When launching your nutrition private practice, creating a compelling professional profile is one of the first step in developing your brand and connecting with your target client.

Gaining a steady stream of new clients is one of the biggest challenges in building a successful nutrition practice. It can be extremely tedious and time consuming to seek out new clients. Many of our dietitians report that they consistently receive a new stream of client referrals through HealthProfs.

Recently, online healthcare directories like HealthProfs have emerged as convenient ways for prospective clients to find (and book) with a provider. All platforms are free for prospective clients to browse, while healthcare providers may need to pay a monthly fee to be listed.

These sites have invested heavily in SEO, so their listings will often appear at the top of Google and Bing search results. This will increase your online visibility and your prospective client leads.

There is an unlimited number of client leads that could be generated each month. However, paying to be on a directory like HealthProfs is simply not enough. if your profile is lacking, so will your referrals! Spending the time to create an effective professional profile will resonate with prospective clients and highlight why you’re the best provider for them. Crafting your profile is a science — and may not be intuitive.

If you’re ready to start your HealthProfs profile, being referred by another provider on the platform will qualify you for their 6 months free introductory offer.

The Fundamentals

Profile Picture:

A profile picture is the first step to connect with prospective clients. A friendly face goes a lot further than no picture, which adds an (unwanted) layer of mystery. There’s a certain amount of trust and comfort that your photos will convey. This will have clients more ready to book a session. To build brand consistency, ideally we recommend using the same photo that you use across your website and social media profile pictures.

Pictures of you in your actual counseling space will help you appear relatable to clients. Even if you have a virtual practice, try to include pictures of yourself with your computer in your telehealth office.

Address and Phone:

Although filling out your contact information may be straightforward, there’s a few things to be mindful of. HealthProfs give you the option of including or excluding your practice address. If you’re a telehealth dietitian, you may not want to list your home office on a public listing. Be sure to check off “hide my address” if you’d prefer.

With HealthProfs, you’ll primarily receive phone calls from prospective clients as opposed to emails. It may be worth investing in a separate work line if you’d rather not have calls coming into your private cell. Another options is to request a protected number within HealthProfs. This will allow HealthProfs to prescreen for “nuisance calls,” and then forwarding you the real client requests via email or text. A protected number is free, and helps you keep your personal information safe. Healthie’s EHR + Telehealth software provides a client portal, client retention strategies, and much more.

HealthProfs also is a great directory for dietitians who have telehealth practices. 32 states have passed parity laws, which means that services that are reimbursable in-person are reimbursable through telehealth.

Website:

When using HealthProfs, clients will be able to connect with you via email or phone number. If you have a website for your practice, make sure that your website link is visible in your profile. Clients who liked your profile will almost always click to your website to learn more. Having a website adds credibility to your business and is another way you can boost your online visibility to prospective clients.

To make it even easier, clients can book directly with you through your website using Healthie through our simple integration.

Credentials:

Healthprofs allows you to enter your credential or license information but you need to email them proof of your credentials or licensure. Be sure to follow-up with HealthProfs and confirm that you’ve been verified. You’ve done the work to get your credentials, make sure your profile reflects this!

You can embed the “Verified by HealthProfs” seal to your website. This can add a professional look to your site. To find the code, scroll to the bottom of the “Name” page when editing your profile. You’ll see a link “add verified seal to website.” You can adjust the size and color of the seal and then “copy” the HTML to add to your website.

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Did you know? You can add the Powered by Healthie badge to your website as well. With several color options, you can find the image that best fits your brand.

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Specialties & Treatment Preferences:

When filling out your HealthProfs profile, you’ll be able to select five main “specialties” from a dropdown and then check off additional client “issues” that you work with. Your main specialties should be selected keeping your ideal client in mind. You may want to select more “general” options to cast a wider net and then check off any “issues,” that you feel comfortable working with. Don’t sell yourself short here!

HealthProfs allows you to also free-text additional issues. If there other conditions you feel comfortable working with that aren’t listed, here’s the place to do so. Try to spell out the full condition (eg. IBD may not be as identifiable as Inflammatory Bowel Disease), and give it quick spell check before saving.

Treatment Techniques and Styles:

The next section of your HealthProfs profile asks for you treatment technique and styles. This is a the place to highlight your unique services or approaches. HealthProfs allows you to free text any additional services or approaches you may have. For example, if you’re also a personal trainer, yoga instructor, if you offer group sessions or do grocery tours, this is where you should list that.

Client Focus:

Your client focus section of your HealthProfs profile allows you to check off any specific gender, age range and language that you prefer to work with. This is an important criteria for finding connecting with your ideal client. Don’t check off and languages that you’re not 100% comfortable working with. Your best client interactions are with clients that you feel like you can identify with and help the most!

Finances:

HealthProfs allows your fill out a detailed amount of financial information including average session costs, payment methods and insurance information. HealthProfs allows self-pay and insurance accepting dietitians to list on the directory.

