I wrote about “The Pareto Principle”, which is also known as the 80/20 principle or “The Law of The Vital Few.” The article talked about how a few of your patients will bring most of your joy and income. It’s always like that. A few things always make the biggest difference.

• A few needles and a few points are what heal the patient.
• A few friends are who you spend most of your time with.
• A few mentors or teachers had the biggest effect on your thinking.
• A few practitioners have the biggest success.
• A few moments changed the course of your life.

It’s always the vital few that make the biggest difference or see the biggest results.

I’m the kind of person that likes finding the vital few – the best, most effective ways to do something. That’s why I got involved in marketing – it’s simply the best way to succeed in business.

If done wrong, it also can be the most disgusting way to succeed in business.

It’s true. I used to hate the idea of marketing. In college, I earned a business minor, and noticed the marketing students had the worst grades. That told me something. I always though marketing was a scam anyway – don’t great products sell themselves?

I was wrong. Marketing is only bad when you’re selling (excuse my language) crappy products and services. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine is ANYTHING but crappy. If you have something great to offer, like AOM, people need to know about it and understand it.

That’s why my attitude now is totally different. If you don’t market effectively, you’re actually HIDING from people that you could be helping. Hiding!

I’m continually shocked at how many acupuncturists are hiding in plain sight.

So what is all of this really about? Simply this - I want you to be one of the vital few.

Four out of five AOM graduates aren’t practicing after 5 years. Of the one in five remaining, most aren’t doing that well.

They just get by. They do OK. Not great, but OK. I want something better for you.

You’re probably already one of the vital few who is beating the odds of making a living practicing your art. Let’s do better. Why don’t you become one of the vital few that does way better than just getting by?

It’s not hard. It just takes a bit of commitment. Here’s what I suggest:

1. Schedule time each week to work on your marketing. Just choose the best idea you can easily find, and just do it. Don’t worry about choosing the absolute best idea – the feedback you get from actually implementing something will help you figure it out.
2. Form a Mastermind group – a group of likeminded people pursuing a common goal.
3. Hire a coach. I’ve been putting off offering coaching services, but my own Mastermind group insists I should do this. A coach keeps you focused, on track, and helps you to make the best use of your valuable time. I’m taking on a limited number of coaching clients - click here for more information.

(I personally do all of the above. I have two coaches, am in a mastermind group, and have time scheduled to work on my marketing each week.)

All of this is about commitment to your own success. Getting your degree was a big commitment. Opening your clinic was another. It doesn’t stop there. I hope you’ll commit to getting all the patients you need and deserve.

In the Never Market Again manual, I give it all away. Literally. There are courses, workshops and packages out there that cost thousands of dollars but don’t even give a fraction of the information in those pages.

I know, because I’ve bought or read just about all of them.

There really isn’t a more effective way to market your practice than word-of-mouth, especially what’s in Never Market Again. Problem is, only a few people will actually implement the system, or any form of decent marketing.

Most will try a few things, see a few successes, then leave it on the shelf.

Never Market Again is very good and very thorough, but you don’t need to buy it. I give away a lot of free marketing information in my blog. Perhaps you remember the “So What?” article I wrote. That’s a great way to improve your website and brochures. It will instantly make your materials far more meaningful to your patients. You will notice the difference in calls from your website if you do it.

If you’re like most people, you thought it was a good idea. And it stopped there – probably you didn’t actually do it. That’s actually normal.

It’s the reason why the vital few, are so few.

Don’t you want something better for yourself?

So, plan today how you’re going to approach your marketing. Once you have it handled, most of your business headaches will disappear. You’ll be able to pay off your debts, and live how you want. You’ll have financial freedom.

I hope you’ll be one of the vital few. You’ve come so far, why stop now?