May 11, 2024 • 8 mins
With summer fast approaching, it's time to have a real chat about the infamous Summer Slump, y'all.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome back to Ask Allison. Here's today's question:
“I keep hearing about the summer slump.
I've been in practice since February and it's going well,
but I'm afraid I'm gonna lose all my clients and the phone will stop ringing.
How do you suggest people prepare for the summer slump?”
Really good timing on this question. Before I answer it,
I'd like to thank TherapyNotes®.
They're the #1 rated electronic health record
system available today.
(00:21):
With live telephone support 7 days a week,
it's clear why TherapyNotes® it's rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot
and has a 5 star rating on Google.
TherapyNotes® makes billing, scheduling, note taking,
and telehealth incredibly easy,
and they also offer ePrescribe for you prescribers out there.
If you're coming from another EHR,
TherapyNotes® makes the transition incredibly easy,
importing your demographic data free of charge so you can get going right away.
(00:44):
Find out when more than 100,000 mental health professionals already know,
use promo code ABUNDANT at therapynotes.com for 2 free months.
Alright. The Summer Slump is very common,
especially amongst in their first year or two of practice,
therapists who work with kids and teens,
and therapists who work with people whose lives are dictated by the school calendar,
(01:06):
like at-home parents or parents with a lot of flexibility with their job,
teachers and administrators.
I know that this doesn't feel like it when you're worried,
but most adults are spending their summers
just like they spend their falls in winters,
going to work every day, finding childcare or camps as much as they can,
or working from home while taking care of their kids.
(01:27):
Maybe they're going on some vacations,
but the vast majority of adults
are not spending their entire summer abroad or something.
But let's take a moment to appreciate, real quick,
how freaking hard all these months off of school are for working parents.
I feel like we just need a moment for that.
But there are there there is another impact on therapy attendance,
(01:49):
and that is the nicer weather, the longer days.
So for many, that's definitely not all of our clients,
but for many, things are feeling a little lighter.
They're enjoying more social time.
Since outdoors and community are good for humans,
we tend to feel a little bit better
and sometimes deprioritize therapy because our problems don't feel as huge.
(02:10):
So we've got school summer vacation and we have nicer weather,
and those are kind of the whys of the Summer Slump.
The reason it tends to happen more in the first couple years is of being in practice is,
you don't have as many potential clients calling each week in the earlier stages of your practice
as you will later on.
Don't worry. If you are using marketing best practices,
(02:31):
you're definitely gonna be there within one to two years.
I mean, you'll be full before that.
But having overflow of interest really helps with those weird pockets of time during the Slump.
So let's talk about how to weather the Slump.
Some people take on more clients about a month or so before summer hits to mitigate the impact.
If you're seeing 4 or more people per week,
(02:53):
putting that extra money away to help float you for the summer and say,
maybe 4 clients have really hit or miss schedules throughout the summer.
Like, you're still seeing your average number of people if you've increased your case load slightly
and then some are falling off.
If you don't absolutely need the money,
you could just have an easier summer,
(03:14):
or if you want next summer to be an easy summer
where you see maybe half the clients,
you can take on more clients during the school year and bank the extra money.
If you're like most of us and you need consistent income,
spend more time on your marketing during the summer.
Do more of the marketing that got you the clients that you have.
Even if you just take one sessions’ amount of time per week,
(03:35):
or per day marketing during that Slump,
you'll have more calls from potential clients
than you might have had during the school year.
You could just take an hour a day of marketing.
Don't slump with the Summer Slump,
stay active in building your business.
It's easy to feel like you’re putting forth the same effort
or maybe more effort if you're doing this,
(03:56):
but not getting as much return at first.
But just trust the process.
Not to sound too therapisty,
but trust the process.
As long as you're doing your marketing strategies well,
if you're using best practices, you're solid.
What I've done in my business over the last several years is look at the average
of what I make in a year,
which you can start tracking data wise now.
(04:18):
And then I pay myself the average profit every month.
That way, I make the same amount every month.
I love a reliable income.
And if there's any excess at the end of the year,
then I can, after I contribute to my business savings account because we all need a cushion,
I get a bonus. Now there are some months where I make more and some months where I make less.
(04:39):
So it just makes things feel steady and even.
And I I like knowing what I can count on.
Another option would be to have a No Cancellation Policy.
A No Cancellation Policy states that a client
pays for a session every week
whether they attend or not, regardless of how far in advance a
client communicates that they won't be there
for a session, unless the therapist is out.
(05:00):
So the client can schedule an extra session the week prior
or the week after their missed appointment if there's availability.
And that's how the No Cancellation Policy works.
I've seen many students love these policies and the consistency and the stability that they provide.
I don't think they work for every population,
for instance, as a parent, I'm not gonna pay $800
(05:21):
for the month my daughter's at sleepaway camp.
I'm not gonna do it.
But as long as you have very clear conversations
and your clients understand the way it works,
it can be a really solid option for some practices.
And lastly, I implore you not to freak out.
I know that's easier said than done.
Take that nervous energy and channel it into laps at the pool
(05:43):
or extra marketing activities or prepping for the school year.
The fall will bring more phone calls and returning clients as long as you continue to market.
Don't let scarcity and fear take over.
So today's free worksheet is 6 Tools to Shift Scarcity Mindset.
Comment or DM the word SHEETS as in worksheets.
(06:03):
SHEETS, and I will send it to you.
