ABSTRACT
Because I want to work with clients rather than look at a list of enquiries that never made it to my front door, I want to do everything humanly possible to help them make that first assessment appointment happen (if appropriate). Of course, if I worked as part of a larger counselling service, I may have the luxury of systems and support and of other people helping make that appointment happen—perhaps a trained receptionist to listen to the client’s first tentative steps, answer questions, and book an appointment. In the early days of my practice, when I frequently couldn’t pick up the landline (because of being with a client, or because of being away from the office), all I could offer my timid enquirers was an answerphone that many of 160them failed to respond to. I “lost” a lot of clients, and potentially a lot of business.
