Marketing with Mindfulness (Part I)

Complementary therapists love giving. I think that is what attracts us to the therapy world in the first place. Driven by this inner most desire to ‘give’ to others, it can be difficult at times to get to grips with the dry business skills.

To grow continuously and to attract new clients, mindfulness of what is working at present and what worked in the past is very important. It is also important to have a vision of tomorrow and how you might attain it.

To grow in any business, one needs to understand at a deeper level a few things about the product or service and its relation to its target audience:

• What is unique about me (my product / service)?

• What is the energy exchange going to be (my price)?

• What is unique about where this energy exchange is happening (my place of business / how I deliver my services or sell my product)?

• Can I give some more back and in the process attract more of my target audience (my promotion)?

The marketing mix or the 4Ps of the marketing – product, price, place, and promotion is extremely important for any business.

My Product:

First of all bring your awareness to what is it that you are offering. Is it what the universe is asking of you? Do you feel fulfilled when you are doing this? Does the external universe affirm this by bringing you more of the same?

These are very important questions. If we are aligned to our universal goal of what we are meant to be doing, all the above questions will lead you to the same answer.

Being mindful of this internal and external discord is the first step towards business growth.

For example, I started my business by doing mind therapies like NLP, Hypnotherapy, and Stress Management etc. I thought that’s what I would like to do however the universe was very kind to point out that this is not the case. I had very few clients and although I trained to the highest industry standards I didn’t feel fulfilled. Had I not been aware of this, I probably would have given up my therapy practice and found myself an office job. I persisted and tried to offer other skills I knew and soon the universe responded by increased number of clients for various body therapy treatments like reiki, massage, and reflexology. I had found my product.

My Price:

In Eastern philosophy, we say, Karma in itself is energy in action. To stay karmic debt free we need to balance our energy exchanges in everyday life. So the price that we charge for a treatment should be equal and proportion to the energy we spend on it. As a therapist only you can be the judge of what should be the energy exchange for a treatment. It, of course, is also depended on how much energy (money) is spent to make the treatment happen (your variable and fixed costs). If your price is too low you will feel your energy deplete and drain from you. Same goes for offering free treatments. If this price is too high you will feel that you are cheating your clients or worse your clients will feel cheated and won’t come back.

Being mindful of your price is really important. Reflect on your prices and ask yourself how do my clients feel after the treatment? Do they feel that they have had their monies worth? Do you feel that the price reflects the energy you bring in to the treatment and is a fair energy exchange? If so it is great. If not please adjust your prices otherwise the circle of energy exchange won’t complete, either you or your clients will attract karmic debt.

It is also important to be aware of your breakeven point. This can be found by the following simple formula:

Total no of working Hours in a year / Total Fixed costs of the year = Hourly fixed costs

Total no of working hours in a year / Total variable costs of the year = Hourly variable costs

Total money you must make for each hourly treatment is the sum total of your hourly fixed and variable costs. This is your breakeven point.

You sell your hourly treatment by putting a margin over this breakeven point so that it covers you for when you don’t have clients and enables you to run promotional offers.

My Place:

Where you choose to offer the treatment in your space or your clients, the effect of space on your marketing and treatment outcome can be immense. The first implication is the cost implication. If it is your space then the related costs are to be added and if you are a mobile therapist the cost of reaching the client needs to be added. It also effects on the number of actual working hours available to you. Mobile therapists may have to spend time traveling from client to client.

Each space also has different energy levels. For therapy treatments to be holistic and effective, you need to constantly clear your place of any residue negative energies from previous treatments. When going to client’s premises ensure where possible to create a calming atmosphere in which to conduct a therapy.

My Promotion:

Every once in a while we need to reach out and inform the universe that we are open and giving. As we reach out to give we receive too. Seasonal offers are great way to tap into the energies of the season and grow with it.

Here is an example of a six-month promotional strategy for any complementary therapy business.

July – School holidays: Children break for school holidays and most families are preparing to go away for the summer. Detox / slimming and beauty treatments like pedicures and waxing see raised demand during this time. Your promotions should focus on packaging these together so your clients not only get the best value but also tell others about you thereby boosting your business through referrals.

August / September: Training and development: This is usually a quiet period for therapists. Take some time off and recharge your batteries for the upcoming busier winter period. Enhance your skills by taking up training courses or research something that will add to your knowledge adding extra value to your treatments. This is also time to update your business leaflets and finalise promotional flyers for the coming months.

October: Focus immunity and regular treatments: Seasonal changes impact on our immunity. Coughs and colds become commonplace, In the run up to winter months your promotions could highlight how regular treatments can help boost immunity and energy levels. Four month package deals will not only help your clients commit to regular treatments at affordable prices but will also ensure steady winter business for you.

November: bring on the heat: With the onset of winter, heat treatments sell well. Clients need to feel warm and will be attracted to warmer treatments like body wraps / hot stone massage / warm bamboo massage. From the first week of November you should also start to promote Christmas gift ideas and vouchers.

December: Time to say Thank you: Tap into the festive spirits by offering special thank you discounts to your clients for being so loyal to you. This also helps them to buy more gift vouchers for your services for their friends and families. Gift vouchers are great referrals from your loyal clients and help with building your client base. Not to forget Xmas markets which are a lovely way to not only engage with local charities but to show case your skills to potential new clients directly.

Sumita Singh, Director and Principal Tutor of Affable Therapy Training Limited. A training company dedicated to offer quality training at affordable prices.

www.affabletherapy.com 02083381212 / 07917147302