Budget your time and money
Although things are changing, our service is still not one that sits naturally at the front of people's minds. By contrast, someone who has never tried hypnotherapy might reasonably decide that's what they need, to stop smoking, because the concept is just sitting there in general public awareness. Human nature is also to opt for what they see as the easiest and quickest solution even when the immediate reward is smaller (a cognitive bias known as hyperbolic discounting). Delayed gratification is completely irrelevant if the promised higher return is available right now.
Currently, even though more and more people have heard of EFT it is still only at the edges of their awareness, and first-time clients are almost always going to make their purchasing decisions based on faith in you personally.
One marketing tactic that can backfire, particularly if your goal is to work with 1:1 clients, is to behave like a superstar, and encourage others to feel they are missing out, not good enough without your product or service, and don't stack up next to their own inner ideal self because they lack the fastest, newest, better version of their current life or knowledge. To some extent we all have a tendency to overestimate the value of something based on it being new. Psychology calls this bias the Appeal To Novelty Fallacy.
'Faster, Better, Newer' rapidly becomes 'Normal, Normal, Old' as soon as someone has got the hang of it. More, if your goal is to make space for real positive change in someone's life, you'll have a hard time fulfilling that with clients who are hooked on the search for meaning outside of themselves. They also will rarely look back in appreciation at what you achieved together and may even underplay the benefits, convincing themselves and others that there was no real point sooner than threaten their rationale for the continuous search.
See 35 more cognitive biases listed here.
Novelty or aspirational marketing is all over social media as well as the back ends of website shopping carts and the back tables of conferences 'upsells'. Sometimes as with a free conference or a cut-price offer, the initial offering is just a hook because marketers know that These work for people who are selling products or group trainings when the entire goal is to get someone through the door just the once before it stops feeling new and special. If you feed people's dopamine cravings by promising a high its never going to be sustainable and if this is about earning a living, for you, then you will need solid systems in place for constantly finding new buyers. Once you're aware of those tactics you'll see them everywhere. In an industry that is built on holding safe space, unconditional positive regard, fostering self acceptance, love, forgiveness and all that, marketing based on fear and insecurity is incongruous and possibly immoral (Code of practice: misrepresentation A4, manipulation C10).
Try it if you want to.
This means you have to get out there and let people know who you are. Whatever method or methods you choose of becoming visible and available, budget your time. If you do not have anyone helping you and no existing clients, then becoming known, liked, and trusted (building towards your service becoming known, liked, and trusted) will take up most of your available work hours. Building your reputation in a group situation will massively speed things up, and choosing groups that host the kind of people you would like to work with is sensible, especially people who are open to solutions but don't think there is one. An attitude of gratitude is more welcoming than apostolic fervour to save the world.
In summary,
Although things are changing, our service is still not one that sits naturally at the front of people's minds. By contrast, someone who has never tried hypnotherapy might reasonably decide that's what they need, to stop smoking, because the concept is just sitting there in general public awareness. Human nature is also to opt for what they see as the easiest and quickest solution even when the immediate reward is smaller (a cognitive bias known as hyperbolic discounting). Delayed gratification is completely irrelevant if the promised higher return is available right now.
Currently, even though more and more people have heard of EFT it is still only at the edges of their awareness, and first-time clients are almost always going to make their purchasing decisions based on faith in you personally.
One marketing tactic that can backfire, particularly if your goal is to work with 1:1 clients, is to behave like a superstar, and encourage others to feel they are missing out, not good enough without your product or service, and don't stack up next to their own inner ideal self because they lack the fastest, newest, better version of their current life or knowledge. To some extent we all have a tendency to overestimate the value of something based on it being new. Psychology calls this bias the Appeal To Novelty Fallacy.
'Faster, Better, Newer' rapidly becomes 'Normal, Normal, Old' as soon as someone has got the hang of it. More, if your goal is to make space for real positive change in someone's life, you'll have a hard time fulfilling that with clients who are hooked on the search for meaning outside of themselves. They also will rarely look back in appreciation at what you achieved together and may even underplay the benefits, convincing themselves and others that there was no real point sooner than threaten their rationale for the continuous search.
See 35 more cognitive biases listed here.
Novelty or aspirational marketing is all over social media as well as the back ends of website shopping carts and the back tables of conferences 'upsells'. Sometimes as with a free conference or a cut-price offer, the initial offering is just a hook because marketers know that These work for people who are selling products or group trainings when the entire goal is to get someone through the door just the once before it stops feeling new and special. If you feed people's dopamine cravings by promising a high its never going to be sustainable and if this is about earning a living, for you, then you will need solid systems in place for constantly finding new buyers. Once you're aware of those tactics you'll see them everywhere. In an industry that is built on holding safe space, unconditional positive regard, fostering self acceptance, love, forgiveness and all that, marketing based on fear and insecurity is incongruous and possibly immoral (Code of practice: misrepresentation A4, manipulation C10).
Try it if you want to.
This means you have to get out there and let people know who you are. Whatever method or methods you choose of becoming visible and available, budget your time. If you do not have anyone helping you and no existing clients, then becoming known, liked, and trusted (building towards your service becoming known, liked, and trusted) will take up most of your available work hours. Building your reputation in a group situation will massively speed things up, and choosing groups that host the kind of people you would like to work with is sensible, especially people who are open to solutions but don't think there is one. An attitude of gratitude is more welcoming than apostolic fervour to save the world.
In summary,