Why free sessions don’t sell – and how they can

In the world of practitioners, coaches, consultants and other service providers, the “free session” holds a strange position.

On one hand, it seems like an obvious thing to do to bring potential new clients in. On the other hand, so, so many people have had bad experiences in providing free sessions, with very few people converting to paying clients. Painful.

We here at Heart of Business have used free sessions extensively and teach them to our clients, who have great success with them. However, you can’t just do free sessions willy-nilly. There needs to be a method to the madness if you want paying clients out of them.

But first, let’s me explain what’s going on with free sessions gone bad.

Why They Don’t Work

Typically in a free session you just work with your client however you work with them: coaching, acupuncture, hot stone massage. Whatever your modality is, you do it.

The client typically gets some relief. Then leaves. And that’s it.

The reason? If they are struggling with something, often the pain of that struggle has brought them to the point of, “Oh my God, I’ve got to do something about this.”

The free session then provides relief. Not enough to actually solve the problem and move the client into a new place, but just enough to take the edge off.

I’m not against giving people some relief, however, it doesn’t actually serve someone to give them relief without giving them the big picture, including how to really transform what’s going on with them.

Example: Someone has back pain, so they get a free massage session. The pain is relieved, but not the underlying stress patterns. They feel good, but a few weeks (or days) later they are in pain again. And they think, “That didn’t help at all.”

Instead of understanding how they might have truly been helped, they are left thinking working with that practitioner, or maybe any practitioner, is not actually useful. Oops.

What to do instead

Instead of a treatment, try seeing a free session as an assessment. The real focus is finding out what’s going on with the client, and doing your best to determine what will really help them in a more permanent, long-lasting way.

Then, the session ends with maybe some helpful pointers, or a small amount of treatment that can help relieve some pain temporarily, but it’s in context. “I’m going to give you a little massage to reduce the stress on your back. Without getting at the underlying patterns, the pain will come back, but you should feel better at least for a few days.”

What’s more, by performing an assessment, the client can finally understand what’s going on. “Oh, my back hurts, but really it’s the tension in my legs that’s causing it!” You can give them insight into what’s causing their problems, and you can outline what it will take to really solve the issues.

Which, naturally, organically, would include working with you.

Why this is not bait and switch

This is not an underhanded, manipulative technique (although it easily could be), because you will tell folks that the free session is an assessment session, with some treatment. You will also let them know that you will have recommendations on how to solve what’s going on, which may include working with you, as well as things they can do on their own.

Furthermore, don’t underestimate how incredibly wonderful, powerful and valuable people find assessments. The potential client wants relief, absolutely. But when she’s been struggling with something for some time, to finally, finally understand what’s really going on and what it will truly take to solve it is priceless knowledge, especially if she has been feeling clueless and stuck.

The spiritual truth behind it all

In Sufism there is a saying attributed to God, “I yearned to be known, and so I created the creation in order to be known.” Because the Divine lives within our hearts, we all carry that spark of yearning, we all deeply want to be known.

If you do a real assessment on someone, truly seeing them with compassion, love and insight, it is incredibly healing. The experience of being witnessed touches on how we access a feeling of Oneness in our lives.

The experience of being witnessed allows us to access a feeling of Oneness in our lives. (Click to tweet)

Knowledge and insight is extremely empowering and inspiring. And that empowerment and inspiration can help them step right into working with you. Which is a good thing, because that means two things: (1) you get paid and (2) they get the help they need.

Try it out. See what happens.

p.s. Business can be much easier. It really can.

Too often small business owners are piecing together this technique and that tactic, and, in the meantime, struggling with issues around “abundance mindset” and just plain being worn out.

We have a clear, wisdom-based curriculum that can walk you through the stages of business development. Grounded, practical, accessible spiritual nourishment. Compassionate accountability, and a generous, open-hearted community.

Oh yeah, and coaching. Coaching! Feedback! All at a price you choose (after a 10 day free trial.)

Building a business takes time, but it doesn’t have to be torture. You can fly. You can be profitable. You really can do this.

Let us help you.

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