By Erika Flint, BA, MCPHI, BCH, OB
Originally published in the Journal of Hypnotism
What comes to mind when you think of marketing your hypnosis practice? Be honest. It’s okay to not like it.
I used to hate it. Even the word was repulsive to me. I thought of annoying commercials and telemarketers trying to “get” something from me and wasting my time.
I used to think I was bothering people with my messages of client success and hope.
Does this sound familiar to you?
Now after over 6 years running a successful hypnosis center and helping hundreds of clients get relief, I have a completely different view of marketing - and my clients are the beneficiaries.
Marketing is simply helping people find your business. Yet not just anyone - the right ones; the ones who can benefit from what you offer.
And what are you offering? It’s not hypnosis services.
You are offering your clients a better version of themselves. You are offering hope, freedom, peace, happiness, quality time, and fulfillment.
Now that you have an updated understanding of what marketing is, here are the top 3 Rules for marketing your hypnosis practice.
Our clients need to hear from us approximately 7 times before they’ll reach out. Once or twice is not enough. This is hard for many hypnotists because they don’t want to be a “bother” or be seen as overbearing.
Use this short exercise to put things in perspective:
Imagine your client at home, struggling. They’re suffering and having a difficult time in their life. They need you.
You are sitting in your office, nervous about making that post or sending that email. You may be thinking, “what if someone doesn't like this message?”, “what if it’s not good enough?” or “what if they don’t like me?”
If this sounds like you, then for the benefit of your client – please do the work to overcome your own limiting beliefs and barriers. Your clients need you to go there first! They need your courage and strength.
Write your post or email from the heart, keeping your client’s best interest in mind. Take the picture. Do the video. Even when you’re scared. That’s what courage is! Being scared and doing it anyway.
Even if it’s not perfect. Don’t be afraid to get it wrong. Don’t be afraid to fail. If you wait until you have it exactly right it will be too late. This is why being an entrepreneur is so hard, we constantly have to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and do things before we feel completely ready.
Now this time, imagine that you send the email, write the post, or do the video.
Again, your client is at home, still struggling. Yet instead, they get a notification of a new email. It’s from you with a message of hope that goes directly to their heart. They click on it, and although they had already heard from you multiple times and did not take action – today they pick up the phone and call you.
Your courage has just helped another human being. Bravo.
This is an interesting element of how the mind works. When we describe a problem to our potential clients better than anyone else they assume we have the solution.
The response we’re looking for from clients when they receive your message is, “you are talking to me!”
One of the best techniques for understanding your client’s problem is to use hypnosis to imagine being your client. Yes - use your skill as a hypnotist when growing your practice! Use it to understand their struggles and their desired outcome.
Ask yourself the following questions:
· What keeps my client up at night?
· What is not solving this problem costing them?
· What is their dream come true?
While in hypnosis imagine being your client, then answer those questions and continue reading rule #3 below for more details.
This last rule works because it’s hypnotic.
When you are specific in your marketing, your client can imagine it.
When you tell stories in your marketing, your client can imagine it.
Compare the following two sentences:
Generic: Discover how to lose 10 pounds in a month with hypnosis.
Specific: Discover how Mary ignored the sugar monster and lost 10 pounds in a month with hypnosis – even while working full-time and raising 2 teenagers.
The second is more compelling because we can imagine it. Even if your client doesn’t have kids, they can imagine all the other responsibilities that are making life difficult to stay on track and lose weight.
It’s tempting to want to include “everyone” when marketing your hypnosis practice, yet generic marketing does not produce results.
Use the power of imagination to help your client imagine the issue, then help them imagine the solution.
This makes your message real; and in doing so, it makes the solution real to your client as well.
Now I embrace marketing because I get what we’re doing. Hypnosis is life-changing, but if our clients don’t understand how beneficial it is they won’t come to us for help.
Learn how to market your practice. Use hypnosis on yourself to overcome any limiting beliefs, and get in the mindset of your client. Then tell compelling and specific stories to help them imagine their success. When you do it well, everyone wins; your practice, your client, and the rest of the world who benefits from your clients’ relief and happiness.