Realistic numbers of clients

[ClaMeroooa]

I'd be interested to get all your input on this one to see if I am way off the mark in my aims for my practice.

I've been practicing in Reflexology for nearly 3 years and gave up all other work to concentrate on my practice in June this year. I always put a lot of time and effort into marketing but I'm getting a bit disappointed in my client numbers. At the moment I have between 35 and 50 appointments a month, and I had set myself a target ot reach 60 by the end of the year and 80 a month as my ultimate goal. Does this sound realistic? Obviously it's possible to do time-wise but I'd be interested to know how many appointments other people have and how long you've been practicing. Sorry if it's a bit nosy, but it's so hard to know if I'm on track otherwise!

Thank you!

Sarah xx

 

[RuneKey]

Hi Sarah,

I guess that part of your answer depends on where you are located. Has your number of appointments increased since you went "full time" in refelxology and done more marketting? Maybe it is just the speed at which you want to achieve your goals that is a bit ambitious, I don't know. I personally don't have many clients at the moment, but I am still working full time in a day job. No time to advertisae or to explore possible places for giving taster sessions.

Wishing good luck,

Artemis

 

[Samantha Landsverk]

Hi Sarah, i think it depends on many things, but mostly exposure.

I started practicing in August 2002 doing mobile in London and then moved north and had to start up from scratch. I found it hard to get going but did get in somewhere that wasn't great as it wasn't well run or marketed and I had to put a lot in to get very little out. After struggling on there I found the place I am at now and have gone on to to doing around 30-50 clients a month there since May (that's aroma and recently reflexology, plus a bit of Reiki). Obviously there weren't that many at first, but lately that's where I am at.

I have picked up about six new regulars in the last month since starting the reflexology which i wouldn't obviously have had before i did that. I am doing 3-4 session a week now, so it is far from full time, but that suits me right now.

It sound to me like you are doing well, a lot of people don't have that many clients. But I can understand how frustrated you feel if you are putting a lot into marketing.

What kind of marketing etc are you doing? Maybe you can get some feedback there?

Do you recommend a course of treatment to your clients? Some people don't feel they can, but it does help, they need to be guided sometimes! Do you contact them when you haven't seen them for a while? We recently did a big mail drop to clients and got a good number back who haven't been for over a year. Do you do special offers?

Other than that, it does get a bit lean sometimes doesn't it? There seems to be no set pattern of when the work tails off and then suddenly they are all back on again.[]

 

[wutda!*&!]

Thank you for your replies. I know I can be a bit overambitious sometimes, but at the same time I do realise that I am lucky to have as many clients as I do. I have been doing all the things you mentioned Candie, I think I just need to do even more!!

I expected more hp members to reply to this and I'd still be interested to hear from some successful full-time therapists to see if my target of 60, then 80 a month is realistic... Is anyone out there??!

Sarah x

 

[Blondes Have more fun]

Sarah. I work with three different clinics and I'm not sure if any of the therapists practising only one therapy work full time as such. Maybe the homeopaths and osteopaths are busier. I do aromatherapy and holistic massage as well as reflexology and the home business is up and down like everyone else's, so I decided to attach myself to some clinics to get more work. You probably don't earn as much per treatment and there is some work to be done (or expense to be had) regarding publicising yourself, but without that work, I think I would be very frustrated.

The other alternative is to invest in yourself and diversify by taking courses in dffierent treatments, thus increasing interest to different clients.

Personally I think you have done really well to get the number of reflexology clients that you have.

Lesley

 

[Montificus]

Thanks Lesley. I used to work in 2 clinics (one day each) but gave this up this year as they weren't as busy as my home practice (and taking 30% of any earnings I did make!). Luckily all the clients transferred to my home practice. I found it difficult to establish practices in clinics where I only worked one day so couldn't offer flexible appointments to my clients. I always keep a look out for opportunities to workelse where though as I know some clinic prcices are very successful.

I have thought about training in other therapies but I have heard conflicting ideas as to whether this improves client numbers. I do a lot of training in advanced Reflexology techniques every year and would rather specialise in one therapy instead of trying to practice many.

Sarah x

 

[Cancan]

I know for a fact that I have some clients who prefer particular treatments. For instance I have clients that will always have massage for shoulder tension and would never consider reflexology (even though I suggest they should try it, or alternate treatments). On the other hand some people would much rather have a reflexology treatment than a full body massage.

I do see your point though and I know that I want to do some advanced courses in reflexology and aromatherapy, but I think that is because I want to give the best possible treatments to my clients. I don't think it would necessarily bring in more clients.

The other thing is that once a therapist is established in an area, there is possibly a limit to how much they can keep on increasing their business year on year. There must become a point where you're unlikely to continue to gain a significant number of clients as we all have clients we lose either temporarily or permanently (those that never intended to continue with treatments).

Until I took on the clinic work, I think I may have been a bit desperate with my home business, although I hope I didn't show it, but now I'm more relaxed about it all.

I suppose I am lucky in that the hours I work suit me and fortunately I don't have to do it for the money, but I would hate to be in a position where my livelihood depended on it.

I think all you can do is keep on doing what you do best. Good luck.

Lesley

 

[Tyler M]

Good points Lesley

There is also the matter of how much our bodies can give with physical therapies before we start developing rsi etc, I personally restrict myself to a maximum of seven patients in a day to help reduce this risk and try and break the day with energy treatments in between physical ones when ever I can

 

[Blhabxmwrljyv]

Hello,

I have also heard conflicting reactions towards therapists that have several therapies to offer. A friend of mine said it puts her off: can the therapist really be good in ALL of them? Which one to choose? But then I have clients who are happy that I can offer more variety... Of course I also have clients who contact me for one type of therapy, and would not try anything else. My feeling is that it has so far helped more than hindered to be bale to offer more than one type of treatment.

Artemis

 

[AbbbeyV]

As I trained for all three therapies under one course, part of the training was to be able to guide clients who had particular health or emotional problems towards the particular treatment that might suit them best, alternate treatments or offer combination treatments, so there is some flexibility and variety in the types of treatments I can offer.

Lesley

 

[Aseel]

hi again

i think the point about multiple therapies is a good one, however, I do feel that many clients expect therapists to provide a mix of reflex, aroma, massage, indian head and possibly reiki. I think you do lose work if you can't do them all but I can see why you would prefer to be good at one and understand that fully. I trained in aroma and stuck with that for over a year before doing reflex, I just couldn't not do it really - bitten by the bug and all that.[X(]

Of course they are different and they do attract different types of clients don't they? Personally I am glad that I have done all of them - not planning on any more now! I think when you talk about therapists doing a lot of different treatments it means that they do in excess of that. I know some who do this, that and the other and I have often wondered if they are really good at any of them, but they get bitten by the bug too.[X(][X(]

I know that I have lost work in the past before I did my Indian Head and Reflex and I am getting more clients since I did them, though of course it has cost me a lot of money to train.

Flexibility is another issue. I have bent every which way to pick up clients at our clinic and it has paid off for me, but not everybody can do it. I am now trying to railroad them all into set sessions, which seems to be working, but I am still here and there!
[&:]

I really do think you are doing well and why shouldn't you continue to do so? There are always new clients who will come in the future. It's a big world out there!

Well, that's what I think about the Wirral anyway!!!!!