If you will be joining us tomorrow as we start our new series “Fill Your Appointment Book with Speaking” – then you are in for a treat.

All participants will receive a 4-CD set of the series sent to your home of office at no additional charge. How cool is that! Plus we have a video option to see me as I present … if you attend live or we will even send you a replay of the video that you can watch on your computer.)

If you haven’t joined us yet, please check out all the buzz at http://InTLI.com/events/

Our Fill Your Appointment Book with Speaking class starts tomorrow!

But first – a question… Are you a “visual learner” who is a bit bored with audio-only teleclasses? Me too.

We will have video during Fill Your Appt. Book with Speaking

New video here: http://www.intli.com/speaking/seecasey (Press the ‘play’ arrow/button on the bottom left once you go to that link.)

You probably know by now that I am also a techno-lover. For some time I have been looking for a way that you could see me as well as hear me on your computer as I present our online (tele)seminars. But I wouldn’t accept just any technology. It had to be easy and convenient for you.

After literally years of trying different software applications, we have found one that seems easy to use. Eureka!

So for those of you joining me this Tuesday, March 2 for our latest 4-part teleseries, Fill Your Appt Book with Speaking, you will be able to SEE me sitting in my office as I present you this amazing content.

You can join the Fill Your Appt Book  with Speaking 4-part teleseries at: http://InTLI.com/events/

It is no secret that successful people surround themselves with other successful people. We’ve all heard the saying, “You are as successful as the people with whom you surround yourself.”

One of the most powerful tools to propel you forward is to be part of a Mastermind group. Many successful people credit their Mastermind partners for helping them reach their goals.

What is a Mastermind Group?

It has been defined as a group of two or more minds working in perfect harmony toward a common goal. (For example, building your practice.) A mastermind group can help you think bigger to fulfill your vision and at the same time ground you with specific support, feedback, advice and resources.

A mastermind group can act as a “safe place” where you can feel at home and comfortable to share your hopes, thoughts, strengths and weaknesses.

A mastermind group offers you the chance to share your challenges and opportunities - and get support, ideas, comments - even resources and contacts.

Sometimes, especially with private practice marketing, it feels like we have to learn or know so much. A mastermind group gives you the opportunity to

connect with others who have similar goals but think differently or know different things. This can lead you to new ideas and perspectives – along with specific tips. My husband calls this a private practice “Think Tank.”

The people in a mastermind group want you to succeed. Information is shared freely among the group. Yet confidentiality is expected from group members.

Accountability is built in to a great mastermind group. As you define ‘next actions’ for yourself, you will complete them. The act of sharing what you plan to do next – committing not only to yourself – but a group – can be motivating when it otherwise would be easier to procrastinate.

While you have to do the actual work of succeeding, a mastermind group can help focus and propel you toward that success.

What if you could have a whole day of masterminding with successful private practitioners? And with me, Casey Truffo facilitating and masterminding along with you?

I call it a Private Practice Mastermind Group Day.

Let's get a small group to mastermind on your practice - in beautiful Vancouver, BC - Home of the 2010 Olympics - on Sunday, March 21, 2010 ... 9:00 am - 5:30 PM

Or - maybe this would work better for you...mastermind with me and five of your peers in Washington DC on Monday, March 29, 2010 9:00 - 5:30 PM

Not only will your peers focus on helping you meet your private practice goals, but I will be there with my sleeves rolled up offering my input to you as well.

What is a Private Practice Mastermind Group Day?

Imagine being with like-minded professionals (and me, practice building coach Casey Truffo) for an entire day … sharing your practice building opportunities and challenges. When it is your turn, everyone in the group focuses their energy on you and your unique goals. You have the opportunity to ask for general or specific responses from the group. Assistance from those in the group can come as knowledge, resources, contacts – and even spiritual energy. You leave with mindset shifts and action items. There is built in accountability.

Each person takes a turn and the group energy is laser-focused on that person and their practice. Each member shares and gets group feedback, and now

Read more here….

It’s finally here. Many of you have asked for more step-by-step instructions on how to attract clients with speaking.

I’ve shared in the last three videos about how speaking in the community will draw clients into your practice.

But I have so much more to share.

