4 Tips to Make Technology Easier for Your Private Practice

Yesterday, Miranda and I were in this gorgeous park, filming some kick ass videos for a new free training (Oooo I am so excited about it!). We were on a roll, laughing and chatting and really conveying some clear messages for our peeps. We were in the flow.

This morning, I rolled out of bed to find Miranda on my couch, looking at the camera. "I've got some good news and I've got some bad news." Uh oh... "The video was awesome, beautiful, and looks great!" "But there is no sound." 

Over an hour of content - rockin' content - gone. 

I had a choice. I could throw my camera out the window and stomp my feet thinking about how technology sucks. OR I could figure out the issue, get help if needed, and try again (and still punch a pillow). For the record, we are not immune to technology woes. In fact, I think Miranda has a few less hairs after trying to figure out our website issues this morning. Send her some love, willya? :) 

If you run any kind of business, you are going to need some sort of technology. For private practice owners that can include a smart phone, a computer, an electronic health record, online messaging and video programs, bookkeeping software, a website, social media tools...well you get the idea.

So how do we make technology easier in our business. Here are 4 tips just for you!

1. Do what is necessary, not what is popular. Everyone has apps they love and computers they recommend. Before you start downloading every app your friends recommend or signing up for all the latest social media platforms - how does this help you achieve your business plan? Does it serve your client? Does it make your life easier in the long run? If your ideal client is a 20 something that is artistic and creative - instagram might be cool for your business marketing, not facebook. There is nothing wrong with stopping and researching before you bury yourself under a ton of technology that just isn't what you need. Go back to your business plan, then research tools that will help you achieve your goals. 

2. Use the help desk, YouTube and Google. People may think I am some whiz kid with tech, but I am self taught. I watch videos, read help manuals, speak to customer services reps and practice until I really "get it". If I pay for a service and they have support, you bet I am going to use it. That is why I pay!! I want another expert to teach me and guide me. Did you know YouTube is the second biggest search engine after Google? It has so much information AND it is visual which is awesome for those of us that need to see it to learn it. Think about this. When you started grad school, did you know how to do therapy. Sure, you had your preconceived ideas, but you could never anticipate how scary or difficult it could be at times. So what did you do, you studied and learned from others. When you graduate you aren't done learning. New research comes on the scene and we adjust our interventions. Learning technology is the same kind of thing. New tools come out all the time. You will never be done learning. Simply use the resources around you to make the adjustment easier.

3. Stop the negativity. The script in your head of "I'm not tech savvy," is informing your perspective on any technology you touch. You are capable of learning. The worst thing I see coming out of the negative beliefs are bad choices and trusting people that take advantage of naive business owners. I spoke with a therapist the other day that just trusted a person who said they could make all their internet marketing dreams come true. Instead of researching their reputation, asking questions until they fully understood what that person was going to be doing for them, and getting clear on the expectations, they got completely taken advantage of. You have done many things in your life that no one taught you how to do them. Sure, you have made some mistakes, that is how we learn. But you don't have a limited capacity for growth and understanding. By tech savvy we mean that you know when to ask for help and you don't let shame and fear stop you from finding a solution.

4. Be patient and persistent. If you are pissed off and frustrated, take a break. Come back and ask for support. Know that you won't figure it all out at once. People that go through our bootcamp and other programs amaze me. They struggle and at the end, they use new technologies that they would have previously believed they could never had understood. Have some compassion for the learning curve. Know that adding technology to your business is an investment in your business and should elevate the services you are providing to clients. 

Those are my tips. Notice how the title isn't "how to make technology easy." This is about coping better for the sake of your success. 

Oh and the reason we didn't have sound in our videos - the battery in the microphone died.

A battery.

Gah!