Building a practice and niching into Autism
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Hello Dr Woeller,
Now that we have come to the end of the mastery course, how do we take this info and create a program for families with children with autism, and build a reputation to attract these families near and far, because I know these families are out there in my state, and I want to help them. As a general pediatrician, these patients will need a lot more of my time and energy, and I am only able to bill their insurance at this time. My first client with autism takes up 3 hours at each visit, and I only get paid 100$ for that entire session, so it is not tenable for my practice. How did you build your practice and reputation over the years?
I am also supporting these families in coaching them for free between visits which I am scheduling every 8 weeks.
I started adding some virtual visits as well, and those at least I can bill for, but still, my investment is way more than my remuneration at this point. Would love to have a bonus session where you go into detail about all these issues.
Thank you for everything you have shared with us. I am eternally grateful for this program !Dr. Nahas,
I am glad you liked the course.My reputation was built over time first with lecturing to small groups of parents, then moving on to conferences. However, what really got things moving was online videos that I created over the years.
From a practice building standpoint, short videos are the best because they can be posted online through YouTube, Vimeo, and other platforms and then linked into Facebook, Intstagram, etc. In this day and age Social Media is the quickest and most efficient way of doing promotion for a practice.
All of my on-camera videos I self-record on Zoom. This is extremely easy by sitting in front of your computer with some natural lighting and speaking directly into the camera. Most videos are 3 to 5 minutes each on a specific topic, i.e. what is autism intervention, why can diet help, which supplements work the best. There are endless topics to talk about.
Also, I do a lot of self-recording from Powerpoint. Here I create a small slide show and within Powerpoint there is an option to record. The system creates a video file of the lecture. This is where you can create a short lecture regarding a specific topic or show lab testing. These video files are essentially the same as a Zoom video file. They too get placed on Facebook or on You Tube, Vimeo, etc.
Creating the content is relatively easy. You just need to schedule a little time every week to do a video or two. What you likely will need help with is internet marketing and website support.
The next best thing is getting interviewed on other people’s Podcasts. They do all the work and promotion. All you have to do is show up on Zoom (usually this is what is being used) and talk. The podcaster will promote the video to their list which you can get the link an embed in your social media accounts too.
This all takes a little time to get use too, but it is extremely effective and will drive a lot people your way.
Do you have a practice website?
Do you have a Facebook page for your practice?
Do you have a web person who manages your website? And if so, do they have things set-up for YouTube and Vimeo? Accounts for these video platforms are easy to set-up.
Do you have Zoom?Sincerely,
Dr. WoellerGreat advice Dr Woeller. I have web presence and zoom and all the technology. I just need courage to step in front of the camera and speak about a focused topic, but I promise I will review the wonderful lessons you have taught and will begin to express what I have learned in language that is supportive to parents in this niche. People tell me I speak fine on camera, but my own perception is different, so I need to dive in and not look back !
Hi Juliana,
I completely understand how you feel. I have absolutely debilitating stage fright and I know just how much of a challenge it could be to have the spotlight on you.
But in the end, there is a great message to be shared, and by focusing on that, this becomes a lot easier. When you take the focus off of you (which is all about “being/looking perfect”) and put it onto the purpose, YOUR purpose, then you forget all about the camera. It’s OK to be afraid or nervous. You can shift those feelings to something more productive by shifting your paradigm: “afraid” becomes “excited” and “nervous” be comes “anxious to get the job done and have some fun!”.
Lastly, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. I tend to rehearse my lectures and test material with patients in one-on-one consults. They love it. It is like a “free class” for them, and it helps me get more comfortable with the process.
Hope that helps.
Dr. Nahas,
Years ago when I first started doing videos I felt completely foolish. I fumbled around, constantly starting and stopping, etc. One way to help with this negative perception is practice what you want to say on camera into a mirror to yourself first. This helps build confidence when speaking before going on camera. Also, just accept the fact that your videos won’t be perfect. It is okay to not be prefect. Just be yourself and over time things will get better.Keep your videos short in the beginning so there will be less time to make mistakes. As you get more confident your videos can go a little longer. Finally, start making videos about things you know a lot about. I am sure there are things you describe to patients that you say over and over and have for years. Start with these kinds of topics.
Dr. Joseph,
Excellent advice. I completely agree turning being afraid into excitement. There are still times when I am on stage that the autonomic sympathetic reflex kicks in unannounced. It can be unnerving, but once you recognize it for what it is and that it is natural and embedded into our nervous system, the overwhelming nature of it will subside quickly. One of the advantages of being on camera doing the videos by yourself is if the sympathetic reflex kicks in you can always turn the camera off and start over.Sincerely,
Dr. Woeller
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