Good email practices
Firstly, it’s always good to respond quickly to client enquiries, but it’s not always possible to get back to them immediately. I’m reminded of a
social media discussion in which a therapist reported receiving three emails
from a potential client. The gist of the content was as follows:
- Email one – I would like to work with you.
- Email two – why aren’t you replying?
- Email three – if you don’t care enough to respond I will go elsewhere.
These were all sent within the one hour she was working with
someone else and her phone was off.
Because our job means there are times when we simply can’t
answer, it’s a good idea to have an auto-responder email set up thanking
potential clients for their interest and telling them when they will get a
reply. Perhaps something like:
‘Thank you for your interest. If I am currently with a
client, I won’t be able to respond immediately. But I will get back to you [give
a time scale that suits your business].’
These can be set up on social media like Facebook pages as
well as emails. If you can’t find the right setting on your email account, try
looking for holiday/vacation response, or autoreply.
But there are some emails that my students often ask me
about, because they may not have an obvious “right approach”. So here are my tips
on how to deal with some of the trickier enquiries.
I’m thinking about using hypnotherapy for [whatever]. Can you help?
If [whatever] is something you don’t work with, this is easy
enough. I thank the client for their interest, explain that it’s not an area I
can help with and refer them to someone who can. If you don’t know a
specific individual who could help, send them to your professional body’s practitioner
list (most have them on their website) or a reputable online directory.
On the other hand, if [whatever] is something you do work with, they’re not
giving you much to go on. At this stage, you don’t know if they will need a
medical referral, if they are contraindicated, or if you can jump right in
there and start working with them. More information is needed. You could phone
if you have their number, but if you are responding in writing, I’d send
something like this:
The next step is to find out a bit more about your situation, so we can put together a therapy plan. The best way to do this is [insert your preferred next step, whether it's booking an appointment, filling in a form or speaking on the phone].
What are your prices?
There is an obvious response to this (send the price) but
it may not be your best approach. Price is price and value is value. In other
words, just sending a price won’t reflect all of the benefits that the client
will get from working with you and some of them may not be as obvious as you'd think. For further information on value, see my other blog - HERE - and feel free to send your clients to read it.
I have read business advice which says you should never include your price in your response to this sort of enquiry. You need a 'value' conversation with the client before you get to discussing money. (You can read the arguments here). I can see the theory, especially if you are selling something like a fitted kitchen or a garden redesign where the price is going to vary a lot depending on what the client actually wants.
But, in my experience, most therapists have a pretty structured pricing system. There is a set price that applies to a session, a block of sessions, or a programme rather than 'we'll have to see what you need and then I'll give you a quote'. (I did know someone who charged each of their clients a different price, depending on what they thought the client would be willing to pay. But most of us don't approach it this way.)
Putting myself in the client's place, if I send off an email and ask a specific and simple question like ''what is the price?' which then isn't answered, I feel that the person at the other end is either being deliberately evasive or isn’t really paying attention.
If your pricing does vary depending on the client, then say so. Otherwise, a mid-ground approach is probably your best bet. Send information
about your services and what they can help people achieve, and at the end, add the
price along with whether this can be paid in instalments, by credit card etc.
Further information on pricing:
Should you publish your prices on your website?
Does hypnotherapy work?
Given that the results of any therapy depend on a lot of different variables, this is tricky. I have some sympathy with Brian Roet who, in the Foreword to the Hypnotherapy Handbook [1], says his favourite answer to this one in social situations is “No”. This, he says, “… tends to bring our conversation to an abrupt halt”. All very amusing at a cocktail party, I’m sure, but not such a good response to a potential client!
I tend to send something like this:
So, if you are looking for a quick fix or a 'magical' answer, then the answer is no.
If you want someone else to take responsibility for your difficulties, or to do all the work for you, then the answer is no.
If the only reason you are considering therapy is that someone else thinks there's a problem, then the answer is probably no.
But if you want things to change, can be open-minded about hypnosis, and are willing to play an active part in achieving your goals, the answer is yes.
What is your success rate?
This is linked to the last question, although it’s about you personally instead of hypnotherapy generally. The Advertising Standards Office say that we need ‘rigorous evidence’ [2] if we are going to quote success rates to clients, and they do not recognise evidence gained by simply asking clients whether the therapy worked. Their view is that, for various reasons (such as not wanting to risk being pressured into having more sessions), clients may not answer that question truthfully.
Strictly, the ASA is speaking only about smoking cessation work, but it does seem a reasonable and ethical approach to other areas as well - don't quote figures you can't substantiate. There are a couple of other potential pitfalls as well.
- Unless you have seen thousands of clients, your sample size will be too small for success rates to be meaningful. If you have only seen one client, for example, a 100% success rate sounds good but doesn’t mean a lot.
- Even if you have seen many clients for the same issue, such as anxiety, you have no control group to compare them with, and you can’t consider other variables such as the effect of the client's medication or social support (if any). Again, at least in a formal sense, this potentially makes any figures you come up with very unreliable.
- When do you count therapy as a success? Does it have to last a week after the last session, a month, a year, or indefinitely? How do you monitor that?
Different therapists keep different kinds of records. If you do have meaningful and reliable figures, by all means, quote them.
If not, I’d briefly mention the difficulties of extrapolating figures from the kind of records kept in private practice. Then I would send some published studies to show how effective hypnotherapy is with the client’s particular issue (if you know it), or for hypnotherapy in general (if you don’t). Google Scholar is good for finding these. And if you have testimonials, send them along as well.
Do you offer guarantees? Or money back?
I'm asked this question most often by people who want to quit smoking, but it does sometimes come up at other times too. I can see why potential clients want a bit of reassurance, and a straightforward 'no' seems a bit blunt, so how can you phrase it better and sound confident rather than defensive?
The best approach is to give a brief reason, and then mention what you can offer instead. Perhaps something along these lines:
The results of your therapy depend on a lot of different elements, only some of which are based on what happens in the therapy room. These include your own commitment to the process of change and the time and energy you are prepared to devote to achieving it.
It wouldn't be ethical to guarantee a result that isn't entirely within my control to deliver. However, I can promise that I will offer a secure and non-judgemental space for you to explore your situation and that I will do everything I can to help you reach your goals.
Something similar would be appropriate if you are asked, "Do I get my money back if it doesn't work?" I take the view that they are paying for my expertise and time, a bit like hiring a lawyer to defend you in court. The lawyer doesn't waive his fee if you are found guilty and sent to jail.
And to make this very clear, my contract includes the proviso that "I will always do my best to help you achieve your goals, but a specific outcome to therapy cannot be guaranteed".
How many sessions will I need?
Quite understandably, this is one of the most commonly asked questions because clients want to know how much time and money they are being asked to invest. Unfortunately, it can also be the most difficult to answer. I send something like this which is my version of an approach suggested by Jason Linett (the driving lessons bit is mine).
I usually start by arranging four appointments. After that, if we both feel there is value in having more, then this can easily be arranged. If you reach your goals sooner, congratulations. The unneeded appointments can be cancelled and, if you have paid in advance, banked, transferred to someone else, or refunded.
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Author: Debbie Waller is an experienced hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy trainer. She is the author of The Hypnotherapist's Companion, Their Worlds, Your Words, and The Metaphor Toolbox, all available from Amazon or direct from the author, and a co-writer of the Hypnotherapy Handbook.
Find out more about Debbie's services on
Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training - multi-accredited hypnotherapy practitioner training, taster days and foundation levels.
CPD Expert - accredited CPD and other therapy training (online and workshops options), expert and qualified hypnotherapy supervision
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