This article is the final in the series of How to Get More NDIS clients. In order to get new clients, you need people to be motivated to reach out and get in touch with you. The AIDA model gives structure with your marketing plan. To get the full picture, go back and read the previous three articles. See the below brief overview of the four marketing stages:
* Awareness of you and your business,
* Interest in you and your business.
* Desire to reach out and connect with you
* Action that results in new clients
If you have already created awareness of your business and completed activities which generate interest and desire, how can you encourage your prospective clients or referrers to take the next step and get in touch to make a booking? Here's some suggested strategies you can adopt to get the phone ringing off the hook and emails to come flooding in!
1. Understand and deliver on your client's expectations
Do you have a clear understanding of your ideal client and their expectations? Do you know what they struggle with, the sources of dissatisfaction they currently have? By finding out these pain points you can then work towards solving these the problems. This will helps people make the decision to choose your service over others. According to Saleforce,
76% of consumers expect companies to understand their needs and expectations.
2. Have a great value proposition
Be clear about what makes your service attractive to your client. Focus on what makes you stand out, or be different. Get comfortable with explaining this in person and through your marketing.
List all the features. How your service delivers value for clients. Be clear on precisely what it is and why and how it works.
List the benefits. This is the value your client gets from the feature.
Consider how this will make a positive difference in your client's life. While product features are important, remember that customers are not buying your product or service — they are buying the benefits they get from it. For example, a landscaper may create a beautiful garden, its the sense of peace and satisfaction the client will get with the result.
3. Referral Programs
Incentives - Give incentives for referrals made and received by your clients and employees. A gift voucher can be given out for each and every referral they give (which leads to a new client). This shows appreciation and motivates others attract new clients to your business.
Provider Referrals - Contacts through your provider network can also give you referrals, particularly if you are referring potential clients to them as well. A healthcare professional, or other key influencer in your client's network, is a powerful way to receive recommendations that result in leads and enquires. To generate these referrals, I encourage you to:
Find and connect with other local providers through NDIS Provider Finder, Interagency Meetings or other healthcare and community services networks in your local area. Try your local Council website for directories and contacts under the Community or Aged and Disability Services.
Establish contact with the relevant healthcare or community services professionals who are likely to see your client before you do. For example, a Support Coordinator needs to know who can provide services in their local area.
Network with other local Providers
Stay in touch and develop good working relationships, so people get to know, like and trust you over time.
'Givers gain' is an old saying, but a true one. By finding ways to help others (such as sharing articles or events of interest and making referrals), they are more likely to want to help you.
4. Entertain or Educate
Host information events and collaborate with other Providers - hold events such as open days, information seminars, podcasts or webinars on topics that give valuable information that educates or entertains. You will build credibility, trust and a deeper connection with your audience. Also, provide steps on how they can engage with you, for further information and resources. You can then follow up and find out how you can help them further. This could lead to new leads and enquiries.
Be a speaker, presenter or interviewee - this demonstrates your expertise and sets you up as someone with knowledge, skills trust and credibility. It helps your audience get to know you and may encourage them to make contact with you, or tell the story about you and what they learned.
Write articles and share valuable and interesting stories on social media or other platforms where your audience will see it. Perhaps be a guest blogger for a website that your audience reads.
Be recognised for your contribution. There are many opportunities for individuals and businesses to stand out by being nominated and possibly winning an award. Check your local Business Chamber, look up networking groups, Industry Associations for awards relevant in your Industry and location.
Be a Mentor or Volunteer in a service relevant to your target client. This helps you get to network and build your profile in the community. For example, volunteering with a Committee, or provide activities at special events (such as the Special Olympics) or other community group relevant to your ideal client helps you meet organisers and families involved. They may like what you do, and refer you to others or want to engage with you further.
5. Be prompt in follow up of enquiries
It's amazing the number of outstanding enquiries business owners already have waiting for them to chase up. Ensure that you respond to all your emails, Facebook or Instagram comments, connection requests and phone calls. Some things that prevent you from getting you clients could be that:
You can't find the leads you have received
Overlook email enquiries
Relying on memory to do follow ups
Writing leads down on pieces of paper that you lose
You are too busy to follow them up and they fall through the cracks
Have a system which tracks leads and provides visibility of where you are up to with each one. You could use a Client Relationship Management System (CRM) to capture your leads, or create an Excel Spreadsheet and document each and every lead along with the progress you are making with each one.
6. Be connected and Use the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
By staying in touch regularly, your name (and business brand) will stay top of mind and when the time comes to choose a Provider, they will think of you and know how to contact or refer you. Combine this will special time limited offers, you can motivate people to connect with you. The fact is, Fear of Missing Out (or FOMO) is a real motivator. People will buy goods and services to gain the special benefits, extra incentives, and value. Nobody wants to miss out or be left behind, as that can hurt! Therefore, FOMO is an incredibly valuable method for encouraging responsiveness and buying. Ideas include:
Emails - have a plan over the next 3 months as to what you can offer to your contacts that attracts them to take the next step. It could be linked to a special day (like Valentine's Day or Mothers Day, a free event, a new resource or other activity). This engagement ensures you are providing some value, and prompting them to get in engage. You will need to create an email list of all your contacts and do a regular email out to them. It's free to do this and ensures they won't forget about you! The trick is to make your contacts with them valuable, interesting and even fun or social. You could do a monthly email with photos and updates, sharing information or events and showing care and pride in what you do.
