Get a proper job - or how to make your living doing what you love!
I thought it might be helpful to give some insights from my early days of starting and running my Shiatsu practice.
When I qualified in the art of gentle healing I thought I was doing such good things that the world would beat a path to my door. Growing up in the Age of ‘Get a Proper Job’ Responsibility it was hard for me to take that first step up to self employment, making my living doing what I love. Such self-indulgence was for those of private means, or musicians. Nowadays of course the Age of Generosity gives us all access to the whole wide world of www - is that enough?
In those days I had to learn how to TELL THE WORLD I do shiatsu. I read a book on 'business development' and, in my mind, replaced the word 'business' with 'practice' as I followed the advice, to
* make a list of everyone you know and tick them off as you tell them, just let them know. Leave the rest to them.
* I learned to dress the part to give a treatment, in special shiatsu-clothes, no particular colour, just what you wear only for shiatsu. It makes you feel special, and your client feel special too.
* I quickly realised I had to make sure the answerphone/voicemail is on when you're not available on the phone. And to return calls right away.
* I chose one day a week to give treatments. Just one day. When that day was fully booked, add another day. And what did I do with the other days? I'll tell you:
* I learned to spend as much time seeking out new "customers" as you spend on giving treatments.
* Remembering that your best chance of building your practice is repeat treatments.
NEXT WEEK: The Rule of 3
When I qualified in the art of gentle healing I thought I was doing such good things that the world would beat a path to my door. Growing up in the Age of ‘Get a Proper Job’ Responsibility it was hard for me to take that first step up to self employment, making my living doing what I love. Such self-indulgence was for those of private means, or musicians. Nowadays of course the Age of Generosity gives us all access to the whole wide world of www - is that enough?
In those days I had to learn how to TELL THE WORLD I do shiatsu. I read a book on 'business development' and, in my mind, replaced the word 'business' with 'practice' as I followed the advice, to
* make a list of everyone you know and tick them off as you tell them, just let them know. Leave the rest to them.
* I learned to dress the part to give a treatment, in special shiatsu-clothes, no particular colour, just what you wear only for shiatsu. It makes you feel special, and your client feel special too.
* I quickly realised I had to make sure the answerphone/voicemail is on when you're not available on the phone. And to return calls right away.
* I chose one day a week to give treatments. Just one day. When that day was fully booked, add another day. And what did I do with the other days? I'll tell you:
* I learned to spend as much time seeking out new "customers" as you spend on giving treatments.
* Remembering that your best chance of building your practice is repeat treatments.
NEXT WEEK: The Rule of 3
posted by Kris Deva North at 12:43 PM
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