PoP 107 | Jonathan’s Practice Practice Consultant Roundtable

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private practice consulting

In this session, we discuss Jonathan Pishner’s counseling practice, Apex Counseling. Julie Hanks, Kelly Higdon, and Miranda Palmer join me for the second of three consultant roundtables. The four of us are doing a conference May 19-21, 2016 called The Most Awesome Conference. At it we’ll be deep diving with you on how to grow your practice. Also we have food trucks, massage therapy, and a bunch of surprises. To discover more and see if it’s a fit for you, check out www.MostAwesomeConference.com 

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PoP Culture Meet the Consultants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Sanok

consultant headshot JoeJoe Sanok, MA, LLP, LPC, NCC is one of the world’s leading private practice consultants. He is the owner of the Traverse City counseling practice, Mental Wellness Counseling. Joe helps counselors to start private practices and grow them.

 

 

Podcast Transcription

Pop 107 | Jonathan’S Practice Practice Consultant Roundtable

[0:00] Music.

[0:27] The practice the practice podcast everybody it is week two of the consulting consultant round table with miranda palmer kelly higdon and julie hanks they are in the house how you ladies doing today.
You are doing awesome last week we talked about our friend clay’s website with deep diving into his website his business and all of his goals so this week we’re going to dive into a friend jonathan’s website for apex counseling,
on the first one to get a shout out to brighter vision brighter vision has been awesome sponsor here and the packs of practice podcast also the most awesome conference,
they are good friend friends of ours as well just fine to hang out with and they make amazing websites that unlimited tech support,
i know that whenever my website gets funky like just be able to call a tech guy or gal is so awesome to be able to not have to deal with the headache cuz that then allows me to actually do counseling which i like doing rather than working on my website,
also do professional search engine optimization so people can actually find you and google the websites they make just user talk cost thousands of dollars but for fifty nine bucks a month,
you can have your own website also but a vision that come ford slash go you can get your first month free just to check it out and get a bill.
So it sounds awesome things that people are saying let me just read one of these quotes you it’s really amazing perry sent me some of these quotes from people that have worked with them,
and the snow joshua watson he said i decided to work with greater vision after having a site with their p sites better vision sales department was great they are patient with me while i was getting my copy.

[2:03] Completed photos taken and austin’s it on my phone cause i moved to the sales process without being pushy,
through brighter vision i worked with will do a fantastic job my site he was patient,
we were together to tweak the site to get it just right will also take my be schedules create a website and absolutely please without recommend brighter vision web solutions highly.
So awesome testimonial there,
i love what their doing heaven over the preservation that come ford slash go and you can get a free months thanks for checking that out and let’s dive into this consulting round table,
we got our friend jonathan who left a message for us so let’s hear me jonathan’s question is and a little more about his website.

[2:43] Hi my name is jonathan fisher and my website is apex counseling dot were.
I want to create a website that showcases the personality of myself and my clinicians a lot of counting websites real generic and once people to feel like they have met me and my team.
Before they even walk in the door so i would love any tips or feedback that you guys can give me on how to create a house to really show who we are.
And what we do even before a client has to pick up phone calls so very very much to joe maranda kelly and julie look forward to hearing your feedback soon.

[3:28] All right here we go soon got jonathan with apex counseling doing some great work there is really wondering about how to make his website unique make himself stand out a lot of things we hear from a ton of clinicians out there,
he is asking right questions some random to my some thoughts you got here the first part of the vacuum are question how can i really make sure the best.
Help my client my potential acquired that they have an accurate viewpoint of what it’s like,
coming into work and therapy like it’s so client centered question which is also appreciate yeah that’s what it’s all about it all about making,
the process of trans transitioning in the therapy and making change easier for our communities like back but when a make the change so i think the biggest thing.
Is that he’s talking about.
A team he’s got a couple of staff members here but i still can’t i’m using the word i in and we need the crate back then.
We and a way to really introduce to the team so i wanna be seeing.
Images i wanna be saying like here’s what we do it apex counseling and you let me introduce you to sally let me introduce you to fred hear the specific things that they can help with,
and here’s what you can no from anybody on our team,
this is the expectation this is this is the vibe that we have this is what we are about kinda looking at like at mission statement of what somebody is like.

[5:01] What is difference about your group counseling practice what is unique about who you are so you can kinda have that same feel go through all of your writing like really grande.

