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.
For example, by their very patronage they determine how much money I have to devote to continuing education each year. (A percentage of every service and retail dollar I earn goes into my education fund.) By soliciting feedback on their spa experiences when they travel, I can fine tune my menu selections. And by tracking our success in meeting their treatment goals, we can determine what type of advance techniques I need to pursue.
By the time you read this I will be in Costa Rica attending an Eric Dalton advance massage workshop. Don't be jealous... Last year was a good year for my practice and this is a fitting reward. Not just for me but also for my clients. Think about it, striving to become an even more effective therapist is a perfect way to thank the people who got me here. It ensures that there will be an even great ROI for the time and money they spend with me.
Return on Investment (ROI) is an important attribute in business and in life. I make sure that my clients know that their continued support of my business not only leads to my success but in turn benefits them thru enhanced treatment options. By communicating my upcoming trip and the skills I will be studying, they are genuinely excited to see me attend and anxious for me to come back with the new tools. Just in case any clients missed out on face to face dialogue, they are informed of it on facebook, email and my voicemail message. All of which inform anyone trying to reach me where I am and why I am there... to get better at what I do.
Once I return, my clients will again function as my advisory team by helping me access how well the investment paid off in the treatment room. To make sure that all my clients get a chance to weigh in on the ROI, I will be sending out cards to bring everyone up to date on the newly completed workshop, additional services available and most importantly how grateful I am for the opportunity they have helped bring about thru their support.
Why go to all this trouble? Because it's important. My clients already know how much I respect their time by my business name and pledge... "Time Well Spent". With this level of feedback they can also see how much I value their input.