InTouch

Here are three current consumer trends that should be foremost in your business building radar:

• Clients in the current economic climate are more interested than ever in value.
• Baby boomers are not only planning on not dying, they want to look and feel good not doing it.
• People prefer treatments that are an investment in prevention and health.

In an ideal world, every client values your service, praises your skills, shows up on time and pays promptly. But we don’t live in an ideal world, and there always will be clients who either test your patience or diplomatic skills. You know those clients. They are the ones you dread because they complain too much, are always late and even worse don’t pay at the end of the session. How many times have you heard, “I must have left my checkbook or credit card at home?” With these clients, the chemistry is just off.

“You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative and don't mess with mister in-between.”That song may not be familiar to all of you, but this old song is a favorite of mine because that’s how I view running my business. In fact, most successful business owners I’ve met share this view. Running your business is not a 9 to 5 commitment...

Do you like Coca Cola or Pepsi? Are you a Mac user or do you have a Dell PC? Do you prefer Holiday Inn to Marriott? Every day we make decisions about the products and services that we incorporate into our lives. A large part of that decision making has to do with our personal connection to the offering...

As I've said many times even in this blog, I really enjoy attending the industry trade shows. Apart from the obvious goal to showcase our products, trade shows provide me with a great opportunity to talk to you about your business, your concerns and how you see the market evolving...

I just got back from my week long training with Eric Dalton in Costa Rica and all I can say is wow! I am so glad I got the chance to study with this genius. I already utilized joint mobilization as a tool in my treatment room. Now I know that I was only playing with it. After his class I see so many more applications and my effectiveness have already showed marked improvement. Expanding my knowledge base has once again helped me to fine tune my skills...

It takes focus to meet your business goals.

No doubt when you told friends and family you were planning to launch your own business, several asked you, "What are your goals." It's a fair question. Your answer more than likely related to how much you wanted to earn, how big you hoped to get, how much time you planned to spend working. Of course achieving those goals meant having a business strategy. How do you get customers, what is your service offering, how do you keep clients coming back from year to year? You need a plan to make all this happen...

Who could ever forget Apple asking us to "Think Different" or Volkswagen hoping we'd "Think Small." Call them mottos or slogans, whichever your prefer, what's important is that these messages are embedded into our memory. Company slogans, when they are effective, as these two clearly are, "touch the hearts and minds" of your customers and prospects and seal your brand...

Cultivating an advisory board should be a top priority for anyone who plans on succeeding at business. It's only natural that my advisory team is comprised of my clients. If I listen carefully and pay attention they will let me know all I need to about the everyday things like what music to play, what complexes to blend, what massage mediums are worth stocking and what services to offer. They even influence how I invest back into my practice...

Our recent celebration of Earth Day is an important reminder to be good stewards of the earth. As business owners, I believe it's our corporate responsibility to do our part to conserve natural resources and protect the environment...

So many people walk around with coffee in hand these days, I have to wonder if the traditional coffee break is a thing of the past. Actually, coffee breaks, as I learned through a search on Google, emerged in the early 20th century when they were part of an overall movement to reform what was then a pretty grim American work place...

At the recent New York Spa Show we had a great dialogue during our class on "Designing Your Dream Practice". One of the main topics of interest was how to attract and cultivate your ideal clients. I always emphasize the first step is to discern who those clients are, and then learning all you can about them including their needs and goals. The second thing is to deliver exemplarily customer service and build trust. Simply put "Undersell and Over deliver."...