CHEN YEN
Naturopathic doctors and other holistic health practitioners often ask me, “I have an online course but people aren’t purchasing it. What can I do to get more people to sign up?”
Having an online course to offer the public (or other practitioners) can help you educate and reach more people at once. Keep in mind that people can benefit from your knowledge and expertise without you having to physically be there. It can also bring in another stream of income beyond seeing more patients 1-on-1. For example, if you have an automated online course for which you charge $297, and 20 people sign up for it, that’s an extra $5940. If 35 people sign up, that’s an extra $10 395.
One of the most common mistakes I see made by many naturopathic doctors who want people to sign up and pay for their online courses is this: Not having a big-picture communication strategy.
Keys to a Big-Picture Strategy
Here are a few keys to inspiring more people to be interested in your online course and to sign up and pay:
Key #1
Your ideal clients need to feel that you can relate to their frustrations and their challenges. A common tendency of many naturopathic physicians is to “geek out” and over-educate about topics; however, what may be most important to your ideal clients is to feel understood. This is especially the case when you don’t have the benefit of a 1-on-1 personal relationship with the person who might be interested in purchasing your online course.
Key #2
Your ideal clients need to believe that their health issue can change in a positive way for them. If their health issue has been particularly challenging and nothing has worked for them thus far, they may be extra cautious in their receptivity. If this cautiousness is to the point of disbelief that an effective approach to their health issue even exists, then no matter how much you educate them clinically, they may not be interested in hearing you out.
Valuable questions to ask yourself and communicate effectively to your ideal clients are:
- What do they need to believe about what’s possible?
- What do they need to believe about themselves?
- What do they need to believe about you?
Key #3
Your ideal clients need to be reminded of the cost of not changing their situation. For example, have you (or someone in your family) ever experienced a health issue at some point in your life, but you kept putting off addressing it because you said to yourself, “I’m too busy”?
Or, perhaps something similar has happened in your own practice before: You didn’t feel good about the trajectory of your business, but at least it was comfortable. You knew what to expect, so you kept chugging along, maybe dissatisfied with the income you were making, or dissatisfied with patient flow. But because your routines were familiar and comfortable, you never did anything about it.
You either need to be in enough pain, or be reminded of how not changing your situation can affect you (or keep you from your potential), before you might do something about it. It’s a similar situation with your ideal clients. They need to be reminded of the cost of not addressing their issue, whether it has to do with their health, relationships, work, time, or money.
Key #4
Your ideal clients’ biggest concerns must be addressed. These concerns can be: “I can’t afford it,” or “I don’t have the time for this,” or “I’m not sure I’ll be able to stick with it.”
Are there additional fears your ideal clients may have? Think about it and address those as well.
Closing Comments
By communicating these key elements during the process of educating your ideal clients, you will be more likely to sign people up for your online courses. Then you need to also be able to clearly communicate your course’s benefits in a way that inspires enrollment and to spread the word through the mediums that are most effective for your goals and budget.
Chen Yen is a national speaker and founder of Fill My Holistic Practice, providing introverted visionary naturopathic doctors with a step-by-step system and guidance on growing a fulfilling 6 or 7-figure practice that runs without them. Clients include the recent president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), former member of the AANP Board of Directors, past-presidents of state naturopathic associations, board member of the American Society of Acupuncturists, former board member of the American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and past-president of the American Chiropractic Association Sports Council. Chen can be reached at mentor@fillmyholisticpractice.com or https://introvertedvisionary.com
