Greetings Dear Ones,

Recently I received an email from a disgruntled reader of the E-Forum accusing me of not offering practical tips to you.

So just to make sure that you have some very basic practical information let me give you a few links (membership not required!)

The Acupreneur Bonus Section Tips

Our Free E-Book to you

Suggested Reading

After working with this community for the past 5 years I have found some tendencies that need to be addressed:

There are some basic things that anyone who is working in this particular field needs to consider as they work towards a successful practice.

1. It's all about you, except when it is not. 

Who you are, how you are, how you behave, even the kinds of critisims you make of others is a reflection of who you are in the world.

While the hair transplant surgeon may be bald and your dentist may have bad teeth, you cannot walk around doing whatever you want, whenever you want.  You are a model for your medicine...so the first thing, practically, is to ask yourself and those around you...how are you doing? Is your behavior ego driven?  How aware of yourself are you?

A great personal development master once said that professional development is based on personal development...and while many claim to be working on themselves many really are not.

2. It's not really about you...it is about your client. 

Creating a client-centered practice is not about giving your clients whatever they want whenever they want...it is about understanding, with empathy, compassion and resonance, where they are coming from and helping them see that you understand them.  This SHOULD be reflected in your marketing materials.

Here is a recent advertisment that SSquared Studio made for my hypnosis practice here in Bucks County. 

The usual advertisement reflected health issues...but right now the climate is about money and saving money.

3. When you know yourself well and you know your client well, your marketing content is like a bridge.  This bridge should make buying your services a no-brainer.

4. As my good friend Michael Port, author of "Book Yourself Solid", "Beyond Booked Solid" and "The Contrarian Effect" says, real people want real conversations. If you don't know how to talk with people then you better learn. And more important than talking is your ability to listen and then how to make offers that are meaningful.

When I have ever complained about hay fever in front of Acupuncturists most will say, you know acupuncture can help you with that.  Not one so far...and I have spoken to a lot...has ever bothered to talk with me about my experience, what it is like for me. In other words, not one has cared enough about me to spend a few minutes having a conversation with me.

So assuming you know who you are, what you are offering and who your perfect patients are, then the the formula for a full practice is based on 4 strategies:

a. speaking
b. writing
c. treating (ie: asking for referals from those clients of yours who love you and love what you do)
d. strategic alliances

Recently while giving a talk at PCOM, a student said her doctor does not believe in acupuncture...and I said, "he is still your doctor???????"  My best referral sources are doctors, especially the ones that I go to.

So let's just not read about or ask about practical advice.  Let's put it into practice and if you need more information and support...well, don't just sit there - join The Acupreneur and get access to the support and information you need.

Many blessings to your success,

Dr. Eric