There are hundreds if not thousands of ways of marketing your therapy or coaching skills. Some cost just pennies and others require a bigger investment and are maybe more of a risk. The risk being that you wont regain your investment. There are some marketing methods that require something other than your hard earned cash and this article is about those particular methods.

Instead of parting with money to promote your therapy or business, give your time. Your time is valuable and in a profitable business should not be wasted. So unless this is an altruistic occasion you should look at the benefits you will gain from giving your time away for free or a token fee.

One idea could be to offer group talks and taster sessions for free to various focus groups. This has a number of advantages for all concerned.

Advantages for the therapist or coach :

1) Meeting potential clients to help form a professional relationship (Clients feel more relaxed with a therapist or coach they have already met than a stranger from an advertisement)
2) Networking opportunities (A member of this focus group might tell other groups about you)
3)Increases possibility of focus group paying for future sessions
4) Possibility of personal recommendations from members of the group (Members will talk about you to friends, family and colleagues)
5) A chance to educate the group on the issues you can help with (Talk about success stories that give ideas to members about who and what you can help)

It is very important to be aware of the benefits for the groups you approach. You need to be aware of what the group will gain from your talk so that you can sell the idea to them if you need to. On most occasions you will not need to sell the idea as the majority of focus groups are more than happy to have someone volunteer to give their group a free talk.

Advantages for the focus group :

1) No risk (financial) to the group
2) Get a chance to sample a therapy/coahing session
3) Can get any doubts / concerns answered at the session
4) Getting an interesting speaker and on a fascinating subject
5) Finding out how therapy/coaching could help individuals issue(s)

The sort of local groups that are always on the look out for an interesting speaker are:

Townwomens Guild
Lions Clubs
Rotary Clubs
Womens Institute
Over 50s/60s Clubs
OAP Groups
Hospital League of Friends
Amateur Dramatic Societies

The best place to find out about the other social groups that exist in your area is your local library. You will also get any contact details you require here.

You can use the same format with other groups that have a particular ailment as a focus. These might be :

Asthma
ME/CFS support groups
Arthritis Support
Phobics Anonymous
Victim Support
Weight Watchers

Dont forget to alter your talk to ensure that you include references to the particular ailment of the group you are addressing. Your audience will want to know that you understand at least the basic issues of their ailment. You should state the benefits that they may expect from undergoing a hypnotherapy session.

There is still another group of people that you can approach and utilise a similar format. These will be the professions such as teachers, emergency service personnel, nurses and doctors as well as the corporate world. Once again use the principal of give to get and offer a free group taster session. Do your homework about your target audience and you will gain clients. Always have with you your diary so you can take appointments immediately and have plenty of your practice brochures and business cards to give out.