The #1 reason nurse coaches, nurse consultants, and healing arts practitioners don’t follow up is because they don’t want to feel pushy. 

It certainly feels pushy to approach follow-up from a “try to get them to buy” perspective. However, when you approach follow-up from a service-based perspective, you add value and build a relationship, prompting the person to take action when they’re clear and ready. 

• No follow-up leads to no clients.

• Intentional follow-up leads to being of service and prompting people in a supportive, nurturing way.

Below are three simple emails you can send to nurture people you’ve engaged with but who haven't hired you.

Follow-Up Email Template #1: Share a Tip

Subject Line:  You might find this helpful

Hello $FIRSTNAME$,

It was great connecting with you. After leaving our conversation, I thought of something many others have found helpful. I wanted to share that with you in case you find it helpful, too.

For many people struggling with _______ {INSERT 1-2 CHALLENGES} _____, here’s a tip to minimize or eliminate that struggle.

{INSERT TIP & 2-3 SENTENCES ABOUT WHY THAT TIP IS IMPORTANT}.

I hope that helps you.

Again, it was great connecting with you.

Sincerely,

$COACH_FIRSTNAME$

P.S. {INSERT YOUR CALL TO ACTION - Either to book a sample session or to sign up for your package}

An Example of Applying This Tip

Sarah, a nurse consultant specializing in helping clinics improve patient flow, had a great conversation with Dr. Lee about the challenges his practice faced with long wait times. Dr. Lee seemed interested but wasn't ready to commit to a consultation. Sarah sent him the following email. A week later, Dr. Lee replied, thanking Sarah for the tip and booking a discovery call. He had implemented the questionnaire and saw an immediate improvement, and now he was eager to see what other solutions Sarah could offer.

Subject Line: You might find this helpful

Hello Dr. Lee,

It was great connecting with you. After leaving our conversation, I thought of something many others have found helpful. I wanted to share that with you in case you find it helpful, too.

For many people struggling with scheduling inefficiencies and staff burnout, here’s a tip to minimize or eliminate that struggle.

Implement a pre-visit questionnaire. This allows patients to complete their intake information online before their appointment. This saves valuable time in the waiting room and allows staff to prepare for the visit, making the flow more efficient.

I hope that helps you.

Again, it was great connecting with you.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bennett

P.S. If you’d like to explore how I can help you implement this and other strategies, you can book a free discovery call here: [link].

Follow-Up Email Template #2:  Share a Pitfall & How to Avoid It

Subject Line:  Have you, or those you know, had this experience?

Hello $FIRSTNAME$,

So many times, when folks are trying to _______ {INSERT TOP DESIRED RESULTS} ____, there is a common pitfall that many bump into. This is a common mistake that so many people make, and it can easily be avoided.

I wanted to make sure you and those you know can avoid this pitfall.

{INSERT TIP & 2-3 SENTENCES ABOUT A COMMON PITFALL AND HOW TO AVOID IT}.

I always like to help make things easier if I can… I hope this helps.

Again, it was great connecting with you.

Sincerely,

$COACH_FIRSTNAME$

P.S. {INSERT YOUR CALL TO ACTION - Either to book a sample session or to sign up for your package}

An Example of Applying This Tip

Michael, a nurse coach specializing in weight management, spoke with Maria, who was enthusiastic about losing weight but unsure where to start. Michael followed up with this email, and Maria resonated with it. She appreciated Michael's non-judgmental approach and signed up for his program.

Subject Line: Have you, or those you know, had this experience?

Hello Maria,

So many times, when folks are trying to achieve sustainable weight loss, there is a common pitfall that many bump into. This is a common mistake that so many people make, and it can easily be avoided.

I wanted to make sure you and those you know can avoid this pitfall.

Many people focus solely on restrictive diets, which often leads to burnout and giving up. A more effective strategy is to focus on gradual lifestyle changes and incorporating healthy habits over time.

I always like to help make things easier if I can… I hope this helps.

Again, it was great connecting with you.

Sincerely,

Michael Moore

P.S. I have a few spots left for my upcoming weight management program. If you’d like to learn more or register, go here: [link].

Follow-Up Email Template #3: Your WOW story

Subject Line:  I wanted you to meet someone

Hello $FIRSTNAME$,

After our last conversation, I thought of ___ {INSERT CLIENT’S NAME} ___ and their story.  It’s very similar to what you described the last time we met.

