Marketing your health care business and practice is something that we often do in order to grow our practice. When we grow our practice, we make more money. That's not a bad thing since in our world, money is the vehicle we use to exchange for goods and services and money can do a lot of good in this world. However, there is a bigger reason that I think is important to consider when we work on our marketing campaigns. And it's what one of my business mentors calls sharing your brownies.

Consider this scenario. You are in your kitchen baking the most delicious brownies. The smell is seductive and powerful. Your best friend comes over to see you and remarks how wonderful your home smells. You tell her you are baking brownies. You may even let her see your brownies. But you never offer her one. You never share your brownies and your friend leaves feeling hurt. You, my friend, have been selfish by not sharing your brownies.

One more analogy. You have just found a cure for AIDS that is inexpensive, safe, and readily available for people everywhere. For whatever reason, you don't tell very many people about it so that only a selected few can participate in the cure. Many others die. You are being selfish.

While that is a dramatic example, the cause behind it is the same. When we have a product or a service that is needed and desired by others, especially our ideal patients, and we don't let them know about it, we are being selfish.

As clinicians who excel in what you do, if people don't know how awesome you are, you are denying them the opportunity to chose to see you and take advantage of your services. When we think about it in these terms, it's easy to see that we have a moral obligation to let others know what we bring to the table.

So the next time you are feeling insecure, uncertain, or squeamish about marketing your practices and services, just stop and think about sharing your brownies. The more brownies you can share, the more will show up in their place...and everyone wins.

©2011, Barbara Phillips, NP All Rights Reserved.