Archive for the ‘Marketing Plan’ category

Helping Others with Holistic Health

May 18th, 2011

I've yet to meet someone who has an interest in training in a holistic therapy who hasn't a passion for helping others.  That's the real motivation factor for most in the holistic health field.  So how can you help more people? How can you help more people book an appointment with you? Because you know your therapy can help them.  Well first of all it's necessary to help them come to a decision.  Prospective clients are looking at your brochure, website or business card for specific information. They have a problem they are seeking help, and it's that problem that's top of mind.  Does your brochure, website or business card "speak to them"? Does it connect with what they want, does it position you as the expert and help them feel understood?

When a client feels understood, it can be a huge relief to them.  That you are the answer to their prayers.  Think about how you can help your clients even BEFORE they become clients.  You see if they don't connect with you, it doesn't matter how pretty your logo is, or how professional your website looks, if they don't undrstand what you offer, if it's difficult to find your contact details, they'll probably not pick up the phone.  It's scary for clients to pick up the phone, to trust another person and go the holistic route.  I think sometimes we underestimate how difficult that can be for others.

So to summarise:

1. Make your message clear

2. Ensure your message is relevant to your target market

3. Each page should have one clear objective – what do you want each page to DO.

4. Remember, your client is looking for a solution – they actually don't really care what therapy it is, only that it'll help.

5. Trust is a big issue for new clients, so demonstrate your expertise, share testimonials, and have a keep in touch system so they can get to know you over time.

If you want to help more people, get clear on who you can help.

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Posted in Marketing Plan, Websites

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Breast Cancer, Bullying and Blogging

September 6th, 2010

This week it is B, and I’ve got a lots to explore with you.  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

While everyone’s lives have been directly or indirectly affected by the big C, this week’s letter is B, so today I’m referring to Breast Cancer, because September is Breast Cancer awareness month.  I’ve also known a number of friends diagnosed with breast cancer.  I’m also mentioning this today because it’s a good idea to know your “why”, or Big reason to be in Business.  For some it may because of a charity you support or other benevolent fund, which will help keep you motivated.  You’re in this world to help others, so if you have a big why, this will pull you though the rough times, and motivated to keep you aiming high and big!

Have a think about this.  Maybe your why is to Be your own Boss?  For your family, for Better Balance, to be Busy doing the work you love?

So what stops you from being successful?  Are you a bully? No, not to others, to yourself.  You know who I mean, that inner voice that talks to you all the time, those words that if you said them out loud to another, would be considered downright rude.  It is often that negative voice that is attached to the past, but keeping you there.  What negative things do you say to yourself? To get you started here’s a few common ones – I’m boring, I’m too shy, I’m not good enough, I’m not pretty, I’m not exciting, I’m not ….. The Bully often shouts when you risk growing.  The authentic self, who you really are, is a whisper. You have to listen carefully (which is hard when the bully is browbeating you) to hear that small voice within.  In order to stop the bully you first of all have to be aware of it. And then shut it off. Not easy, but it is possible to reframe who you are now.

Marketing

Marketing is the act of letting people know you exist.  So what marketing materials do you use to get our message out.  Relying on only one, would be risky.  Using many methods will increase your results.

I recommend that you treat your holistic practice as a Business and would set aside some time to focus on your marketing materials.  Now, you don’t have to wait to they are all perfect, being busy can too easily become procrastination – putting it off making it perfect.  So this week I want to look at your basic marketing materials:

What does your Brochure say about you?

If you haven’t looked at your promotional Brochure for a while, have a look now with fresh eyes.  Are their any typos? Is it clear, or confusing? Would you Book an appointment? And is that what you want the reader to do? Is it clear what is the next step?

Next have a look at your business card?  Does it have all your contact information on it (that you want). My local health store has a loyalty card – yay, and when I wanted to check if they had my favourite brand of toothpaste, I realised there was no telephone number on it!!   So check J

Think about the benefits of what you do?

When you talk about what you do, what you are, in terms of your therapy, (like, I’m a Kinesiologist, I’m a Reflexologist) you’ll often lose people.  I’m sure you’ve seen it.  You’re talking to someone at a networking event or party, and you start to explain what chakras are, what meridians are, zones, and you can see it, the person listening hasn’t connected.  You see what you’re talking about is more around the features of what you do.  It’s like an architect talking to you about pencils and paper, CAD, plans, drawings, etc.  Not very interesting really.

