Music Therapy Maven » Private Practice

Are You Sharing Too Much? 7 Tips To Make You A Killer Communicator

Kimberly — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:13:57 +0000

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I’ve had some interesting conversations with colleagues and friends recently about a phenomenon all to common…that of over-sharing.

It’s so easy to do! We start talking about music therapy–or some other topic we’re passionate about–and end up sharing way too much and losing our listener. We give a presentation and try to cram way too much information in a slide…and in the talk itself. We go to meet a legislator or an administrator and come loaded with brochures, business cards, and informational sheets. Someone in an elevator asks what we do and we delve into a 5-minute monologue about the virtues of our profession.

But when does it get to be too much? When do we start losing the attention and focus of our audience? When do we start having so much information (quantity) that we start losing some of the depth and nuance of our topic (quality)?

Being a killer communicator is a bit of a balancing act. It’s not easy to have just enough information so that our audience understands our point, but not so much that it overwhelms the listener.

With that in mind, here are 7 tips that will help bring out the killer communicator in you:

Be clear about your 1 main goal. For whatever meeting, presentation, or talk you’re planning, you should have one main goal and purpose for it. Think of it like a mission statement–what is your mission for this talk? What’s the one thing want your audience to get out of it?
Have no more than 5 main points. In truth, 3 main points is probably enough, depending on the content of your presentation and your audience, of course. And odd numbers are good. For some reason, having 3, 5, or 7 points and tips is a lot easier to remember than having 4, 6, or 8.
When possible, provide an example per point. What’s a great type of example? A story. People remember stories and they are beautiful and easy ways to help your audience both pay attention and remember what you say. Another great type of example? Music. If you’re a music therapist like me, our job is made easier because we can find ways to infuse song into our talks.
Limit yourself to 3 handouts. Make them all different. Any more than that and you’re likely providing too much information. Make them all different (e.g. include business cards, flyers, information sheets, brochures, etc.) so they–and you–stand out.
Don’t use staples or paper clips. They look messy, get caught on things, and the papers themselves can still easily be separated. Better to fit everything on a single page or format your material in a one-page, folded, booklet-type of format.
State the action you want your listener to take. It’s doubtful that you only want your audience to sit, listen, and do nothing. What do you want them to DO with this new information? Sign up for a newsletter? Schedule the next meeting? Connect you with another person who can help? Whenever possible, be clear in your mind what action you want your audience to take. Then tell them.
Remove all barriers. In these situations, it’s likely you’re more invested in the topic than your audience is. Therefore, remove all barriers to what you want your audience to do so they have no excuses and the job is easier for them. If you want them to sign up for a newsletter, provide them with the sign-up sheet to fill out during your talk. Want them to make a phone call and connect you with a person? Bring that person’s number. Do whatever you can ahead of time to facilitate the action you want.

Do you have more tips? Please let us know your ideas on what makes a killer communicator by leaving a comment in the field below!

BLUE…or How to Get Off Your Butt and Start Your Blog Already

Kimberly — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:25:39 +0000

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This week, Laura Crum, a guest blogger at MusicSparks, issued a challenge to the music therapy blogging community to write a blog post inspired by the word “blue.”

It seemed like fun, so thought I’d jump on board

And somehow I found a way to fit “blue” into the topic I wanted to talk about today: how to get off your butt already and launch your blog. I’m not talking about the technical aspect of starting your blog. I’m talking about the fearless aspect of it.

You’ve already got the idea. Perhaps you’ve even purchased hosting, installed WordPress, and bought a domain name.

But now you’re stuck. How do you fit all your wonderful ideas into a single blog post? Who’s going to read your blog? But your blog’s not really ready to go…it still doesn’t look quite right, does it?

If you find yourself in this place, then this post is for you. Below is a mnemonic based on the word–you guessed it–”blue” that will hopefully inspire you to start sharing your knowledge, wisdom, and experience with the world (or at least with your intended audience).

B – Be a Blog Reader

One of the easiest and quickest ways for you to start figuring out what you do and do not want your blog to do is to start reading other blogs. Read blogs that are part of your community (for me, that would be other music therapy blogs) and…more importantly…read blogs that are outside your online community (for a fresh perspective and new ideas).