 ___ {INSERT 4-5 SENTENCES TO DESCRIBE YOUR CLIENT’S WOW STORY OF TRANSFORMATION - OR YOUR OWN IF YOU’RE JUST GETTING STARTED} ___

Sincerely,

$COACH_FIRSTNAME$

P.S. {INSERT YOUR CALL TO ACTION - Either to book a sample session or to sign up for your package}

An Example of Applying This Tip

Linda, a nurse consultant specializing in helping nurses start their own businesses, talked to Jessica, a nurse who dreamed of entrepreneurship but was afraid to take the leap. Linda followed up with the email below. Her story inspired Jessica and gave her the confidence to pursue her own entrepreneurial dreams. She booked a discovery session with Linda.

Subject Line: I wanted you to meet someone

Hello Jessica,

After our last conversation, I thought of my client, Emily, and her story. It’s very similar to what you described the last time we met.

Emily was a nurse who felt burned out and unfulfilled in her hospital job. She had always wanted to start her own business but was worried about the risks. After working with me, she launched a nurse consulting firm and now enjoys greater flexibility and financial independence.

Sincerely,

Linda Long

P.S. If you're ready to take the leap and start your own nursing business, I'd love to help. You can book a free strategy session here: [link].

Despite their clinical expertise, many nurse entrepreneurs struggle to market their services effectively. It's disheartening to see them invest significant time and resources in marketing efforts that yield minimal results, feeling as though their money is simply being wasted.

Before we delve into what's crucial, let's address some commonly used marketing tools that are often less effective than believed.

Less Effective Marketing Tools

• Business Cards: While useful, business cards are frequently overused as a primary marketing method. Handing them out indiscriminately, even to those already connected through email or social media, can be inefficient. A more effective approach is to gather contact information and follow up with valuable, free content. There are more advanced strategies for using business cards effectively, but I’ll discuss that another time.

• Brochures: Brochures left at bookstores or holistic centers often go unnoticed and rarely convert into clients unless they are exceptionally well-written and targeted, which requires skill.

• Fancy Logos: While visually appealing and important for branding, elaborate logos are often more relevant to entrepreneurs than potential clients. They're a nice addition but not a fundamental necessity for effective marketing.

Marketing Essentials for Nurse Entrepreneurs

Here are ten essential marketing strategies. It's worth noting that many nurse entrepreneurs have not implemented all of them. 

However, it’s a mistake to think you must have all these in place before getting clients! I recommend starting at the top of the list and gradually working your way down it BETWEEN your client-getting activities. 

Also, while making a good effort is important, don’t make the mistake of trying to get a strategy perfect the first time. It’s best to make small investments of time and money at first and iterate your way to success!

1. Focused Specialization

It's impossible to be everything to everyone. A key aspect of effective marketing is clearly understanding your ideal client. This involves defining who you want to work with, what specific services you offer, where you offer them, and how you deliver them. There are numerous ways to approach specialization.

People are more likely to engage when they see how your services are relevant to them. However, if your marketing message is too broad, such as "I help people achieve holistic wellness," it will be much more challenging to attract clients than if you specialize in solving a specific problem.

In marketing, focus leads to freedom. With a clearly defined specialization, you can craft compelling offerings that resonate deeply with your target audience.

2. A Professional Photo

People are more skeptical than ever about marketing and advertising. Authenticity and genuine connection are crucial. A professional photo is essential for capturing attention and building trust.

We live in an age of short attention spans and heightened skepticism. Therefore, you must make a positive first impression quickly. Potential clients will decide if you are relevant and trustworthy within seconds of seeing your marketing materials.

Your photo plays a vital role in how attractive, safe, and "real" your work appears. A picture truly does speak a thousand words. There are different photo scenarios to consider, each conveying a different message.

3. A Compelling Bio

Most bios fail to engage readers effectively. A good bio must include key elements that make it engaging and informative. To write a great bio, consider seeking guidance from resources like "Bye Bye Boring Bio" by Nancy Juetten or "The New About Me" by Michael Margolis. You can also click here for my tips.

4. A Clear Description of Your Services

Many nurse entrepreneurs struggle to articulate their work in a way that resonates with people. Your description should be clear, concise, and compelling, and avoid jargon or simply listing modalities.

5. A Well-Organized Database of the People You’ve Talked to

Tracking the people you’ve talked to is crucial for effective marketing and relationship building. Start with a simple, basic digital system and improve it over time. The main focus is to USE it! Include any of this info you can get:

• Name, email, phone number, and address

• Referral source and date of first appointment

• Birthday, spending history, and date of last appointment

• Number of conversations, paid visits, and referrals received

• Demographic information and prospect, client, or partner priority

This data can be used to personalize communication and target your marketing messages.

