Special Packages/Prices???

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Donna Rodolph on August 4, 2008 at 4:33pm

I do not offer free consultations. I started out doing that and ultimately feel that it undermines my progress.
I currently charge for the first session and I am thinking of making the first session cost MORE! (I am laughing...and serious). If I look at the history of my clients (which isn't a HUGE amount...since I have only just opened my office some 6 months or so ago) - the ones who came in for the first session at no cost - I rarely see again. Those who pay for the first session tend to return, I am guessing they may feel that they are now invested... (?)
However, it could be...I am getting better at it and may have unknowingly changed my approach. Or maybe it is "I" feel better charging for it, which alters my behavior and changes my approach (I could analyze this all day....)

If you decide to charge for it - you could look at it this way: One less stressful decision you have to make as you are dealing with opening your own business.
This eliminates the need to worry about what to charge - since the first session costs the same as all the others. What IS free - is the time I spend putting the information out there, usually in person - on how awesome hypnosis is, my personal experiences with it and why it is worth it to them, in the long run, to seek out my services.

I look forward to hearing what others have to say about it.

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Permalink Reply by Craig Eubanks on August 5, 2008 at 2:53pm

Do not offer discounts and try to compete on price to get clients!

You become a commodity when you compete on price. Bad Thing.

Remember, people attach value to a thing based on it's price.

There are many many many ways to get new clients that don't involve giving away your most valuable asset.... Your TIME.

I have over 140 articles, podcasts, and videos on my blog about this very subject. You will find many ideas you can use.

http://HypnosisMarketingTips.com

I also have posts in the forums here on Hypnothoughts, and I will be teaching two workshops on marketing at the National Guild of Hypnotists conference this weekend.

If you will be there, attend my workshops and you will walk away with more ideas than you can implement in the next six months!

Cheers,

Craig Eubanks

P.S. I'll be teaching one workshop on Internet Marketing and one on Offline Marketing.

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Permalink Reply by Craig Eubanks on August 5, 2008 at 2:57pm

One more thing...

Using packaged programs is a good thing. In my previous post I wanted to make sure to hammer home the idea not to discount or give your time away.

Package programs will help both you and your clients. I'm in a bit of a rush or I would explain the psychology behind it all.

Just make sure the package price pays you what you are really worth. After that, pile on the bonuses to make it seem like what I call an Irresistible Offer.

Cheers,

Craig Eubanks
HypnosisMarketingTips.com

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Berlendy on August 6, 2008 at 3:44pm

Thanks Craig,
I haven't had a lot of time to look over your site but I appreciate your reply and will be researching your site and tips when I have the time to concentrate on it. My 3 yr old son is keeping me very busy. I think that a lack of confidence is what is holding me back from charging what I am worth rather than charging what I "think" people want. I also think that I feel as though I have to "just make some money" because I put myself out there and got an office when I really don't have the financial means to keep it going unless I get clients soon. I am probably putting too much pressure on myself to be perfect. Thanks for all your words of wisdom. I will be looking over your marketing tips soon.I appreciate you taking the time and sharing your knowledge with me. The people around here are so tight lipped when it comes to the "competition" so no help there. So, thanks again.
Katherine

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Zimmerman on August 6, 2008 at 6:19am

In my 19 years of practice I've tried just about everything but I rarely do a free consultation. On the few occasions when I agreed to it, they didn't even show up. Now, If they ask, I tell them that we can talk about their issue for 20 minutes free on the phone or we can set a 30 minute appointment for $30.

I offered packages a few years ago but didn't continue. My clients would want to "save" the final session for some time down the road. I still have people who have paid for sessions that they didn't use from 7 years ago. And I didn't like being paid for work that I didn't done yet. Another reason that I 'm not currently offering packages is that Positive Changes had an office here. They had people sign huge contracts then went bankrupt. It's left a bad feeling for many around here.

I know many of my colleagues do offer packages though and I do a package for smoking cessation. When I quoted my price to one man he said that another guy charged only $99 and guaranteed it. I told him to call the other person and book with him and instead he booked with me. I agree with Craig. Don't compete on price or offer discounts. I'm often asked, "What do you charge for 'something like that'?" I tell them the they are paying for my time and expertise so the price is always the same. And I don't care to book clients who are price shopping. If they call asking only for prices, ask their name and what they would like to work on. Engage them a little, build a relationship before you ever mention price.

My initial session is 90 minutes and that one costs more than the subsequent hour long session. They used to be the same but my clients kept saying that the first one should cost more so I listened to them. It wouldn't me that helpful to hear what others are charging since I think it varies from city to city. I could probably double my rates if I worked in Los Angeles instead of Sacramento. :)

Have you thought about teaching classes to build your practice? That has worked great for me! students would book sessions after the class and comment that they would never have come for a private session if they hadn't taken the class first. And I made a profit on the class. It's a win-win.

Katherine Zimmerman

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Berlendy on August 6, 2008 at 3:29pm

Katherine, When you talk about classes, what exactly do you mean? Like an " Intro to Hypno" class to introduce people to the idea of hypnosis? How much would you charge for something like that?
Thanks for all the input and advice. I appreciate it.
Katherine

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Zimmerman on August 6, 2008 at 3:44pm

Katherine,
I was thinking more on the lines of a self hypnosis class. I've taught it 5-6 times a year since 1989. People are very curious about hypnosis and love taking classes. You could offer a free 1/2 hour intro to the class right before it starts. It increases your chances of getting your press release in the paper. I offer a 5 hour class for $125. If they sign up 2 weeks ahead the price is $110. I give them a binder with their handouts and sometimes a free CD. The self hypnosis class went over so well that I developed quite a few other classes: stress reduction, self-esteem, EFT, hypnosis for public speaking, to name a few. The materials I use are available on my website.