You should be doing 2 things while reading these other blogs:

Note what you do and do not like in terms of the blogger’s voice, the blog layout, and features and incorporate those into your own blog.
Engage these bloggers by commenting on their blog posts. But only if you have something valuable to say or something that will further the conversation. Saying “Thanks for a great blog post!” on dozens of blogs is kind of…well, inauthentic and pointless.

L – Limit Yourself to 1 Idea Per Post

You don’t have to share all your secrets in a single blog entry. For one, it’s a waste of your time and energy and, two, why would people come back to learn more if you’ve given them everything you know already?

In general, plan to share one main idea per blog post. Take this post. Yes, I’m share four tips, but it’s all related to the one idea of taking the plunge and starting your blog.

Too many ideas = too much time you spend writing and your reader spends reading.

U – Use your Unique and Authentic Voice

My writing style is different than any other music therapy blogger out there. The style of my posts, the length, my posting frequency…it’s my blog and it gels with my personality and the type of information I share.

It’s up to you to find your own authentic voice. This will be built over time (I cringe when reading my earliest blog posts) and you will fine-tune it as you delve deeper into this blogging world, read other blogs, and get feedback from your readers (which, yes, does inform what you do and how you do it).

Don’t try to be anyone else. Find your own authentic and unique voice.

E -Expect Non-Perfection

Your blog will never be perfect. Over time, you will be fine-tuning, adding elements, deleting things, and tweaking your blog. It’s therefore pointless to wait to launch your blog until everything is “perfect.”

It won’t be. Embrace that fact: your blog will never be perfect. Own it…then go forth and launch.

P.S. The title for this post is inspired by Tina Fey, who’s book, Bossypants, I just finished last week. I hope you enjoyed this temporary change in tone. I promise to be back to my boring-blog-title self next week.

4 Tips to Easy, Painless Invoicing

Kimberly — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:12:50 +0000

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We’re getting close to that time of the month when many in private practice face what can be a mundane, dreaded task.

Invoicing.

But never fear! With the right planning, foresight, and tools, invoicing can be–dare I say–fun?

Well, maybe not “fun,” but these tricks and tips below will help get you on the right path towards making invoicing loads more manageable, accessible…and possibly even somewhat pleasurable.

Schedule the Time

Having a set schedule and time dedicated for invoicing gets you ready and prepped to make sure the task gets done. It has the additional benefit of guaranteeing that you have a regular cash flow coming into your business AND it keeps you from having to catch up on months of invoicing (there’s nothing worse than that!).

It doesn’t matter whether you set aside time weekly, bimonthly, or monthly. Your circumstances will determine which is best for your business (I prefer once a month). What’s important is that you plan and schedule it.

Use Fun Software

There are some awesome online services and software programs that make invoicing easy and pain-free. For years, I used Quickbooks, which you can get either as computer software (for Mac and PC) or as a monthly online subscription service.

However, when my old computer crashed, I started to check out other possibilities and settled on my friend Jenny’s suggestion: Freshbooks. I’ve been using Freshbooks for several months now and find it super easy, inexpensive, and I highly recommend it!

Another possibility is one my friend Rachel swears by, an online service called Music Teacher’s Helper. Check out Rachel’s review here.

When picking out a program, keep in mind whether you want to snail mail your invoices or email them. Want to know which method I recommend? Then keep reading…

Go Electronic

I hope soon to go all electronic. In fact, I plan, when I restart my private practice, to 1) only provide emailed invoices and 2) offer payments both electronically and via check.

Emailing your invoices saves you time and it saves you money. Offering the option of online payments helps make it easy for your clients.

But this requires you to have a way to accept credit cards, but how? Easy…start with Paypal. Paypal provides a secure way for you to accept credit card payments and an easy way for you to transfer that money to your bank account. They have a couple of different services they offer and you can learn more at Paypal.com.

Keep Track of Time

Many of us need to keep track of when we see clients and for how long. In order to make billing as painless as possible, it will be important for you to consistently keep a log of your hours.

