“How do I turn leads into clients?” is a common question we’re asked by allied health practices.
One of the most commonly overlooked methods for doing this is to simple keep in touch with them, even before they’re ready to book your services.
Many practice managers understand the importance of keeping in touch with clients and in having a database, or list, to help keep in touch with these clients.
Most likely, you send reminders for when appointments are due and perhaps even reminders for when it’s time to book a service. For example, sending a reminder that their annual such-and-such check-up is due or it’s time for their 3-monthly follow-up.
If you’re on the ball, you may even send a regular email newsletter, whether that’s monthly, fortnightly, weekly, more often or just when you remember.
That’s all great. Well done!
This is all an essential part of looking after your clients, genuinely helping them and keeping them happy so they keep coming back.
But… do you also have a list, or database, of your prospects? Your leads? Those people who have shown an interest in using your services but haven’t yet booked an appointment with you?
This is one area that I see a lot of allied health professionals don’t do very well, and often they’re not doing this at all.
So, how do you build a list of leads, nurture them and turn them into paying clients who keep coming back?
Simple follow these 3 steps:
- STEP 1: Give Potential Clients A Reason To Give You Their Contact Details
- STEP 2: Nurture Your Prospects’ List
- AND STEP 3: Continually Build Your Prospects’ List
How To Do This:
Let’s look at each of these steps in more detail.
STEP 1: Give Potential Clients A Reason To Give You Their Contact Details
Often people who are interested in your services visit your website or phone for information but don’t necessarily book an appointment with you straight away. It may take them several touch points or interactions with you before they’re ready to book.
But if someone visits your website and doesn’t book, once they close the page and go away… they’re gone. Many times they’ll forget your name and website address within minutes and you have lost that opportunity to build trust with them so that they’re comfortable booking with you.
So, the first step is for you to get the name, email address and phone number of people who are interested in your services, especially those who visit your website or call for a general enquiry.
To do this, first create a ‘lead magnet’. This is, as the name implies, something that helps you attract leads.
Then you create an opt-in form on your website offering this lead magnet, and regular helpful updates. They need to give you their name, email address and phone number to be able to receive this.
If someone phones your practice for more information, get into the habit of asking if they would like your such-and-such (the lead magnet) and direct them to your website to request it… and get instant access to it.
Your lead magnet could be something like a:
- useful report
- checklist
- video showing useful techniques
- webinar
The aim is to provide something that has a high perceived value for your potential clients while being free or low cost for you to deliver.
STEP 2: Nurture Your Prospects’ List
Once a potential client opts in to receive your lead magnet, you begin the nurturing process straight away by sending an email with a link for them to download the lead magnet.
But that’s not the end of it. You now have the contact details of someone who’s shown an interest in your service. However, they may not be ready to become a client just yet.
Perhaps they need to know a little more about what’s involved first.
Or perhaps they need to get to know you, and your business, a little better to be able to trust you.
So now it’s time to keep in touch by way of regular emails so you can build rapport and get to know each other better.
When they’re ready to book, they’ll come to you first because you’re top of mind, after having kept in touch. Plus, you’ve earned their trust and shown that you offer the best solution for their problem.
You might be wondering what you email your prospects during this nurturing process.
Your emails should be a good mix of relevant, helpful content and some offers for your service. It’s important to send a combination of these emails.
You don’t want to send only ‘sales’ emails, or emails where you offer your services. This offers little value, if any, to your prospects and if they’re not yet ready to use your services, too many of these emails will turn them off. They may even report your emails as spam.
But on the other and, sending only helpful, relevant content isn’t ideal either. Yes, your prospects may find your emails beneficial. However without letting them know what services you offer to help them, how will they know?
Plus if you have a sale or special deal NOT letting potential new clients know about this is doing them a disservice.
STEP 3: Continually Build Your Prospects’ List
The final step here is to be actively promoting and growing your prospects’ list at least weekly, if not daily. It should have a consistent turnover of new contacts who are lead through a process of becoming clients, if they’re a good fit for your services.
Make sure your lead magnet opt-in form is obvious on each page of your website.
Promote your lead magnet from each of your social media accounts too, if you use them.
Make sure staff direct enquiries to your lead magnet on your website whenever relevant.
You can even recommend your lead magnet to people you meet at events or elsewhere too.
For example, if you’re at a local business meeting (e.g. the Chamber of Commerce) and you’re speaking with another business owner who comments on their sore back, let them know you’ve got a free guide on your website that walks them through some strategies to help ease back pain.
Of course, you may be able to suggest they make an appointment to see you too, but this may not always be appropriate. Or they may just not know you enough to take that next step yet.
Simplifying This Process
By now, hopefully you can see the benefits of building and nurturing a list of potential clients. Although you may think that it’s going to be too hard to stay on top of these emails.
The good news is that this is very easy process to automate. We recommend using a software called Keap (previously Infusionsoft). Best of all, ClinicKonnect was designed specifically to link Keap with your Cliniko account. It syncs the two tools so your communications with clients and prospects is seamless.
Using Keap, you can set this process up once and then it runs in the background… 24/7.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the benefits of this process and how it can increase your practice’s profits, book a free planning session with us now