Betsy Alexander

CDF-Workforce Development Training (Lengel)

Randallstown, MD (April 5-6, 2017)
June 7, 2017

MARKETING PLAN (5 hours)

GCDF Competencies:
Promotion and Public Relations
Diverse Populations

Five Ps and one A:

People
Product
Place
Price
Promotion
Analytics

People (target population):

Young people (H.S.-age to 30) who are struggling to identify and implement a career path

Product
Individual career counseling (in-person or virtual)
Self-guided or normative assessment (administration, scoring, interpretation) in areas such as
career readiness; decision-making maturity; vocational interests and values; skills identification
Resume-writing assistance
Interview skills development
Job search strategies
Educational program planning
Identification of job training programs
Career development resources

Place
Public space in or around Columbia, Maryland (in-person services)
Rented office space
Online via Skype or another video-based VOIP

Price
$85/hr. plus the cost of materials (assessments, manuals, other career resources)

Promotion
Networking with HS and college counselors, local business groups
Affiliation with a local therapist who specializes in the developmental issues of young people
Ads on HS music, sports programs
Pro bono workshops at private schools
Free advertising in village newsletters
 Bulletin boards at local coffeeshops, gyms, etc.
Consulting practice website (SEO)
Social media (FB, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+)

Analytics
Google analytics
Hubspot marketing

From How to Develop a Marketing Plan for your Private Practice (02/01/13) Deborah Legge, PhD, CRC,
LMHC
DrLegge@InfluentialTherapist.com
(http://www.amhca.org/general/custom.asp?page=Advocate20130206#.WRN52-8gVEU.email)

Many private practitioners worry about things like:

How will people know that I am here?

How will I get enough clients?
How do I develop a solid base of referral sources?
How do I get people to come to me when they dont know anything about me?

STEP 1: Determine whom you will target

You should have a clear vision of your ideal client and your ideal referral source. This clarity will help you to
customize the messages in your marketing efforts.

If you are shy about writing or talking about your practice, focus on that ideal client or referral source and
speak only to them. This will help you stay personal and let your market know that you want to build
relationships.

STEP 2: Decide what you can offer to spark attention

People are interested in what appeals to them. In thinking about your ideal client and referral source, identify
what problems, concerns, and needs they may have. Then show them how you can help them out.

People usually have to get this message a number of times before they will believe or remember you, so
dont expect to send out one mailing and then sit back and wait for the phone to ring. Be creative and find a
variety of ways to relay your message to your market.

STEP 3: Find ways to fan the flame

Once you get some attention, nurture these new relationships by finding out even more about what your
market wants and needs. They want helpthey want you to solve their problems; your task is to find out,
How can I best help you?
As your market starts to rely on you to help solve their problems and meet their needs, youll have to find
ways to show them that you are reliable. They need to get the message that you are the best person for that
job.

STEP 4: Build relationships that last

I have referral sources who have been sending me clients for 20 years. That isnt a fluke. It is the result of
relationships that build, year by year. The hard part is not getting the referrals; its giving people a reason to
keep the referrals coming.

To do this, you must continue to provide valuable services and information to your market. They need to feel
really good about doing business with you.

Continually evaluating your marketing efforts will keep your fingers on the pulse of your market. Their needs
and concerns may change over time; if you keep sending out the same old messages in the same old ways,
your market will become numb to your existence. Things change, and so must you. People never get tired of
being asked, What can I do for you?

Other References
MCDA presentation of Tanya Amaya of Analytic Design, How to Build a Marketing System that Grows
Your Business and Grows With Your Business (4/28/17)

Hopkins, S. Marketing Career Counseling Services. ERIC Digest EDO-CG-95-83. (USDE/ERIC-

CASS,Greensboro, NC), 1995.