My good friend and colleague Lorrie Thomas of Web Marketing Therapy says, "You've got to toot your own horn, if you don't no one else will!" I totally agree. The problem I find with Holistic Practitioners is they often have the 'shy violet' syndrome. You know, they're good at what they do (maybe even experts in their field or in a certain area) but shrink when it comes to talking about themselves.   

The challenge is that clients are actually looking for your credibility factors before working with you. It's the good old "know, like and trust" factor that comes to play when someone is seeking a professional to help the.You've heard me speak about this before: people hire you when they feel they know, like and trust you.  

This is especially true when someone is seeking to improve their health (both physically and emotionally) as it requires the person to be vulnerable, open and trust. In case you think I'm going to suggest you go back to school to get letters (or more letters!) after your name, I'm not. The good news is, you probably have credibility factors that you just haven't recognized yet.  Here's a few to explore:  

1. Author Have you written articles? I have dozens of articles published and I didn't have to pound the pavement to get them accepted in journals. So technically I'm a published author. I love the ease of using online venues, such as article submission sites, one of my favorites is ezinearticles.com

2. Your Life Experience How did you come to do what you do? Your answer to this question is your "Magnetic Story." Often as your potential client hears or reads this account, they begin to relate to you. Did you come to Nutrition after having allergies all your life? Did you want to help other parents with their kids using Emotional Freedom Techniques because of your children's challenges in school? Or were you cured from an illness by acupuncture and then went on to pursue this as your second profession? I share exactly how to craft your Magnetic Story in the Success Circle and I recommend Practitioners to share this "Magnetic Story" when you give your free talks, teleclasses and on your website. You can place this information on your "Meet (your name)" or "Interview with (your name)" page on your website.

  3. Testimonies One of the most powerful credibility factors are the words of your past and current clients and patients. I cannot tell you how important it is for you to gather testimonials. Pepper them on your marketing materials such as on your website, brochures or flyers for workshops or classes. These are the "evangelists for your practice" and I spoke exactly how to gather powerful testimonials on my teleclass Website basics.

 4. Speaking  Have you lead workshops? Teleclasses? Do you have a signature speech that you can offer to promote yourself as an expert on a certain topic? Hands down, speaking is one of the most effective and affordable ways to showcase your expertise and receive a 'sought-after speaker' status.    Building credibility is actually easy once you know what clients are looking for and how to share your expertise in a way that is elegant and compelling. Don't be afraid to toot your own horn and get out there in a bigger way, your clients are looking for you.  
 


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