You have to talk about the benefits to the person.  Things will get much easier when you talk about how the other person benefits.  So when the architect talks about the wonderful homes he’s designed, how he was able to capture the beautiful scenery from the sitting room window, the delighted customers who are so happy with their house, he’s talking about the benefits.  Think WIIFM – what’s in it for me – the reader/listener – why should I listen?

Yes, you can talk about features, but only once you’ve connected by talking about the Benefits.

And finally, my last B for this week is Blogging.  Blogging is a great way to create a website quickly and easily.  You can even have a blog, created and hosted for free!  Visit blogger.com or wordpress.com, and create one today.

Yes, But ….. Sounds like a bit of hard work. I know you’re busy!  However, these blogging sites are the best way to have a presence on the web, fast, for free, and you don’t even need any design or technical skills.  It’ll be done. And that trumps everything J

Imperfect action, Beats inaction.

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Posted in A-Z of Marketing and Motivation, Marketing Plan, Mindset

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A-Z of Marketing and Motivation for Holistic Healers

August 21st, 2010

Let’s start this week with “A”

Alive

When do you feel alive, really alive? For me, I still remember the feeling when I first experienced Reflexology and then when I first experienced Kinesiology. Wow, I felt so … well … Alive!  And it keeps on happening, it’s almost surprising in a way.  So I imagine, when you receive a treatment in the therapy of your choice, you also feel it?  Another time I feel alive is when I come back after a busy day with clients – because of the positive impact I’m making to the world around me and the people in it.  I think for most holistic therapists, it’s why we felt drawn to train in the first place, to fill this need to help other people.

Ambition

I remember a teacher of mine saying, “no one becomes an holistic therapist to make their millions”. And maybe she’s right.  How many professions IS it possible to become a millionaire from, and is it what YOU want?  What is possible in your mind?  I was at a seminar earlier this year, when the speaker pointed out that it is possible to live like a millionaire on a LOT less.  If you had more money, what would you do with it? More holidays every year, bigger car, bigger house, pay off debts, go on another holiday, make charitable donations, give it away to family, buy an expensive watch, buy a boat?  He suggested making a list of all the things you’d like to buy, things you’d like to do, and find out – really find out, how much it would it all cost. You might be surprised how little you would need to live like a millionaire!  However, all this really depends on your Ambition.

So let’s look at this word, Ambition.  What does it say to you, how does it make you feel? Is it a word that strikes you as positive, or negative.  Because essentially, success boils down to -  How much do you want it? … “It” being whatever you dream about.  What stops you from pursuing your dreams – old patterns? Resistance? Fears?

Fears hold you back from taking Action, so change your mindset or attitude to one away from that fear. Make a decision to move forward.

Abundance

You see, there are enough potential clients in your local area (regardless of town size, population, or competition). Truly, there are!  “So why don’t more of them come to see me?”, I hear you cry.  Well, they’ve just never heard of you or don’t know you can help them. Make a list of all the ways that potential clients can currently can find you.  That’s what marketing is all about.  How do people KNOW that you are in practice?

Action

Nothing happens until something moves.   Think of when a car breaks down and you have to push it.  It takes so much more energy to get that car rolling than it does to keep it moving.  The biggest hurdle people face is taking action, anything to get started.  But when you start, you build momentum, and motivation.

You can change your life today by simply spending 10 minutes doing something that will bring you closer to your goals, do something today to start building the momentum.  I believe everyone can find 10 minutes in their day.

So write an Article, Answer some frequently Asked questions to get you started with your first Article.  Just DO something, because with that first Action step, you’ll start to build momentum, have an Abundance of clients, and more people will feel Alive, as a result of your Ambition to do good in this world.

Wow, A lot of As!!

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Posted in A-Z of Marketing and Motivation, Article Writing, Marketing Plan, Mindset

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How To Fill Your Appointment Book

August 10th, 2010

What 3 kinds of systems should therapists have, to market their practice?

Find out the 3 Best Ways to Connect with Clients

What should you say on the phone to get that appointment?

What should you say in the session to get repeat business?

Should practitioners create multi-treatment programs?