6. An Extensive Hubs Database

Identify and track potential partners and collaborators. Building relationships with these "hubs" of people you can serve can significantly expand your reach!

7. Case Studies and Testimonials

Stories, case studies, and testimonials are incredibly powerful. They provide social proof and demonstrate the value of your services.

• Testimonials: Go beyond generic statements like "AWESOME!" Include specific details, full names, and a headline to grab attention.

• Case studies: Showcase client transformations by highlighting the "before" and "after."

8. Staying in Touch Effectively

Consistent communication is essential for maintaining relationships with the people you’ve talked to. Pick ONE channel initially, then grow into using two or three over time.

• Email newsletter: Regularly share valuable content, updates, and offers.

• Blog: Provide insightful articles and establish yourself as an authority in your field.

• Social media: Engage with your audience and share relevant content.

I recommend starting with an email newsletter because it’s an especially powerful tool for building relationships and generating business. Every email you send is an opportunity to connect, inspire, and, ultimately, drive sales. Key benefits of an email newsletter include:

• List growth through email sharing

• Opportunities for collaboration and interviews

• Cost-effective communication

• Building long-term relationships

• Providing valuable content

9. A Client-Generating Website

A website is essential, but it needs to do more than just look good. Its purpose is to effectively attract your audience and help them choose to buy your program or service. 

• It's accessible 24/7. Potential clients can explore your services and learn about you at any time.

• It establishes safety and trust. A website allows people to "get to know" you at their own pace and comfort level, helping them feel more secure in reaching out.

To create an effective website:

• Ensure you can easily update it yourself. Being dependent on a designer for every change can be cumbersome and costly.

• Focus on functionality and client attraction, not just aesthetics. A visually appealing website is important, but its primary purpose should be to generate clients.

START SIMPLE. If you can create a document in Word or Google Drive, you can make your first website, and each platform has video tutorials to help you. 

Key elements of an effective client-generating website include:

• Opt-in page: Offer a valuable gift or resource in exchange for contact details.

• Service or program sales page: Tell your audience what you offer, why, and how they can get it. USE YOUR 10 Ps! Make online booking and payment easy to use.

• “About” section or page: This is one of the most critical elements of your website. It communicates who you are and presents your credibility. It should align with your message and the feeling you want to evoke in your audience. Include your photo here. 

• Branding: This is the feeling you evoke through the words, colors, fonts, and images you use to convey the essence of who you are and what you offer. 

• I recommend you do NOT invest in hiring a branding professional until you’ve completed Stage 1. Why? Your service ideas and understanding of your audience will be refined during Stage 1, and if you invest in branding too early, your investment will be wasted.

10. A Program Development Pathway (aka “Sales Funnel”)

Offering services at different price points is essential for attracting an audience and optimizing your revenue. A program development pathway typically includes:

• Free or low-cost offerings (e.g., ebooks, free audio, blog posts)

• Programs (e.g., workshops, retreats, talks)

• Packages (e.g., series of sessions, specialized packages)

• Products (e.g., books, DVDs, supplements)

Implementing these ten marketing strategies can help nurse entrepreneurs effectively reach their target audience, build strong client relationships, and achieve sustainable business growth.

Here’s to your success!

As nurse entrepreneurs, we understand the importance of trust and credibility. When clients seek our services, they trust us with their well-being. 

To build a thriving business, we must address the inherent risks clients perceive when choosing a service. This article will explore three core strategies to effectively reduce these perceptions of risk. 

Before diving into the strategies, let's briefly recap the three essential roles of marketing:

The Three Roles of Marketing

There are three roles of marketing.

1. To get your audience’s attention
2. To establish if your offer is a good fit by using the three filters of relevance, credibility, and value
3. To lower the risk of taking the next step

You might be surprised, but even if someone decides that you are exactly what they are looking for (relevance), that they trust you (credibility), and that your offer is a really good deal for the money (value), they might still not buy.

How could this be?

It’s probably because of a cold, stone wall of risk between you and them.

They are standing on one side of the wall with money and a desire to work with you. However, the wall is too high to get through or over easily.

So, how do we lower, eliminate, or even reverse that wall so it’s a gentle downhill slope toward us? How do we make it easier for people to say ‘yes’?

