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Part III: The Dirty Dozen Skills, Abilities, and Attributes of Successful Health and Patient Advocates and Care Managers
Yes, Part III, as promised in our second installment when we continued with three additional attributes of successful advocates. Find Part I of the Dirty Dozen. Find Part II of the Dirty Dozen. This week we are concentrating on marketing skills. Many readers know I believe most assuredly that no advocate can successfully establish an independent, private practice unless he or she effectively markets his or her abilities and availability. Period. Which of these describe you and your abilities? Which of them do not? Where do you go from here? Do your own assessment! 8. Effective marketing begins with good and consistent branding. Good branding is not just about images, logos, colors, or tag lines. Good branding is about behavior: being trustworthy, keeping promises, being consistent, showing up, following through, finding the right resources – all those important behaviors you expect from a professional. What do you expect from the professionals in your life? Think about your interface with your lawyer, your hairdresser, even your auto mechanic. Whatever those attributes are – your clients and almost-clients expect them from you, too. And they aren’t about logos or tag lines – they are about the professionalism of their work. Consistency is the key to good branding; it breeds trust. Be sure your both your imaging and your behavior are consistent – always recognizable and trustworthy. Read more: The Health Advocate’s Basic Marketing Handbook Read more: Santa Can Teach Us Advocates Plenty About Good Branding 9. Especially in the early days of establishing your practice, you must become a public speaker. Put yourself in front of groups of potential clients or influencers, large and small. Share information that is useful and interesting to them that can also showcase your expertise. Then, by virtue of the fact that you’re standing in front of a group and that you sound knowledgeable, you will develop a reputation as an expert, one who will be hired as an independent advocate when the opportunity arises. Read more: It’s Not Marketing. It’s Teaching Read more: The Basics of Public Speaking for Advocates (APHA Members Only) 10. If you…