Author: Russell Louie

Kenton Johnson, Executive Director
Complementary Wellness Professional Association (CWPA)
From “How to Get the Most from Your Promotion”
Member Information Center at CompWellness.org
Copyright © 2002, CWPA, Centennial, Colorado.
All rights reserved.
How to Thrive in Health Markets
Your Health Business – home based, in a private office or in a clinic with other businesses – is just that: a business. It is also your passion, dream, joy, self-esteem and fulfillment. Now that you have decided to create or expand your business, combine your personality and your business into one powerful, radiating force that will attract clients, referrals, associates with resources and, if you would like, associates that will want to help you build beyond your current size.
Preparation
Your internal reality – who you are, what you offer, how your space looks, the quality of your marketing materials, the way and ease that you answer your inbound calls, how you operate and your profitability – must be fine-tuned to create:
¨ Your own confidence in your marketability and success
¨ The perception of your clients – to recommend you to their friends, associates and family members
¨ The perception of your associates, family and other physical, emotional, spiritual and financial supporters.
Accomplish this through reading professional literature and business books, taking classes, talking to seasoned professionals or joining a professional association that offers information, consultation, helpful associates and other, usually less-expensive resources, to speed you along your road to success.
Participation
However you decide to prepare yourself and your business for success, do so with gusto. Participate in every resource available to you. There is a threshold of participation – emotional, intellectual and action – under which efforts seem to go nowhere, but above which you seem to be accelerating and moving with much less effort.
Group Activities
To find the most for your money, join one or more professional associations that provide opportunities to:
¨ Educate and influence the public, media, legislature, schools and other associations
¨ Participate in group functions
¨ Utilize group resources such as:
Websites and Internet expertise
Less-expensive services and products
Cooperative buying
Member discounts
Business education
Business-building teams
¨ Work together on your marketing and business plans/materials
¨ Promote your business
Promotion
Promote your business in six specific ways:
¨ Listings on websites, such as CompWellness.org – Members List
¨ Listings in newspapers or magazines, such as the CompWellness journal/directory
¨ Publish your articles – preferably as a regular column in printed and online media – as well as forward them to other media and use reprints in your marketing packet
¨ Find and work speaking engagements
¨ Participate regularly in gatherings with other like-minded professionals to accelerate cross-referrals, give talks and trade professional services/products
¨ Advertisements in the local newsletters and journals, as well as in local newspapers, community newsletters, major newspaper/magazine classifieds, websites and other inexpensive publication sections
Promoting your Promotion
The more you take advantage of the activities and resources, as well as any free services and ads, the more your will receive back to your business.
Some suggestions follow to gain the most from your investment in your business and promotion:
¨ List all your current promotion on your intake form: ads, article, talk, leads group, client, practitioner, poster, flyer, card, yellow pages, and quote or interview in the media. ("Who Referred You" narrows the client's mind to a person – practitioner or friend – "How Have You Heard About Us" followed by a multiple-choice list, is much more accurate).
¨ Tell your clients and prospects about (add to your marketing materials):
Email address
Web address – if you don't have a web ad, page or site, call your associations about creating one inexpensively on one of their sites. (Also, purchase a domain name, such as YourCompany.com to directly address your site – keeps it simple and easy to remember.)
Published articles – printed or Internet – provide copies
Speaking engagements – before and after – give a short summary and sell anything more extensive, such as AV tapes and booklets (see below).
¨ Proudly display your ads and articles. Mount them on an 11" x 17" foam core or sturdier board, or frame them in your office. On the board, glue a plastic pocket for brochures or cards, and you have a tremendous, portable, credibility builder that greatly increases your referrals and encourages new clients to call.
¨ Proudly display your professional association’s membership logo – shows you are a top-notch provider. Add to your promotional materials, business cards, webpage, website and newsletters.
¨ Stuff your professional association’s journals with brochures or cards then give them to your clients to make it easy for your clients to refer others to you. You may be able to order several at minimal if any charge – call for quote.
¨ Attend periodic gatherings – evenings, luncheons and breakfasts, participate in email action alerts, and join the online discussion groups (see appropriate websites and read your emails quickly).
¨ Follow-up on contacts with, or use the lists of local association members to have coffee, trade sessions and make arrangements to insure strong cross-referrals.
How many of these suggestions are you doing to accelerate a return on your business and promotional investments?
Booklets
5½" x 8½" full-color booklets – about 32 pages (about 16 regular pages) sell well at $4.95 and cost under $2 to produce, even in small qualities with the right private printer, such as your association or a specialized commercial printer (although the commercial printer may be of lesser quality).
Local and national distributors are interested in hot topics – email or call in your ideas today.
Final Comment
Remember – each new client from outside your client network – with a little help and encouragement – can bring in 3-5 new clients, each with his/her own fresh network.
Please email or call us with questions or comments:
Thrive@CompWellness.org
(303)770-1043 (local and international)
(888)804-WELL (North America)
Who Is CWPA?
Mainstream Complementary Healthcare:
Alternative 6 Holistic 6 Integrative
Education 6 Promotion 6 Expansion
Directory 6 Website 6 Network 6 Consultation
What Do We Do for Your Success?
Attractive Listings & Ads 6 Powerful Articles
Top-Ranked Website for Public and Members
Powerful Networking Events 6 Referrals
Market-Savvy Consulting 6 Media Contacts
Least-Cost Business Ideas 6 More New Programs
——— above included in Membership ———–
Web Pages & Services 6 Full-Color Printing
(at 75 % discount)
Great Value & Opportunity
$3,400 to $5,500 worth of:
Services 6 Information 6 Discounts
Exposure 6 Opportunity
1/8th the normal price
Success Hotline: (303) 770-1043

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A Colorado Non-Profit Organization
7645 South Steele Street 6 Centennial CO 80122
(303)770-1043 6 Thrive@CompWellness.org

11/1/2003