As a professional, unless you offer some of the lowest costs around, you may want to consider leaving the “average session cost,” blank. Indicating a price range for your services, accepting sliding-scale payments and offering free in-person initial consultations may take away from your value. You’ve worked hard to become the professional that you are, and clients should feel that your services are valuable.

Personal Statement:

Healthie provider and dietitian Gabbi Berkow, MA, RD, CDN, CPT launched her NYC-based practice after graduating from Columbia University in 2013. Despite having her unique expertise to offer and an intense drive to grow her business, she was feeling frustrated by the lack of clients booking sessions. After working extensively on crafting her personal statement, she started to see her practice explode.

Gabbi explains, “your clients want to feel understood, so build trust from your first sentence. Yes, you can build a connection with someone through your HealthProfs profile, if you construct your personal statement with care.”

The best provider profiles convey emotion, talk about your background and introduce what it’s like to work with you. The first three lines of your “personal statement” is the snippet that prospective clients see when scrolling through providers. If your statement talks about how you can help your clients, the more likely a prospective client will click to learn more.

Answer these four major questions in your profile

Think about your target clients’ main challenges. What nutritional issues are they struggling with?

The first thing you need to determine when crafting your personal statement is determine who you are speaking to. For Gabbi, her main client is the women who is frustrated with fad diets; she’s not eating carbs, she’s doing a ton of cardio but she’s still not losing weight.

She elaborates, “I specialize in sports nutrition and eating disorders and healthy lifestyle changes — so I write my profile for THOSE clients but I made sure to craft my profile to also address the other groups I specialize in.”

Once you know who you are writing about, it’s helpful to think about what they are struggling with. Essentially, what has your client tried so far and what are the results they’ve gotten so far? In one concise sentence, Gabbi writes,

“Are you struggling to lose weight, develop muscle tone, find an exercise plan that works, manage a health condition, or heal your relationship with your body and food?”‍

How can you help them change their life?

Prospective clients are searching for a dietitian because they need to make a change in their life. Each clients’ nutritional needs are unique, but they all are seeking guidance and education. They are hoping you can help them. Think of your target client, and word your personal statement thinking of the solutions you can provide them.

“Gabbi Berkow offers a comprehensive, holistic health platform that provides all the nutrition and exercise solutions your need. Listening to your unique needs and circumstances, Gabbi will guide you through personalized nutrition and exercise solutions that will help you get results and keep them for life.”‍

How are you qualified to help?

This is the place to talk about your credentials and qualifications. You have the training, education and experience to help your client, so make you prospective client feel confident in your services and expertise. Remember that you aren’t writing your whole resume. Prospective client’s want to hear the highlights of your background and education, they most likely aren’t interested in a full resume. Keep your professional qualifications short, concise and effective.

“As a registered dietitian with a Masters in Exercise Physiology from Columbia, as well as a certified personal trainer, Pilates teacher, and lifelong dancer…”‍

What makes YOU as a provider unique?

As dietitians, our experiences and journey towards a career in nutrition is individual. Our approaches, techniques and belief are unique to us. Share this in your profile, as it will allow a client to feel a connection with you.

“Gabbi’s expertise in nutrition AND exercise is unique. Her knowledge and experience enable her to give you sound, customized nutrition and exercise guidance that meets all of your goals and needs.”

Common mistakes to avoid when writing a personal statement

• Speak in terms that are relatable to your client, avoid scientific jargon
• Talk about your client and their needs and avoid
• Avoid sounding overly professional. It’s ok to write in first person and really connect with your client through your statement.
• Skip putting listing your prices, it can deter clients. Gabbi points out, “price equals value, and people want to see your value first before matching a price.”

Now that you’ve followed our outline for crafting your personal statement and you’ve checked it over to avoid common mistakes, it’s time to revise! Gabbi suggests asking a few friends, colleagues or family members to look through your profile. Get their honest feedback, would they book a session with you based on what they read? If you’re hearing consistent comments across the board, it’s worth making revisions.

Your profile may have to go through many revisions before you feel confident in it, and that’s ok! As your building your brand and your practice, you’re going to want to revisit your profiles from time to time.

Target your Healthprofs listing

Once you’re happy with your personal statement, you can update any other professional listings you may have. For consistency in your brand, use your statement on your website and in any other directories you’ve posted your business on. Even snippits of your profile can be used on social platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

HealthProfs will automatically show your profile listing when clients are searching in the zipcode you indicated in your business address. If you already have a profile but having been receiving much traffic, scroll down to the bottom of your profile and click “target your listing.” From here you’ll be allowed to add up to four more cities or zip codes.

For example, if you’re a New York City based practice, but you’re only listed in 10018, your profile likely won’t show up if a client searches for a dietitian in “New York City.” Be strategic about the cities or zip codes you choose. If you are a completely virtual dietitian, you may want to consider listing five major cities.