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Mel Have you ever though of running marketing courses for therapists? In message <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask] writes >This letter may also be of interest here: > >Someone on another list wrote: > ><Having dealt with therapists who tried to use techniques similar to Applied >Kinesiology the N.O.T. system to "heal" completely disrupted ACLs and >menisci, only to find several months later that surgery was required, I have >no patience for those who are duped by the "practitioners" of the "nebulous >arts". Whatever they get suckered into paying is well deserved.> > >Mel Siff: > >Many will continue to be duped like that, because the practitioners of this >type of arcane art rarely report their failures - their glowing claims and >testimonies on endless lists of websites creates the impression that such >methods are invariably successful, when the opposite often is true. It is >well known that as little a success rate of 25% is sufficient to keep any >alternative therapist in business because failures often are attributed to >individual idiosyncrasies. > >Furthermore, research indicates that at least a third of those success >stories are due to psychological reasons, and the same sort of figure for >those who will heal without any therapeutic intervention. So, while the >persuadable mind and the self-healing body exist, even the most dubious >practitioners will continue to flourish. > >Now let us take this analysis and turn it into something very positive for >anyone who wishes to learn from these successful business folk who sell their >therapeutic wares: > >ADVICE FOR THE NEW AGE THERAPIST > >Anyone can run a successful and very lucrative New Age therapeutic business >if you: > >1. Obtain some training in any of the healing arts, irrespective of its >origins, philosophies, validity or methods > >2. Learn excellent marketing and managerial skills (many chiropractic >courses offer very useful input on this, as compared with what is taught to >doctors and physios) > >3. Become a good, empathetic communicator who listens well and makes the >patient feel safe, special and convinced. > >4. Handle any problems by attributing them to "individual differences", >insufficient time, patient stress or excessive physical exercise or reinjury >processes (if the client is an athlete) > >5. Apply the hands and move the body in a confident, soothing and reassuring >manner, because this alone can promote or initiate the healing process. > >6. Fill your walls with testimonials or leave albums lying around which >contain details of your successes. If you can locate some well-known film >star or pop musician whose sore back you have successfully massaged to relax, >you must use a signed photo from that sort of person for mounting on your >wall. > >7. Decorate your office walls with impressively framed certificates of every >conference, course and workshop that you have ever attended > >8. Place official-looking initials behind your name - the more the merrier - >if you haven't completed any genuine >higher-level degrees, then simply create your own initials. > >9. Produce a professional website and brochure which contains every claim >and testimonial that you can rake up and make frequent use of highly sensa >tional, emotive language to sell what you have as "the greatest" and "the >latest". > >10. Give discounts to any clients who successfully recommend more clients to >you (give these clients plenty of business cards to hand out). > >11. Have a repertoire of several different methods of treatment available to >use, because one of them is sure to use if the others don't (e.g. if you rely >simply on 'manipulation' or trigger point methods, these will not be as >physically or mentally as successful as also using massage, stretching, >"energy methods", water therapy, relaxation methods, acupressure, >'mobilisation', "Rolfing", "Therapeutic Touch" and the usual collection of >other such methods). > >12. Apply pseudoscientific or approximately scientific tests and impressive >jargon to convince your clients that you really know something. > >13. Use "power words" with powerful emotional impact to help elicit any >favourable psychological climate for healing (many books are available on >this topic). > >14. Spend some quality time with your clients - look attentively at them, >sympathise with them, show a genuine interest in their every ache and pain, >use your voice competently, never pontificate - in fact, do all the things >that many in the medical profession rarely offer to patients and you can >hardly go wrong! > >15. Make your facilities look as impressive as possible - note that a >computer, anatomical charts, technological toys, training machines, >acupuncture charts, dermatome charts, and the like are fundamental items to >be placed in your business. > >16. Have at least one well stocked book shelf filled with books on relevant >and impressive topics. Always throw in some books on modern physics, quantum >mechanical healing, Chinese healing arts, philosophy, genetics, clinical >nutrition, sports injuries, patriotism, the National Geographic, Space >Medicine, the Great Musicians, the Great Artists, Metamagical Themas, >Caesar's Gallic Wars and suchlike, just to show how eclectic and intelligent >you really are - even if you have not or cannot read them. Reproductions of >Hippocrates, Einstein, Madame Curie, Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Paracelsus >or Florence Nightingale on the wall wouldn't hurt, either. > >17. Casually drop into conversation names of well-known public figures whom >you may even just have visited your practice or with whom you have worked in >even the most trivial manner. > >18. Offer special package deals for regular visits, realignments and "tune >ups". Always create the impression that the body, like a car, needs regular >check-ups, service and refueling. Try to link your packages to those of >sympathetic other therapists or doctors. > >19. Talk positively about what you do to every person whom you meet and >spent a few minutes with. > >20. Talk widely about how limited allopathic medicine is and how many forms >of "complementary" or "alternative" healing like yours are being shown >"scientifically" to help. Always cite the failures of allopathic medicine >and the cases that doctors bury, and cite the successes of your type of >therapy. > >Many more could be added, but this short list should help all neophytes - >happy hunting! > >Dr Mel C Siff >Denver, USA >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/ -- John Spencer