by John Graden
As a professional hypnotist you have a unique position in your community. Not only are you able to help people rapidly improve their lives, but also there is a fascination and curiosity the public and the media has with hypnosis that provides you with an advantage that most other professions don’t have.
For example, a hypnosis program that helps people to lose weight in just a few sessions without dieting or exercise is compelling. It sounds almost too good to be true, which creates interest and intrigue.
This gives you a huge advantage over other businesses offering weight loss programs. Imagine if the local women’s club had three offers for presenters wanting to speak at their next meeting. One was from weight loss clinic owner who would talk about eating right, the second was from a personal trainer who would discuss the importance of exercise, and then there is you touting rapid weight loss without diet or exercise using hypnosis. Who do you think is going to get the booking? You! People already know they should exercise and eat right. They don’t. Your angle is to appeal to their human nature using the martial arts principle of align and redirect. Humans are by nature lazy. That’s why all innovation has to do with doing things faster and easier. Nothing works faster and easier, in most cases, than hypnosis.
As a hypnotist, you have an array of benefits to offer that will create high levels of interest in your work. Here’s the catch. No matter how many amazing programs you have to offer, the public can’t get interested in them unless they know about you.
If you really want to become well known in your area, you can’t hide in your office and complain that no one has discovered you. You have to get out and “shake the bushes” for opportunities to tell your story.
You are one of the most unique business people in your community. Few people work in a business with the exotic allure and appeal of hypnosis. This is a huge advantage, but only if you take advantage of it.
One of the best ways to capitalize on your unique position is to develop a rock solid 20-minute presentation on various benefits of the hypnosis and then get in front of as many audiences as you can each week.
A modified pre-talk that discusses what hypnosis is and how it works to create rapid improvement will work well for most audiences. Be sure to build in a few success stories and humor to drive home the message. If you don’t have any good stories yet, borrow other true stories from other hypnotists. Stories and humor help you connect on an emotional level more so than a straight, factual presentation. Your job is not to educate your audience. Your job is to motivate them to come to you.
Begin to create a presentation that is fun, interesting and most of all, creates motivation in the attendees to come to you as clients. In some cases, you can finish with a group hypnosis session. This is a ripe time for some motivating direct suggestions. Keep in mind your goal is to gain new clients and that is the measure of the presentation.
Hypnosis offers many benefits that you can tailor a presentation to for virtually any group. Self-confidence, weight loss, smoking cessation, fear of public speaking, sports improvement, improved study habits; the list goes on and on.
Every community has clubs; organizations and events that are actively seeking speakers just like you. Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, The Optimist Clubs, schools, condo committees, singles clubs, corporate retreats, women’s clubs and others not only offer captive audiences but often the organizers and attendees are some of the movers and shakers in your community.
Your mission is to match the benefits of your services to groups that would find that subject appealing to them. In most cases, you will not be paid to speak, which is fine. Your pay will be in new clients. Try to sell back of the room products, but in all cases, make sure you are able to hand out cards or brochures to the attendees.
While you want to prepare your presentation, don’t get caught in analysis paralysis. Start booking these presentations today. I imagine you know your pre-talk cold. Just embellish that and work in your stories. You will get better with each presentation.
If you want to become well known in your town, you have to make the effort to get your name out there. Take full advantage of the unique opportunity you have as a hypnosis expert to get in front of audiences and spread the good word about your office and what you offer.
Remember, there is a good chance another hypnotist in your area is reading this article as well. If you hesitate, she will beat you to the punch. Make a list of potential organizations and start calling them today.
A practicing hypnotist and author in Palm Harbor, FL, John Graden is Certified Hypnotist under the National Guild of Hypnotists.