[5:14] And that energy that you crazy because now all group practices and all therapists are the same and you wanna track certain.
The surviving certain clients and.
So yeah i think the biggest thing is really dirty and that concentrating super clear on who you wanna speak with ink super clear to you each are individually but also your as a team,
i’m playing not in the words which i know is not an easy task but i think when you get super clear even journaling,
this is who we are this is what we’re about this or value statement,
and then journaling this is what my kinda struggling with this is why they don’t go to mass there cuz this is what keeps them from beating up the phone and then you.
You know put on the page in your copy that’s what translate into really powerful copy a lot of times when i break for a therapist to say oh my gosh you know where did you come up with that.
All i did was use the word they used to describe the client or i thought about specific sessions with clients like i always close my eyes and think about.
What is the crime struggling with and what are the questions they have and if i say this.
What what objection comes up in the head you know what are they worried about if i say it this way then,
i simply there tweak what i’m saying or answer the next question on-line was like if you can think about the questions that your potential counseling clients are gonna ask you.

[6:46] And then answer those through your website like they’re gonna just assume that you know the answer if they are able to understand that you understand kind of them when they coming to.
Exactly because it when you can put it in perspective as your answer those questions does are speaking to the ideal client.
People are gonna get to know you three writing and how people know my writing vs cali is writing,
repeat we have a totally different energy you can feel that i am there both great but you can feel the difference in that and some people can get a sense of who you are by your writing if you allow yourself to be up at six,
if you allow that writing to mimic what you might say or how you might respond in actual therapy session.
What is gonna come through on the page of people are gonna get a much clearer sense of.
Weather getting into and that’s gonna make it easier to say and this is why it’s important to give me a call in this how i can help yeah i really like the point of switching especially the home page from i offer psychotherapy services do we offer,
cuz i is all over that and that’s not gonna help helping scale to being a group practice.

[7:55] But if it’s interesting if you look at what i recommendations were last week for clay at for the manual it’s almost like jonathan took that podcasting updated even though he didn’t because we just recorded the clay one,
on cuz he has home staff treatment services blog and schedule an appointment it’s almost identical to what the recommendation was last week that’s the street and sweet.
What’s you notice can usually.
So it on the header.
And like on the landing page i always wanna see people who are you and then also the tag line,
i don’t see it i’m not clear who the who,
their idea clan is your and what’s the benefit other services are what headlines people mean when you look into it states providing realistic effective counseling and psychotherapy to the morgantown west virginia community.
So that’s the ex that say a feature like this is what we do but it’s not a benefit i wanna hear what was so if i.
If i go to you when i get what i did headlines and.
Well my friend click it is healing relationships that’s really short.
Let’s see some other ones cash of a couple overcome infidelity in bringing peace back into your family mariko in.

[9:32] And i think this is what brenda was saying connected with julie same here is that what are the values.
I love your group it’s very different than just individual you got yours what is that mean for the business as a whole what value do you bring and julie say put that in the header by speak to your value.

[9:54] So i think i’m gonna be going morgantown west virginia there’s only about thirty thousand people in there and so one mistake i see with people and roll areas is because they now.
Hey there isn’t a soul enough people to do you like i work with in there when in between the ages of twenty and twenty two who have a husband in the military like.
That’s way too specific you might want to do that and then the error you cannot do that and you know in morgantown.
So because they’re scared of being nice they get really brought in general.
But then that’s what keeps them from me all the improvise and connect with people so i would you know meeting in marlborough area of.
Buy yeah there some brightness but then it was let’s talk about some specific issues now let’s go a little deeper hear some haters we can find some more about time i hear some more about apple.
Here’s the more about you know this or that and then each of those pages was very like connected emotionally driven to the individual clients so sometimes having more general practice.
Mean it’s a lot more work because you need to be able to connect more deeply for gonna have you know they have,
trying not to the parenting camp works with adolescent school based vehicle issues i left the depression subst abuse every single one of those and my opinion,
should have a separate page yeah where it goes into the into detail yeah kids under treatment services he can have one of the drop downs be people we help and then have.

[11:31] Yeah i try my pc have a link there or some people that use the term issues i think that’s kinda negative i prefer to look at like just they’re just people also i think,
as good as a phone number or email at the very top but it’s if the smallest thing as whole home page and so,
i would want to see that bigger i like it’s call us today’s with a very clear call to action and then it also on a cz email be his actual apex council e-mails that have a g-mail i think that just kinda makes it right away look a little less professional.

