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Another great article from AlternativeHealthPractice.com – this time about how to get repeat appointments for your clients.

Many businesses miss out on repeat business because they simply forget to ask for it (or ask for it in the wrong way). Some of the key points I wanted to share from the post -

Strike While The Iron’s Hot
There will never be a better time to book the patient in question than right now. Whether they’re on the phone, or standing at your front desk, do it now. The patient who doesn’t book now is going to come back fewer times. Or never. It’s that simple.

Tell, Don’t Ask
You need to approach booking from a place of confidence. Adopt the attitude of assuming patients will book/rebook. Why? because your inner confidence is reflected in how you speak, in subtle ways that shift the likelihood of success.

• Wrong: “Did you want to schedule a follow up?”
• Right: “Let’s schedule your follow up.”

Small difference in words. Big difference in outcome.

Leverage Our Love of Routine
Humans tend to be creatures of habit. We like consistency. Giving your patients recurring appointments in the same time slot makes it easy for them, and gives them a sense of ownership in the process.

• Wrong: “When would you like to come back?”
• Right: “If this time slot is convenient, I can get you in at the same time on Wednesday at 10:30.”

If you can’t offer the same time, offer the same time of day: “We can get you in again on Wednesday morning next week.”

Narrow the Options
While you’re at it, consider offering just two options for any appointment. It’s easier for everyone. There’s some surprising research that shows that people buy more when their choices are not overwhelming.

• Wrong: “What day is good for you?”
• Right: “We have an opening on Wednesday at 10:30 again, or Thursday at 2:15.”

Remind People
I also don’t like to book too far out because I’m afraid I’ll forget. Reassure your patients by giving them an appointment card, and by telling them you’ll call a few days before the appointment to remind them.

These appointment strategies also work for other things for your business such as writing copy to get a sale from your brochures or website.

1. Go for immediate action – get someone to act now, not later.
2. Assume a sale - always assume a sale/positive outcome and ask or write accordingly.
3. Get a routine happening - make doing business with you regular, systematised and expected. For example I always have my newsletters in your in box by Friday mornings – people begin to expect to hear from you regularly. It also helps build your reputation for consistent delivery.
4. Narrow the choices - too many choices means people have difficulty making ANY choice. With your copy give a maximum of three choices on price points or packages – any more and you lose customers.
5. Remind people - if someone contacted you for more information then you need to keep in touch and remind them you would love to work with them. You can do this simply through autoresponder programs or drop them a postcard.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony

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I have been looking at upgrading my mobile to a fully featured smart phone to reduce the clutter and weight in my handbag with all of my technology toys. As I was checking out the latest GPS, 5 MP, pay TV phone features I must admit feeling a bit lost. I wonder how many other people have all of these mobile phone features but then never use them or don’t use them effectively because they don’t know how?

Quick quiz – how many features do you regularly use on your phone? With the modern technology in phones, just using them to make and receive one call at a time is like just using a computer to type letters (and that’s all). Modern phones are really mini computers – are you getting the best out of your phone?

Now if I was in NZ I would just contact Mobile Mentors - a specialist company that teaches people to use all of the features in their phone.

Or if I was in Holland I could tap into a brilliant initiative that pairs 12-16 year old kids who are proficient in mobile phone with mature age corporate “students”. This is a win-win for everyone – the kids get confidence, build connections and gain exposure to corporate environments (and make money). The businesses get better productivity from their employees using the technology they have provided for them.

I haven’t yet been able to find something similar in Australia – I can’t understand why mobile phone shops don’t hold regular classes as part of their service offering! I love technology (and yes I am a geek), but having someone walk me through all of the features and how to use them effectively is a service I would love to have and would willingly pay for.

Oh … and if anyone has tried out a Nokia N95 8gb or an I-Phone (yes I know they are not yet released in Australia officially) I would love to hear your opinion on which is better.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony

Part of the joy of running a small business is the chance to create a life not just a living for both yourself and your employees. Sometimes knowing what else you can do to create a fulfilling workplace (and not run the business into bankruptcy in the process) can be a challenge.

