Networking

Jul 14, 2017

By Sherri Goering

"The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt."
--Frederick Buechner

So you've decided to start your BodyTalk practice. You get everything set up and ready for clients. You know how amazing BodyTalk is and you feel the entire world could benefit from it. You decide you'll do some marketing to get the word out. You start using words like consciousness, innate wisdom and inborn intelligence and you've just lost the attention of the general public.
 
This is what happened to me. In 2009, I opened my BodyTalk practice on a belief, strong work ethic and desire to spread the good news of this powerful modality. It wasn't until I went to do some marketing that realized I had a great challenge staring me in the face. I am not one to back down from an obstacle so I decided I would overcome it. Coming from a small town in Iowa and a thick dogmatic religious community, I knew I would have to reach them through more than advertising. The only way I knew to do this was for them to see that I was a professional practitioner, not the voodoo lady tapping on people and talking to their bodies.
 
I determined that networking and reaching groups of individuals was the path to build my practice. I decided to create two groups. Each group met once per month, one in the afternoon and one evening event. I found two restaurants with party rooms that would work with me on group food pricing. I charged $15 per person for the event to cover expenses. The groups were industry exclusive so participants wouldn't have competition at the event (for example, just one graphic designer). I also encouraged them to bring guests as this was a powerful way to share the culture of our community.
 
The event itself was very focused as we were within a 45 to 60 minute timeframe. The food was always ready upon arrival so they would grab their food, take a seat, and we would get the meeting started. I would have an excel spreadsheet with all of their names and numbers available so they could focus on their message versus writing contact details. We would go around the room and each person would share their one-minute elevator speech.
 
We would also do a drawing at the end of the event and anyone who brought a give-away item would place it in the middle of the table. They would each throw their business cards into a bowl and we would draw for prizes. The gifts were usually valued at $10 to $20. I would typically offer a $20 Off coupon for a BodyTalk session.
 
I will note that I personally got offered many barters over the time I spent networking. I didn't feel that was good for my practice so I would graciously decline barters. I was happy to pay for other's services and I felt that it was important for them to see the value in my sessions. Swapping sessions with a fellow BodyTalk practitioner is one thing but with individuals outside of BodyTalk, that wasn't best for me.
 
My years leading these groups taught me so much about my leadership, organization skills, tenacity and the words to express my love for BodyTalk. The results were immeasurable and spoke for themselves. Networking is far more about relationship building than anything else. The byproduct was trust which led to sessions which led to referrals and client retention.
 
I would encourage any of you wanting to expand your reach and propel your practice forward to join a networking group or brave the tide and start your own. 
 
With love,
Sherri Goering CBP

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