We’ve noticed a slight trend over the course of previous years with fewer people engaging with therapy in the run up to December.
There can be a multitude of general reasons for a drop in client numbers and session attendance, including: the weather, money and saving up for Christmas.
The weather means people may prefer staying at home rather than venture outside if it’s too wet – or too cold.
To counter the effects of autumn and winter, it can be worthwhile reminding clients that you can offer remote appointments should they prefer to engage with you online.
And, for some perspective clients, talking about how hypnotherapy can help with Seasonally Affective Disorder (SAD) can possibly help to establish a sense of a therapeutic alliance via your website – or marketing materials.
Afterall, these types of feelings are not uncommon at this time of the year and hypnotherapy can help someone experiencing the ‘winter blues’ by reducing their stress bucket levels and so increase their intellectual control.
SAD is a medical condition and so it’s important to remember appropriate signposting to the doctor. Your training will have shown you how you can work with a GP should your client provide the appropriate permissions for you to do so.
Money can be a real driving factor for people when they make the decision for whether or not to engage with us – or even cancel an existing appointment.
Being able to provide qualitative and quantitative data for current clients in hypnotherapy can be helpful in their decision making process.
Equally, having accurate but anonymous data results on your website, which is easy to understand, can help a prospective customer decide on whether or not to reach out to you.
Qualitative and quantitative data sets
From a qualitative point of view: client testimonials are important. Just remember to have written permission from them for you to use in your publicity material.
And, if they are happy for you to use their feedback, be sure to only include initials or simply a first name and a very generic location.
From the quantitative perspective, the CORP programme allows you to include data graphs to show client progress during the course of treatment.
These anonymous graphs demonstrate how an average client has improved over a period of time in the set context of specific conditions.
The primitive part of the brain may see treatment as an ‘unnecessary drain on resources’ with a negative assessment of its worth.
It may consider any change (even a positive one) to be a potential threat to its immediate future and its status quo.
On the other hand, the intellectual part of the brain can see treatment as being a positive investment.
Detailing the positive aspects of our work is surely a crucial part of our marketing strategy.
So, when someone comes to see us, it’s good to focus not just on what we can do BUT also on the feeling exuded in our practice. How does it look from an outsider’s viewpoint? In other words, spending time on that all important first impression!
And, of course, we need to make sure we are also providing a positive approach in our own interactions. As such, a bit of self-care and TLC can go a very long way!
Build in plenty of rest breaks, listen to your relaxation CD, read a book and go for a walk. They’re all things which can ensure we remain on top of our game.
What’s included in the price?
Money can be a huge contributory factor for a client’s decision on whether or not to attend a session.
It’s good to remember the importance of providing what is included in the price. You might be able to provide a free CD or brochure to accompany therapy.
Inclusion in the CORP programme provides your client with a real sense of progress and its usage can provide an ongoing sense of fulfilment from hypnotherapy.
Recent events and interventions have spooked markets and created jitters with the knock on effect of interest rate rises.
Wider news events have resulted in inflation reaching high levels while many salaries have remained the same.
Ensuring we remain in a positive, unchanging, supportive mindset can make all the difference for someone who comes to see the treatment room as a real escape from these ‘wider world’ problems.
They may even decide to use it as an anchor point throughout their week. The news agenda over the past few years may have created a real sense of ‘dread’ for current and ongoing world events.
Equally, there is a famous Abraham Lincoln quote where he says ‘and this too shall pass.’ It’s perhaps important to remember this adage as we head into a New Year which will, hopefully, give us all a greater sense of optimism for the future.