Please share your thoughts and questions in the box below. I treasure them.

Looking For More Information?

Your community is calling.

I am pleased to invite you to my newest teleseminar program starting March 2, 2010:

“How To Fill Your Appointment Book with Speaking.”

Not since the Beyond One-to-One beta group have I been this excited about a program. I have designed it to be easy, convenient and affordable by most.

In the “How To Fill Your Appointment Book with Speaking” program, we’ll talk about everything from getting over the jitters, to talk titles, to the delivery process itself.

But I think you will be most interested in the follow-up process as this is the step that many speakers miss. You see, hearing you once doesn’t immediately translate into making an appointment. I will take you through the steps in between so that you can convert more audience members into paying clients.

To see if this program is right for you, click here:  http://InTLI.com/events.

If this is the year to get back out into the community…if this is the year to build your reputation…and you’d like to attract more clients with speaking, then I hope you will join me.

Reserve your seat now by selecting your payment option in the box below. I can’t wait to hear and share your success stories!

Love and blessings,
Casey

Did you get a chance to view that last two short videos I created?

The first one was “The Good News for Practice Building in 2010.” The second one was “Fill Your Practice with Speaking.”

You might enjoy watching them first if you haven’t yet. We’ve had dozens of wonderful comments on them so far.

This third (and newest) six minute video is “How to Find and Get Speaking Engagements.” In this video, you will find:

1. What to do before you even look for a group to speak to and

2. A Three-step Short Course on how to find community groups, who to contact, and what to do if you don’t hear back right away.

Thanks for watching! And please leave a comment about what you thought about this video in the comment section below. I treasure each and every comment.

And for those who are hungry for more strategies including how to prepare, deliver and follow up your talk in a way that invites people into your practice, please check out our new program starting March 2.

Learn how to create and deliver (facilitate) presentations that have people asking "Are you taking on new clients?"

It is “soup to nuts” instructions on how to Attract Clients and Fill Your Appointment Book With Speaking - including sample letters you can send asking for speaking engagements. This is how I built my practice and I want to share it with you.

You can see all the topics we will cover in this 4-part teleseminar by clicking here.

Here is my new 6-minute video with more good news for marketing your practice in a way that works with what you do best – connecting with others. Whether you love to speak or are just starting out, community presentations can be a very effective way to attract new clients. This year you can step away from the computer a bit. Attracting new clients will be about connecting and reconnecting with people in your community. And I suggest 3 steps to get started.

Please let me know what you thought of this video in the comments section below. And let me know what questions you have about building your practice with community presentations.

Interested in more? Check out our upcoming teleseminar program:

Your community is calling.

You can read more here.

Marketing in 2010, I predict, will be easier and make more sense, and it won’t take learning new technical skills or strategies.

This is a “good news” video about Practice Building in 2010.

Looking for more?

If you’re interested in how to make building your practice even easier this year with specific tips, don’t forget to check out Practice Building for Therapists in 2010, my new 90-minute teleclass program to teach you how to get clients the old-fashioned way – by building relationships with prospects and referrals sources in your community at http://InTLI.com/2010/.

So what questions do you have about practice building?
Are you looking forward to marketing that doesn’t required you to be a techno-lover?
I’d love to hear from you!

If you are just starting out or need a motivational refresher, here is a 5 step Practice Building Quick-Start Guide for you.

(Video is 6 minutes long.)

After you watch it, take a few moments and consider:

Do you need to refresh or change your marketing to attract more clients?

What are you next action steps?

Happy practice building!

Could you use more support and tips?

Please get your copy of my newest 90-minute audio series:

“Practice Building for Therapists in 2010″

In this audio series we explore:

How to shift your thinking from “private practitioner” to “private practice business owner” so that you are set up for success.

How to make friends with money. (No matter how great the marketing plan – if you don’t feel good about money, you won’t attract the clients you want.)

The four marketing personality types. Once you know yours, you can reduce that overwhelmed feeling – and get a sense of what might work for you. You may even surprise yourself and end up liking the process!

Whether or not you want to market a specialty to attract clients. (While this was once touted as mandatory, let’s take a second look at it based on today’s cultural changes.)

The minimum marketing one needs to get started – as well as suggestions for those who’ve done the basics and want to increase their marketing efforts.

