How can i advertise and get more clients?

Question

I am a fully qualified Male Complementary Therapist, i have just recieved a Foundation Degree in Complementary Therapies including Massage, Aromatherapy etc. However i just feel that i cant get anyone or very little people interested in wot i do and to become clients. I now know i will be charging, but now that i do i have less clients, could it be my shyness getting in the way, because i dont promote my services enough? How can i advertise for new clients, would business cards help? What if i never get any clients?

Answer 1

There are many ways to get clients.  The first thing you need to do is figure out what clients you want - who is your ideal client?

Then you can create a marketing plan to find those people.

Your shyness only gets in your way if it is a reflection of your self esteem.  

Business cards are one small step in connecting with people who could use your services.  Read and learn everything you can about marketing and building a practice.

It is all about figuring out what clients need - what problem do they have and how will you provide the solution and let those people know you do have the solution.

If you never get any clients you won't be able to stay in business -that is all. It won't be the end of the world if you have to go get a job or do something else for work.

Answer 2

why don't you just focus and stop worrying.

The best way to excel in your business is to copy cat. Find out what others did before you to be successfull and simply do the same. you will need to copy cat exactly, so do some serious research and get on with it . Understand that if a certain method works it will also work for you. Finally you will need to copy cat  strategies, enthusiasm and mind set a like.

Answer 3

try old folk homes community centres or pamper parties. get leaflets out and offer discounts to start with. hand out leaflets outside schools colleges etc time is all you need give discounts if they introduce a friend they all wotked for me when i first set up .

Answer 4

I actually disagree with the whole notion of "copycatting".  You want to find ways to make yourself distinct from your competitors, to stand out.  Try going to Farmer's Markets, and giving folks a taste or a sampling of what you can do.  People's experience of your hands will do all the marketing you need done, if you're good at what you do.  Make tiny bottles of your aromatherapy blends, and sell them at extremely favourable price points, so that all your goods and services are not too expensive for most people, including children.  In this business, you need especially to appeal to women, imho, b/c we tend to use these services more than men do, often bring our children with us, and talk to our friends alot, so keep beauty, convenience and good health in mind, as well as cards and gifts that would attract people who want something nice and don't want to kill their pocketbooks.  Ask every customer who comes to you to sign your guest book.  Send out newsletters.  Have cool classes or teach them yourself.  Bring people together so that your business is not just about you, but about the community.  Network.  Work w/ everyone you meet.  Do not be exclusive or s****. and trying to keep your market to high end customers only.  This will drive people away, and sometimes the people who will support you in the hard times will not be your wealthiest customers, who can be fickle, but your staunch working class/middle class customers who know a good thing when they find one.  If you are shy, work on this.  Just remember, you're livelihood and well-being DEPENDS upon your ability to put yourself out to the community and on letting them know what it is you're offering.  In a recession, people often cut the non-essentials and the frou-frou, but if you can clearly show people how to take good care of themselves (ie how to make their own fresh juices, how to choose the correct supplements for themselves, how to know when it's time to get a massage, and what kind of massage, how to wildcraft and tincture their own herbs, how to use homeopathy, how to make aromatherapy gifts for their loved ones, how to make soap and candles, how to garden biodynamically with very little land and time, how to preserve food, how to take care of children, pets and husbands/wives with very little money, and the utmost in quality homemade foods, produce and products, then to my way of thinking and seeing, you've made yourself invaluable in the community and invaluable to people.  I would not spend thousands of dollars I did not have on radio and TV spots.  Make hand-colored brochures and business cards that are beautifully done.  Quality and a healing, loving spirit is what will get the job done.  It takes time, and being as it is that you're male, it may not be quite as easy for you to be a body worker/complementary therapist as it would be for a woman.  I worked for one spa in CA, that wouldn't hire any men or ugly women (unfortunately, as I often prefer a male massage therapist b/c they have both bigger and stronger hands.)  Above all, do not despair, and do not give up.  You will succeed at what you want to do, even if it takes awhile.  There are also affiliated w/ the Chamber of Commerce who will consult w/ small business owners and show them how to cut operating costs, how to market their business cheaply and successfully, how to grow their clientele.  Basically, any question or issue you might have, they will have someone who can assist you, mentor you and offer you answers and advice.  I'm not sure how to access this in your community, but you might want to start with either the bank that holds your mortgage (if you have one), and as I said, The BBB or local Chamber of Commerce.  Best of luck to you!

Answer 5

Too many people are qualifying in this field nowadays. I used to be the only one in my area and now their are 2 colleges about 10 miles away in different directions who each train about 90 new students in various branches of complementary medicine each year. I'm glad I started when I did and am now retired. I used to place an advert in the classified ads. just occasionally and that would usually bring me 3 or 4 new clients who would come as long as necessary (sometimes just once) but they would recommend me. Recommendation is worth far more than anything you can say about yourself in an ad.   I spent very little on advertising. You could make A5 size flyers quite cheaply on your computer and ask health shops if you could leave them on their counter or put them through doors. This won't bring a huge response but every little helps. Your shyness might get in the way to a certain extent but most people, when they are feeling ill, will prefer you to an overbearng know-it-all who brags about his/her knowledge and qualifications. Be gentle, courteous and willing to answer questions and don't EVER use the word 'massage. in your advertising. That word has different meanings to different people and you might get 'phone calls you would rather not have!! I hope things work out well for you soon.

Answer 6

I agree with calyx. She has some good ideas. when I started my private practice, I am a  therapist and do substance abuse counseling and stress management. Before this, I did nursing case management, so had a pretty good working relationship with some of the docs in town.

When i told them i was setting up my private practice, I asked for referrals. As they knew me, they knew the quality of work i do, so that helped.

the Farmer's market is a great idea. If you sell items, also clip a tiny sample of something else to the brochure. another possible source would be craft shows - they have a lot of other dealers, and once again, be prepared for the expense of samples. but they work.

Once you have a clientele, ask for word of mouth referrals, and for every client they refer to you, AND you sign up for at least one treatment, give your former client some special oil or something.

Another thing I did, and while some of this was  pro-bono was to advertize in my church bulletin, and I did get referrals from them. Phone books are expensive, but if you do get a couple clients they will pay the cost of the advertizing.

Oh, one other thing - get listed with the "newcomers club.' A lot of towns have them, and it could be a good foot inside the door.

Check onn line, there is one company that is giving away a lot of free stuff, business cards, post cards and the like.n  Go to (www.VistaPrint.com)  you can even design your own cards. I even got free tee shirts and a car magnetic sign and a stamper. You might have to pay some postage, but look at all you get for free

Good luck,