The self hypnosis class meets twice for a total of 5 hours. It is my most popular class.
Not only do students end up as clients they buy CDs and books during class. I am making money while I advertise myself AND teach a phenomenal self-help tool. It's great!

I also used to go to Kiwanis, Lyons, etc. and give a free talk on hypnosis to introduce the community to hypnotherapy. They were very welcoming and it brought in clients and students to my classes. But the classes made the most difference in building my practice.

Katherine

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Berlendy on August 6, 2008 at 4:11pm

That sounds like fun but I would definitley have to do a lot of preparing and practicing before I do that. I do not have much experience in hypnotherapy since being certified in March. I think I would do much better teaching rather than "performing" like the stage hypnotists. I enjoy educating others so classes would be good for me. Where do you get your information to do the classes from ? Is it a class you developed yourself? I love your website. Very nice. I also like that you offer the "love yourself" classes which I would also consider doing as well.
The only issue I have at the moment is that I would love to make my own CD's but am not sure what equipment to use and what music. I usually use a meditative CD for Chakra balancing (not much changes in the music so it is calming) but am not sure if I should be using something else. I would love to be able to add CD's to packages or to offer generic (not personalized) CD's to help my clients.
Any info regarding making your own CD's would be helpful since I would love to be able to pull a pre-recorded CD out for that client that "just can't relax" and tell them to listen to it and come back next week.
Thank you again for your input I really enjoy learning from everyone on this site.
Katherine

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Zimmerman on August 7, 2008 at 7:31am

I have developed my classes by reading a multitude of books and pulling out information that I found helpful and relevant. Then I taught the classes and improved the material until I had something that students related well to. It's all very time consuming so I started selling my course curricula in 1994 so that others could benefit from my work.

As someone else mentioned, there is a detailed thread on this forum about making recordings. In my private sessions I use Feather on the Breath of God by Erin Jacobsen which is the best trance music I've found to date. For recordings you'll need to use Royalty Free music. Years ago I contracted with a music therapist. She wrote some wonderful music for me that I can use commercially.

Katherine

I have a fairly expensive set up for recording at the moment but I started with a $25 Radio Shack mic and a Sony boombox. My clients/students were happy for quite awhile. When they started complaining about the quality I upgraded my equipment. There are many affordable and free programs that run on your computer.

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Permalink Reply by James Malone on August 6, 2008 at 7:29am

Katherine, I offer packages, especially with weight loss and smoking.

With weight loss I like to have the client commit to an initial 6 sessions, each spaced a week or two apart and then set up monthly follow up visits if needed. I have them come in for their first session and then get their commitment (and the balance of the payment) for the 6 session package on the second session. This way they don't feel pressured upon first meeting me and if the client and I aren't a good match, they haven't paid for something they really don't want. It also provides a really good incentive for me to do my level best on that first visit!

What experience has shown me is that it is important to work with the client long enough so that I am actively working with them when they hit a weight loss plateau. With any weight loss plan, people remain enthusiastic as long as the pounds are dropping, however given the body's natural rhythms eventually there will be a plateau ,which is when many will give up in discouragement. Along with developing compelling end result imagery, clearing mental blocks, teaching stress reduction skills, ego strengthening, etc, helping clients learn to reframe plateaus is paramount

With smoking cessation I see the client 2-3 times within the space of a week since it is a behavior that is stopped rather modified like eating.

As a rule I don't offer free consultations, instead I charge a $50 fee for a half session where we do a thorough assessment, suggestibility experiments and a brief guided imagery exercise to familiarize the client with hypnosis. If they decide to work with me, that fee is applied to their to the first session, since a lot of the work has been already accomplished.

And although I don't like to do the free consultations because as other respondents here have mentioned it tends to cheapen the image of what we do, there is an exception. You can print certificates for a free initial consults (with their actual value printed on them) for your successful clients to give out to friends and family members. This way they can introduce these potential referrals to you with less reservation on their part.

You can also use a similar strategy in a joint venture with related but non-competing professionals like nutritionists, personal trainers, etc, where they offer their mailing list the gift of a free consult (emphasize that this service normally costs X dollars) with you. You get introduced to new people and they build goodwill by offering their clients a free gift. Best of Luck to You!

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Berlendy on August 6, 2008 at 3:35pm

James,
I like the idea of the certificates to use with other professionals in different fields whose clients can benefit from my services. Great idea.
I also appreciate you pointing out about the weight release and maybe taking just the first fee and then the balance at the second session. Less pressure for the client but more for me to do my very best. I thought that maybe if I got the whole payment at the first session it would make the client more invested and commited to the program and they would be more successful. But if we aren't a good match then I wouldn't want them to sit through sessions that they won't be interested in.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with me. I appreciate it.
Katherine

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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Dye on August 6, 2008 at 4:21pm

Katherine,
In the last six months, that I've openly started to pursue my practice more... I find that the more you charge the better off you are. That probably sounds absurd but if they don't see you as good as the guy across town that charges xx amount and your cheaper.
Like Katherine I also teach self-hypnosis to my clients. It gives them more confidence that if they can do this on their own scale..... its great for them. They will rarely be able to go to the same level you take them.. so they will come back to you wanting more when its needed or wanted.
Enjoy your practice.. above all .. have fun with it. Thats important for you too . If you stress yourself out what happens? Be well to yourself.
Good Luck!

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