Is Your Branding Letting You Down?

“I don’t have a brand” you might say. Well guess what – every therapist has a brand – it is what you say to the ‘world’ in how you present yourself, your business and your service to your clients and prospective clients. The reason I wanted to post on this today is a very interesting comment was made on a great discussion board I've been visiting recently at (http://www.softtissuetherapy.com.au/). A member called 'bombers' said:

"Have you ever seen an Osteopath use a cardboard box as a sign for their clinic? Ever seen a Chiro have their sign half way down a beauty salon list? Ever seen a physio print out their own business cards on plain paper, with spelling mistakes, corners not cut properly? So why is you see this with our industry - all the time!"

Now some of you will breathe a sigh of relief and know this is not you, but those of you who have a sinking feeling, and perhaps are 'guilty' of this kind of attempt at promoting yourself can find relief in the fact that it has now been brought to your attention and needs to be remedied right now! Please - in the name of the industry and your own personal reputation don't sacrifice professionalism in the name of saving dollars or making a quick buck. It will do nothing for you in the long term and harms the reputation of the health industry. For any of you who are serious about your health career, you must present yourself professionally at all times in a way that is acceptable to your target market. For example, if you are targeting the corporate and workplace sector, the 'healer' image of thongs and sarongs are not acceptable (if at all for a serious practitioner) and a suitable work attire is a better choice. Remember even when you are down at the local shops you are a walking advertisment, so think about how you are presenting. Remember how your clinic is presented, the way your greet clients and how you answer the telephone all say something about you. And forget the handmade business cards, toss them today. If you need to be careful about spending, try http://www.vistaprint.com.au/frfau?frf=588651299534 for inexpensive cards and stationery (I recommend their premium cards in a gloss finish). I suggest you set aside at least 10% of your gross earnings toward promotion so that you are making a professional image a priority. If you'd like more tips on promoting yourself without breaking the bank, go to my website http://www.healthpracticesuccess.com/ to receive my free Health Practice Success newsletter.

To Your Health Practice Success...
Krishna