New services: Getting the message out

NEW SERVICES GETT ING THE MESSAGE OUT ABOUT

If you’ve just qualified in a new therapy or advanced in your current modality, how do you go about launching your new services and letting people know? Jane Sheehan shares her approach…

HOT PROSPECTS: Start by contacting your existing and past clients with either an email shot or post a leaflet. Email is cheaper but receiving something in the post is a rare treat these days and may just increase uptake, especially if you include an enticement such as a money off voucher or an additional treatment/item/gift on production of the leaflet. Existing and past clients already know you and love what you do. If you can get them to try your new service and they like it, you can also incentivise them to tell a friend and spread the word for you.

SEE THE SIGN: Next, put a sign outside your venue. You will have to check the local planning permissions for your area but usually it is ok to put an easel on your property and an A4 sign in a window to inform anyone who passes your business.

SOCIAL MEDIA: What sort of people would benefit and enjoy your new service? Are there any Facebook groups already set up where this sort of person would hang out? Join those groups and enter into any discussions where you can mention in passing this sort of service. Even better, get someone else to do it and when asked where they can learn more, they can recommend you. It’s easier for someone else to say how fab you are, rather than you to say it yourself. You could pay someone to do this for you or you could ask a close friend or family member.

Don’t forget to add the new service to your website, Facebook page, your personal page and Marketing

any other social media or directories that you use. You can use software such as “Canva” to add words to a photograph to create a suitable advert.

OPEN DAY: Have an open day. Hand pick the existing clients and friends who you know will sing your praises and spread the word about your services. Some people are natural networkers. Invite them to an open day, where they receive a free trial of your new service, or you wine and dine them whilst telling them all about it. You could also offer commission for each person they recruit to try the service. Team up with another therapist who offers synergistic treatments for an event so that you can both benefit from each other’s client database.

RE-BRAND: There’s a beauty salon near me who used to just offer massage and manicures. They’ve retrained to do microblading and cold laser skin correction. They have

re-branded calling themselves “Ormskirk’s first medi-spa”. This is genius. When you

want to do good PR and get a newspaper or magazine to take up your story, if you can position yourself as “biggest”, “best”, or “first” then your press release is more likely to be used as it will be considered news.

TESTIMONIALS: Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget to collect testimonials from happy customers and use them in your advertising copy, website and social media campaigns. n

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JANE SHEEHAN is the UK’s

leading foot reader and Amazon

bestselling author of Let’s read our feet,

The foot reading coach and Sole Trader:

The Holistic Therapy Business Handbook.

She teaches foot reading internationally

and is opening a reflexology school in

Lancashire this year. Find out more at

www.footreading.com.