subject: The Sigmund Freud Guide to Marketing [print this page] The Sigmund Freud Guide to Marketing The Sigmund Freud Guide to Marketing
Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, was a master marketer.
Think about it. Back in the early 1900's, Freud starts talking to people about their hidden desires, psychosexual devel0pment, personality structures and the id, ego and superego. What did people think of him? Can you imagine the reactions he got from people? His ideas were revolutionary and probably were seen by many as a bit wacky.
Now we accept these as the foundations of our profession and much of our culture accepts variations of these concepts as standard psychology. We talk about people being "defensive," "passive aggressive," or "in denial." All concepts originated by Freud.
So how did Freud go from a doctor with odd ideas to the founder of modern psychology?
Marketing
Freud got out of his office and put his ideas into the hands of as many people he could.
His marketing plan included:
Book writing
Correspondence with other thought leaders of the time (including Albert Einstein)
Lecturing world-wide to spread the reach of his ideas
Using the newest technology of the time to share his concepts with as many people as possible (radio, video recordings of this speeches)
Freud understood that good ideas that stay at home don't spread and can't change the world. So he spread the word using all the tools available to him at the time. Not only was he successful in changing our understanding of the human mind, he became very wealthy in the process.
[Side note: Freud's nephew, Edward Bernays, was the founder of modern public relations, and taught American corporations to appeal to the public's unconscious desires to sell products and services. Told ya' Freud was a master marketer!]
So how can you develop a private practice marketing plan just like Freud's?
Write. A lot. At it's very core, marketing is how businesses communicate with people about their products and services. Despite what you hear about the slow death of books, newspapers, and magazines, people are reading more than ever. They are reading online, text messages, emails. It's said that kids today write and read more than they did a generation ago. If you want to grow your practice, learn to be a decent writer and make time to write often.
The easiest place to write and share your ideas is on a blog that is a part of your website. The blog is where you can share your ideas, communicate your expertise and archive all your writing in one place.
Talk to many people. Reach out to colleagues, other professionals, community members, current and potential clients. Freud developed powerful relationships around the world. Those people liked his ideas and shared them with their communities. Through relationships and word of mouth, Freud's innovations spread far beyond his local area. It is so easy to build relationships and spread ideas now. Unlike Freud, you won't need to mail letters, or get on a transatlantic cruise to talk to people all over the world. You can use your blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Skype, or the good ol' telephone to connect with others and build powerful practice-building relationships.
Give information away. Freud shared his ideas widely for free via his lectures and letters. The internet allows us to share so much information for free, that it is now expected by consumers/customers and clients. Utilizing free reports, newsletters and handouts, complimentary consult calls, and sharing links to relevant articles and blog posts are great ways to share your expertise for free. This is an important step in helping people get to know, like and trust you so they feel you are the "go to" person when they need support.
Use up-to-date technology to communicate. Freud used radio and there are a few video/movie clips of him speaking in public. Today's equivalent is a website/blog, Twitter, Facebook, online video. When you want to attract people to a business, you need to go where the people are to communicate with them. Did you know that every day more people visit Facebook than Google? Yikes! Use technology to your advantage.
Freud did not just wake up one day and become the Father of Psychotherapy. He utilized all the tools at his disposal to share his ideas and influence. His success was not a fluke.
If Freud was starting a private practice today, I bet he'd be on Twitter right now sharing his thoughts on dream analysis.
What ideas do you want to spread? How can you use today's technology to promote your practice?
Susan Giurleo, Ph
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