David P. Diana MA, LPC, NCC's Blog (7)

Ah PowerPoint! We’ve all witnessed its use at one time or another. Years ago I considered myself to be somewhat of an expert in the use of PowerPoint. There was, however, one minor problem. My slides were awful…no…they were beyond awful! I used slides as a crutch and it made me a poor presenter. I’d pack slides full of information like some sort of stream of consciousness exercise. My messages were lost in a sea of bullet points and paragraphs. Here is what a typical slide of mine looked like… Continue

If you’re looking to improve your public speaking skills try these helpful tips. USE THE POWER OF “TRANSFERABLE CONCEPTS” One of the best ways to create a powerful first impression is through the use of story. It doesn’t have to be a personal story. Any compelling story related to your topic will do. The first thing that a good story does is identify a theme or common experience that serves as a transferable concept for participants. By this I mean that audience members can relate to the story… Continue

Consider for a moment just how powerful you and I have become in today’s day and age. In 2005 a man named Jeff Jarvis was in need of a computer after he left his corporate job to find new found freedom and excitement as an entrepreneur. He chose a Dell computer for its reasonable price and Dell’s history of good customer service. There was one problem - his computer turned out to be a “grade A” piece of junk! There were seemingly endless “crashes” and “bugs”. After months of frustration he deci… Continue

Very little is known about Trigger Points in the mental health profession, and yet the concept is incredibly important for understanding the buying phenomenon. In essence, Trigger Points are events that create an essential need for a person or group of people. When we apply this to a business development model, we see that Trigger Points are the stimulus behind any buying decision and/or action that moves someone toward a buying decision. And here is the most important point with regards to thi… Continue

Most people believe they are off to a great start growing their business once they obtain a nice big list of names, phone numbers and addresses. “This demographic area and this marketing channel will get me in front of well over 100,000 prospects.” The reality is that most of us have very little understanding of what a “prospect” is. In essence, a prospect is an individual or business with a need for and the ability to acquire your product or service. Several years ago a friend of mine started… Continue

“A Web page isn’t a place the way Starbucks is a place. A Web page is a step in a process. The steps on the stoop in front of your house understand (if steps understand anything) that they exist in order to get you up or down. If you asked the architect what any particular step is for, she wouldn’t hesitate. The answer is obvious. The purpose of this step is to get you to the next step. That’s it. ” - Seth Godin More and more mental health professionals have a website or are thinking seriously… Continue

Try Permission Marketing! Permission based marketing is a process whereby you offer people an opportunity to volunteer to receive marketing materials from you. Let me offer an example to clarify what I mean by this approach. I know a therapist in Washington, DC who has built a thriving consulting practice using a permission based model. She offers free trainings to mental health professionals in the area at least twice a month in the form of lunch and learn programs. Her goal with these worksho… Continue