Social Media - posting regularly and consistently will help build trust with your prospective clients and referrers. You make special offers through Facebook Page or Instagram. Also, clients can feel they get to know you, understand how you can help them, what your service is about, some insights into what's important to you, your values, level of knowledge, skills and paint a great picture of what your service provides. Make sure you post on the same platforms where your client and referrer are likely to be. So, for health professionals, they are likely to be on LinkedIn, where as clients are likely to be on Facebook (for an older demographic) and Instagram (for a younger demographic).
7. Google Search - get found online easily
When someone searches online, it's ideal if your name can come up quickly and easily for the client.
Google My Business - if they are searching online for you or a service you provide, your business name will come up on Google. When they see your logo or business name, it can trigger the memory to recognise it and therefore when presented with several options, they will be more likely to go with someone they recognise.
LinkedIn - If someone is searching for you online (or through LinkedIn), having a LinkedIn profile means they can find you easily. When they read your profile and it reinforces what they've understood about your busines (and you can show a history of contributions in your industry - it creates a positive impression), and your contact details are listed, they can easily reach out to you this way.
Social Media and Website - these help to ensure you can be found online. Have compelling offers on your website (like free resources), keep it current and up to date and needs to be contemporary. Ensure that you include Referral Forms, or an enquiry form and that your contact details are up to date and easily found. Also, you can make a positive impression on clients by having content that easily accessible, clear and functional.
Search Engine Optimisation - try a Google search for yourself, your service type and location. Does your name and business name come up on the first page? If it doesn't then you can check how to improve this search ranking and make a difference this way.
Online Directories - there are a number of free and paid Directories you can be listed on. These include: Clickability, MyCareSpace, Disability Support Guide, NDIS Provider Finder (for Registered Providers), Ideas.org.au,
8. Reputation - Reviews, Ratings and Testimonials
It's quite common now for people to look up reviews or testimonials about your service before they decide to make an enquiry or commit to a booking. Gathering favourable reviews, ratings and testimonials will help to build a positive impression and reinforce a good reputation in the sector. It also helps clients to feel they are going to get a great result by working with you. This can increase the likelihood of getting more bookings.
Get reviews through:
LinkedIn reviews
Google Reviews
Facebook Reviews
Yelp
Trip Advisor (if appropriate).
Clickability.com.au - online directory with star ratings
Advertising. Using paid Facebook advertising (or other type channel such as LinkedIn, Google Ad Words, Radio or Web Banners) is a great strategy if you have planned it all out, including a spend that you are compfortable with. Ways to increase the effectiveness of your ad include:
start out small with just $5-$20 per week
limit the time you will run the ad so you have time to review the effectiveness
target your ad so enough of the right people see it (demographics, interests, areas)
have a 'Call to Action' - a way of motivating the person to click for more information such as a free coffee or other offer, a free information session, a highly valued information resource or a hearing from special guest speaker at an event.
make your ad highly compelling - what you can offer to encourage people to click on your ad? Review other ads to see how they are positioning their offer for ideas.
9. ConveniencE
The more convenient and easy you make it doing business, the more likely you are to attract clients. Here are some examples:
Have a collaboration partner (or be a sub-contractor) with another provider who shares the same clients as you, but are non-competitors - receive referrals from them
Be co-located with other complimentary services - for example a Phsyio in the same rooms as a GP
Subscription services - a monthly service fee where it continually rolls over (check the latest NDIS Price Guide for this new addition)
Offer online services - Telehealth, mobile services, products people can buy online and be delivered, vidoes that explain things, FAQs, bookings, forms, information packs, and other resources for the client
Regular local and mobile clinics - so people don't need to travel
Opening hours that suit the client's needs - are you just 9-5? Perhaps the clients would prefer 24 hours a day and 7 days a week
Be a 'One Stop Shop' for a service package. People don't like to use too many providers if they can avoid it, so if you can create a partnership with others, this will be another benefit to the client.
10. Contribute to a Cause
If you can show that you share the values of giving back to the community, it helps to build trust. When the part of the proceeds of a sale go towards a charity cause, the customer feels more positive connection with your business. This makes them feel good to be supporting a business that's 'for purpose' and doing some community good.
Next Steps
If you'd like to explore how you can plan and implement a strategy to build up your NDIS clients, please book in for a free discovery call today https://calendly.com/jacquie-9!
Contact Jacquie Tewes on 0438173261, email: info@nurturingndis.com.au or visit the website - www.nurturingndis.com.au
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