This post is written by Mike MacConnell (QMed, AccFM, AccIM), a family mediator and communication coach, former ADR Professor at Humber College, and author of The Yoga of Divorce. He founded Reflective Mediation in 2013, one of Google’s highest ranked family mediation services.
I opened my family mediation practice just over 10 years ago (2013). I now receive an average of 2 or 3 new inquiries per week and have no shortage of clients. I’m close to the top of page one of a Google search, thanks to lots of guidance in creating an online presence. For those of you struggling to build your practice, I’d like to share some tips that I hope you’ll find helpful.
Getting the Phone to Ring
It’s rarely a phone call these days, of course – more likely a Zoom session. Google steers potential clients to my online booking system (Calendly), where clients schedule a free-of-charge introductory meeting, with no back-and-forth messaging.
The Turning Point
It hasn’t been an easy road because, probably like you, I didn’t receive a word of advice about building a practice in any of the training courses I took. I learned how to work with clients, but not how to get them. My turning point came after struggling to connect and establish credibility with gatekeepers – that is, individuals who would act as referral sources. Then I located a social-media/marketing guru who convinced me that a modern business needs only one gatekeeper – Google.
DIY, with Support
I’ve built my business without paying anything for advertising. You don’t need ads if you can convince Google to send inquiries your way. Word of mouth is wonderful, but the only gatekeeper to please today is Google. Befriending the search engine required a range of skills I lacked – so I committed to investing in the expertise of people who could advise about social media and do things that I didn’t even know needed doing.
Know Your Identity
Your foundation for success must be a clear vision of what makes you unique. I recruited friends as sounding boards to help identify my unique offering. My background in mindfulness and teaching meant emphasizing relationship repair and communication skills. I developed a logo with an online aesthetic look that conveys a human touch, and then found an artist to create a digital version.
Website Support
I hired a website designer to create my site’s architecture and aesthetic feel, leaving me to concentrate on my skill set – writing content. Don’t skimp on your website – it’s the first impression you’ll be making for most potential clients, so it’s super important to look professional. You must be mobile-friendly, for example, which is often a weakness of DIY sites. Keep tweaking and making changes to the site after launching, such as adding blogs – this proves to Google that your business is real, lively, and always improving.
Social Media Coach
My epiphany came when I found my social media coach. Credibility today relies on your social media profile, but I have next to no natural interest in those sites. I searched and found a coach who understands that world – she clips short passages from my book, website, videos, or blogs, and posts them weekly on all the major platforms. I’m old school and a writer, so she pushes me to write a blog every month. None of this directly draws clients, but builds legitimacy when they hear about me and do a search.
Online Reviews
The most beneficial advice I received from my coach was to get Google reviews. This requires applying for a Google Business Profile, and then asking individuals to post online reviews. Ask anyone! Friends and family don’t need to pretend to be clients – they can comment quite honestly on your personal qualities. Google even provides a template for requesting a review. Be sure to embed the review’s URL in the request, to make it quick and easy to post. These reviews build trust beyond any claims you can make in an ad.
Get Out and Volunteer
I committed to get volunteer experience in the community at large, and being active in any way I could. I offered free talks to parent groups, appeared on podcasts, did ADR workshops for various organizations, and offered reduced-rate mediations (and even free to friends and a social service organization). I wrote and self-published a book, which helped as a launching pad for building legitimacy. These efforts were all about getting out there, building connections and a name, and putting in eight hours a day even when few of those hours were paid. This built my confidence and my connections.
What to Say When it Does
Communication and trust-building are core skills of a mediator, so I’ll be brief on this part.
Like most mediators, I offer a free introductory Zoom call – preferably with both parties present.
Welcome & Introduction
Thank them for inquiring about your service and for considering a non-adversarial process.
Provide reassurance that ADR not only resolves issues, but repairs relationships.
Tell them the goal today is not to make a decision, but to enable them to make an informed one.
Client Overview
Ask for a high-level overview of their current situation and goals.
Be empathetic and responsive, with active listening and clarifying questions.
Describe (Sell) the Process
Describe your recommended approach in clear, concrete steps.
Emphasize your role – i.e., to facilitate and manage the emotional climate, not be the decision-maker.
Stress benefits: low cost, flexible timing, confidentiality, clients as decision-makers.
Indicate how costs will be allocated.
Invite questions.
Outline Next Steps
Describe the steps in the process if they sign on (i.e., invoicing, Agreement to Mediate, etc.)
I hope you find these brief pointers helpful. I’m in the process of putting together a much more detailed resource soon.
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This post is written by Mike MacConnell (QMed, AccFM, AccIM), a family mediator and communication coach, former ADR Professor at Humber College, and author of The Yoga of Divorce. He founded Reflective Mediation in 2013, one of Google’s highest ranked family mediation services.
Reviewed and Edited by the ADRIO Newsletter Blog Committee in collaboration with Staff:
Babara Benoliel (Chair)
Ben Drory
Robyn Jacobson
Kim Parish
Tommy Lam (Staff)
The opinions expressed in the articles featured in this blog are that of the respective writers and do not represent the views of The ADR Institute of Ontario.