Top 5 Ways to Drum Up New Business

I was recently teaching a marketing class for bodyworkers and at the end of the day we put our heads together to build a list of ways to get new clients. I wanted to share my top five favorites from the list with you in this post.

Jay Conrad Levinson, the author of Guerrilla Marketing, discusses how running a successful business takes a combination of time, imagination, and energy. When I think about ways to drum up new business these three concepts really come to mind. It definitely takes time from your schedule, imagination to think of creative ways to get yourself and your name out there, and finally energy to go and meet your potential new clients!

1. Collaborate with other practitioners in the health and wellness field

Contact other individuals that you may know in the health and wellness field and figure out ways that you can work together. For example, you could pair up with a local yoga teacher and create a “Yoga and Massage in the Park” event. Invite your clients and their clients to come together for a yoga class and short massages giving some opportunity for crossover. Think critically about who you pair up with. You want to both serve different functions. It may not be as functional to pair up with another massage therapist for example.

Make sure to bring either business cards, or a flyer with you so that you can connect with new clients. You can put a QR code on whatever material you bring that leads clients directly to your scheduling site, or maybe you can bring a piece of paper where people can sign up for your newsletter. Whatever you do, just make sure you create an avenue for connection that goes beyond your brief interaction at the event.

2. Create referral relationships with other practitioners

This option has a lot of interesting potential if you think creatively. There are lots of different professionals that can be great referral sources including dentists, therapists, chiropractors, personal trainers, primary care physicians, etc. I highly recommend doing a trade for services to get an idea of their offerings before committing to this. Quality over quantity is what really matters here.

3. Work at an event

There are so many different events at which you can bring a table or a massage chair and work including parties, athletic events, conventions, festivals, etc. Just make sure to check in with the event organizers to see if its ok for you to be there. Sometimes you will need to register and pay a fee and sometimes it will be free! Similarly to our first option of collaborating with another practitioner, make sure you create an avenue for connection that goes beyond your brief interaction at the event! Don't expect your potential clients to remember you and do the work to get back to you when the event is over.

4. Local Social Media Groups

Have you checked into your local social media groups? In many places there are Facebook and LinkedIn groups for small business to make announcements and connect with the local community. This is a great place to let your neighbors know about special discounts or deals you may be running!

5. Contact your current clients regularly

My main source of new clients is word of mouth. Make sure your clients know that you are open to referrals. Also, I like to keep in touch with my clients on at least a monthly basis and I notice that every time I send out a newsletter I get a little burst in bookings. Always make sure to add a schedule button to your emails to make it easy for them to book their next session.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just meant to be a little inspiration for you to put yourself out there and bring some new energy into your practice. Remember, it takes time, imagination, and energy, but if you put in the effort, the results will happen with time!

*This post includes Amazon Affiliate links