MFM#57 Action over perfection moves you forward

One of the biggest things that often holds solo therapists back in marketing is waiting. Waiting until the website feels perfect. Waiting until the Instagram post sounds exactly right. Waiting for the right time to contact referrers. Waiting until they feel more confident.

Many therapists I’ve worked with also carry self-judgement about marketing and sometimes even apologise for not being very good at it.

But how could you possibly know how to market a private practice or run a business if you have never done it before and have no training?

As a therapist, you’ve obviously spent many years and hours studying how to be a therapist. Very few therapists have also studied marketing or small business growth. Expecting yourself to be naturally good at this without learning it is unrealistic. It is far from a personal failure. There are so many hats to wear as a small business owner. It takes courage to go out on your own and set up a business. This is something to be very proud of.

Perfection can keep you stuck

Feeling unsure about marketing can sometimes prevent you from moving forward, making you feel you have to be 100% ready and that everything has to be 100% perfect before putting yourself out into the world.

Of course, it’s important to spend time on the foundations and to get clear about who your ideal clients are, what you help them with, and what messaging will resonate with them. But once this is done, aiming for perfection can mean you delay putting anything out into the world. And when nothing goes out, nothing comes back. No enquiries, no appointments, and very importantly, no learning.

Action is how you learn

You get better at marketing by doing it.

You learn what resonates with your ideal clients through testing different messaging.

You learn how to talk about your work by practising it.

You learn what referrers need by meeting with them.

You learn what attracts the right clients by taking action and noticing patterns over time.

Without action, there is no feedback. And without feedback, there is no learning and improvement.

It’s okay not to know everything right now. It’s also okay to get things wrong. In business, everyone has to start at the beginning. The most important part of achieving your private practice goals and filling your caseload is consistent action. Each day, waking up and choosing to take another step forward. Before you know it, you’ll be reflecting on how much things have grown and changed.