Thursday, December 09, 2004
How To Build A Steady Stream of Income Using Referrals
Society of Applied Hypnosis Marketing Tip of the Week
One of the easiest ways to leverage your business massively is through the development of a referral system. There are many ways to do this, todays tip will give you a few ideas that you can implement quickly and easily for little or no cost.
"I HATE ASKING FOR REFERRALS"
Perhaps you will find it difficult or scary to ask for referrals, because if feels like you are coming to them with your hand out asking for money. This is common, and what happens is a pattern develops, that instead of making it known that referrals are important to your business, you instead hope that because you did such great work that the client will take the initiative and send you waves of new clients.
So where is that steady stream of referrals then? As we all know, "hope" is the close cousin of "try", and hoping people will provide referrals will result in mostly none.
YOU MUST PUT THE IDEA IN THE CLIENTS MIND
People like to be led. So if you want referrals, you must take the initiative and put the idea in their minds that this is not only going to help you, and be a way for them to thank you for the wonderful change you have made in their life, it will also be doing a good thing for the person they refer. That referral gets to have a powerful positive change in their life as well.
Think of it as a waking suggestion you create that will benefit your client, the people they refer, and you. It is a win-win all the way around.
The key to making this easy is the answer to this question...
DO YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CLIENTS?
Most people who choose hypnosis as a career deeply care about their clients. So you owe it to them to be there for them, and to serve them at a higher level than anyone else. To be certain that their lives are enriched and enhanced at a higher level than could possibly be done by anyone else serving them. You owe it to them and to anyone associated with them, to make sure they know that you are there to counsel and advise, to answer any questions, to lead them through the process to change their life positively forever.
There is a key point here:
If you don't revere yourself, no one else will either!!!
You also must make them feel comfortable directing and bringing anybody important in their lives to you, to receive the gift you offer, so that person important to them can benefit in the same way they benefited.
If you fail to do that, you are allowing the possibility of someone important to them getting a less optimal outcome in their lives. Getting less than your clients get from you.
But you MUST make sure they know that, because on their own they won't do it.
MAKE IT PART OF THE INITIAL CONSULTATION
For new clients, make this a part of the initial consultation. Create a list of client/hypnotist expectations, read it to them, and get them to verbally agree to it.
This idea comes from a dentist in Australia who uses this very effectively in his practice. He operates ONLY from referrals. He does not advertise at all, and has a waiting list of people to get into his practice. (remember in last weeks tip I told you to look to other industries for ideas... adapt this for what works best for you)
Example:
WHAT THE CLIENT SHOULD EXPECT
Because you have decided to become a client of mine, I owe you some things:
Tell them what satisfactions looks like. Put the idea in their mind of what their expectations should be.
Likewise, because you agreed to become a client of mine you owe me some things as well
WHAT ABOUT PAST CLIENTS?
It is worth your while to call them or mail them and check up on them and let them know that you care. Not just out of the clear blue with your hand out. You must care about them on a larger level than just that they purchase your services, and let them know that you care about their lives, their businesses, their families, their health. That is the first and important part of the process.
Once you have communicated and demonstrated that you care about them on a deeper level, then an example of what you can say to them in person or in a letter:
"You know, When I think about how happy you are now, it brings me such joy, and I realized that this is what I am all about. It's not about money, and yes I do like making money, but it's about giving people so much greater value and richness in their life.
And I was thinking that the people I really enjoy working with the most are people just like you, and frankly I spend a lot of money on advertising and promotions, but it seems more logical to me that the people I want to reach are the people you hang out with. The people you work with, the people you live next to, your friends and family, because the quality of the person you are is the kind of person I want to work with.
I was thinking you probably know a lot of people in your life that would be benefited by me. I just want you to know that I am here for you and here for anybody you want to have the same positive change in their life as you have had."
Make it easy for them by describing the people in their life that might benefit from your services. This primes their mental pump for matches. Then tell them that the most sincere thank you they can give you is to provide you with the opportunity to help the people they know in the same way you helped them.
MAKE IT WORTH THEIR WHILE TO REFER
One last method to build referrals, is to tell your clients, "if you refer 4 other people to me who sign up for one of my packages, I will refund what you paid 100%."
If you charge $600.00 for your package, and they refer you 4 people that pay you $600.00 each, then you just got $2400.00 of business for $600.00, and and return on investment of 400%. Most people that invest money are thrilled to get a 10% return on investment.
Check your local laws to make sure you can do this just to be safe.
Adapt this idea to what works best for you.
Till next time, all the success possible to you!
Craig Eubanks
Director Sleepwalkers International
Hypnosis & NLP Practice Groups
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
One of the easiest ways to leverage your business massively is through the development of a referral system. There are many ways to do this, todays tip will give you a few ideas that you can implement quickly and easily for little or no cost.
"I HATE ASKING FOR REFERRALS"
Perhaps you will find it difficult or scary to ask for referrals, because if feels like you are coming to them with your hand out asking for money. This is common, and what happens is a pattern develops, that instead of making it known that referrals are important to your business, you instead hope that because you did such great work that the client will take the initiative and send you waves of new clients.
So where is that steady stream of referrals then? As we all know, "hope" is the close cousin of "try", and hoping people will provide referrals will result in mostly none.
