“Well that’s easy for you to say Jen. You’ve got diabetes, you’re a psychologist, of course you’re going to write a book about the psychology of diabetes!” But decisions about who your audience is aren’t that straightforward. I know for a fact that I don’t speak to MOST people with diabetes! My niche area is not just the psychology of diabetes. It’s people with diabetes who see that by getting their relationship to their condition under control, they are freed up to step into being the biggest version of themselves they can be — in their relationships, families, workplaces, and communities. Through developing the courage and resilience needed to manage their health, they start ‘showing up’ in their lives in a way they didn’t think was possible. They are the readers of my book.

You may be thinking, “There are loads of books on my topic. No one will buy mine!”

Do you have one cookbook? Or one self-help book? Or one book on a specialist interest or past time you enjoy? No, you have lots! Why? Because you get something different from each one. The voice of the author speaks to you in a different way. Each of them contributes to your journey and buying the next one doesn’t diminish the value of the previous one.

Here are three next steps to help you:

1. Which client group do you love to work with most?
2. What publishing houses publish on these topics? A search on Amazon.com will guide you here.
3. Choose your top three publishers and visit their websites. There is virtually always a page on “Information for Authors”. Find out what they require from you (sample chapters, synopsis, etc.), their publishing timescales, and any other relevant information.

You may be saying, “It’s impossible to get a book deal!”

It’s not as hard as you might think. Like everything in life, you just need someone to show you how. I did it with my first choice publisher (Wiley-Blackwell) and without having written even one chapter. If you’re curious to find out how, I’d love to help you. Contact me at jen@positiveprivatepractice.com to find out more about my “Get your Book Published” programme. I’d love to support you in getting your message out into the world.

                          

What are your thoughts about goal setting? I’ve used goals throughout my career. In the beginning, they were pretty task orientated and more like ‘to-do’ lists (“Get article written” or “Call back potential client”). However, now I set goals in relation to how many new clients I want to attract, how much time off I want to create each week, how much money I want to earn, and products and services I want to create. It’s fascinating to look back in my notebooks and track how the use of goals has aided the development of my practice.

You may well already use goals and have a system that suits you; however, if you are new to goal setting, a good place to start is using the SMART goal setting process. SMART is an acronym for a goal that is:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time Bound

‘Get new clients’ is a goal, but ‘Attract three new clients through my speaking /article writing, each paying £x per session by 30th July 2012’ is a SMART goal.

I think the SMART process is a helpful place to start; however, I think it also misses a key component, which is to schedule time in your diary or calendar to actually work on achieving them! With the goal above, when in your week will you plan to actually write the article, phone the organisation to offer your speaking services, and write your introductory talk? Putting these tasks in your calendar, and sticking to them just as if they are client appointments, will ensure you are doing everything possible to meet your goals.

I also think it’s important to review your goals every single day. We get what we focus on after all. At the very least, there is a feeling of incompletion when you see your goal each day and it remains unfinished.

So what are your goals for the coming week? Perhaps it’s in relation to the number of clients you want to build your practice to, or developing a new passive income stream, such as offering e-books or self-help products.

If you want help with the steps you need to take to create and sell self-help books/products online, you need to get your copy of Creating a Successful Practice: Online’ Workshop in a Box. Find out more here.

                          

Here are my top 10 tips for getting started with article writing:

1. Pick a topic about which your ideal clients would like to learn.
2. Imagine your ideal client is sitting across from you and start writing what you would say to him or her in a one-to-one consultation.
3. Keep the tone upbeat and conversational.
4. Ensure it contains a few top tips or ‘how-to’s’.
5. Just 200-300 words is fine.
6. In the final paragraph include: “To work with me or to find out more, visit (include a link to your website, therapist directory listing, your e-mail address, or phone number).”
7. Find online discussion forums/information websites that are relevant for your ideal client (so for diabetes some examples are dLife.com, diabetes.co.uk, and diabetesdaily.com).
8. Contact the forum owners and ask it they would be interested in featuring you as a ‘guest blogger’. (Some forum owners will pay you for the content you contribute, others will expect you to offer it for free as they know the exposure to your ideal clients is more valuable to you.)
9. Ensure to ask if the content needs to be original, or if they are okay with your ‘repurposing’ content you’ve used elsewhere.
10. You can see some examples of where I’ve done this here:

    http://www.dlife.com/diabetes_resources/experts/jen_nash/nash_bio
    http://www.diabetes.co.uk/experts/jen-nash.html