As with scheduling time, it doesn’t matter how you do this. I’ve done it with pen and paper, I’ve created a timesheet on Excel, and I’ve kept a log on my calendar.

What’s important is that you keep track every day of what you did that day. It’s no fun to try and think back a couple weeks and remember who you saw and what you did (No fun!).

Recently, I’ve used Freshbooks to keep track of my time. What’s superslick about this method is that Freshbooks automatically integrates my timelog into invoices. Additionally, there is an iPhone app called Minibooks that allows me to log my hours from my phone and submit it to my online account.

Talk about making invoicing painless!

Do you have any other resources or tips to share about invoicing? If so, please leave a comment in the fields below!

3 Ways to Make Your Presentations Sparkle

Kimberly — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:56:51 +0000

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I am thrilled to introduce you to Natalie Mullis, a South Carolina-based music therapist who’s the brains behind Key Changes Music Therapy. Natalie (or @KeyChangesMT on Twitter) has spent the last several years building her private practice and, along the way, sharing her knowledge and adventures with her readers. Enjoy!

As a music therapist, I can tell you what I do, how I do it, and what the results are in my sleep. Since educating others about our field is something music therapists do nearly every day, knowing how to be remembered is vital to our individual success, as well as our success as a field.

So how do we make sure that we stand out in the minds of potential employers? How do we make sure that, when the decisions are being made, we stand out from the volunteer musicians, the counselor who plays guitar, and the retired music teacher who has experience with special education?

The automatic answer is this: research, board certification, objectivity, data, etc. Music therapy is a unique field, so as a result, shouldn’t we automatically be remembered?

Unfortunately, that answer isn’t shiny and sparkly enough to stick in the minds of most busy moms, dads, and CEOs who are constantly bombarded with sales pitches. Making a razzle dazzle sales pitch is something I’ve figured out and I’m going to share my secrets with you!

Know What You Bring To The Table

Research who you are pitching your services to and tailor your presentation accordingly. When listing areas of functioning that music therapy has shown effective in, reading skills in young children does not belong on the list for your local nursing home. The more your tailor, the better you look. I even like to use names of the people attending in scenarios and examples. It makes it personal, it makes them smile, and it makes them remember you.

Be Authentic

No one likes a robot. If you are discussing a particular aspect of what you can offer a person or facility, and it happens to get you really excited, tell them! If you have an applicable anecdote to share that highlights aspects of your personality, share it. Odds are that your audience has heard someone pitch a service before. You want them to realize that they aren’t just purchase your music therapy services, but that they are purchasing your music therapy services as well as your spark, drive, and ingenuity.

Let your Passion Show

After my introduction, I start every talk I give with a disclaimer that goes something like this:

I want to let you know that I have a tendency to get really excited when I talk about music therapy. It might send me off on a tangent, so if this begins to happen, could someone please just wave to me to remind me to get back on track?

My audience knows right from the start that I am passionate about music therapy and that I whole-heartedly believe in it. To this day, I’ve never been waved at, but I think it’s because they are enjoying my tangents as much as I am. I’m far from a perfect speaker. I laugh nervously at mistakes, I bounce around the stage, and I often say “really”, “awesome” and “amazing” far too much. But it’s those obvious signs of excitement that have landed me contracts with companies I didn’t even know were in the audience. It’s what made a parent call me 6 months after my talk because they still can’t get me out of their head. It’s what makes people tell their friends about me.

What can you do to give your presentation some sparkle?

About the Author: Natalie Mullis is a board certified-music therapist and owner of Key Changes Music Therapy Services (founded in 2010). She provides music therapy services to children, adults, and elders with a wide range of abilities through the midlands of South Carolina. She is the president-elect for the Music Therapy Association of South Carolina, as well as a member of the SC legislative task force. Natalie can be found at www.keychangesmusictherapy.com

Using Social Media to Build Your Music Therapy Services

Kimberly — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:35:34 +0000

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I am very excited to share with you the wisdom of Tamara Suttle, mastermind behind the blog Private Practice from the Inside Out. Tamara is a licensed professional counselor out in Denver, CO who’s been practicing since 1991 and blogging since 2009. Needless to say…she’s got a lot of good information to share!

