20 Jan Two Strategies to Use in Your Marketing to Convert Clients and Build Trust
In any business transaction, there is always one side that has more to lose. In the case of therapy, the prospect has to entrust your skillsets in helping them and ultimately be willing to invest their time, money and health in you.
A lot of responsibility.
Your services are realistically intangible compared to going out and buying a new tv that you can use right away, and often the prospect may have experienced subpar results before which makes them even more trepidatious about the entire process.
One way that we’ve found success in overcoming the fears of the prospect and levelling out the risk factor is offing “Risk Reversal” on our services.
The easiest way to gain a paying new patient is to make them an offer they absolutely can’t resist, by guaranteeing them a result they absolutely want, need and can’t live without all while removing the barrier to entry to start the process.
When you include a risk reversal in your offer stating that even if they get that result and it’s not everything they expected, you’re the one who will take the loss, not them, this creates both trust and over-delivers on your service showing to the prospect that you take things seriously and are invested in their health and outcomes.
The second way is an NLP process called “Future Pacing”
That’s a process that takes people forward to experience what their life will be like once they have results from your services.
Keep in mind you’re not really selling a service. You’re selling a result, an outcome, and the probability of success.
Let’s say I am selling you my physiotherapy service to help overcome your low back pain so you can get back to running.
I would paint a future for you where you were able to simply strap on a pair of shoes and begin your run around your favourite path – all without low back pain and more importantly without the FEAR that you’ll face low back pain during or after.
Do you see what I’m saying?
Take your prospect forward to what it will be like once they have their desired outcome. Then tie it in with risk reversal.
If your prospect says, “It certainly sounds good, but what if it doesn’t happen?” – You’ll respond, “Well, if you follow through on our plan of care and do your active part in this process and it doesn’t happen, I will give you (terms, money, etc) back, or work with you longer whatever makes the most sense for you and your outcomes.”
Most health practice owners I work with immediately worry about the what if’s and assume that every patient will want a refund if they instill this policy.
My question is, if you believe in your services and are able to get the outcomes you have outlined in the first place why would you ever be concerned?
If anything providing risk reversal sets you apart and states “I stand behind my services and results”
In some scenarios, there are specific actions that are explained to the patient and need to be taken place to qualify for the reversal.
I.E. We offer a 30 day money back guarantees on our personal training trials for new members – in order to qualify the client would need to meet with a staff member and ensure they came in the agreed upon frequency.
It is always recommended to incorporate a form of risk reversal and future pacing in both your advertisements, offers, and consultations.