Value Added: Voice Mail and Phone Callsby Sandra Bradshaw

Image by silas216 via Flickr

We're pleased to share this article from guest contributor Sandra Bradshaw. Sandra is a former special-education teacher, and has been a Feldenkrais practitioner since 1999. Located in Kelowna, BC, Sandra has a successful home-based practice. Click here to visit her website.

In an economic climate where people are counting their pennies, they want the best value for their money. An FI is expensive and in most cases can’t be claimed on medical insurance, so what are you going to do to help your clients get their money’s worth? The most obvious answer is to meet their needs. Of course this is simply good business practice and in hard economic times it is the businesses that meet people’s needs that survive.

A buzz phrase that comes up frequently in our present economic reality is “value added”. This means, the more I can anticipate and meet my clients’ needs, the more likely that we will have a lasting relationship. I am not talking about what you do on the table, but all of the other extras that add up to quality service.

As a Feldenkrais practitioner more often than not your first contact with a prospective client is a phone call. If you have a low budget operation like I have, that first contact will probably be a voice mail message. It is said that in the first 3 seconds of connecting with a new person you are evaluated and judged, and that first impression is virtually irreversible. When your voice message is their first connection with you it has to have a positive impact on the caller that will carry through to your return phone call.

Voice mail greeting

Make it short and to the point asking for a call back time when they will most likely be available so that you don’t have to play phone tag. Include something in the message that gives the caller a sense of who you are and how you view life. My “value added” phrase is, “And have a glorious day.” It might sound a little hokey, but people appreciate a warm fuzzy and it gives them a sense of me as an approachable positive person. I’m always surprised at how many people reciprocate the sentiment at the end of their message.

If you are going away and the office will be closed for a period of time, make sure that you have an absent voice mail message. Include the reopening date of the office so that they know when their call will be returned.

Answer voice mail within 12 to 24 hours

When you answer voice mail promptly you are sending a message that you value the caller and that s/he is important to you. This is already a “value added” tactic because it is adding to that first impression the person is getting of you.

A few years ago I was receiving treatments from an alternative health care practitioner who was slow to answer my phone calls. It would often be 2 to 3 days, or a sometimes even longer before I heard from her. Not only was she slow to answer my calls, she also had a long list of reasons for the delay when she finally did connect with me. It wasn’t long before I started looking for someone else who was more receptive to my needs as a client.

Make your phone calls when you have lots of time

When you are speaking to clients make sure you have lots of time so that the call is not rushed. Of course there are always people that will chew your ear off if you let them, so give them a 15 or 20 minute limit up front. That way they know that you are willing to spend a “value added” amount of time with them.

Listen, listen, listen

The experts will tell you that any time you are out networking 90% of your time should be spent listening and gathering information and 10% sharing your information. A phone call is no different. Be prepared to listen to the caller and if necessary make a few notes as s/he talks so that you can refer back to the conversation at the first appointment.

Have a list of questions

When you ask the right questions you can find out the callers needs quickly and efficiently. The caller will feel valued when you show an interest in their story.

Position yourself as a community resource

If you have your listing under massage, yoga or fitness the caller may be looking for one of those modalities. You quickly determine that they know what they want, and it is not a Feldenkrais session. Give them your 30 second elevator speech so that they know what you do and how it connects with the modality they are looking for, then give them some names of practitioners that are good in their field. Position yourself as a community resource that can give them “value added” information so that they will remember your name as someone that could potentially help them in the future. Make it your business to know who are the best Pilates, Yoga, Massage, Chiro practitioners, etc. in your community, and get to know these people so that they will also refer people to you.

Give the caller “value added” information

Once you have asked your questions and listened to your caller’s needs you are now in a position to give them some value added information. Most of the time a brief explanation of the Feldenkrais Method as it would apply to them is enough. However, from time to time you will have someone who wants more than that before they commit to an appointment. If the caller indicated that they would like more information get their email address so that you can send them additional information.