YOU MUST PUT THE IDEA IN THE CLIENTS MIND
People like to be led. So if you want referrals, you must take the initiative and put the idea in their minds that this is not only going to help you, and be a way for them to thank you for the wonderful change you have made in their life, it will also be doing a good thing for the person they refer. That referral gets to have a powerful positive change in their life as well.
Think of it as a waking suggestion you create that will benefit your client, the people they refer, and you. It is a win-win all the way around.
The key to making this easy is the answer to this question...
DO YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CLIENTS?
Most people who choose hypnosis as a career deeply care about their clients. So you owe it to them to be there for them, and to serve them at a higher level than anyone else. To be certain that their lives are enriched and enhanced at a higher level than could possibly be done by anyone else serving them. You owe it to them and to anyone associated with them, to make sure they know that you are there to counsel and advise, to answer any questions, to lead them through the process to change their life positively forever.
There is a key point here:
If you don't revere yourself, no one else will either!!!
You also must make them feel comfortable directing and bringing anybody important in their lives to you, to receive the gift you offer, so that person important to them can benefit in the same way they benefited.
If you fail to do that, you are allowing the possibility of someone important to them getting a less optimal outcome in their lives. Getting less than your clients get from you.
But you MUST make sure they know that, because on their own they won't do it.
MAKE IT PART OF THE INITIAL CONSULTATION
For new clients, make this a part of the initial consultation. Create a list of client/hypnotist expectations, read it to them, and get them to verbally agree to it.
This idea comes from a dentist in Australia who uses this very effectively in his practice. He operates ONLY from referrals. He does not advertise at all, and has a waiting list of people to get into his practice. (remember in last weeks tip I told you to look to other industries for ideas... adapt this for what works best for you)
Example:
WHAT THE CLIENT SHOULD EXPECT
Because you have decided to become a client of mine, I owe you some things:
- You should expect me as your hypnotist to schedule appointments and live by them.
- You should expect me as your hypnotist to worry about you at a higher level than you worry about yourself, as if they were a member of the family.
- You should expect me as your hypnotist to perform at such a level of professionalism that the work will be superlative and endure.
- You should expect me as your hypnotist to be respectful.
- You should expect me as your hypnotist to be well trained and current.
- You should expect me as your hypnotist to speak to you in plain English and not use jargon.
- You should expect me to explain anything you do not understand clearly, and to answer any and all questions with patience and understanding.
Tell them what satisfactions looks like. Put the idea in their mind of what their expectations should be.
Likewise, because you agreed to become a client of mine you owe me some things as well
- When you make an appointment you keep it.
- You respect the fact that we are in this together, and that we are going to keep you healthy and strong so that you will live a happy and prosperous life.
- It's not just a professional relationship, it is a fraternal one too. I can't just deal with you clinically, I want to know you personally, because I care about people.
- If you have any dissatisfaction, you respect me enough to tell me.
- If you are dissatisfied, that you do not stay with me, since I do not deserve you.
- When you are satisfied with my performance on your behalf, with the results of my professional services, then you agree:
- You will pay in full for your services at the agreed upon time.
- When you are satisfied with the results I promised you, you will consider referering to me two people of comparable quality to yourself. This is the greatest compliment you can pay me. Referring is not about giving me their names, it means when you speak with them you can tell them just how good your life has become, and how you want them to have this same experience, and that they can call me for a free consultation to answer any questions they might have.
WHAT ABOUT PAST CLIENTS?
It is worth your while to call them or mail them and check up on them and let them know that you care. Not just out of the clear blue with your hand out. You must care about them on a larger level than just that they purchase your services, and let them know that you care about their lives, their businesses, their families, their health. That is the first and important part of the process.
Once you have communicated and demonstrated that you care about them on a deeper level, then an example of what you can say to them in person or in a letter:
"You know, When I think about how happy you are now, it brings me such joy, and I realized that this is what I am all about. It's not about money, and yes I do like making money, but it's about giving people so much greater value and richness in their life.
And I was thinking that the people I really enjoy working with the most are people just like you, and frankly I spend a lot of money on advertising and promotions, but it seems more logical to me that the people I want to reach are the people you hang out with. The people you work with, the people you live next to, your friends and family, because the quality of the person you are is the kind of person I want to work with.
I was thinking you probably know a lot of people in your life that would be benefited by me. I just want you to know that I am here for you and here for anybody you want to have the same positive change in their life as you have had."
Make it easy for them by describing the people in their life that might benefit from your services. This primes their mental pump for matches. Then tell them that the most sincere thank you they can give you is to provide you with the opportunity to help the people they know in the same way you helped them.
MAKE IT WORTH THEIR WHILE TO REFER
One last method to build referrals, is to tell your clients, "if you refer 4 other people to me who sign up for one of my packages, I will refund what you paid 100%."
If you charge $600.00 for your package, and they refer you 4 people that pay you $600.00 each, then you just got $2400.00 of business for $600.00, and and return on investment of 400%. Most people that invest money are thrilled to get a 10% return on investment.
Check your local laws to make sure you can do this just to be safe.
Adapt this idea to what works best for you.
Till next time, all the success possible to you!
Craig Eubanks
Director Sleepwalkers International
Hypnosis & NLP Practice Groups
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
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