The *Real* Trick to Attracting Ideal Clients to Your Practice

As the online world becomes more crowded, it's becoming more important to present yourself so that ideal clients connect with you on a deeper level. Leveraging authenticity in your website copy and other marketing materials is a critical strategy for attracting the clients you most want to work with.

Being authentic means that you are genuine, and you build trust by simply showing up as you are. And, you're doing so to create authentic connections with your potential clients. 

How do you start tapping into your authenticity as a business owner? The people you want to work with are the ones who connect to you when you show up as yourself. Consider the traits of the people you want to work with. Ask yourself whether you and your business represent those traits. Then, identify where you can begin making changes.

Remember, you're not everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay. In fact, that's great! It means you're doing something right. You don't want to be everything to everyone. Being you makes you a perfect fit for a special group of people - your people.

Why does authenticity matter?

I could highlight my fancy elite college education. I could brag about my experience at a famous cancer center or all the CEU's I've completed. Then who would I attract? 

Would I attract the young woman covered in tattoos who shares a hilarious story about her toddler's potty training mishaps every week? Would I attract the fella with Crohn's disease who reeeeeally needs to talk about his bowels? Would I attract the woman who comes in without shoes sometimes because it's all she can do to get herself to my office?

No, I would not attract these clients by shouting my credentials at the rooftops.

I attract these clients because when you read between the lines of my website copy, my blog posts, and my social media posts, you'll see that I'm a no-bullshit, come-as-you-are, nothing-is-off-the-table, I-totally-accept-you kind of therapist. These are my people. The people who express themselves with permanent body art. The ones who can see the humor in stressful things. The ones who aren't afraid to talk about poop. No matter how they feel, the ones who make it to therapy every week, with or without shoes, because their personal growth is that important to them.

Don't be afraid to reveal a little more of yourself. If you're quiet, creative, bold, outspoken, energetic, subdued, or you cuss during your sessions - be all of you. Show potential clients that the things that matter to them matter to you too. In doing this, you'll attract the people you're best able to help and who you enjoy. In turn, you'll go home at the end of the day feeling damn good about the work you did.

Or, as my 16-year-old client who has reached near professional status doing accents and impersonations (yes, this is also who I attract) says, "Do You!"