The Bull Sh*t Funnel

"I studied the lives of great men and women, and I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm and hard work."

Harry S. Truman
1884-1972, Thirty-Third U.S. President

While I agree with President Truman, I have an addition - it is not only about working hard with enthusiasm, it is also working hard at what works!

Many time I have heard people say, 'When I get my website up, then the patients will pour in!' And various other renditions of, 'when I do X, I will have Y.'

This is called, 'The bull sh*t funnel'

Let me step back. A funnel basically is the way you attract patients/clients to your practice. The bull sh*t funnel is the way you think you attract patients/clients to your practice.

If you're stuck in the bull sh*t, STOP wasting time!

Let me just say the following:

Both my life and my lifestyle are on the expensive side and I have worked for myself for the past 21 years. Up until last year, I had no website for hypnosis or my private coaching biz. It did NOT have a biz card, a brochure, nor did I advertise, or even really market any of it.

So where does all my business come from?

1. Giving 110 % to my clients.

2. Asking them and making it clear that I am available for referrals (except when there is a waiting list).

3. Giving free talks about various topics that I work with as a spiritual counselor, life coach and hypnotherapist.

4. Making and creating long lasting strategic alliances with other professionals that service my ideal clients.

5. Writing articles for various publications about the same topics I give talks about.

6. Suggesting to people - when I write, when I speak, and when I work - Dr. Eric's RX for Life, or Best Life Hypnosis

That's it! That is all I do. Now, each of these activities require knowledge, skill, and planning. Some you may be better at these skills than others; some you may just be starting to develop them.

Take my advice: It would be better for you to join toastmasters, take a writing class, jazz up your present patient journey through your practice, then to spend a single dime on the bull sh*t funnel!

So what exactly is in the bull sh*t funnel?

All of that busy work that keeps you from the more important tasks of working on the 'real' marketing funnel that I described in the first paragraph of this article. This bull sh*t funnel would include things like:

Training more thinking that it will bring you more clients.

Working on your website

Fighting politics on message boards as a form of advertising (Without a proper plan, this is expensive and not worth the efforts - it only works over time)

Trying to run your practice in between your clients/patients

Writing a business plan - A complete waste of time unless you are trying to get a loan.

Trying to be all things to all people

Selling hypnosis

Waiting for word of mouth to kick in, thinking, "If only I can treat enough patients"

Doing everything yourself - I have one business manager, one web person, my accountant on a monthly retainer and my graphic designer, also on retainer (who happens to be my partner.)

So, these are just a few example of the supreme time-wasters that will yield you, at best, very limited results!

Perhaps it is time to bust some of your own myths about attracting qualified patients/clients into your practice. Start by doing your own time audit and find out where you are spending your time. Are you stuck in the bull sh*t funnel, focusing on activities that will not give you the results you are looking for?

If so, it's time to make some changes!