John Follis, nationally known marketing maven and president of Follis Inc, talks about his new model for businesses with limited marketing budgets: Marketing Therapy.

So, what is Marketing Therapy?

The best way to answer that is to tell you how it began. Marketing Therapy was a happy accident. I'd gotten a call, out of the blue, from a woman who said she needed my help. She was struggling with her small business and was very anxious about getting my help. She'd heard me speak, she'd seen my agency's work, and she was referred to me. So, she was totally convinced that I was the guy. At the time, however, I was very busy running my Madison Avenue agency and wasn't interested in one-on-one consulting. It wasn't worth my time. But, she was relentless: "I heard you speak, I saw your website, and I think you're brilliant, can't you please help me?"

The woman was begging. So, I promised to think about it and, after much hard thought, presented to her with my consulting rate which I assumed she couldn't afford. I was wrong.

So, we set a date. She came to my office. She sat on my couch, and immediately began pouring her heart out. Though she clearly needed marketing help, it was also clear that there was a strong connection between her marketing and psychological issues. I could hear how her own fears, judgments, marketing perceptions (and misperceptions) where effecting her marketing issues. Consequently, I felt like part marketing expert, part therapist.

After a few productive sessions, we arrived at some cost-effective, creative solutions that got her business back on track. She was very grateful and "Marketing Therapy" was born.

So, the model initially consists of me asking a lot of key questions and then listening. Out of that will come my suggestions, which often turn into specific projects. If the client agrees to move forward I then pull my team together to complete the project. Sometimes the client just wants to have me on a monthly retainer to be available as needed. Itıs all very organic and client-friendly. Thatıs a big benefit of Marketing Therapy and often a reason itıs more successful than anything the client has tried before. Dozens of businesses have achieved exceptional results with increased sales, national press, etc.

Is there any documented support for this connection between marketing issues and psychological issues?

Psychologist, Dr. James Fadiman, says, "When we get stuck trying to reach a goal, it usually isn't because we need to learn a new technique. Rather, it's because we've run up against one or more internal barriers. Until we deal with those inner obstacles, all the good intentions, plans, and motivational strategies in the world won't be good enough to see us through to our goals."

You certainly have the marketing credentials. What qualifies you for the therapist part?

(Laugh) I don't claim to be a therapist. But, I am empathetic and I know what questions to ask to get clarity on the issue. And, I listen. I've learned that listening well allows you to pick up on what a client is feeling, not just what they're saying. Knowing that, and then addressing it, makes the process go smoother, faster, and better.

And what makes you a good listener?

Ha! Well, I'm truly fascinated by peoples' businesses: what they do, how they do it, the challenges they face. That's the main thing. But also, when I was in my 20's, I volunteered for a 24-Hour Telephone Crisis Line. They wouldn't allow anyone on the lines who wasn't willing to go through an intense 50-hour training course. I took the training and learned some great listening skills which I still use.

Was there ever a situation when Marketing Therapy didn't work?

Sadly, yes...once. I began working with a woman who claimed she needed help, and hired me, but then wasn't taking the action I was suggesting. I didn't get it. So, I reminded her that she needed to take the action if she wanted to stand out from her competition. She responded: "I have no competition." Her business was computer consulting and web design. I think she needed a different kind of therapist.