Part 2. Mastering The Consultation Call in Private Practice

Last time we went into why the initial call is so important, now let’s go into the method.

First, here’s what not to do.

Regardless of whether you have a group practice or a solo practice...

Don’t be a “booker”.

Being a booker means that you focus all the emphasis on the call on scheduling the in-person appointment and going through pricing/insurance. This is the worst way to handle the initial phone call because instead of making the focus about the client, the focus is on simply scheduling that first paid appointment. You’ve jumped ahead and simply assumed this caller right fit for the practice, without deeply questioning them first.

When you take the phone call then, you want to have two thoughts: assume this person does want to book a session with you (for the confidence), but at the same time make the entire focus of the call determining whether the client is the right fit.

Believe it or not, the vast majority of practices do not do this.

When you make the focus of the call the client, their problems, their desires and making 100% sure they are the right fit, they pick up on this energy. They understand you are not like the other practices they have been calling (which they have, make no mistake).

Understand their state of mind here before the call, they are actually wondering whether you/your practice can help them, whether you have space in the practice, whether they can afford it. The common notion in your society right now is that therapy is inaccessible. Endless waitlists, too expensive or only offered during the times they’re working etc. They are as anxious as about getting help as you are about the call.

So here’s the framework to effectively bridge them from a stranger to a paying client.

First, you need to establish what their current situation is. You flesh this out with them so you can understand the challenge they’re really going through and so that they truly understand the challenge they’re currently going through.

Based on the challenges they’ve described for you, you now need to determine whether they are the right fit for your practice. This is something only you can do, but don’t make the mistake of accepting a client when you know deep down they won’t fit (it’s a scarcity mindset). When you nail your marketing, you will have fewer of these off matches since your niche will be better defined.

If they are the right fit, then you need to flesh out what their goal is. This is the part most often missed by therapy practices. They can flesh out the challenge, but they don’t lay out what the desired situation of the client is.

Now that you know their challenge, you know their goal, you know they are the right fit, it’s time to simply confirm that you’re able to help them. When you understand your skills as a therapist, when you know the value you have provided to past clients, then iterating this with confidence will come naturally and they will understand that you have the ability to help them.

The sum of this entire process is that they mentally "buy-in" to your services.

And Buy-In is everything.

They don’t just see your therapy as a “commodity”, they don’t just see it as going to the dentist, they take it seriously because they understand what's at stake, and they understand that getting better is now a reality, not just a hope.

Here and only here do you get into scheduling and pricing. You must create buy-in before discussing technicalities, as the price is meaningless without understanding value.

This formula applies whether you have a solo practice or an admin handling the initial call.

If you have more questions of if you're looking for a proven system to consistently book new clients, send me a connection message here on LinkedIn or schedule a 15m chat here: calendly.com/practice-cultivator/15min