People don’t want drill bits – they want holes.
In this famous quote by economist Theodore Levitt, the drill bit is simply a means to an end. The same can be said for your therapy practice. Here are a few other ways to think about it:
- People don’t buy products – they buy solutions to problems.
- People don’t buy your service – they buy better versions of themselves.
- People care less about what you do – and more about how you make them feel.
Whether you are providing mental health services or selling drill bits, the concept is the same. People have a problem and, if you want them to become a client or customer, you need to be able to solve it.
Solve a problem rather than offer a solution
The difference is subtle but powerful. By shifting the copy on your website away from the what and towards the why, you can begin magnetically attracting your dream client. Here’s an example:
If someone is feeling sad and lost, they want to know that you can help them find their way back to their “happy place.” The fact that you use EMDR or CBT or IFS to help them is far less important than showing them what life could look like if their problems suddenly went away.
Here’s an even more universal example …
It’s rainy season where I live in Santa Cruz, CA. My kids love playing in puddles and overflowing streams. Their rain boots leak. So, I go on Amazon and do a search for rain boots. I don’t care what the materials are. All I want to know is, “can these boots keep Bodhi and Luna’s feet dry and warm.” I’ll buy whatever boot does that best.
Make sense?
How to write copy that solves a problem for your dream client
After helping therapists for the past 17 years, I have developed a formula for writing effective copy for your therapist website.
The goal is to solve a problem without being salesy. To make a deep personal connection with your dream client. To make your website sound like a page out of their journal.
First, use their words rather than yours. Listen closely in session and jot down how THEY say they feel. Then, use this formula to write your copy:
- Describe their pain point in their words
- Give examples of what life could look like without that pain point
- Offer a DIY exercise they can do at home to get some relief
- Share how YOU will help them solve their problem
Notice that you don’t actually offer yourself as a solution until step #4. That is intentional.
How to effectively talk about your modality or process
While I provided a simple formula above, it’s worth noting that nothing is set in stone. Every practice and therapist is different – and your copy needs to reflect your own style.
For example, what happens if you use a less-common modality? In that case, you may need to do some extra educating on how it works. That means describing the solution more often than you might otherwise.
For an in-depth analysis of how Andrea Chilton integrates Relational Depth Therapy into every page of her website — while still connecting with her dream client — check out the video below.
Get help writing your therapist website copy
How do you feel about writing copy for your therapist website? Does the idea excite you? Or, do you sit at the screen – cursor blinking – mind blank – wishing someone else would just do it for you?
You are not alone. Copywriting is the #1 roadblock that therapists hit when making a website. The mere suggestion fills most therapists with dread and a desire to disassociate.
Yet, hiring a copywriter is expensive – and, they rarely create text that feels authentic to your own voice. Plus, do you want to rely on that person being available every time you need to update your website?
No one speaks “you” better than you
When you write your own copy, your website instantly becomes better. That means more clients and less intake calls with people you don’t want to work with. But, how?
Imagine how easy it would be to attract your dream client if you knew exactly what to write. How easily would the copy flow from your fingertips if you worked through your roadblocks and limiting beliefs? Over the past two decades, I have developed systems, strategies, and formulas to help you do exactly that.
If you are ready to write captivating copy that magnetically attracts your dream client, you should check out my online course — Fill Your Caseload With Ease & Flow.
See what I just did?
In that last section, I followed my own formula.
- First, I identified your problem/pain point and normalized it.
- Then, shared what life could look like without the pain point.
- I went against my own formula and skipped the DIY example – because that’s what this entire article is about.
- Finally, I offered my service as a solution.
If anything in this article resonated with you, here’s one more link to learn more about my online course — Fill Your Caseload With Ease & Flow.