What I know about music therapists online is that there’s not nearly enough actively engaging with social media. And, the hunch I have is that, for some, this wild, wild world of social media feels a bit overwhelming…a tad too chaotic…and downright cold and impersonal. In other words, I wonder if some of you are just plain scared.

Since I’m a bit tech-phobic myself, I thought it might be useful to tell you what I have learned about some of the social media tools over the last two years.

Hanging Out Your Shingle

Having a website is a bit like hanging out your shingle. If your goal is to help your ideal clients find you online, then it’s not sufficient to have a directory listing with Psychology Today or a Facebook page declaring you are online. You need a really good website.

Kimberly and I are both fans of WordPress platforms. They are varied enough that your site doesn’t look exactly like the music therapist’s site who sat next to you in school. And they are flexible enough that they will grow with you as your practice grows.

Of course, having your own website is not enough to grow your music therapy practice. It’s just the hub from which effective online marketing takes place. I suspect many of you know this already…if you have a great website but no traffic to your website, your practice is still virtually dead (pun intended).

Not to worry, though! There are lots of ways to dip your toe into the social media waters. And any one of these tools is much simpler and wildly more productive in helping you build an online reputation than simply hanging out your shingle and waiting for the masses to find you.

The Old-Fashioned Way

Most of my geeky friends are too young to even acknowledge that online discussion lists and forums really were the first types of social media. I mention them for two reasons. One, I’m old enough to appreciate a nod to those who paved the way for modern day social media (and that’s exactly what they did). They introduced us to new rules for interacting online and they introduced us to a smaller world.

And, two, online discussion lists and forums continue to be an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise and resources to other. If you venture no further than this, consider joining the Music Therapy Listserv (you can find details on the American Music Therapy Association’s website) and at least one other list outside of your discipline (Here’s a list of online discussion lists for mental health professionals across disciplines.)

Once you master the basics of an online discussion list or two, you are ready for the power tools of social media…

Power Tools to Build Your Private Practice in Music Therapy

Blogs Rule for Engagement

Nothing helps you engage with the general public, referral sources, and even your own clients more than blogging. By posting relevant information, resources, and your own ideas, you build your professional reputation by establishing trust and credibility online. To build on that trust and credibility, you can comment on other people’s blogs and also choose to allow commenting on your blog – building a dialogue and transparency that furthers your own professional image. Nothing else online allows you to do this with such ease!

Once you master blogging and commenting on others’ blogs, you are ready for the speedway!

Twitter to Connect and Share Quickly

Twitter is one of those tools that I avoided like the plague…because I didn’t understand how useful it could be to me as a small business owner. It is fast! It is short (just 140 characters)! And, it is ridiculously unorganized!

After reading Twitter Power 2.0 by Joel Comm, I’ve finally figured it out! It’s not about telling the world what I had for breakfast. Who cares? It’s about connecting with others (both in and out of my profession) who can, in turn, connect me with others who can…connect me with others. Get it?

Twitter helps me feel not so isolated as a solo practitioner and…it helps me get the word out about projects and causes that are important to me and…it helps me find resources quickly that support my clients and me.

If you are needing to connect with other people and share information and resources quickly, Twitter ROCKS!

LinkedIn is Your Professional Network

I’ve only been on LinkedIn a few months and I’m still learning how to finesse it all. However, it is designed to be your professional network. I’m emphasizing this because I started out doing it all wrong by inviting (accidentally) everyone I know and their mother to connect with me on LinkedIn. By reading The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success by Wayne Freitbarth, I’ve since learned that in order to maximize the effectiveness of your LinkedIn network, you really do want to be selective in your invitations to connect. By doing so, you actually strengthen (and organize) your professional network.

LinkedIn has lots of discussion groups for you to join (so that you can build your online presence by participating in them); it also allows you to engage with like-minded professionals to expand your professional network.

