How to Achieve the First Step to Success
Perhaps you take on clients because they came from a trusted referral, even though they may not be the best choice of client, because you don't want to offend the referral source? Maybe you sometimes work hours you'd rather not and then resent it just a bit? Do you ever reduce your fee when you'd rather not? I think this weekend I fell into that trap. I presented at a statewide conference of therapists. I had so much fun! We talked about possibilities and the importance of creating your private practice vision. We talked about how the internet will be the number one way you will attract clients in the next decade. We talked about money, intake call scripts, and website text. We had a wonderful mix of students and some clinicians licensed over 20 years.
I so wanted everyone to have a good time and get what they needed. It was very important to me. Well, you know how sometimes things don't always go as planned? First, the projector wires went in and out so the PowerPoint was intermittently lost. I fixed it once, and then we had the A/V guy fix it, but then it went out again. I decided to "let go" of the Power Point and speak from my heart, which wasn't exactly in the same order as the Power Point handouts.
I was a little rattled by the projector problems. However, what was important to me was that people got what they needed from the day. There were so many questions that I skipped lunch to answer questions. Then when we had "biological" breaks in the afternoon, I didn't leave. I stayed in the room and answered questions. I so wanted the presentation to have meaning - I wanted to make a difference. To that end, I wanted to be as available as I could to the participants.
When the event ended and the people left (and before I finally hit the ladies room), I took a glance at the feedback forms. Almost all were very good: many had comments about how refreshing my ideas are - when all they were hearing from other therapists was about how they couldn't make a living in this field. It felt good to read those comments. Then, of course there were a couple who weren't happy with me. One wrote I said "nothing" for five hours - that I didn't answer questions fully. It went on for a full page and spoke of how bad everything was - all the things I did wrong.
I so wanted everyone to have a good time and get what they needed. It was very important to me. Well, you know how sometimes things don't always go as planned? First, the projector wires went in and out so the PowerPoint was intermittently lost. I fixed it once, and then we had the A/V guy fix it, but then it went out again. I decided to "let go" of the Power Point and speak from my heart, which wasn't exactly in the same order as the Power Point handouts.
I was a little rattled by the projector problems. However, what was important to me was that people got what they needed from the day. There were so many questions that I skipped lunch to answer questions. Then when we had "biological" breaks in the afternoon, I didn't leave. I stayed in the room and answered questions. I so wanted the presentation to have meaning - I wanted to make a difference. To that end, I wanted to be as available as I could to the participants.
When the event ended and the people left (and before I finally hit the ladies room), I took a glance at the feedback forms. Almost all were very good: many had comments about how refreshing my ideas are - when all they were hearing from other therapists was about how they couldn't make a living in this field. It felt good to read those comments. Then, of course there were a couple who weren't happy with me. One wrote I said "nothing" for five hours - that I didn't answer questions fully. It went on for a full page and spoke of how bad everything was - all the things I did wrong.
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