Since we are training people to practitioner level in the beautiful, but fairly unpopulated and low-waged Westcountry, we have been confronted with the question: How do you build a successful practice in a mainly rural environment, where extensive advertising and prestigious premises will not do the trick? In one of the previous issues of the LCCH News I compiled the findings of former Exeter LCCH students who have established themselves successfully, and my own experiences, into an article. But as I am being asked this question again and again by current students and students just qualified, it seems worthwhile to briefly outline the major tips and hints again:
 

1. Advertising: Do not spend too much - spend wisely. 

An ad in the Yellow Pages is a must as it is your only way (besides that of the Internet) to reach potential clients spread over a fairly wide area. As in towns and cities, big ads work much better than small ones. Students are advised to combine their advertising efforts if they cannot afford a large ad on their own. It seems that a combined ad under the BSCH heading works better than students advertising individually or in groups. It is also important to advertise locally, but make sure the paper or newsletter is very ‘local’. Ads in regional papers, especially daily ones, seem not to work. Their advertising prices are high and the enquiries resulting from those ads are minimal. Village and parish newsletters and event calendars should be considered, and, if you have a market town near you, try the weekly local paper. Here you should keep your ad small and cheap as you will not encounter much competition and not every ad will bring enquiries. In villages you should also consider the available notice boards in village halls, the local newspaper shop, the health food shop, the local supermarket and so on. As you are dealing with a fairly small population you need to venture out and visit your neighbouring villages for the same purpose. 
 

2. The Medical Establishment 

To establish a successful rural practice it is vital that you get referrals from GPs. The local doctor is still the main authority on health issues for local people and most local surgeries in the Southwest, especially those with three or more General Practitioners serving more than one village, now have a qualified Counsellor working once or twice a week on the premises. We all found that GP surgeries have opened up to the idea of using complementary therapies in conjunction with conventional treatment over the last few years. It is therefore vital to contact the GPs in your own village and in the villages around you. 

Make sure that you do not try to sell your skills competing with the Counsellor. Sell: Stop Smoking, Weight Loss, help with Stress related conditions and, the latest trend, EMDR for Phobias and PTSD. If you contact your local surgery, do it by letter first. Address the letter to the Practice Manager, point out the cost-effectiveness of Hypnotherapy treatment for them (fast and effective in relation to the conditions mentioned), state all your qualifications and state clearly which conditions you offer treatment for. Then do a follow-up call and hopefully, you will get invited to introduce yourself. You can also offer a free 1/2 hour talk in the letter for all the medical and non-medical staff in the practice and a treatment demonstration. 

3. Other Practitioners / Clinics

We found that making contact with other practitioners and clinics is useful when done selectively. Bodytherapists in the widest sense are the ones which will most likely refer clients to you. So do get in touch with your nearest Physiotherapist, Osteopath and Massage practitioner. Homeopaths, Healers and Aromatherapists might refer as well for very specific conditions. For all other complementary health professionals you are ‘competition’ and they will not refer. 
 

4. Talks and Presentations 

As you might know, giving talks and presentations is the cheapest and most rewarding form of advertising. Unfortunately we all found that it is difficult, but not at all impossible, to organise talks in rural areas. I have heard from former students that they have given presentations to the local police, to nurses, drop in centres, schools, farmers’ associations, the women’s institute, the scouts, sports and leisure clubs, charities and so on. There are a few ways really to get invited to give a presentation: you can write a general letter offering to give a presentation and send it to every organisation you can get hold of. Mention the possibility of you giving a presentation to everybody you know who works in a suitable environment. Target specifically centres and organisations interested in complementary / spiritual / alternative issues.
 

5. Local Festivals 

Another way of giving presentations and “taster workshops” are the local “Mind/Body/Spirit Festivals”, “Complementary Medicine Gatherings” and “Lifestyle Events”. I personally like to use those to give out information about the LCCH training in Exeter and my own workshops and training. I have facilitated regularly workshops and given talks in Cornwall, Bristol, Newton Abbott and Exeter at the major “festivals” and am astonished that there is no competition from former LCCH students. I encounter regularly new students at LCCH and participants in my workshops who tell me: “I came to your talk at...” . I must stress though that just leaving your leaflet or cards on one of the tables provided, or to pay for a stand, is not enough. You need to get a talk or workshop going and than the results are good.
 

6. Articles and Editorials 

Local and regional papers will print articles or do editorials if you target specific “issues” and if you time them well. Students had good results with articles and editorials about smoking around National Non-Smoking Day, after the 11th of September with articles about “fear of flying”, around the school exam times with articles on stress and exam nerves and so on. It is well worth getting in touch with your local newspaper and offering to write an article or be interviewed generally. It is also well worth asking if they would print an editorial generally if you decide to advertise in a local paper.