Your Professional Page on Facebook

As a music therapist, your involvement with Facebook can be (but doesn’t have to be) a little dicey. (It’s why I’m not there yet.) Facebook’s policies on privacy settings continue to change and that has been an ongoing concern for many of us in the mental health professions.
Keely Kolmes, Psy.D. provides comprehensive suggestions for integrating Facebook into your marketing toolbox.

I can only add to it by encouraging you to take a proactive approach (as Kimberly has) in deciding ahead of time exactly what information is and isn’t appropriate for public viewing. I have heard Kimberly state on the Music Therapy Round Table podcast that she uses her professional Facebook wall (i.e. page) as a “resource page” posting links to a variety of information, resources, websites and blogs, including her own, that her professional Facebook “friends” may be interested in. Equally important, she saves the more personal and intimate details of her life to display on her personal Facebook wall (as opposed to her professional wall ) for only her close and selected friends and family to see.

And…About Getting Those Clients…?

So here’s the deal…in whatever ways you are venturing out online to help your clients find you…each one of these tools can help redirect potential clients and referral sources back to your great website…but only if you use them. I have found that I do best by learning to use these power tools one at a time.

Each time I add one, the traffic to my website increases exponentially. If you are like me…a bit tech-phobic and highly tech-challenged but motivated to dip your toe in the water…hold on to something…a colleague’s hand, one of the books I’ve recommended here, or Kimberly’s blog and email address…because as you learn to strategically use and integrate new elements of social media into marketing your music therapy services, you will grow your private practice, too!

About the Author: Tamara G. Suttle, M.Ed. has established three successful private practices during the last 20 years in both Texas and Colorado as a licensed professional counselor and a certified clinical hypnotherapist. She is also the owner of Private Practice from the Inside Out, where she provides coaching / consulting services to mental health professionals who are interested in building strong and vibrant private practices.

My #1 Business Mistake (Don’t Do What I Did!)

Kimberly — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:31:27 +0000

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Part of learning to become a good therapist is learning how to self-evaluate. What worked during a session? What didn’t work? Why didn’t it work? What would you do differently next time?

These same skills are important for business owners. We need to evaluate our programs, services, and marketing plans. Did that brochure work and attract new leads? How was the title of that sales page–did it attract more clicks? Are people re-registering for this new program? So I didn’t meet my goals of getting 5 people to sign up at the end of my talk–why not?

I’ve had a lot of time this year to think through what went well with my clinical business in Colorado, what didn’t go so well…and why.

One of my major frustrations at the time was that I wasn’t getting enough new clients. I felt I was working SO hard booking speaking engagements, setting up workshops, and creating brochures. But my business wasn’t growing like I felt it should.

In hindsight, I realize my mistake: I was thinking like a general practitioner and not like a specialist.

What’s the difference? As a “general practitioner MT,” I was taking any client who came my way. I booked speaking engagements with any group I could. The wording on my brochures and website was broad, so that almost any clinical population was covered. I figured that, since music therapy could work “from cradle-to-grave,” why not offer all that myself? One of my big fears was that if I focused on a particular population, I’d be turning people away.

In contrast, as a “specialist MT,” I would have specialized working with a particular clinical population (or, better yet, a particular problem. But that’s for another post). This is a mindset shift more than anything. But if I had made this shift in thinking a couple years ago, I could have brought more focus and more business to my practice.

I could have been clearer in how I talked about the services I offered. People reading my marketing materials would have an easier time understanding how I could help them. Instead of talking to a rehab groups, parent support groups, and medical teams…I would just have one area and do that workshop really, really well. No need to tailor a bazillion talks for a bazillion different types of groups!

At this point in my career, there’s not much for me to do about this. Except share it with you, of course! But rest assured, when I’m ready to re-open my clinical practice, I’ll be doing it with my specialist hat on.

P.S. I admit that I didn’t reach this “ah-ha” moment on my own. I heard it from Dr. Laura Dessauer, an art therapist in Florida who last summer started the International Association for Therapists in Private Practice. I haven’t talked about this group a whole lot, but there’s a wealth of knowledge provided through the calls and forums. If you’re a therapist in private practice…it’s worth checking out!