[12:02] I’m just glad to yahoo and aol poop poop poop poop.
Alright so i’m yeah go ahead i add on.
When things speak as a client on the other end and my perspective of group taxes since i don’t run one part of me is always,
i’m always when i look for fair you’re a kind of care look for the individual therapist right.
But if so what’s the process here is there something that doesn’t in taking a science me to paris to get to pick the therapists it that scheduling an appointment.
Part of this building trust and authenticity is really make it clear how to play easy as to what to expect and from.
You know what i call you know what happened so can we talk will hold about what that means is for me it,
like the doctor yesterday for example dentists right there is a group of dentists in i researched each dentist individually to find out which one and i would say so.
I’m just gonna stick to my little bed.
Am i dead sea is that experience to other things to a pretty people it means when you haha this is speaking to the power of video,
i really think that if each of my profile and on the profile like hey.

[13:35] I was in sally so selling this is what i do you know this is why helping level of love this is who i work with,
you know that nothing letting people get to know do is a great way to do that because,
what’s the reason why you don’t try distinguish between my rent this friday is marie is a great writer and for me it’s been words,
where is the video and i can just like let’s get it done so awesome value we got a lot of staff.
I’m not it just getting some,
get your iphone how do you could do it and just put up so people get to know the faces of the people that i received clinic yeah great points i think i am on the.

[14:24] And the schedule an appointment page and so is just annoying as i scroll,
down east and mac and keep zooming in and out on the map and i would make that either at the bottom or smaller like.
Where are the control features are it right then that seems like a place where you could say.
Here’s how the process goes do you call or e-mail is and then yeah someone will call you within an hour i me and says schedule an appointment today so he handling,
so that mean to get in for an appointment like is it be read that way or could be schedule an appointment today,
this goes back to you again what brand did you say at value yeah.
What is the value of call you today and what i email you contacts you and then what.
And you told me about you as a therapist and what what’s the value of that so every page of call to action is speaking to the value of that call to action what’s gonna happen call me for free initial consultation why.
Discover how therapy can help heal your marriage,
to know what i’m saying yes to that stuff on every page with everything you do when evenly jonathan’s profile page and also lauren’s profile page starts with i receive my bachelors of arts in psychology.
I tend to not like that i wanna see like what the value that the client gets first so people i work with experience x why and z or.

[15:54] Here’s some of the things that the typical clan will experience in therapy we were kind marriage work on this rather than just like yours here’s my curriculum vitae.
What is it nobody care i need your average client doesn’t care and i like to say they care about three things.
Do i like you.

[16:17] Do i trust you and can you help me that it the most people,
the average guy doesn’t know the difference between llc sw element t.

[16:26] He is a licensed what its and so are you likeable start do you.
Do you build trust with whatever your sharing and are you come in are you showing am confident and how you can help them that’s way more important than.

[16:44] Now you’re via yeah and look your best and god.
Your mission about building trust you now i should be about here’s how i how you not gonna gone additional training,
because i’m so passionate about working with people who are drama and it’s really open up to work and i see that its having a bigger impact in like,
if you’re gonna work out stuff and work in on.
I did this because it does this the value of having a masters degree this is the value of being license is that there is this the value of being in pr certified this is the value of.
These things and how i can you know help you as the quiet.
Yeah i’m looking at mara’s profile and i think her last sentence should be the first one it says emotional behavioral challenges can be very distraught,
it’s not only the child but the whole family laura helps children and families develop effective coping skills quickly,
and get the balance happy life they deserve like to me that really compelling first sentence rather than,
where is a licensed professional counselor who received a master’s degree in counseling from a flight will die would hope that she’s licensed.

[17:52] Yes lovely is that they are very qualified and you can tell that.

[17:57] You know that how are a range of experience which is nice to not roll setting or you know where he is or more spread out.
You’re gonna anymore.
Diverse or ability to flex around the needs of the community and it looks to me just by reading their pro their little liars they.
We are experiencing matt and so we just wanna.
When is we make that clear to the person it’s reading instead of us asparagus you can read that stuff and know what that means make it so that the person is looking for helping is hurting.
Knows like this person now yeah.
I have the same question you do when i misspoke when i said world in a small town but the college counted actually urban i don’t wanna get like hate mail from people say hello where is.
Into what is triggering first person vs third person for bios and a group practice that question oh.
I turned to the third person and then have like quotes within it like.
You know that i say something or steve says on whoever like it is there cat framing their practice in a quote.

[19:22] That’s what i prefer,
what i do is i have reached therapist write a personal statement to the first person as if they’re talking to the client so that would be tomorrow cuz video,
write a personal,
connection and then when i just do bullet points your professional highlights and memberships boom boom boom specialty areas blue moon,
is it for scannable most people do not read a page of tax without it out though just kinda skimmed some make it easy for people to scan that’s what i do.
Nice rain in cali would you guys think first vs third i like ferraris ha will not.

