The people who taught you your profession didn't teach you how to be successful at it. They taught you well, but they left out a few things. Maybe they didn't know about them either.

If you're a professional, there's a good chance you're experiencing one or more of the following:

• Long hours—too much time at work.
• Of all those hours, too few are billed.
• Your rates are high enough, but with the write-offs—the involuntary pro-bono work, the amounts you can't collect—you're not getting paid what you're worth, and
• Your practice is not growing fast enough.
• You wish you had more clients and better clients.
• But you wonder how you'd handle the additional work.
• As hard as you work, there's not enough time for your family and friends and the other things you want to do with your life.

Maybe you've even lost your love of the profession. Maybe it's just not fun or as engaging as it was.

Most professionals do what they do because they love the work. We're doctors, lawyers, CPAs, therapists, financial planners because that's what we want to be and the profession seemed like an opportunity for a good life. We didn't know we had to learn to run a business, or that running the business is different than doing the technical work we like so much.

But that's what we must learn if we're going to practice our profession in a way that maintains the love affair with the profession and gives us a great life.

I give professionals the systems, training and coaching, they need to create a practice which is growing, profitable and consumes less of their time —a practice that is more rewarding in every way, a practice that is fulfilling, that connects them with their original motivation for entering the profession, that results in even better client service, yet gives them the income and hassle-free time to enjoy the rest of their lives—to be with the people they want to be with and do the things they want to do.

This is a structured, highly customized program consisting of processes and systems aimed at practice excellence: Professionals have found these methods actually permit them to provide even better service to their clients.

The elements included in the program vary depending on the professional’s needs. They include some or all of the following:

• Setting objectives for the practice and practitioner: getting clarity about what you want for yourself, your family, your clients and your practice

• Getting more work done in less time by managing time more effectively (actually, learning to manage yourself and staff more effectively)
  • Aligning your priorities with your objectives
  • Structuring the day and week to get the work done in normal hours and 5 business days, not 7+
  • Using better tools to interface with staff
  • Managing interruptions
  • Improving delegation practices and follow-up
  • Getting enough time to work on improving the business aspects of the practice and actually making it happen

• Getting more and better clients; learning how to attract clients using relationship marketing that capitalizes on your personal strengths and activities you enjoy
  • Learning what to say, who to say it to, and when to say it in order to attract the kind of clients you want
  • Having a more effective referral system
  • Distinguishing between A and D clients. Firing the C and D clients and getting more As and Bs

• Attracting the right staff and managing staff more effectively
  • Tools and techniques for recruiting the right staff at the right time, with appropriate expectations and compensation; motivating and managing them well

• Managing cash and profitability
  • Setting financial and individual performance objectives and making sure they're met
  • Installing appropriate systems for capturing and analyzing financial and performance data
  • Finding profit leaks
  • Collecting what is owed
  • Managing cash

Successful implementation of these and other systems requires a motivated client and excellent coaching. Think of it as assisted learning.

How it works

If you're interested in this program email or phone for a free introductory session. I'll answer your questions and arrange for you to take one or more diagnostic assessments from which we'll determine which of your business skills, if any, need improvement. The diagnostics take about 15 minutes to complete. We'll review the results of the diagnostics together, determine whether it's appropriate for us to work together, and, if so, what work we'll undertake.

If we decide to work together, we'll have a structured phone session at least twice each month for an hour or more each session, during which we'll implement each part of the system that's appropriate for you. Sometimes these sessions may include training your staff.

In addition, you'll have unlimited phone and email access to me to deal with questions and anything else that arises.

You'll also receive written materials documenting the systems and procedures recommended for your practice so that you have reference materials to use and share with your staff.

Coaching and implementation will continue as long as you're getting value. We'll stop whenever you want. You'll be in control.

If you've read this far, it's probably because you face some of the issues I've raised. If so, please phone or email me. Make an appointment to find out whether I can help.

These systems and methods have worked wonders for hundreds of other professionals.

It's your turn to put them to work for you.