How to not get ripped off with internet marketing schemes.

What I predict will be the best way to attract clients in 2010. (Hint: Speaking.)

This is a content-rich class. I have filled those 90 minutes with as much content as I can. We’ll have some exercises and new ideas to get your energy up and your mindset shifting.

But please don’t misunderstand. This audio series is only 90 minutes. It is the beginning. It is for the person starting or restarting a practice – or for those who want to get current on the cultural and technological changes in 2010 and how that impacts today’s private practitioner.

This audio series is the foundation – designed as a quick-start – to get you thinking bigger and moving into action. And if you decide you want more practice building support later, we have other programs – including our upcoming 4-part teleseminar series “Fill Your Appointment Book with Speaking” and our very exciting 3-day, live and in-person event “How To Make a Bigger Difference: Marketing Makeover Magic” April 15-17, 2010 in southern California to further support you in your private practice business success.

But, for now, let’s build that solid foundation. Let’s look at how you need to think and what you need to do to get those clients in the door….so you can make the difference you became a therapist to make.

Please get your copy of my newest 90-minute audio series:

Holding the vision for you,

Casey

P.S. I really do get it. You want to help people – more people. You want to have a great reputation in your community You want to earn more money. This practice is your dream. I’d like to support you in that dream.

If you are ready to shift into the business owner mindset and and identify what you need to do next to attract more cash-paying clients in 2010, please get your copy of my 90-minute audio series.

If you have 15 minutes to watch an inspiring video, check out Steve Job’s commencement address at Stanford’s 2005 graduation below. Listen to the end – all three of his stories. I loved the honesty and the emotion it invoked (in me). He has a lovely turn of phrase … such as:

“No one wants to die – even people who want to go heaven don’t want to die to get there….Sorry to be so dramatic but it is quite true.  Your time is limited so don’t waste it  living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition – they somehow already know what you truly want to be come .”

This begs the questions:

What makes a great speaker? How is a great presentation constructed and delivered? Is a presentation about facts more or less appealing that those about possibilities? Are the answers as varied as the audience?

Here are some of my musings on what makes a great speaker and presentation and I would love to hear yours.

1. I’ve been told by friend and colleague Dianne Legrow that magnetic speakers ask powerful questions. A powerful question is one that may not have an answer. One that makes the audience stop and think. A powerful question can change the listener forever. Curiosity is evoked. Transformation can happen.

2. Have you noticed that often great presentations come from presenters that are present in the moment?

In other words, when people read a presentation or have it so structured that the focus is on the content only, the audience has implicit permission to not be present at that moment either.

3. A great presentation appeals to multiple learning styles.

We all know that some learners are visual, some auditory and some kinesthetic. We’ve also been taught about emotional intelligence. So why is it that we still do many of presentations with a power point projector and time at the end for questions? I have been guilty of this myself at times.

4. A great presenter knows how to manage the level of interaction with the audience.

This one is not always easy – especially when we want the audience members to be happy. But we’ve all been to presentations when someone who says they have a question but ends ups giving a lengthy personal comment or commentary.

If this happens to you, understand two things. First – this person is usually clueless as to how their behavior is affecting the others, so you may need be be direct with him or her. Second, the rest of the audience is counting on you to do just that. You might say, “You certainly have something interesting things to say. Is there a specific question you have?” Or if they go on repeatedly, “I bet you and I could talk about this for days, but let’s give someone else a chance shall we?”

My personal favorite was when a presenter told a rather talkative attendee, “You have had the opportunity to share a lot. Keep raising your hand and I will eventually call on you again. But for a while, I will be calling on others.”

5. Finally, great presenters speak to the resistance to the topic early on in the presentation.

This is also called sharing the ‘WIIFM’ You audience wants to know “What’s In It For Me?” They may, inadvertently of course, come with a rigidity and resistance along with their curiosity about the topic. Great presenters address this early so that the attendee is more relaxed and able to enjoy the information, and hopefully, the transformation, that is to come.

I am curious. What do you think makes great presentations? Feel free to share them in the comments section below.

