Ferris Consulting

"Mastering Your Core Message"

By Liz Ferris, Ferris Consulting

I have had the privilege of working with collaborative and ADR professionals across the country, giving workshops on "How to grow your collaborative practice."

This opportunity has given me insight into how professionals are answering the question, "what do you do?"

When I ask the question, "what do you do?" more than 95% of workshop participants answer by telling me what they are, i.e. "I am a lawyer, a mental health professional, a divorce coach, a financial specialist, etc." Or they reply, "I am a family law attorney and do collaboration, litigation and mediation."

Do the above statements sound familiar? How many times have you answered the "what do you do" question by telling someone "what you are" versus the "value you provide?"

When telling someone what you are, such as a divorce attorney, an accountant, or a family therapist, you increase the likelihood that your message is not being received in the manner you intended.

This is because people hearing these statements may have a preconceived notion of what a mental health professional or divorce attorney does, or is like.

Depending on their experience, this could result in a positive or negative response.

In my workshops, there is usually one person who will answer the question with a statement that is different from everyone else. And that statement is usually the one everyone remembers and can easily repeat.

Last year in Dallas, Kevin Fuller answered, "I help people resolve their disputes while keeping their personal and economic dignity intact."

The year before in Austin, Jennifer Tull answered, "I help people make a smooth transition from being married to being single in the way that is most beneficial for them."

These statements were memorable. And the people saying them have thriving practices.

One of the most important strategies to growing your practice is mastering your response to the question, "what do you do?"

Your answer should clearly communicate the benefits of your service.

Your message must be clear, concise, easily repeated and make an impact. Creating an effective core message will require upfront planning and practice.

The first step to creating a core message is to develop a statement that will tell prospective clients and referral sources what you do as it relates to their interests, needs and goals. In other words, it answers the question, "what's in it for me?"

To create this statement, you will need to shift your focus from yourself, i.e. a description of your services, profession or credentials, to a focus on the solutions or benefits you provide that will appeal to prospective clients and referral sources.

A good place to start for creating your core message is to answer the following questions, which will help you to focus on your clients' problems and the solutions that are important to them.

1. Who is your market?

2. What problems do your clients have that you help them solve? (Why do they need your services?)

3. What is the benefit of your service to your market? (What do clients want that you help them get?)

Use the answers to these questions to create your core message.

Then use it as the foundation for all your marketing communications, including your web site, professional biographies, elevator message (30-second statement telling people what you do), two-minute networking introduction, letters of introduction to prospective referral sources, and radio and publication ads. You can also use your core message in media releases and talking to the media.

As you communicate your message to clients and referral sources, do not tell people what you are; tell them what you do as it relates to the value you provide.

The following is an example of a core message created by Manav Raj, a collaborative law attorney from Ohio. He created this message for his IACP bio after attending the collaborative practice marketing workshop. Before working on his message, Manav's bio was the standard "attorney bio" with a description of his services and credentials.

"My firm and I have dedicated our practice to helping individuals in crisis to restructure their families as opposed to destroying them. By valuing the family unit, we encourage clients to pay close attention to not only the economic cost of divorce, but also non-economic / relational costs."

The universal truth for people hearing your message is, "what's in it for me?" The more effective you are in communicating the answer to this question, the more people will connect with how you can help them or someone they know.

The outcome will be more referrals from your personal and professional network, resulting in more cases and an increase in your ADR and collaborative practice.

If you would like to increase the effectiveness of your core message. Register for a 2 session web seminar on how to create your core message. Please click here for more information on the web seminar.

If you want to learn more about how to create your core message or other practice growth strategies email me at [email protected] or call me directly at 414-332-8452.

Is there a “Magic Bullet” for growing your practice?

May 10, 2006

By Liz Ferris

You have made the decision that you want to grow your mediation and/or collaborative practice.

You want to attract more referrals for collaborative and mediation cases, spend less time in court and do more work that is in alignment with your interests and values.

You have decided this is the year that you will transform your practice. However, there is one glitch; you already have a busy practice and you do not have a lot of extra time.

What you would really like is a fast solution, a “magic bullet” to help you make this transformation.

