Recently, I have spent a lot of time working with those in the Wellness industry, (Coaches, Trainers, Holistic and Complementary Therapists) and they all struggle to maintain a relationship with their clients once the service or treatment has finished.
How often have you seen a client once – solved their issue and then never seen them again? You file their case notes and never seem to have the time to go through the filing cabinet to look at previous visit dates with a view to encouraging them to come again in the future or even asking for a recommendation / referral. This is where a Customer Relationship Management or CRM tool may help and to be fair CRM systems are nothing new.
CRM systems have been around in one form or another for years – the milkman with his piece of paper listing who has what, was using a form of CRM system or the Sales Man using a rolodex and a diary is another. Although the technology has changed, the ultimate aim is still to keep a customer and make a repeat sale!
A CRM system is not just for a large corporation, it is as relevant for a Therapist working independently – actually some might argue it is more important. A CRM system not only allows you to manage your clients data, but to use that data to focus your marketing efforts, provide administration support and improve coordination and cooperation. Or as I heard someone say a CRM allows you to “find, woo, win and retain” clients.
Even therapists need to track a clients personal data, with a CRM system, you can not only schedule appointments, keep records up to date, track follow ups but segment or allocate tags to clients in order that you can track their spending patterns, what services they buy and when. You might even choose to acknowledge birthdays as a way of marketing. The
A lot of the systems allow you to manage a sales pipeline – possibly terminology a Therapist isn’t comfortable with but all this means, it allows you to keep track of every opportunity at which you might be able to interact with your clients.
The majority of CRM systems will integrate with a variety of other products, such as Newsletter creation software (such as Mailchimp) or accounting packages (eg XERO, Freshbooks, etc) and if social media is a big part of your marketing strategy some systems will also integrate so you can see what your clients are talking about very quickly.
By far my favourite feature within a CRM system is the ability to track all emails sent to a particular person enabling the Therapist to know everything about the customer before interacting or presenting an offer. So there is no excuse not to keep in touch – as a system used will allow you to identify your customers, address their initial needs and subsequently recommend additional products or services that match their profile. It allow you to become more efficient and more productive as you are now longer having to scrabble around for previous contact notes to see when you might want to touch base again.
Tell me in the comments section below whether you have a CRM system and what benefits you think it brings to you and your business.
If you think you might benefit from a CRM system but don’t know where to start – call me on 0800 612 5596 for a no obligation chat and we will help.
What kind of CRM are you recommending for therapists, if any?
Hi Rachel, For me it really depends on the type of therapist you are and then whether its a single therapist or multiple therapists etc? What do you want to use the CRM system for? Happy to chat, if you want to chat about options. Regards Amanda
For my part, I am a psychotherapist and I work alone (for single therapist). I would like to use the CRM system to get a clearer idea of who my clients are (age, reason for consulting, number of sessions attended, moment and reason for ending therapy, etc.) in order to use those informations to improve my practice and marketing campaigns. What kind of CRM would you recommend ?
Thanks a lot !