The Therapy Business Blueprint is Finally Here!!!

Kimberly — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:00:21 +0000

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I am so excited to share this brand-spankin’-new resource with you! Are you starting a private practice? Then this ebook is for YOU!

You can check it out now by visiting www.StartMyTherapyPractice.com…or you can keep reading to learn more.

The idea for this book came to me last fall when I noticed that I was getting more and more comments, emails, and questions about my private practice. That’s why last spring I published the “Private Practice 101″ series you’ve read on this blog. But STILL I got more comments, questions, and emails.

Thus The Therapy Business Blueprint was born.

This blueprint walks you through my 7-step approach for starting a private practice. You’ll get answers to questions like like:

What questions do I need to ask potential attorneys and accountants I’m interviewing?
Where do I go to register my business? Who do I need to register it with?
What goes into marketing my business?
How do I create a contract and set up policies and procedures for my practice?
How do I get paid?

In addition to the 46-page blueprint, I’ve included a list of “goodies” and bonus items, including:

A list of my Favorite Resources, which includes books, websites, and services that I hope will help you.
The Therapy Business Blueprint Master Checklist–all the action items you need to “check off” before you open your doors to your first client.
Starter Documents–You’ll have access to sample forms and documents you’ll need for your own practice. Contracts, releases, progress notes…basic forms you can use and adapt for your own business.
I’ve also added in a copy of The Music Therapy Maven’s Social Media Secrets, a list of my top ten favorite online websites, as well as helpful tips, ideas, and suggestions to jump-start your online presence.

The BEST part is the cost. Between tomorrow and December 1st, you’ll be able to purchase all of the above for ONLY $12!!!

So what are you waiting for? Visit www.StartMyTherapyPractice.com to get your copy now!

Do You Make This Common (and Easy-To-Fix) Mistake?

Kimberly — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:20:30 +0000

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I readily admit that I was never very good about it. It’s one of those things that I “knew” I should do…but never got around to. I know it’s good for marketing and I know it’s good for professional growth…I just never made it a big priority like I should of.

What is “it”? Recording myself work.

I’m in the process of pulling together application materials for the PhD program I’m applying to. Part of the application process involves submitting video clips of my clinical and musical skills.

Luckily, I had kept video I took in 2006 for a training program. And luckily I had enough foresight to get the appropriate releases and record sessions before I moved last summer and had to let go of all my clients.

But it struck me while editing this footage how valuable recording yourself is. And how I really should have listened to that voice in my head–and the voices of friends and mentors–telling me I should be recording myself more often.

Here’s why:

A picture is really worth a thousand words. My husband tells me that he never really “got” music therapy until he watched a video of it “working.” He had heard the definitions, had stories and examples described to him…but when he finally watched a video and saw how rhythm dramatically improved the gait of a stroke patient, that’s when he had his “aha” moment. And that’s just one person–think of how video footage can impact and influence a roomful of people!
Opportunities for professional growth. As therapy students, we receive external feedback from our supervisors and professionals. As interns and young professionals, we learn to self-evaluate what worked and what didn’t work during a session. But watching a video of yourself working, no matter how scary, gives you more of the external type of feedback. You’re able to look at yourself more honestly and, yes, critically. Which is a good way to challenge your professional growth.
Re-usable content. Once you have that remarkable video footage, you can re-use it over and over and over again. At trainings. At conference presentations. At in-house workshops. At marketing events. On websites. Record and edit once, then re-use multiple times. What a great use of your time!
New technology makes it easy. These days, the technology needed to put together a video is relatively inexpensive, slick, and easy-to-use. I use a $120 Flip Video Camera (I talk more about it here), a $12 generic tripod, my Mac’s iMovie program, my Mac’s iDVD program to burn a DVD, and YouTube. And for you PC lovers, there are PC-friendly programs (although I cannot personally recommend this, Microsoft has a Movie Maker software program. Check it out here.). So all-in-all, there is no excuse for not having the right equipment to create your own video.

If you–or your employer–are already in the habit of recording your work, great! You’re ahead of most of us!

But if not, my challenge to you is to start recording. Don’t make the same mistake I did.

