Marketing Your Alternative Health Private Practice, Part III
These strategies are tried and proven. Remember during the first 100-day period of implementation to only focus on two marketing strategies. After the 100-day period, you may add on extra strategies listed here. Also, before you start your marketing campaign, you should buy some client database software
Free Membership Discount Cards
This is one of best (and least used) marketing strategies available. Clients like to feel a sense of belonging and importance, and a free membership card automatically gives them those two things. But a card is just a card unless there are some benefits to having the card; therefore, the discounts. What do your clients get when they present their membership cards? This is up to you, and depends on the service(s) you offer. First of all, just giving your clients the card for free makes them feel like they’ve already received something for nothing. A hypnotherapist could offer 20% session discounts indefinitely. An aromatherapist could offer 10% discounts on any aroma mixture. The possibilities of the membership discount card are endless. The membership discount card could also be used for discounts on books, CDs, seminars
Group Discounts for Seminars
Friends like to tell each other about the fantastic things they have encountered. Assuming your service is a fantastic service, group discounts for seminars will work as a excellent marketing tool. This tool should be used with your existing client base as referrers. Your existing clients are informed that if they are able to get together a certain number of people, you will give a workshop or seminar for a discounted price or for free. This will be a service to your existing customers, as well as a tool to gain new listeners. This could also be used in churches or other non-profit situations as a fantastic marketing tool. Be sure to have a sign in sheet so you can do thorough follow-up.
Public Access Television or Radio
This tool is a bit harder to prepare for, but can have fantastic results if you have a fantastic service or product. You could produce a show on alternative health or your specific modality as a free service to the community while gaining brilliant exposure. In every medium-sized to large city, there is at least one public access television or radio station. Most public access stations offer airtime free of charge as long as a producer (you) has a quality program. Some stations are choosier than others, so contact your local stations for more information on submission guidelines.
“Tupperware” Parties
This thought is similar to the group seminar tool. It is based on the traditional Tupperware party, and differs slightly from group seminars in that the group will be smaller and more familiar with one another. You should inform your existing clients of your willingness to go to their home and give a simple service or product presentation free of charge. Be sure to take sign-up and follow-up materials to get personal information from the attendees. Also, it is a excellent thought to develop an informational packet of all the services and products you offer. If they delight in your seminar, they will most likely buy a service or product on offer. In order to be effective, you will need to design this tool to funnel the attendees into your for-fee programs. Be sure to have a sign in sheet so you can do thorough follow-up.
Joint-Venture Fundraisers
This is a wonderful way to advertise yourself while simultaneously giving back to the community. You will need to be very careful with this strategy. You do not want to give off the impression (hopefully, it’s not right) that you are raising money for your favorite charity simply to advertise yourself. In using this tool, you should choose a charity or non-profit which is very meaningful to you, and organize a fundraiser for that organization. Your fundraiser could take many forms: a family honest, a ball, a dinner with entertainment, etc. On all advertisements, the posters should prominently show your name or practice as the organizer of the event. Subtle promotional materials should also be included in any registration packets the attendees receive. It would also be a excellent thought for you to tie in your modality with the fundraising topic and at some point speak briefly about your modality in some capacity. The possibilities are virtually unlimited with this tool. Be sure to have a sign in sheet so you can do thorough follow-up. This strategy is very time-consuming, so be prepared to do a lot of work!
Referral System
Any private practice can automatically generate new clients using simple referral systems. These should be used with your existing client base, or as part of an affiliate program. Sign-up should be made simple and worthwhile. For example, if a new client signs up for your service from an existing client enrolled in your referral program, you should provide your existing client with a referral fee, usually between 10-20%. After the first session, you should also question if the new client want to join the referral system. This has the potential to become a lucrative practice for you and your existing clients.
Coupons and Gift Certificates
A busy practitioner is better than a practitioner charging regular price with no clients. Coupons and gift certificates are two very simple ways to generate business, and rather than wasting time doing and earning nothing, with coupon clients you are at least earning some money and doing something valuable with your time. Coupons and gift certificates can be given out in a variety of ways, either offline or online. You can give them to attendees of your seminars, conferences, workshops, and classes. You can give them in bulk, as gifts for attendees to give to family and friends. You can make them reproducible, so a person can give unlimited numbers of coupons. But, the more limited a coupon, the more value a prospective customer places on your service. Generally, I recommend limiting your coupons to a non-reproducible coupon, and give them out at five or ten at a time. You may not earn your full fee from these tactics, but you will certainly earn excellent money and stay busy.
Marketing to Businesses
As an alternative health practitioner, you have many products and services people in the business world can use. We specialize in relieving stress
Free CDs
This is another simple, attention-grabbing strategy, especially if the CD is done professionally. Free CDs can be given out at your private practice, during seminars, in a workshop information packet, and many other times and places. A general rule is not to provide anything on the CD that you would really charge for. Either present generally useful information about your therapy or some other fascinating information related to your therapy. In other words, you should present the “What” and the “Why” of your therapy, but not the “How.” The CD will be a relatively inexpensive way to advertise your practice, while also acting as bait to draw new customers in.
Free Workshops/Seminars
One of the best ways to help the public and advertise your therapies is to give free workshops or seminars. People like free stuff, and if they feel it’s valuable, they will fall in like with the product and the presenter. Be subtle with advertising, but do advertise. Tie in the information you present during the workshop with the many more things you can offer at your private practice. Many churches and other civic organizations are willing to allow the use of the meeting spaces for free, community-oriented meetings. Design your program to fit this requirement, and include lots of freebies and advertising in the workshop packet. Also, be sure to have a sign in sheet so you can do thorough follow-up.
Paul Daniel Payne is the president of the Universal Spirit University, a spiritual distance learning university offering certificates in Reiki and Hypnotherapy, and research degrees from the Associate to the Doctoral levels in spiritual and holistic disciplines.
