Marketing Gems shared by Bruce and Betsy Bergquist - Feb 07, 2008
Betsty and Bruce Berquist have served the Imago community for a long time as active therapists and workshop presenters. Bruce also served on the IRI Board when it was first formed. They have recently moved back to New Jersey, after many years in the Pacific NorthWest and have taken on a coach to help them rebuild their workshop practice.
Through working with their coach they have developed some clear and powerful insights. They recommend visiting their coach's website where you can learn something about the approach www.clientattraction.com There is even a "program in a box" available on that site.
The Inner Game of Marketing
Betsy learned from her coach that there were a number of limiting assumptions, which affected her ability to grow her workshop business. She saw herself as a "therapist" not a "business-person" and believed that "its not OK to make money".
Her coach enabled her and Bruce to begin to enjoy immersing themselves in marketing books - some of them very old classics in the field which had great lessons. They used to think "oh, that doesn't apply to me", but now realise how valuable all these marketing tips are.
One of the new perspectives she learned from the coach is "Your workshop is so important to people and to the world, that you have a duty and an obligation to let people know about it."
Bruce and Betsy's top 6 gems
- Time management - focus your time on what will make a difference
- Network extensively with referral sources
- Have really high quality materials
- Create a bi-monthly email magazine - and follow up the next week with a teleclass. (This month the theme is relationships and money)
- Use a virtual assistant for registrations - so you can use your time on the things you need to do.
- Follow-up after the workshop. Establish in your client's minds the reality that the workshop is only an introduction - mastery needs more practice. You can offer packages at the workshop for serveral follow-up counseling sessions (but not to someone elses clients!)
Helping therapists feel safe to refer
Bruce and Betsy's two most common sources for referrals are past graduates, and the IRI website. Many shared that they still found it really hard to attract workshop referrals from other therapists - and yet we feel that the workshop is such a great way to support couples in therapy. Several people shared their ideas about how to support therapists when they refer:
- Put together a Q&A sheet for local therapists - to help them introduce the workshop to their clients
- Help clients see that its a cost-effective way to get therapy - what they learn will help them so much
- Let them know that even Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt went to an Imago workshop when they needed help with their relationship
- Mention that Harville asks people to go to a workshop before he gives therapy
- Tim Atkinson mentioned that the IRI Executive Committee is looking at this and plans to run a community-wide dialogue about the issue this spring
Building a referral network
Bruce and Betsy are building up a list of 25 strategic allies in their community, who will refer to them. These include clergy, a divorce mediator, and a couples group at a church that is involved in marriage education. They are looking for more depth than the education programs available
They are also members of a networking breakfast club. One thing that hasn't worked so well is doing talks to local community groups - it seems like fewer people go to these talks nowadays.