Start with one session. Make sure you have the appropriate releases and the appropriate equipment. Then record. Watch and evaluate yourself. If you captured something remarkable, edit for potential marketing and training use.

And, of course, leave a comment below to let us know how it goes!

3 Tips for Boosting Your Grant Writing Process

Kimberly — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:39:07 +0000

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A couple months ago, a friend of mine was applying for his first grant and asked me for some tips.

I have applied, either by myself or with a team, for about a dozen different grants, some successfully, some not. I’ve applied for a clinical research grant, I’ve applied for seed money to start a pilot program, I’ve applied for money to continue a program, and I’ve applied for money for instruments and other supplies. I’ve applied for grants that were just a couple hundred dollars and I’ve applied for grants that were tens of thousands of dollars.

Based on my experiences, I was able to offer my friend–and I now offer to you–a couple bits of advice when working on your own grant application:

Include both quantitative and qualitative data. The people who hold the purse strings need to know that they’re paying for something good. They need numbers, so it will be important to include numbers in your application and report. These can be numbers about money (e.g. was it cost effective?) or numbers about whether what you did worked (e.g. did it lower perceived pain levels?). However, these purse string-holders are also people–and people are driven by emotions. Therefore, in addition to your numbers, it would behoove you to share a story or anecdote of a session that made a difference for a client.
Start collecting data. This goes with the first tip about sharing numbers. As soon as possible start collecting data on the clients you are working with. When developing a data-collection system, I always try to start with what that facility needs–is there anything I need to keep track of that either already needs to be tracked for them or that may help their needs? Another option is to look at the grant application, which may outline report and documentation requirements. Finally, if those are a bust, I’ve just sat down and brainstormed what type of data I’d like to be able to show. A good starting place? Collect pre-post data whenever possible, as well as basic demographic data.
Stay involved. This is more for people who work with grant writers and/or a team of people applying for a grant. If you are fortunate enough to work with others when writing and submitting grants, stay involved in the process. Keep in mind that the team may not really understand music therapy and what it’s about. For example, one grant I worked with needed a mid-year and a final evaluation, as well as an annual re-application. There was a grant writer who puts all that together–but I always prepared the music therapy-specific information because I was the expert in that area. So whether you’re a part of the writing process or part of the editing and review process, make sure your voice is heard and you have a say in the material.

Grant-writing is a huge topic and this article covers some very basic tips. If you have any other tips or advice about applying for grants, please share them with all of us by leaving a comment below!

P.S. I am exciting to announce that, based on your feedback and questions over the years, I am (finally!) working on an ebook about starting your own private practice!!! Titled “The Therapy Business Blueprint: A 7-Step Approach to Starting Your Own Private Practice,” it’s purpose is to provide you with a comprehensive overview of the steps you’ll need to take to get your private practice up and running. More details to come!

“Unnatural Networking” for the Working Professional

Kimberly — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:25:34 +0000

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We talk about this topic over and over again. You hear about it at conferences. You read about it in newsletters. You’re encouraged to do it for advocacy and education. I’ve even written about it on this blog and talked about it on my podcast.

What is it? Networking.

Whether to build a practice, to advocate for your profession, or to develop new programming at your facility, networking is a fact of life for most professionals.

But it doesn’t always come easily and it certainly doesn’t always come naturally.

I read an article last week titled: The Unnatural Act of Networking, written by personal growth and corporate change consultant Jeanne Male.

Jeanne’s article is written based on exploring and analyzing her own feelings about networking. She outlines possible reasons why networking can be such a drag–it feels contrived, it’s superficial, it’s too power driven–and neatly summarizes networking “objectives” that may help provide a purpose to your networking.

I encourage you to read Jeanne’s article…but don’t just read it. Read it with an awareness of the different types of networking opportunities you have and with an understanding of how you feel about them. This type of self-reflection can only improve the networking you do and how it helps you.

My first goal and attempt at self-improvement? I, for one, want to work at being better at approaching…rather than waiting to be approached.

But what about you? Leave a comment in the field below and share how you plan to improve your networking skills.

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