Learn the 3 Top Simple promotions to use that are fun and create a buzz for your practice/clinic.

Where should practitioners/therapists be putting their time and energy into finding their ideal clients?

All this and more will be covered when Siobhan Guthrie interviews Irene Diamond of SuccessfulMassageTherapist.org on Thursday 12 August. Click here for more details

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Posted in Charging Fees/money, Marketing Plan, Mindset, Uncategorized

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5 Simple Steps to Writing Your First Article FAST

August 9th, 2010

Like the idea of writing articles, but struggling to know what to say and how to get started?

Let me start by saying a blank page is NOT a good place to start.  I’m sure you’ve heard me say that writing articles is a great way to share your expertise and help your prospective clients find you.  Through the article they get to know you and trust you can help them.  However, if you’re stumbling at the first hurdle – WHAT to write about, let’s first of all address what’s underlying this very real block – the fear of getting started.

For many it brings you right back to school and when you had to write essays for teachers who would assess how “good” it was.  We become very self-conscious and worried, and we get stuck asking “What would I say”, “who would listen”, “would it be good enough”. We have to overcome the fear of failure, fear of success, the fear of standing out and being different!  And the only way to BLAST through these fears is to take Action.

So here are my 5 simple steps to writing articles, and making it easier to get over Writers Block.

Step 1. Get yourself into the right “state”.
You are the expert. Believe in what you know.  What I’m saying is YOU already know way more than you even realise.  You’ve trained often for years in holistic health and your therapy. You are an expert, so now it’s time to share it with others who really need to know about your service, solutions to their problems, and relief from their pain.
BREATHE

Step 2. Pick a topic around what you do (that you LOVE to talk about)
Maybe it’s around massage, reflexology OR maybe it’s around the a health problem you help with.  Then list 3, 4 or as many “tips”, or  “steps”, as you like, that you can write one line about. For example – 4 Workouts for Summer Confidence; 3 Ways to Avoid Back Pain; 5 Tips to Beautiful Skin etc etc. Then list Tip #1 – Tip #2 -   And write just ONE line.
BREATHE

Step 3. Start with the end in mind.
Many writers like to start with the ending. This means they can backtrack but know where the story is going and what’s going to happen. You can do this too for your articles, and gives great clarity to the process. Think about what do you want your ideal client to know by the time they read your article.

Step 4. Take each tip and expand it.
Write one paragraph for each tip that you’ve written in #2 above. It could be something that is useful for the reader, a health suggestion, or even something to avoid. It’s up to you and what you’re writing about.  This is not about what the teacher says. It’s about what you want to say to your reader – so use your natural voice.  Imagine you’re saying it to one person, your ideal client for example. Keep what you say simple.
BREATHE

Step 5. Write and publish.
They say Revenge is Sweet – and if you have a teacher in your past who didn’t “like” what you wrote, now is the time to prove them wrong. Keep Step #1 top of mind. You are the expert, what you know is valuable to others.  It does not need to be perfect, but it does need to get finished.

  • Spell check it
  • look at the overall layout,
  • read it out loud – does it flow?

Start writing your articles using Step 1-4 above and give yourself a deadline to help make this a shorter process than it could be become.  Then look at how you’re going to get your articles out there.  Writing them is the first hurdle, the next hurdle is to get them seen.

Publishing -

  • submit your article to online article directories such as EzineArticles.com,
  • put them on your website,
  • send them to your local newspaper,
  • send them to clients via your own newsletter,
  • leave them in your clinic reception for people to read.

There is no value in writing lots of articles, if you don’t let them be seen!

Good luck. Make a decision today to write your first article, set a deadline, choose a topic, and start writing.  Oh, and BREATHE!

Then let me know what your first article topic is going to be about – just submit a comment after this post.

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Posted in Article Writing, Marketing Plan

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Need clients in your local area for your Holistic Biz?

July 29th, 2010

Free Teleseminar TODAY

If you’ve always wondered if health shows are worth the effort to get clients, then listen in today to Irene Diamond of SuccessfullMassageTherapist.org interview me.  I’ve been taking booths/stands at health shows for over 14 years and I’ll help you ensure your next event is successful and help you build your practice with more clients.

