First Impressions Count

How you run your practice will have a considerable impact on how profitable it becomes, as first impressions are so important. This includes basics such as how you greet your clients on the phone and in person, how professional your business stationery is, whether you run your sessions to time, as well as higher level aspects such as ensuring your clients’ confidentiality and keeping your personal training up to date. Even the name you give to your business will have an impact on its future development.

The following are some of the key areas you may wish to review in order to assess how well these enhance or detract from the image you wish to portray:

• the name of your practice
• the working environment
• how you run your sessions
• how you handle bookings
• your business stationery
• how easy it is for your clients to get in contact with you
• how you run your practice.

Naming Your Business

It is very important that you consider carefully how you are going to name your business, for you need to ensure that the name will convey all the right messages and present a positive image. It is always a good feature to include wording in the title which gives some idea of what your business is about, for example, a hypnotherapist might use the word trance, hypno or hypnotherapy in the business name, other practitioners might use the words alternative or complementary, or include a pairing of the locality with their particular therapy, for example, Anytown Acupuncture Centre.

You need to make sure that no one else in the same line of business is using that name already, so check the local telephone and trade directories, and also check on the internet. If you are thinking of advertising or marketing any of your products on the internet, once you’ve chosen your business name purchase a personalised domain name for your business which relates to this.

The Working Environment

Whether you are working from home, within a clinic or have your own set of offices, it is essential that you provide the correct environment for your clients. Your practice room must always be clean and tidy. And while decoration is very much an individual choice, you should consider that not all your clients may share your taste in colours or design. Light, neutral colours are always a safe bet. Avoid visual ‘clutter’ – a small number of appropriate pictures, paintings or certificates on your walls is fine, but be selective or this can become overwhelming.

Furniture And Equipment

The furniture and equipment in your room should be functional, comfortable and clean. If you use a couch for massage or healing, make sure you have a set of steps to help your clients get on and off the couch safely. Keep a variety of chairs in your room – some of your clients may find it hard to get out of a low armchair, others may find chairs without arms more practical. Switch off any unnecessary electrical equipment while you are working with a client in order to prevent any unnecessary background noise and to create a more peaceful environment whilst you work. If you use a lot of electrical equipment you may also want to consider investing in an ioniser to reduce the static charge in your room.

Making The Room More Comfortable

Your working area should be adequately lit, and appropriately heated. You might want to add other touches, such as using plug-in air fresheners, or burning essential oils. These can be helpful for setting a calm, relaxed mood, and they can also act as positive triggers – clients will frequently link a particularly pleasing smell or a piece of music (if you use music in your work) to being in a relaxed state and will often mention how good it makes them feel. Plants can help to energise a room, create a splash of colour and some can also be good for reducing the less than desirable effects of all your electrical equipment (think computers – think spider plants). But do be aware that some of your clients may have allergies to flowering plants so you might want to consider an artificial arrangement instead.