After hearing the same frustration from my practitioners at THC month after month about how difficult it is for them to transition people interested in their services into clients, I decided to bring my friend Catie Shoenfarber in to share her success techniques and strategies for turning contacts into clients. Catie has been in the wellness business for over 10 years.
Before she began her workshop, she started with having us write our answers to the following 5 questions. If turning contacts into clients is a challenge for you, why don't you pause and jot down your own answers to Catie's questions.
1. What is your next available appointment date and time?
2. How long did it take for you to answer that question?
3. On a scale of 1 - 10 (1 lowest, 10 highest) how successful is your practice
4. What are your 3 main goals this year?
5. What are your 3 greatest strengths in your practice
These questions are important because they indicate how prepared you are to turn a contact into a client when you meet them. According to Catie, the key things you need to transform someone into a client include having your availability at your fingertips, knowing what you're really good at doing in your practice, and recognizing the magical moment of connection with the person in front of you.
(By the way, Catie's advice reflects what I learned at the Sacred Moment Seminar with Sufi Master Mark Silver back in February.)
Making a confident, heart-centered offer while face to face with someone is the best opportunity for transitioning an interested person into a client. In a client ~ practitioner relationship, it's your responsibility to make it as seamless and easy for someone to book a session as possible. Handing them your card and walking away is a lost opportunity. Catie emphasized that making a heart-centered offer EVERY time is the way to start filling the pipeline of your business.
So, how do you create a heart-centered offer?
Your offer needs to be positive, specific and include your next available session (up to 3 options) as well as your confidence that you can help the person. Catie suggested crafting formulas for your offers that you can practice until they become second nature. Choose your offers based on your goals for the year to help you meet them.
An example of a specific, heart-centered offer is: "I understand your situation, and I can help you. This is what I specialize in, and I have been able to help other clients reach the same place. I would love to work with you in reaching your goals, here are my openings this week." Tweak this offer with specific details about your own practice.
Don't hand the responsibility over to the client to contact you later to schedule the appointment. Catie pointed out that you offering a specific appointment time is your commitment to this potential client. Making a commitment first makes it much easier and less scary for a potential client to commit to an appointment with you.
One of the challenges practitioners run into is fear of rejection. We all feel it from time to time, but it's important to learn how to keep your heart open and allow it to be ok if the person doesn't say yes. Trusting in abundance, filling your heart with love, practicing the Remembrance are all ways to practice keeping your heart open no matter what the other person says or does.
My rule of thumb is to expect that 90 percent of my offers are refused this time, so I keep offering until I connect with that 10% who are ready to work with me today. I trust that keeping my heart open and flowing with love will attract the people who need my help the most, and it's ok when people who aren't ready say no. It's not about me, it's not personal. It's about them and where they are at today. It takes a little practice to shift into this perspective, but it's very rewarding when you do!
Practice making specific offers to the people you meet every day. You'll find that before you know it, your calendar is full!
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