[20:06] It’s not personal it’s on again i can hear the voice of the person.
I like it for a biography for the whole site to site is a wee right but good for your bio it’s more like hey let’s talk uni in,
about what’s going on in how i can help and to me that’s more connecting but this love right like.
There’s so many ways to do it like the way you’ve done a good practice joe and julie senator practice is there some differences and so i think it comes back down to the values of,
you know what pretty together as a business rate and how do you want to present yourself to the world with.

[20:53] I think as counseling websites go the design of this one and i do know julie that the pictures on the front are gonna be changing soon jonathan sent me a few options of what he’s looking at.
Is it in the photos on the front page of what we’re seeing right now i think under the most counselors websites it’s really clean the everything professional photos,
it seems like it looks better than most counselors website doesn’t appear dated what are things that you guys like a buyer that the cad design side of it you want to see change.

[21:27] Wiring mention this photo of photos of them on the home page so i.
I like that i like seeing a person like who is this so i can attach immediately seven just this is back to the.
The bio pages.
Just has their name but later you can have the credentials like what the crenshaw is listed with the name and not have to have it in,
focus on in that the bio section yeah your just as the name but not credential or not you know degree or whatever.
So what is a lot of space up there to use at the top or just says laura walls it say in water to green credentials are.

[22:16] Cool so if you guys are working with jonathan like the on just the website like.
He is selling his head towards a group practice sounds like he wants to grow what would you want to work and i only answer for since i never asked myself questions first i would say,
blog you’re really safe demonstrate he laura skills through the blog getting more,
content how that’s relevant you the populations that they’re serving,
i think should be on his first thing that is not comfortable writing maybe do a video blog or something that can really see to demonstrate that.

[22:53] What is a thick one just regarding blogging one of the things,
that people agree to when i hire them is to create content for the website and we rotate through so it’s like once every few months you right and six hundred word blog article nationals part of the job requirement,
and we do an editorial calendar.
I thought you know ahead of time when your blog is due and that’s just part of how we serve our community.
I’m at work with a lot of consulting clients where the owner,
who is also running website doing all marketing is also trying to create all the content so just wanted,
to encourage in have your team help with that yeah you don’t have to be creating content that’s part of reach that’s part of not working is.
Is for your team to be creating content to.

[23:49] Well it’s like if you don’t have the time is a business owner which you know you could definitely pay somebody less than what you making a forty five minute counseling session to write a blog post me like,
my solutionservices.com like one of the sponsors for the most awesome conference they do that like the right,
content for people on you know they’re causing website so it could be that could be up working could be other places you can find people to write some content that you then can i change and switch around to make sure that sounds really authentic to you,
but there are ways to get around having to create hundred percent content yourself.

[24:26] Wow awesome on any final comments on the pics counseling any kind of thoughts in regards to what else jumping to be do.

[24:35] I was just wondering jonathan to think about how he wants to serve his community.
Cuz it in the others a lot of options here to lot going on but you from your website to you’re in person networking and staff.
What is the value that you’re gonna bring because i think it’s more than realistic counseling i think.
I think there’s more to this group practice that and i want to start thinking about.

[25:05] What is actually wanna make go back to this vision why are you doing a group practice.
And what is your purpose of having a group and the impacts gonna make on the community,
lets stand out in your marketing when you’re building relationships because you know if you wanna be in that place for families,
in morgantown to go to for support awesome if you would be the place for schools you know what let’s figure out.
Yeah.

[25:37] Like your taxes so yeah nice well julie kelly marie and i think so much for your time today and for just doing all this consulting for jonathan really appreciate it.

[25:52] Thanks will talk more next week when we look at her mission’s website,
and head on over to operate a vision that come ford slash go to get a month off of brighter vision,
also if you are interested the most awesome conference we are so darn excited about it i’ve been happening in la jolla california.
Next may two thousand sixteen and tickets are open we have,
her ten tickets left so it’s gonna be selling out probably by the end of the year where super excited about just all that we’re doing we’ve got some fun,
things planned food trucks pulling and massages poolside some great content marketing i’m in the people that came last year it’s crazy to see,
just how much they level that i mean i’m personally kind of intimidated by the people who helped train so,
had the mostawesome conference.com and you can read more watch the video love to have you join us in southern california.

[26:51] Music.