid-week sessions. Ask around or search the internet, and don't be afraid to interview several different photographers.

3 - Get Make-Up Advice

I've worked with make-up artists who sprayed foundation on my face like spackle. And some who made my hair stand up about 11 inches from my head. You'd think I would've spoken up – but for many years, I thought everyone else knew better than me what I should look like.

And yet, I still believe in using a make-up artist!

My advice is to REQUIRE a phone conversation with her before your shoot. Email her your images from #1. Listen to her ideas and advice. You'd be surprised at how much make up you need for even a natural looking photo – but spackle is NOT necessary!

If you don't have the budget for a make-up artist, then get help from friends in the know. I've done my own make-up on many shoots - but I used all the advice from those old Seventeen Magazines I used to pore through when I was a teen!

4 - Plan your Outfits in Advance

Two weeks before your photo shoot, plan your outfits. Pick at least three. (Avoid crazy patterns on your shirts!)

If you need help in this area, I highly recommend making an appointment with a personal shopper at Nordstrom - which has fantastic customer service and highly-trained employees. Plus you're not required to purchase anything! Share your work from Step #1 with your shopper. Take your time during your appointment.

5 - Go Light on the Accessories

You don't want your photo to say, "Hi, I'm Joan. And this is my BIG GIANT PERUVIAN BEAD NECKLACE!" In other words, your accessories should complement - not overpower - your look.

6 - Bring your own Mirror to the Shoot

Keep a mirror near you during the shoot so you can check for things like lipstick on teeth and bra straps sticking out in between shoots. Photographers aren't always good at catching these things because they're focusing on the lay-out and lighting.

7 - YOU are the most important element

Your energy. Your light. Your radiance. These are the most important things. Before you head to the shoot, sit quietly and remember your intentions in your work and life. Connect to your center and take some deep breaths.

Then, as the photos are being shot, remember to be present in your body. Look into and through the camera lens. Act as if you're looking into the eyes of your very best friend. Don't be afraid to let loose and smile and laugh. These are often the best photos!

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Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.

Joined WellProNet yet? Visit http://wellpronet.org to learn how to step into a leadership role of your practice.

Not sure yet? No problem. Check out the free newsletter and stay current on the best ways to let your wellness services shine, how to authentically connect with your client base and lead your community to the solutions they want.

Ads and Collaborating with Your Colleagues

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Love this article on how five Naturopathic Doctors split the fee of a full-page ad in their local community paper and generated new business. The focus of the ad was promoting their profession and debunking top 5 misunderstandings about naturopathy with an invitation for a free 15-minute "get acquainted" consultation at the office of their choice.  

This was an opportunity for local residents to confidently "check out" naturopathy, ask questions and decide if naturopathy was right for them. Many of which did become patients.

Each of the five physician logos and addresses where present at the bottom, so the reader could see who was closest to them.

Seems simple enough.

And what a powerful way to work together instead of competing with each other.

I think this would work for any wellness profession.

Here's the link to the full article.

Karin

Joined WellProNet yet? Click here to discover how to step into a leadership role of your practice.

Not sure yet? No problem. Check out the free newsletter and stay current on the best ways to let your services shine, how to authentically connect with your client base and lead your community to the solutions they want.