Using Results Oriented Services

A new client comes in, and the session is great.

At least you thought so, but she doesn't book a follow up appointment with you. So, as usual, you put your energy into finding as many new clients as possible with low-cost promotions, free samples at the mall or an event happening in your town, and big signage outside your office.

Let's face it. This is a never ending cycle of despair. All this work to keep your practice booked with new clients who often don't come back after the first session is frustrating, disappointing and exhausting.

There's got to be a better way!

Thank goodness there really is a better way. It happens when you design your practice around results oriented services. These services not only benefit your clients by helping them reach their goals; they also benefit you by keeping your appointment book filled with repeat clients. This means you no longer have to spend all that time and energy at street fairs trying to attract new clients with a free sample and coupon to try your services.

Take a nice big breath and let go of that cycle of despair! You are going to find this approach liberating and exciting. It will take a little pre-planning, but it's worth every second.

So let's explore this in a little bit more depth. So what are results oriented services? This is when you offer your clients a service package or program designed to help them meet their goals.

Here are some of examples:

• Instead of your usual one hour $80 massage, you offer your clients a "Relieve your Back Pain" package of 5 sessions for $350 (normally $400).
• Instead of that deeply relaxing one hour $70 Reiki or Polarity session, you offer a "Replace Chronic Stress with Chronic Relaxation" program of 6 weekly sessions for $360 (normally $420).
• Instead of a weekly drop-in yoga class for $15, you offer a "10 Weeks to a Better Body" yoga series for $125 (normally $150).
• Instead of new clients dropping in to try various services at your wellness center, you offer an "Introductory Package" that includes admission to 2 yoga classes, a 60 minute massage and 45 minute reflexology or reiki session for $140 (normally $170).

See where I'm going with this?

Results oriented services get your appointment book filled with repeat clients who pay in advance. How awesome is that?!

While some clients are going to stop coming in at the end of the package because they have achieved their goal successfully, others will sign up again because it makes their lives that much better. Either way, you have some happy clients on your hands who are going to tell their friends and family about how great they feel when they work with you.

Approaching your services this way is going to get you out of that promotional cycle of despair very quickly, as it fills your pipeline with happy repeat clients and the people they refer to you. The start of 2010 is a great opportunity to introduce some results oriented services to your clients, so see how to do it below.

Your Transformational Homework this week:

• Look over your notes about your special gifts, talents and skills and your unique niche. Use this information to start crafting results oriented packages or programs that will let clients experience your best work.
• Ask your current repeat clients what benefits they get from seeing you regularly and use this information to craft a special results oriented program just for people like them.
• Put together a couple of results oriented packages (no more than 2 or 3 to start) and email to your list, put up on your website or on a flyer. Talk about them to everyone you meet.
• Explain the value and invite your current and potential new clients to sign up for a program.
  

PS. If you find these steps valuable, and you're an emerging practitioner who needs so support in working through the steps so that you can transform your practice into an authentic, heart-centered, profitable practice, there's a workshop for you on January 10th. If you'd like to know more about how to apply these steps to transform your own emerging practice, join me at Learn the Ropes: Transforming your practice so it's profitable! here in Beverly, MA. Start off 2010 with all the keys you need for your practice to thrive!