7 Biggest Business Mistakes Health Practitioners Make #2

[Guest guest]

Thanks Cathleen,

here is mistake number 2.

 

Mistake 2: Producing a Brochure

 

A brochure seems to be one of the first things any health practitioner

thinks of when thinking marketing. Depending on the financial

situation, a $1,000 high gloss brochure is produced, or a do-it-

yourself which is copied on coloured paper.

 

Both approaches are big mistakes and cost you time, money and

clients.

 

The cheap home-made brochure is actively damaging your business.

You are a professional with trained skills. Do not devalue them with

below standard marketing material. Today, professional graphic

designers and printing has become cheap enough to warrant the

expense. Just compare it to the investment you have made into your

education.

 

What is Marketing?

The first thing to get clear is that marketing is about building

relationships with your clients and starts long before any

advertising

is done.

 

Your target market, their problem and your solution are the basis.

The better defined these are, the more quickly will you get to know

your target market, and the better you know your target market, the

more quickly will you be able to define these elements.

 

There is no better way to getting to know your target market than

through networking (see mistake 4).

 

The Critical Elements in Marketing

The headline (or title) is said to account for 70-80% of the success

of

a marketing tool. Treat it like that and spend sufficient time to get

it

right. Write multiple headlines over a few days and test the best

ones

with friends or even some of your clients to find what is most

successful. The better it resonates with your target market's

problem,

the better it works.

 

Rather than listing features, show the benefits. Features are what

you do, benefits are the positive outcomes for your clients.

 

Testimonials are stories which add credibility by others telling them

for you. It is best to interview your clients (or just take note of

what

they say), write it into a suitable form and ask for their permission

to

use it.

 

Give a great guarantee to reduce the risk for your clients. Services

cannot be tested before buying. A guarantee substitutes that. And if

you ever get someone taking you up on it, use that as a learning

opportunity to improve your service. There are very few free-loaders

who just do something to get the money back.

 

Offers have to be in line with the value of your service. Think

carefully (and test) what your market really values. It is the

perceived

value that draws people, not the monetary value. So use this to show

your appreciation. And think of ideas, other than discounting.

 

Always finish all of your marketing materials with a clear call to

action. This does not have to be the purchase. Instead it could be

the

next step in building a trusting relationship.

 

Include your contact details!

 

The Most Effective Tools

A business card that includes the above elements is your most

important marketing tool. People want to be treated by people they

trust. After meeting you personally or through a referral, the

business

card can act as a reminder to act on the good personal impression.

 

Vouchers that are linked in with a business partner, so that you ride

on the trust that exists between the business and their clients.

 

A website is cheap to produce and flexible to test different

approaches.

 

In any case, it is essential to plan what marketing tools you will

use

over the course of 12 months and plan your budget accordingly.

 

The most effective marketing is through building the relationship

with existing clients and referrals. So your marketing tools should

support those efforts first, before trying to reach total strangers.

 

You can find more details at

http://www.passionate.com.au/seduction.php .

 

 

Tell me what you think! Can you relate to that or is your experience

completely different?

 

Best regards

Alexander Kohl

 

Already posted:

Mistake 1: Being a Jack of All Trades

 

Still to come:

Mistake 3: Neglecting Your Current Clients

Mistake 4: Hiding at Home

Mistake 5: Failing to Plan

Mistake 6: Working Without Financial Stability

Mistake 7: Doing it Alone

 

Or get the complete report for free at:

http://www.successwithmassage.com

 

Alexander Kohl

Passionate Management

Empowering Health Practitioners

http://www.successwithmassage.com