Last week I had a phone call from a woman whose son has ADHD. I quickly determined that this mother was looking for information, and that she was frustrated with the help or lack of it that her son was receiving through the school system. As a former education teacher, I have a lot of background in this area. I asked her questions about her son, about the school situation, and his program. I listened to her concerns. During the 15 minutes I spent talking to her, I outlined some of the things that I thought would be beneficial for her son, including but not exclusively the FM. I gave her names of other professionals in our community whom I have worked with that are not feldies, but their work philosophically aligns with the Method. I suggested a few strategies that could be implemented immediately into her son’s program without extra effort on the part of the classroom teacher. I got her email address so that I could send her some links to Feldenkrais sites that included information for ADHD and info on a seminar that will be taking place in town next week that has relevant information on ADHD. She phoned me three days later to make an appointment for her son. She said that she had been impressed by the depth of my knowledge, and was confident that what I had to offer would benefit her son.

Value added strategies are not rocket science, but they do take some thought to implement. Next time I will talk about some value added newsletters. See you then!

The Internet is for Sharing

Image by mSkeet via Flickr

Recently, a colleague, Robert Burgess, published a book: A Guide to Body Sense.

It contains 50 Awareness Through Movement lessons with excellent, clear drawings to accompany the instructions. The book is designed so that you could photocopy lessons and instructions f or clients after an ATM class orFunctional Integration lesson. I read about the book when he announced it on FeldyForum.

In the past, this information might have stopped with me, and with whoever happened to be reading the forum the day he announced it. However, social media allows me to share information, easily, about Robert's book with all my friends and clients, and potentially with all their friends as well.

This is the magic of sharing. Sharing is what makes a video or website or any other cool thing "go viral," that is, to spread across the Internet and be viewed millions of times. Social media sites make it easy to spread the word about t hings you love -- and the things you hate!

Take this blog post, for example. At the end, you'll see the word, "Share" in a button with a little "+" sign. If you click on that, you'll see a number of different sites to choose from: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Digg, and more! If you have an account on any of those sites, you can spread this blog post so that it publishes on that site as well, as in another location. That is, instead of reading this article here on my blog, and that's the only way people can read it, when you share something, others could read it on Facebook, or wherever you choose. Facebook and MySpace allow you to share articles, blogs, photos, videos-- almost anything you can think of!

Your Facebook page also has a feature up by your status statement (answer the question, "What are you doing right now?") that says, "Share a link." You can copy and paste the URL of a video, article, or blog post -- anything that has a web adress -- into that box. That's another way to share.

To get started sharing, you'll need an account with a social media site to be your virtual home-away-from home. Think of it as a place where you and your friends hang out online. I like Facebook the best. Many of my local friends as well as colleagues around the world are also there. Some people like MySpace. I also have a page on MySpace, just to have one, but I don't use it much. In my opinion, it's less useful for business, unless you are in a rock band, or would like to meet other 13-year-olds. I think Facebook is the best place to start, and you can branch out from there.

Accounts on social media sites are free. The site will ask you if you want to invite friends -- it's more fun if you do. Allow the site to tip-toe through your address book and show you which people you already know are already participating. Invite the people you like, the people you find interesting, and leave the rest. When you log in to the site, you'll be able to see what all your friends are doing, reading, thinking about, and you can select what you share with them.

Another way to share is through blogging. You'll notice that there are links in blue throughout this article. You can click on any link, and go to a website that will give you more information. You can do this manually, which takes a bit of time. I use a new tool called Zemanta, which helps me to link to images, articles, and blog posts that will enhance your learning, if you are curious to know more. Sharing things of value adds value to your presence and your reputation in social media.

The current "hot thing" in social media is Twitter. In 140-keystroke updates, or "tweets," you can update the world about what you are doing, and find out what is going on in the world! Share links that are helpful and positive and watch your followers list grow.

While it's great to use social media sites as a tool for business, to inform people about what you do, and to make contacts with potential clients, don't be tacky. If all you talk about is yourself, you'll be that creepy guy at the party that nobody wants to talk to. Share items that are interesting, that are funny, that are helpful and useful to others. You'll establish a reputation for being someone worth checking in on. So, next time you see a photo or video you like, or read an article that makes you say, "Oh, YEAH!" just click "Share." You'll be amazed at the conversations you start having -- conversations that build your business.

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Blogs, etc.