Click here to register :

http://bit.ly/9KO7Qp

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Posted in Advertising, Marketing Plan

How to get known – FAST

June 29th, 2010

If you aren’t talking to lots (100s) of people every month about your business then its unlikely you are reaching enough people.  For more info, click here

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Are You Afraid of being Pushy?

June 8th, 2010

Often the worry about “marketing” is that it’s perceived as being the pushy car salesman, timeshare representatives or someone with an expensive product to sell.  I say that last one because I recently was at a health show (as an exhibitor), and after setting up had a couple of hours to spare, wandered round to see what goodies were on display, and pick up information that would be valuable to my clients and me.

I saw this amazing machine that juiced, blended, cooked, I mean EVERYTHING.  It did pretty much absolutely everything.  And unknown to the “salesman” I’m pretty interested in this type of equipment, and told him that we did in fact have a great blender, that we loved, and used every day. But I asked him “tell me what this one does?”

He tells me that professional chefs use it to make soup in minutes (time saving), this one machine does multiple jobs (convenient) and although expensive, would over time save money! I’m kinda hooked at this stage.  But does he know? No. In fact he starts to say that his machine is so much better than my blender (suggesting I was silly to fall for their sales pitch), that I paid way too much for it (silly again), and continued to rubbish my buying decision. Hmmmm.

You see I don’t think it’s necessary to “bash” another product/therapy/company in order to prove how good yours is. It should stand alone, with all its benefits, uniqueness and solutions it provides.  This salesperson was so wrapped up in his product that he forgot what I wanted.  And he wasn’t going about that the right way.

I’m sure we all have experiences like this. And it’s a pity because it’s so unnecessary. But bad experiences affect how we feel, react and carry out marketing and promotions for our clinics.  And because we don’t want to be perceived as the pushy salesperson, nor want to bombard people with our advertising, and certainly don’t want to be “too commercial”, we feel stuck, disillusioned and blame outside influences when our practice isn’t growing.

When writing your promotional materials, giving talks about your treatments, going to health shows where you’ll meet potential clients, networking events, or writing articles, ALWAYS be thinking, how can a build a relationship with these people to see if they are a good match for what I offer?  Maybe they are, or maybe they aren’t.  You’re only finding out if they are interested in having a conversation with you – not asking them to commit to buying from you.  How can I explain what I do so that they better understand?

Have you ever bought from a good “salesperson”? Of course you have.  Buying is often VERY enjoyable.  If you’ve ever bought a pair of shoes because the salesperson took the time and found the best pair of heels for you, then didn’t that feel good?

  • Find out what your clients want.
  • Explain it in their language.
  • Offer your solution to those who have expressed an interest.

I found this quote from S.H. Simmons, author and humorist, that may help explain the difference:

“If a young man tells his date she’s intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he’s saying the right things to the right person and that’s marketing.

If the young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is — that’s advertising.

If someone else tells the young woman how handsome, smart and successful her date is — that’s public relations.”

—-

I felt inspired to share my pushy salesman experience because I know we would hate others to feel that way by our attempts to market our practice.  Be assured though that we have to find a way to share our message that helps others to see the benefits of our service, because there is such a need for what we do.

Don’t let the fear of pushiness result in inaction.

Get Clients For your Holistic Practice


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How to Get Clients for your Holistic Practice

May 27th, 2010

Want to create an holistic marketing plan that reflects your passion, ethics and purpose in life?

I’m delighted to introduce you to my friend and mentor, Bernadette Doyle, who for over 7 years has been helping practitioners just like you to attract more clients, so you can spend more time doing what you love – working with clients – and less time hunting for business. She’s going to share with you how to have the success you deserve – a lot more easily than you think.

Your success does depend on some basic “business savvy” … and on this call we’ll show you how to get it quickly even if you’ve never dreamt of being “in business” because your passion is to help people. Listen to Bernadette as she shares with you her secrets that guarantees you’ll be sharing the stage with well established practitioners, even if you’re just starting out.

We’ll show you how to market your practice so you can impact other people’s lives with your skills, and help you find that inner confidence to follow your life’s passion that others will be inspired by.

This call is especially for therapists, holistic practitioners and health coaches.  You must register in advance to get al the call details (and how to listen in over the net, so no call charges either).

And just as Dale Carnegie says: “If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

More Details on How to Get Clients to your Holistic Practice

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Posted in Marketing Plan, Mindset

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