How To Succeed with Your Therapy or Healing Practice in a Recession
Over the past few months several people have contacted me wanting help marketing who have had
a full practice in the past. They were not only suffering from a lull in their client-load, but they were worried
about the future of their practice due to the recession.
Contrasted with that are the emails I have recently received from some former clients whose practices
are so full they are turning clients away. The recession doesn’t seem to be impacting on their practices at all.
What is the difference between these two groups?
The main difference between them is that those who are turning clients away are actively marketing.
Research shows that businesses that succeed in a recession are the ones that increase their marketing.
As a therapist or healing professional, marketing during a recession also leaves you in a much stronger position when the recession ends.
So if you want more therapy or healing clients, you will need to spend more time out there spreading the word.
Here are a few more things that you can do to get your therapy or healing practice through the recession:
Have a Positive Attitude
People seem to love to talk about negative things. Yes, we are in a recession, but we don’t have to focus on
all the doom and gloom that is out there. Limit the time you spend listening to the news and to people who only seem to want to dwell on the tough times. Reflect on what is working in your practice and stay
focused on your plan.
Look for Opportunities
There are always opportunities around us that we miss. Even when we do see them
we often don’t take advantage of them. Watch for opportunities and grab onto the ones
that are likely to bring you closer to your goals. Be mindful that some of the best opportunities
present themselves when you least expect them.
Track Your Return on Your Investment (ROI)
Do you know where your clients are coming from?
Where are you spending your marketing dollars and what kind of return are they bringing you?
This is the time to take a close look at which marketing strategies are bringing in the most clients and
increase them.
Increase the Value You Provide
Go the extra mile for your clients. Provide better service or add something new to your
existing services. Perhaps you want to create a new article to give away for free to clients, past clients
and existing newsletter subscribers.
Choose to Succeed
One of the characteristics of people who succeed is that they make a choice
to succeed. They seek out information and people to support them. They do
whatever it takes. They have a mindset that won’t let them fail, regardless of what happens.
What are you doing to make sure you succeed through the recession?
Therapists, Coaches and Healers: Are You Chasing Your Prospects Away from Your Website?
Many people assume that when their web visitors land at their website they read almost everything that’s there.
In most cases, this is far from what happens…In fact, your visitors maybe taking a fast exit.
And that is definitely NOT what you want to happen.
Not only do you need to give your web visitors a reason to stick around and read about what you have to offer, you need to make sure you don’t give them a reason to run!
Here are 5 reactions that cause potential clients to leave your site and never return:
1. Confusion
Shortly after they arrive, your potential clients want to know if the site has what they are looking for. If you have an unclear, unfocused or ambiguous message they will feel confused. When people get confused they become agitated, and when they are agitated they leave.
Make sure your site is clearly focused on a specific target market. Have a focused headline that helps them
determine whether or not you have what they want, and make sure your offer is clear.
2. Overwhelm
Does your site overwhelm your visitor with too many elements? Too many graphics, too many colors,
or too many offers? Overwhelm makes people want to get out of there as fast as they can. Keep the number of elements on your pages limited, and allow plenty of white space to make it easy to see the things you want them to see.
3. Boredom
Does your copy sound bland or boring? Does it make the reader say, “ho-hum”? Prospective clients are not
going to want to hire someone whose website bores them. Have engaging riveting copy that keeps people
glued to your site so they get excited about working with you. Make them feel hopeful that what you
have to offer can help them solve their problems.
4. Impatience
Don’t make your visitors frantically search around trying to find the information they want. Causing your
prospects to feel impatient will obviously be a big turn-off. Make the experience of navigating your website easy and pleasant. This will encourage them to come back as often as possible.
5. Indecision
Don’t leave your web visitors with unanswered questions. When people don’t have all the information they need to make a decision, guess what? They don’t make a decision. They hesitate. They wait. And if they hesitate, they leave your site and may never come back. You can make sure that people don’t leave undecided by giving them the information they need in order to make a decision.
(By the way, do you know what information your target market is seeking? If not, you probably want to find out.)
It is well known that people “buy” based on their emotions. If you are causing your web visitors to experience negative emotions when they visit your site, you will be the one experiencing the negative emotions when you next look at your bank account!
Want to make sure your website isn’t chasing potential clients away?
Check out the Client-Attracting Websites Home Study Program.
Website Content or Website Copy: What’s on Your Healing or Counselor Website?
If you read my December newsletter you will know that starting on February 5 for the first time ever I am offering a website coaching program called the Client-Attracting Websites Coaching Program. This program is for those wanting guidance and advice on how to make their websites attract more clients.
Over the next 5 weeks I am going to be sharing some of the secrets to having a successful website that we will be putting
into practice in the Client Attracting Websites Coaching Program.
By “secrets” I mean the tried and true, proven scientific principals of websites that attract clients.
The sad reality is that most therapists, coaches and health care professionals are still unaware of these principles, and as a
result, their websites are not attracting nearly the number of clients that they should be.
So, here comes the first secret….
A client-attracting website has client-attracting copy, not simply written content.
Huh?
What does that mean?
Let’s begin with some definitions.
Website content is any content you have on your site. The main purpose of website content is to provide information to people.
Unfortunately, most websites only consist of content and it’s also what most web designers focus on because they don’t know
any better.
Website copy is also content that provides information, but it goes one step further (and it’s a big step)…
The main purpose of website copy is to get people to take action once they land at your site. This action could be to get people
to sign-up for your newsletter or call you to set up an appointment.
Compelling web copy is the single most important aspect of a healing or counseling website that attracts clients.
People go to your website to find out what you have to offer them. It’s your job to show them how they will benefit from
working with you or from buying something from you. You will have to convince them that they will likely get what they want
from taking the action(s) that you want them to take.
Now of course website content– if it’s well done– will usually attract some clients, but client-attracting website copy will
typically attract a lot more.
How do I know that compelling web copy attracts more therapy or healing clients?
Because it’s been proven over and over.
Many expert copywriters are fanatical about testing their copy.They write different versions of web pages and then test the
results they get. Changing even one word in a headline on a website has been shown to increase response rates by up to 100%
or more.
So, if you want to have client-attracting web copy on your site and want help while you write it, come and join us in the
Client Attracting Websites Coaching Program that begins on February 5.
Writing your client-attracting web copy will be one of the main benefits you will gain from joining us in the coaching program.
I will not only be showing you how to write client-attracting web copy in the coaching program, I will be available to provide
you with personalized guidance, advice and feedback on your copy each and every week for 9 weeks.
I want to help you have your client-attracting website copy completed at least by the end of April, if not sooner.
Sign-up now as the early bird deadline expires January 15.
I can’t wait to “see” you in the program!
Cheers,
Juliet
PS. You can save $50 if you sign up by January 15.Click here to find out more.
PPS. Not ready to join us in the Coaching Program? You can still get the information in the Client-Attracting Websites Home Study
Program and work through the material on your own. Don’t hesitate though…the price goes up for that on January 16 as
well. Click here for more information.
UPDATE: The next Client-Attracting Websites Coaching Program begins on September 10, 2009. The Early bird deadline expires on August 27, 2009. Check it out.