If you are interested in my “How to Get More Clients” Teleclass, don’t forget to e-mail for all the details. You can also get your free copy of my syllabus, “Five Success Secrets to a Positive Private Practice”, which outlines the essential areas you need to learn about in order to create a thriving private practice. To get your FREE 32-page copy, send an e-mail with ‘Syllabus’ in the subject line to my team at .

                          

Many therapists are a bit intimidated by video and I was when too when I first got in front of a camera. However, with today’s technology it is incredibly easy. Although I have access to a camcorder and tripod (thanks to my brother-in-law and dad!), the video above was taken using my iPhone propped on top of a pile of books — yes really!

Here are my top 10 tips for getting started with your first video:

1. Most computers, laptops, and mobile phones now have webcams/cameras built in (or you can pick one up on Amazon for less than £15).
2. Set up the shot so your head and shoulders are in view and there is something of subtle interest in the background — a picture, plant, or vase of flowers.
3. Wear something with colour. Black or white doesn’t always come up great on camera.
4. Smile, relax, and make eye contact with the camera.
5. Start with this 30 second script: “Hi, my name is [insert name], I’m a [insert title] and I offer [insert your service type, e.g., "counselling and therapy services "]. Welcome to this page. If you’d like to speak with me or ask any questions about the way I work, please do get in touch by e-mailing or calling using the details on this page. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”
6. Don’t think it has to be perfect. A minor word stumble or two will show you are human and will help clients warm to you.
7. Uploading your video onto YouTube.com is easy and free, it takes three minutes to sign up for a free account and then just click on the ‘Upload’ link.
8. Use the text box below the video to write a few lines about yourself and include a link back to your site. If you don’t have a website yet, simply include a link to your listing in a counselling directory.
9. Most counselling directories will let you include a link to a YouTube video of yours in your profile. If in doubt, send the administrator a quick e-mail to check.
10. Next time a client contacts you to enquire about working with you, direct them to your YouTube video to learn more.

If you are interested in my ‘How to Get More Clients’ Teleclass, don’t forget to e-mail for all the details.

You can also get your free copy of my syllabus, ‘Five Success Secrets to a Positive Private Practice,’ which outlines the essential areas you need to learn about in order to create a thriving private practice. To get your FREE 32-page copy, send an e-mail with ‘Syllabus’ in the subject lineto my team at .

                          

I truly believe you have unique gifts to bring to the world, gifts that no one else has. You will speak uniquely to the clients you are most here to serve. Once you realise this, you will see that creating a practice like this is as much of a personal development exercise as it is a working endeavour. Here is some food for thought:

• When you have a niche and people start perceiving you as an ‘Expert’, you can attract criticism. Putting your knowledge ‘out there’ in the form of e-books and other digital learning products can make them vulnerable to scrutiny and can feel risky.
• As helping professionals, we can often experience difficulty charging well for our time and the services we provide. We often need to shift our mindset around money. We may need to completely re-think our definitions of income and what is possible.
• Having bigger goals and a bigger vision for your life and your purpose in the world can feel challenging (as well as inspiring) and there can be highs and lows on the journey.
• You need to get clear on your values — both personal and business; and surround yourself with people and mentors who share the values and vision you have for your life. You also need to know you are not alone and you are supported in your journey.

If you are interested in learning more, my syllabus, ‘Five Success Secrets to a Positive Private Practice’ outlines the essential areas you need to learn about in order to create the mindset for success. You can use this syllabus as an active document, which allows you to fill in your own ideas on how you can apply it and what resources you need to help you gain the answers you need. You can also use it as a goal-setting tool, with a ‘Completion Date’ for each, to equip you with a sense of momentum and help you see the progress you are making. To get your FREE 32-page copy, send an e-mail with ‘Syllabus’ in the subject line to my team at .