Is there a magic bullet for growing your practice? Something fast and quick that you can do or buy to help you transform your practice.

The answer to this question is the same as the answer to the question of how you would transform any other area in your life.

Health and fitness is one example that comes to mind. Let’s say you wake up one day and decide that you are not satisfied with your health status, including your weight, diet and level of physical activity. You want to feel and look healthier.

You might be tempted by the latest health fad or “quick fix” diet; however, you know from prior experience that the only effective way to increase your health and fitness is through ongoing, consistent attention to your diet, weekly physical activity, and a stress management regimen. In other words, to truly transform your health requires personal commitment and discipline.

The same process applies to transforming your practice. It will only happen through personal commitment and discipline and it will require taking a step back from the day-to-day activities of your busy practice and answering the following three questions:

• Where are you today in relation to your practice goals?
• Where do you want to be in the next 12-24-36 months?
• How you will you get there? (What is your plan?)

Where are you today?

The first step to transforming your practice is performing a self assessment and answering the following questions:

1. Why do you want to grow your collaborative/mediation practice?
2. Why is this important to you?
3. What are your greatest strengths and opportunities for growing your practice?
4. What are your greatest weaknesses and barriers for growing your practice?
5. What are three things that, if you could do them better, would dramatically increase the success of your collaborative or mediation practice?

Use the answers from number 1 and number 2 to clarify and internalize why it is important for you to transform your practice. Knowing these answers will help you to make the personal commitment necessary to transform your practice.

On those days when you just do not want to go to the POD or group meeting or make that follow up call, look at the reasons you gave for wanting to grow your practice. How important is this to you? How badly do you want this? Connecting the activity to your personal values will help to motivate you to make the call, attend the meeting, etc.

Where do you want to go?

In the book, First Things First, Steven Covey says, “You must first have a destination to reach one.” Where do you want your practice to be in 12-24-36 months? Write these goals down and review them frequently. Use the goals to help you reach monthly or quarterly benchmarks.

Track referrals, calls and new cases. Monitor your success and continually update your plan to accommodate what is working and not working. Embrace the journey and have fun along the way. Much of the excitement of making a transformation is the journey to get there.

How will you get there?

Identify your strengths and opportunities and integrate them into your plan. For example, if you are an excellent writer, use your strength to write articles to increase your visibility among your target market. If you are active on a board and well known in the community, how can you leverage this visibility to grow your practice?

At the same time, be aware of your greatest barriers and weaknesses to growing your practice. If your greatest barrier is lack of confidence in your new skills as a collaborative professional, how will you address this barrier in your action plan?

To create your plan, identify the three to four most important strategies for growing your practice, and then execute them consistently.

If you were going to transform your lifestyle to be healthier, you might choose among the following activities -- walking 4-5 times a week, limiting alcohol intake, eating less sugar or fat, increasing time to meditate and relax , etc..

Similarly, if you want to transform your practice, you may want to choose from among the following critical strategies:

• Master your core message so it is clear what you do and the value you provide
• Update your website so it effectively communicates your value and message
• Identify your target market
• Increase your visibility with targeted referral sources
• Write articles of interest to your target market
• Give presentations to groups who could benefit learning about collaborative practice or mediation services
• Achieve excellence in your practice
• Participate in your collaborative/mediation community.

In summary, there is no magic bullet or quick fix to growing your collaborative and/or mediation practice. The good news is you can build a practice that is in alignment with your interests and goals by making a commitment to transform your practice and doing the activities that are consistent with that goal. The key is to take the time to be clear on your goals and implement the strategies that will bring you the greatest return on your investment of time and resources.

“It has been said that the difference between the major and minor leagues is just a matter of inches and consistency. That is essentially true of the difference between excellence and mere adequacy in poetry or surgery or anything else.”
George F. Will, newspaper columnist

The following are services Ferris Consulting can assist you with to implement your plan:

Individual Coaching

How to Grow Your Practice Marketing workshops.

Assistance with Web Site development and visibility

Building a Referral Network

I would love to hear your comments about this newsletter and your successes and challenges with growing your collaborative and mediation practice. Please click on the comments link below to add your perspective.

I am looking forward to hearing from you,

Liz Ferris- Ferris Consulting