Have you ever gone above and beyond for a client just to get a bad review or a complaint? Or maybe you’re still trying to get your foot in the door and get the ball rolling in your dietitian nutrition coaching business. One thing I’ll always say about being an entrepreneur is that it requires having thick skin and wisdom in knowing the best course of action to take next. Today in this article, we will discuss different types of client troubles and how to handle them. But before we get into the bulk of it, first, allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Tony Stephan, and I’m a dietitian business coach. I help RDs make more IMPACT and more INCOME through nutrition coaching. However, before becoming a dietitian business coach, I was an RD nutrition coach (just like you!). I served thousands of nutrition coaching clients over a time span of 12 years. My successful nutrition coaching business is what led me to where I am today. Now without further ado, let’s talk about what you can do to smoothly deal with client troubles in your own RD private practice.
WHY WE EXPERIENCE CLIENT TROUBLES
In your RD private practice, you will meet so many different people from all different walks of life. So it’s only normal to run into client troubles from time to time. Today in this article, we specifically discuss client troubles with bringing in new clients and what to do when you get a bad review. If you want to know more about dealing with difficult clients or toxic clients, you can read more about that particular topic here. Now without further ado, let’s talk about how you can bring in new clients and how to deal with a bad review from a client.
CLIENT TROUBLES: TROUBLE GETTING OR KEEPING CLIENTS
If you’re having trouble getting or keeping clients, it can be a downer at first. Although it’s normal to feel discouraged, you must remember that building your RD private practice from the ground up is often the toughest part. So you are not alone in your struggles. I’m happy to share with you today some great tips that can help transform your very own dietitian nutrition coaching business in terms of getting and keeping nutrition coaching clients.
TELL THEM YOUR STORY
Here is the thing about getting clients, people only work with those they KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST. Oftentimes it takes multiple conversations to convert a prospective client into a paying client. You rarely have people who convert into clients in masses from one post alone on social media. That’s why you’ve constantly got to show up and be in contact with prospective clients to build the know, like, and trust factor. If you want to really boost the know, like, and trust factor– you can try telling your prospective clients YOUR story on your platform.
By telling your story, I’m not talking about an “I built this business because I love food!” sort of story. It has to be a deep, vulnerable story that compels people to action.
Telling people that you “love food” isn’t exactly something that would compel your prospective clients to action, but you know what will?
A vulnerable, relatable story that captivates your prospective client’s attention. Tell them about how you became an intuitive eating dietitian because you struggled with your relationship with food at one point too. Tell them about how you became a gut health dietitian because you struggled with gut health issues too. That’s the kind of story that will compel action and build that know, like, and trust factor.
FIND YOUR IDEAL CLIENT
You have probably heard me say this before, but it’s so important that I will repeat it again and again. If you serve everyone, you serve no one.
You must have an ideal client, and you need to know your ideal client like the back of your hand! Once you are crystal clear on who you want to serve, then you can set yourself up as the expert in that particular area. Once you have your ideal client, it helps you target your content, and it helps prospective clients better understand what you do. If prospective clients see weight loss content on your page, you’ll be more likely to get prospective clients interested in weight loss. So finding your ideal client is a crucial aspect of getting clients!
My best tip for finding your ideal client is to take time to think about who you truly want to serve. The great thing about your ideal client is that you aren’t “stuck with” a certain niche forever. You may start in one niche and find yourself transitioning into a different niche within the next few years. So although you might feel some pressure to pick a niche and stick with it forever, you don’t have to go about it that way. You certainly need an ideal client to bring new clients in, but you aren’t stuck with that niche forever.
BE WHERE YOUR IDEAL CLIENT IS
One of the BEST ways to attract clients to your private practice is to be where they are!
Once you know who your ideal client is, you can start identifying where your ideal client would be hanging out at whether it’s online or in person. Here is the thing, most of the time, you have to go to your ideal client. Very rarely will they appear out of nowhere on your platforms. That’s why it’s so important to be where your ideal client is and make connections when you’re there.
Being where your ideal client is could look like setting up a promo at a gym. It could look like being a part of an online group. Ultimately it’s up to you on how you want to show up for your ideal client, but ultimately it should be in places where you KNOW your ideal client is hanging out and where you know you can show up consistently to build that know like and trust factor.
CLIENT TROUBLES: I GOT A BAD REVIEW…WHAT DO I DO NOW?
So maybe you were confident things were going well, but then out of the blue, a coaching client you recently off-boarded gave you a bad review. What now? It can definitely be disappointing to get a bad review when you are pouring your heart and soul into your nutrition coaching business, but here is the good news–one bad review won’t destroy your business. Let me guide you through some tips that will help you next time you get an unpleasant review:
- Take time to cool off, and don’t respond immediately if you’re frustrated with the review. The worst thing you can do is fight fire with fire! Take time to cool off and collect your thoughts before you consider responding.
- Take it as an opportunity to grow. Really try to look at the review from an unbiased perspective. Is there some truth to the review? Or does it seem to not have much merit? If there is some truth to it, then good! You have an opportunity to learn and improve your business. If there is not much merit to the review, it’s important to give yourself some grace and remember that you can’t satisfy everyone.
- Have a system in place that responds to bad and good reviews. That way your customers can see that you take the time to take their reviews seriously and that they are not wasting their time by leaving feedback. Responding to good reviews encourages others to leave a review about their positive experience.
BOTTOM LINE FOR CLIENT ISSUES & BAD REVIEWS
Here is the thing about owning your nutrition coaching business, you are bound to experience client troubles from time to time. A huge aspect of being an entrepreneur is that it requires having thick skin and wisdom in knowing the best course of action to take next.
If you’re looking to start your own nutrition coaching RD private practice, you’re in the right place. I’m proud to be a part of the movement of dietitian entrepreneurs who are making more IMPACT and more INCOME! In the Dietitian Nutrition Coaching Certification, we teach our students how to set their dietitian nutrition coaching business up for success.
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