As wellness and healthcare providers, we want the best for our clients, and that includes giving them the best version of us. One of the most important skills needed in order to give them our best is excellent communication. Unfortunately, however, business owners too often overlook this basic key to running and growing a successful business. How we connect when we speak – the tone of our voice, the words we use, and the way we listen – can mean the difference between a thriving practice and a dwindling practice.
In his popular book for entrepreneurs, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, Michael Gerber reveals that just because entrepreneurs are good at what they do doesn’t mean they will be good at starting and running a business doing what they do. It is also true that just because health and wellness providers are highly skilled and get good results for their clients doesn’t mean they are good communicators. (Gerber also has a version called The E-Myth Physician: Why Most Medical Practices Don’t Work and What to Do About It.)
Gerber is right. We can’t just be good at what we do to run a successful practice. We must find and attract new clients, establish and maintain rapport with current clients, promote ourselves and our services, grow our network, share our knowledge, and educate the public, not to mention other business tasks like bookkeeping and office management. We may have to negotiate with vendors, have difficult conversations, instruct staff and employees, and advocate for ourselves and/or our clients. Communication and how we use our voice are crucial for growing our businesses, whether with an audience of 1 or 100.
This 6-part blog series will highlight how poor communication skills can undermine a wellness professional’s credibility and reputation. We will share communication tips and best practices that will help you leverage your voice to grow your business and have the impact you are meant to have in this world. Each part will focus on a different aspect of being a business owner that requires good communication. The topics that will be included in the series are:
Part 1: Networking with purpose
Part 2: Communicating via technology
Part 3: Bedside manner and patient/client relations
Part 4: Sales and marketing communication
Part 5: Expanding your business through presenting and speaking
Part 6: Establishing your reputation
Each of these segments will consider how to come across as one intends when speaking, how to communicate consistently across settings, and how to convey confidence, professionalism, and trustworthiness when we speak. Specific strategies will be given to increase our impact through vocal delivery in conversations and presentations, with tips for speaking clearly and confidently in the treatment room, on camera, and on stage.
The information provided in this series is centered around using our voices to make strong connections. Good business communication begins with the fifth of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” By first understanding our clients’ and potential clients’ perspective and concerns, we will be able to better serve them and help them get the results they seek. Effective listening plays an important role in getting to know our clients and establishing good relationships with them and will be addressed throughout this blog series.
Understanding our audience also plays a significant role in choosing the language we use when communicating about our businesses to potential clients or referral partners. For example, messaging such as describing unfamiliar health and wellness services can be challenging. If our descriptions are too complex or confusing, those potential clients may be turned off from the start, and never get a chance to experience the healing benefits of the services we provide. People who don’t understand what we do cannot make good referrals to us either; therefore, this blog series will include messaging strategies to expand our networks, reach wider audiences, and attract more quality referrals.
The bottom line is your voice and how you use it are essential keys to growing your health and wellness business. Practitioners and professionals who take the time to improve their communication with clients, colleagues, and the general public are at a significant advantage over business owners who take their voice for granted.
Each of us wants to find the best healthcare providers for ourselves and our loved ones. We are looking for professionals who are not only good at what they do, but who can also make us feel at ease, clearly explain what’s wrong and what we need to do to get better, and demonstrate that they care about us as human beings. Good reputations are built on trust, understanding, and excellent communication. Platforms like Wellistic can highlight those reputations so more people with specific health needs can find us, and we can in turn help more deserving people. We hope you enjoy this series that will lay the foundation for leveraging your voice to grow your business.