Until next time,
Casey

PS Have you noticed that what worked to build your practice in the last decade may not be working this decade? Stay tuned for more tips on how to refresh your marketing for 2010. But as a hint – giving presentations in your community is a great way to build your connections, reputation and attract prospects.

Question: How do I attract clients
and make more money in 2010?

Great question because what worked in 2009 may not work in 2010.

As you may know, I started running half-marathons last year. I walked most of my first one. Then I moved on to walk-running and then to running the 13.1 miles.

I finished faster in each race. That felt good but I wanted to get faster still. So, after my last race in October, I decided to run each workout faster than the last. If I could get faster in practice, then imagine what I could do on race day.

Since October, I ran faster each and every week. You can see how this story goes. I struggled with a lot more injuries. Tendonitis in my ankles and knees. Sore hips. Lower back issues. Due to these injuries, I dropped out of the next race.

What worked for me last year is not working for me this year.

I hired a running coach – Victor. He trains athletes to get maximum performance. Victor recommended I do some strange things to get faster. Get this: “Casey, you need to run slower – in lower heart rate zones.”

RUN SLOWER? TO GET FASTER? It is counter-intuitive and I have to tell you I didn’t swallow it at first. Eventually I agreed to try his program. Guess what? I am now running faster and injury-free!

What worked last year may not work this year.

The answer to the question:
How do I attract clients and make more money in 2010 is simple…

1. Repeat what works.

2. If it isn’t working – do something different.

We need to refresh our marketing strategies
to fit our 2010 culture.

What worked in 2009 may not work in 2010

If what you are currently doing to get clients is working, then simply repeat what works.

However, if you aren’t having the success you want – then maybe it is because your marketing strategies are out of sync with the culture in 2010.

In 2009 many therapists jumped on the internet with websites and online locator listings. But now there are literally thousands of therapists with websites. The internet has created more competition for you that you had before – especially in your local community.

It is time to take a moment – take a breathe – and rethink your strategies.

Your website needs to stand out among the other therapists in your area. How are you going to do that?

I’ve mentioned before that you need to offer something for free (a “pink spoon” or a free taste like the small taste on the pink spoon in the ice cream store) on your web site. Maybe it is an audio or “white paper” or, a really short video that engages your visitor.

But that was in 2009. Now the internet is flooded with “free” Even free isn’t enough to make your website stand out among the competition. You want your pink spoon to be CAPTIVATING.

As your web visitors gets to know you through your pink spoon, they can make a more informed decision as to whether to call you or the therapist around the corner. But by having a CAPTIVATING pink spoon, you will most likely look more engaging and appealing and your phone will be the one the client calls.

Stand out! Do what will work in 2010.

For step-by-step instructions on how to create your Pink Spoon, consider checking out “Pink Spoon Marketing for Therapists*” in our International Therapist Leadership Store at www.intli.com/store/

Step Up Your Game:
Pink Spoon Small Group Coaching:

Want some advanced support to get your pink spoon completed? Get it done in just 4 weeks with my new hands-on, Attract More Clients Now with your Captivating Pink Spoon group coaching program starting January 28th. Join me for seven sessions of group coaching to help you get that pink spoon out of your head and on your site. In just 4 weeks!

But wait to hear the rest! Pink Spoon Group members will also receive:

1. One half-hour personal strategy session with me, Casey Truffo to review your pink spoon concept.

2. One GOLDEN no-charge admission TICKET to my live, in-person 3-day event “How To a Bigger Difference in 2010: Marketing Makeover Magic”  ”in southern California April 15-17, 2010.

3. A digital copy of our workbook: Pink Spoon Marketing for Therapists* – a 190 page, step-by-step manual to help you create your Pink Spoon.

4. An audio recording “How to Create CDs” from the Chill sessions – plus some cool ideas about how to get clients using CDs.

5. Our InTLI.com virtual assistant resource list of some people you might hire to help you with the technical parts of getting your pink spoon on your website.

Ready to get that pink spoon done and receive all those bonuses?

Click here for more information.

So step one to attract more clients and make more money in 2010 is to get your website up and that Captivating Pink Spoon completed!

In the next issue, I will share another way to get refresh your marketing strategies to match our 2010 culture and earn more money.

Have a great week!

Committed to your success and with love and respect,

Casey