The Internet, "Web 2.0," and whatever the next iteration will be -- all are becoming increasingly interactive. "Interactive" is the modern word for "people talk to each other." Above all, the Internet is a place for conversations to take place. If we want the knowledge of the Feldenkrais Method to spread, we have to have conversations. Best of all, we need to stimulate other people to have conversations about us.

If you are shy, a wallflower, or otherwise uncomfortable with socializing, blogs and other media sites are a great way to ease into using this new tool. Let's be frank, the Internet has gone beyond being a tool -- it is a reality, it is useful, it is mainstream.

The earlier post, Introduction to Blogging, discussed the value of leaving comments on other people's blogs. You can also leave comments about photos you like on Flickr.com, about videos you enjoy on YouTube.com; even about posted items and links on your friends' Facebook pages. The point is, YOU must participate in conversations. You don't have to hi-jack the conversation and only talk about Feldenkrais: in fact, that would be rude and tacky. However: by "showing up" on these sites, and having something of value (interesting, funny, another related site or topic) to SHARE WITH OTHERS -- that will cause others to pay attention to what you have to say, and even look forward to your comments. You begin to cultivate a reputation, a presence, as an interesting person, a resource -- an authority in your field.

So -- what do you think? Leave your comments. Better yet: what can you do?

Introduction to Blogging

Have been away from this blog for a few days? How's it going?

My operating principle for this blog is to help provide you with easy, fun, and do-able activities that you can implement immediately that will get your practice growing. This article about blogging may seem a bit indirect, but please bear with me. Blogs are important, because they are the new "town square" in the digital age. Blogs are a place to meet neighbors, people of like mind, and they are also places to go for entertainment, education, and to check out what the whackos are doing. All of this can be done from the comfort and privacy of your own home, right in front of your computer.

A "Blog" is shorthand for "Web Log." A blog is a web page that serves as an online journal. Some people use their blog to keep a diary, to share recipes or family history, and some use blogs to promote their businesses by providing valuable and interesting information. If you're not familiar with blogs (or even if you are), take a moment to get acquainted. Think of something you are interested in (besides the Feldenkrais Method and building your practice). Cooking? Running? Pilates? Antiques? Politics? What do you like to do for fun?

Open up another window on your computer and go to Google.com. In the search box, enter "cooking blogs," or "Math blogs" or "technology blogs" or "pet blogs." Let your imagination run wild! Whatever you can think of, SOMEONE is probably sharing their passion for it via a blog. Celebrities have blogs, television shows have blogs, everybody has a blog. WHY? Because blogs are the new place where you can talk to people that are interested in the same things you are!

You'll find blogs that you think are terrible. Blogs reflect the personality of the person (or group) who is writing it. If you don't like the looks of it, or don't like the writing or the opinions expressed, keep looking until you find some blogs you like.

Become a reader, or a follower of a blog. You can do this anonymously (just bookmark the page and check back with it every so often). The next level of commitment is to click on the RSS feed symbol. You'll get updates when the blog has a new entry. Some blogs also allow you to receive updates via email. The top level of commitment (and it's not that hard!) is to actually sign up to be a "follower" of the blog. Frequently, the blog will then post your picture, with a link to your website or profile. A little photo gallery begins to form, and you can see a bunch of people who also follow this blog.

The real magic of blogs comes in the "Comments" section. If you read something you like, leave a comment! You don't even need to mention your work. Leave a POSITIVE comment -- "This is the BEST recipe for Thai peanut sauce I've found. Served it to my family tonight with shrimp and rice, and there was none left! Looking forward to more recipes!" Be sincere, be specific in acknowledging the value of what you read, and you'll be asked to come over and play again. Many blogs allow you to post a link to your website along with your signature. If you sound like a nice, positive, interesting person, who wouldn't want to find out more about you?

Comments on blogs are golden, because they are a link back to your website. Chances are, you don't have a link to the blog on your site. Incoming links are valued more highly by search engines and web crawlers, and so will boost the rankings of your web site.

Reading and commenting on blogs are a great way to stay informed, expand your world, and come into contact with new people. It costs nothing, just a little of your time. Be part of conversations that are already going on, and bide your time until you are asked for information. When more people start talking about Feldenkrais, more people will hear about Feldenkrais!
Coming soon-- writing a blog!