Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/142672
against a rock a few times, it does nothing to the rock. But consistently splash water against the rock in the same place and you will wear away the rock. The rock can't resist it. Establishing Trust Imagine you are trying to decide whether to use a particular service. With this service, you must tell the person your physical, mental, and emotional problems troubling you right now. Then you disrobe and lie down on a table. Then the person touches you in many places on your body, places where you aren't usually touched in daily life. You've already guessed that I'm talking about massage therapy. But when I leave out the words massage therapy it sounds pretty personal, doesn't it? And how much trust would you need to have in that practitioner in order to even consider booking an appointment? Tons and tons and tons of trust. Other holistic modalities require only slightly less trust. Bodywork modalities that involve touching the feet, ears, face, or anywhere on the body require trust. Will it hurt? Can I trust you? Naturopaths, homeopaths, and nutritionists also need to earn each client's trust. Can I trust you to give me the right advice about what I put inside my body? And what about counselors, coaches, and psychotherapists? How personal do these appointments get? Fitness trainers and yoga instructors need the trust of their clients that they will give them the right instructions to lose weight or accomplish their other goals, and that they will not ask the clients to do things that will hurt them. So, we definitely need to establish trust with our marketing. How do we do it? Typical marketing methods, created for the product economy, do not work well. How much trust do you get from seeing a billboard by the side of the road? How much trust from an advertisement in a magazine? No, for holistic health services, we need trust-building marketing techniques. Luckily, several exist. The best trust-building marketing methods are: speaking, publishing, and networking. All of these methods work best if you know who you serve and the problem you solve for them. If you don't know that, go back to the business planning section of this handbook and work through that issue first. Speaking to groups that need the help that you offer is a great way to spread your message. Speaking to groups allows you to have personal contact with several people simultaneously. You're not comfortable with speaking? Get comfortable. Learn the skill of public speaking. The absolute best way to do this (also the cheapest) is to join Toastmasters speaking club in your town. There are more than 12,500 Toastmasters clubs around the world, including clubs in every state. It costs very little to join, and all groups are very accommodating to the new (read: petrified) speaker. Publishing means writing articles, newsletters, and even books on the problem that you solve. Visit the Marketing Center section of www.abmp.com for additional resources. Sample Planning Marketing Obstacle. Limited financial resources. Marketing Strategy. Find inexpensive ways to promote your practice. Marketing Tactic. Write articles in local newsletters of charities, coalitions, and action groups.