This week the Alfred P Sloan Institute released their report on When Work Works – a report of the winners of a major US competition for Business Excellence in workplace flexibility. This 90 page report is worth a read by any one who has employees.

Some of the points they have found is the best businesses all have a few things in common:

• These employers don’t see looking over employees’ shoulders as the way to ensure good work. They trust employees, but hold them accountable and focus on results.
• They don’t see the individual employee in potentially heroic terms. It is the team that must deliver performance.
• They don’t think that automatically putting “customers first” above employee concerns is the best way to succeed. They have learned that a workplace that addresses staff issues has a staff that is more responsive to customers.
• They don’t think that killer hours are the only route to profit. They try to ensure that their employees have the time and space for renewal to do their best work.
• They don’t say that “only work-centric employees need apply.” They find that dual-centric employees – who contribute to their communities and are involved with their families – are among their most committed and productive employees.

While many of the businesses profiled are medium to large businesses – the concepts of allowing flexibility for life, volunteering and study are applicable no matter the size of your business.

The other applicable concepts are listening and acting on employees comments and holding employees accountable for results not “face time” in the office.

You can download a free full copy of the report from www.whenworkworks.org.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony

I was doing some research for a client and discovered this great story in an article by Thomas G Field Jr …

If a man can make a better mousetrap, though he builds his house in the woods the world will make a beaten path to his door. Attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photo by Simon Welsh

In the early part of the 20th Century, the Animal Trap Company of America sold a five cent mousetrap. For years, the president of the company, Chester M. Woolworth, had tried to improve it, and in 1928 he succeeded.

Yet, he couldn’t sell it. One problem was that it sold for twelve cents — almost two and one-half times as much as its predecessor. Another is explained at page 8 in Venture Capital: A Guidebook for New Enterprises (U.S. Govt. Printing Office 1972):

Mr. Woolworth failed to look carefully at the way the average family used a mousetrap. The mousetrap was normally purchased by the husband who set the trap at night after the children were in bed . In the morning, the husband hurried off to work leaving the dead mouse in the trap. The housewife did not want a dead mouse around all day so she would pick up the trap and dispose of the mouse and the trap.

Unfortunately for Mr. Woolworth, the new trap looked too expensive to throw away. So, the wife was forced to remove the mouse and clean the trap. Obviously, the average housewife felt much happier with the old five cent trap which could be thrown away. While the husband might buy the improved trap, the wife did not want it to be used. Thus, sales of the improved mousetrap were very low.

When any small business creates a brilliant invention or new idea, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be successful if they haven’t taken into account the context in which the invention or idea is used.

Always do your research on your clients, dig into their minds to find out why and how they buy from you and your opposition and get to know what is truly important to them.

Selling is not about forcing a product that they don’t need or want onto a customer.In my world view it is all about knowing what your customer needs and wants. If your product genuinely helps fill those needs and wants then your job is to show them how your product or service can fill their needs and wants in the best possible way.

I look at it as if someone you cared about was struggling with a problem. If you knew a solution to their problem – wouldn’t you want to share it with them? That to me is what selling with integrity is all about.

So … back to the mousetrap. Just because you have created a better mousetrap doesn’t mean your customers want or need a better mousetrap. Before you leap off and try and sell something – stop and put yourself in your customers shoes first.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony

For those of you who are published authors, self published authors or going-to-be-one-day authors this idea is one to add to your kit bag – a virtual book tour.

I was reading the Tonic Gifts blog when I came across two women doing virtual book tour. It is the same as a regular book-tour, but instead of physically visiting bookshops they are visiting blogs, websites and on-line stores.

What a brilliant concept! Massive time and cost saving and a great example of leveraging the internet effectively for your small business.

To check out the tour and see where Tara Spicer and Nicole Graham have been visiting check out the Virtual Book Tour.

Until next time
Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony