Marketing a Profession:Marketing a Profession:

The Business Strategy ofThe Business Strategy ofLPCA of Georgia LPCA of Georgia

The ChallengeThe Challenge

A Profession SurroundedA Profession Surrounded — — varying varying types of practitioners, licensed and types of practitioners, licensed and unlicensedunlicensed

An Identity LackingAn Identity Lacking — — widespread widespread confusion as to real meaning of “counselor”confusion as to real meaning of “counselor”

Limited Revenue BaseLimited Revenue Base — — membership, membership, advertising, convention, and workshops; advertising, convention, and workshops; not enough recurring revenue sourcesnot enough recurring revenue sources

The ResponseThe Response Define Product and MarketDefine Product and Market — — be clear be clear

on “pain & gain” in multiple market levelson “pain & gain” in multiple market levels

Conduct “Branding” ExerciseConduct “Branding” Exercise — — make make product distinctive and easily recognizedproduct distinctive and easily recognized

Build ConfidenceBuild Confidence — — associate “Brand” associate “Brand” with high level of competencewith high level of competence

Promote FullyPromote Fully — — send common message send common message to multiple levels via multiple sourcesto multiple levels via multiple sources

Product and MarketProduct and Market

WHOWHO — — legislators, organizations, other legislators, organizations, other professions, counselors, professions, counselors, the publicthe public

WHATWHAT — — association, services, association, services, recognition, recognition, the counseling professionthe counseling profession

HOWHOW — — promote professionalismpromote professionalism by by conspicuously raising standards and conspicuously raising standards and making performance visiblemaking performance visible

““Branding” — Counselor IdentityBranding” — Counselor Identity

Early EffortsEarly Efforts and “Scope of Practice” and “Scope of Practice”

Ad-hoc CommitteeAd-hoc Committee — 2008 — 2008

Potential TargetsPotential Targets for Message for Message

LegislatorsLegislators

Counselors and allied ProfessionalsCounselors and allied Professionals

PPublicublic

GoalGoal — “Elevator Statement” — “Elevator Statement”

Mental Health Counselors Mental Health Counselors promote quality of life!promote quality of life!

Mental Health Counselors are highly trained, licensed professionals who work with people struggling with life or suffering from clinical disorders, to help them heal and grow and achieve personal goals, so they can feel better about themselves and enjoy a better quality of life.

Building ConfidenceBuilding Confidence

Focusing on supervisionFocusing on supervision and counselor and counselor “fitness” to practice“fitness” to practice

Taking on professional IssuesTaking on professional Issues — — post-post-licensure supervision, unlicensed practice, licensure supervision, unlicensed practice, “distance counseling,” etc. “distance counseling,” etc.

Building alliancesBuilding alliances — — Georgia licensing board, Georgia licensing board, other associations, etc.other associations, etc.

Introducing continuous improvementIntroducing continuous improvement (CIP) (CIP) methods to raise qualitymethods to raise quality

Counselor SupervisionCounselor Supervision 2000 Supervisor “Registry”2000 Supervisor “Registry” — first — first

requirement for training in supervisionrequirement for training in supervision

2009 Registry Standards2009 Registry Standards — strengthened — strengthened requirements by adding specific contentrequirements by adding specific content

2010 Introduced CPCS2010 Introduced CPCS — upgraded to — upgraded to certification program with plans to add experience certification program with plans to add experience requirementrequirement

2010 Proposed Rule Change2010 Proposed Rule Change — would — would require all counselor supervision for licensure to be require all counselor supervision for licensure to be done by CPCSdone by CPCS

Comprehensive PromotionComprehensive Promotion MaterialsMaterials — — Newsletter, Convention brochure, Newsletter, Convention brochure,

scroll pens, etc.scroll pens, etc.

WebsiteWebsite — — Planned renovationsPlanned renovations

““Social networking”Social networking” — — Coordinated Coordinated identification and messageidentification and message

Local mediaLocal media — — TV, radio, print, electronicTV, radio, print, electronic

LPCA Outreach programLPCA Outreach program — — Georgia Georgia schools, hospitals, treatment facilities, etc.schools, hospitals, treatment facilities, etc.

WorkshopsWorkshops — — Georgia schools, hospitals, Georgia schools, hospitals, treatment facilities, etc.treatment facilities, etc.

Early ResultsEarly Results ConventionConvention — — increased proposals, increased increased proposals, increased

attendance, record revenues, greater follow-up attendance, record revenues, greater follow-up interestinterest

CertificationCertification — — increased applications and increased applications and renewals; clear interest from Board and other renewals; clear interest from Board and other associationsassociations

MembershipMembership — — increased interest on campus increased interest on campus and among independent practitioners; connection and among independent practitioners; connection to Identityto Identity

FeedbackFeedback — — increased commentary from other increased commentary from other healthcare providers: “more businesslike, more healthcare providers: “more businesslike, more professional”professional”

RememberRemember

Running an association means Running an association means running a businessrunning a business

Business success begins with Business success begins with marketingmarketing

Association markets exist in Association markets exist in multiple multiple levelslevels

Success at all levels requires Success at all levels requires visibilityvisibility and and credibilitycredibility