And, we also have the link above if that's easier for you.
Alright. Take great care.
Welcome back to Ask Allison. Here's today's question:
“I keep hearing about the summer slump.
I've been in practice since February and it's going well,
but I'm afraid I'm gonna lose all my clients and the phone will stop ringing.
How do you suggest people prepare for the summer slump?”
Really good timing on this question. Before I answer it,
I'd like to thank TherapyNotes®.
They're the #1 rated electronic health record
system available today.
(00:21):
With live telephone support 7 days a week,
it's clear why TherapyNotes® it's rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot
and has a 5 star rating on Google.
TherapyNotes® makes billing, scheduling, note taking,
and telehealth incredibly easy,
and they also offer ePrescribe for you prescribers out there.
If you're coming from another EHR,
TherapyNotes® makes the transition incredibly easy,
importing your demographic data free of charge so you can get going right away.
(00:44):
Find out when more than 100,000 mental health professionals already know,
use promo code ABUNDANT at therapynotes.com for 2 free months.
Alright. The Summer Slump is very common,
especially amongst in their first year or two of practice,
therapists who work with kids and teens,
and therapists who work with people whose lives are dictated by the school calendar,
(01:06):
like at-home parents or parents with a lot of flexibility with their job,
teachers and administrators.
I know that this doesn't feel like it when you're worried,
but most adults are spending their summers
just like they spend their falls in winters,
going to work every day, finding childcare or camps as much as they can,
or working from home while taking care of their kids.
(01:27):
Maybe they're going on some vacations,
but the vast majority of adults
are not spending their entire summer abroad or something.
But let's take a moment to appreciate, real quick,
how freaking hard all these months off of school are for working parents.
I feel like we just need a moment for that.
But there are there there is another impact on therapy attendance,
(01:49):
and that is the nicer weather, the longer days.
So for many, that's definitely not all of our clients,
but for many, things are feeling a little lighter.
They're enjoying more social time.
Since outdoors and community are good for humans,
we tend to feel a little bit better
and sometimes deprioritize therapy because our problems don't feel as huge.
(02:10):
So we've got school summer vacation and we have nicer weather,
and those are kind of the whys of the Summer Slump.
The reason it tends to happen more in the first couple years is of being in practice is,
you don't have as many potential clients calling each week in the earlier stages of your practice
as you will later on.
Don't worry. If you are using marketing best practices,
(02:31):
you're definitely gonna be there within one to two years.
I mean, you'll be full before that.
But having overflow of interest really helps with those weird pockets of time during the Slump.
So let's talk about how to weather the Slump.
Some people take on more clients about a month or so before summer hits to mitigate the impact.
If you're seeing 4 or more people per week,
(02:53):
putting that extra money away to help float you for the summer and say,
maybe 4 clients have really hit or miss schedules throughout the summer.
Like, you're still seeing your average number of people if you've increased your case load slightly
and then some are falling off.
If you don't absolutely need the money,
you could just have an easier summer,
(03:14):
or if you want next summer to be an easy summer
where you see maybe half the clients,
you can take on more clients during the school year and bank the extra money.
If you're like most of us and you need consistent income,
spend more time on your marketing during the summer.
Do more of the marketing that got you the clients that you have.
Even if you just take one sessions’ amount of time per week,
(03:35):
or per day marketing during that Slump,
you'll have more calls from potential clients
than you might have had during the school year.
You could just take an hour a day of marketing.
Don't slump with the Summer Slump,
stay active in building your business.
It's easy to feel like you’re putting forth the same effort
or maybe more effort if you're doing this,
(03:56):
but not getting as much return at first.
But just trust the process.
Not to sound too therapisty,
but trust the process.
As long as you're doing your marketing strategies well,
if you're using best practices, you're solid.
What I've done in my business over the last several years is look at the average
of what I make in a year,
which you can start tracking data wise now.
(04:18):
And then I pay myself the average profit every month.
That way, I make the same amount every month.
I love a reliable income.
And if there's any excess at the end of the year,
then I can, after I contribute to my business savings account because we all need a cushion,
I get a bonus. Now there are some months where I make more and some months where I make less.
(04:39):
So it just makes things feel steady and even.
And I I like knowing what I can count on.
Another option would be to have a No Cancellation Policy.
A No Cancellation Policy states that a client
pays for a session every week
whether they attend or not, regardless of how far in advance a
client communicates that they won't be there
for a session, unless the therapist is out.
(05:00):
So the client can schedule an extra session the week prior
or the week after their missed appointment if there's availability.
And that's how the No Cancellation Policy works.
I've seen many students love these policies and the consistency and the stability that they provide.
I don't think they work for every population,
for instance, as a parent, I'm not gonna pay $800
(05:21):
for the month my daughter's at sleepaway camp.
I'm not gonna do it.
But as long as you have very clear conversations
and your clients understand the way it works,
it can be a really solid option for some practices.
And lastly, I implore you not to freak out.
I know that's easier said than done.
Take that nervous energy and channel it into laps at the pool
(05:43):
or extra marketing activities or prepping for the school year.
The fall will bring more phone calls and returning clients as long as you continue to market.
Don't let scarcity and fear take over.
So today's free worksheet is 6 Tools to Shift Scarcity Mindset.
Comment or DM the word SHEETS as in worksheets.
(06:03):
SHEETS, and I will send it to you.
And, we also have the link above if that's easier for you.
Alright. Take great care.
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