• Full name
• Credentials
• Location
• Contact information (with permission)
• Before/After experiences
• Stories of challenges overcome
• What makes you unique
• Biggest client benefit
• Comparison to competitors

The Power of Word-of-Mouth (Silverman's Insights)

George Silverman's work on word-of-mouth marketing emphasizes its importance, especially for high-stakes services like healthcare. Clients rely on others' experiences to mitigate risk when direct experience is impractical or too risky. Key takeaways from Silverman:

• Direct experience can be risky, time-consuming, and anxiety-producing.
• Indirect experience (hearing about others' experiences) can be more valuable than direct experience.
• People are more likely to trust recommendations from peers, experts, and independent rating services.

For any real depth or meaning, choosing a marketing path should be guided individually based on your personality, audience, stage of business, and all the other things we’ve covered in the Incubator. Without that guidance, you can still survive, but your business growth and development will be much slower and more painful.

As nurses, we are naturally in the human relations business, so one of the best marketing paths for us is what some people call “Conversational Marketing.” This means talking to your audience through marketing, just like in person. It applies to social media posts, paid ads, website content, email content, videos, networking, and all the rest. 

Networking

Let’s start with networking because, for most of us, this is where we’ll get the best return on our efforts. For networking, we are going to events to connect with other people in our area of interest or who are “hubs” of people in our audience. How can we do this most effectively?

Secret #1: Go with a friend or colleague. A friend can talk you up in a way that you cannot talk about yourself, and you can rave about your friend in ways they cannot. If you go with each other, you can promote each other, which is a fun way to do it.

Secret #2: Network for Hubs. I learned this secret from Bill Baren, a brilliant mentor to many people who are now business mentors. He said, “Don’t go networking for clients. Go networking for hubs.”

When you think about events, it’s better to go where there are people who are hubs of connections to lots of your clients and build connections with those hubs. Learning to do it well is like parachuting to the top of a mountain instead of climbing it rock by rock.

My best tip for starting this approach is to introduce yourself without needing to get anything from the hub person. Have a little bit of face time and a friendly personal connection. This does a ton in terms of the follow-up later.

Follow the model set by people like Phoenix Rudner, a realtor who focused on pet owners. Instead of thinking about where pet owners hang out, he could ask, “Where do all the hubs of pet owners hang out? Where do all these hubs get together in one place, where I could just go to one event and meet many folks?” This approach will dramatically leverage your time and energy. 

Secret #3: Get their card. Do not just give your card to them, but get theirs, too. I often see people making mistakes with this. They go to networking events and run around giving out their business cards. It looks like they are accomplishing something, but most people will get home and have no idea who gave them the cards they got that night. Then, they will throw away the cards because they cannot remember who the cards are from.

I recommend waiting to make a business card until you are already making money. If you do not have a card, when people ask you for one, you can say, “No, do you have one?” and then receive their card. 

This approach allows you to note something appropriate to send them, such as a blog post, a video, etc.- something useful that would start the relationship by being thoughtful and generous.

So, applying this to networking events, I would get their cards and leave with eight to ten cards. Leaving with ten hub cards you can follow up with is much more powerful than giving out 50 to 100 business cards! 

Another approach is 1:1 networking. Have lunch or coffee with people you already know. Just make your intention clear by saying something like, “I’d love to catch up with you and share what I’ve decided to do with my business,” or “I could really use some advice about such-and-such,” or “I want to do some marketing, and I want to talk to you about introducing me to your such-and-such.”

Yes, sometimes, if I am going to meet with somebody, I will say, “Hey, we should go for coffee. It seems there might be a few ways we could support each other. I’m not sure how yet, but how about we grab a quick 30-minute coffee and explore that?”

Then, you can have a more personal conversation, which is much better for growing your business.

When you attend an event with many people, see if you can meet a significant hub or connection. Then, set up a one-on-one meeting after the event.

Secret #4: Have a business card that works for you. When you are ready for a business card, two things are vital.

1. Have a current, awesome personal photo on it. People get so many cards, and they usually won’t remember who it is from, but if there is a photo of you, they can say, “Oh, yes, it is that person.” It helps more than you might think.

2. Use the back of your card to give them a “pink spoon,” like the free taste in an ice cream store. Invite them to your website, where they can opt-in for a gift and get acquainted with you at their own pace. Keep the URL simple, like (yourdomain).com/free. 

Ideally, the gift is online: an audio, video, PDF, quiz, or email series, and it will help the person check you out from a distance without having to book anything. Make it no risk for them and no effort for you.

Can the pink spoon be a small discount on your service? It can, but that is less pink-spoonish.

If you want to learn more about this approach, I recommend a brilliant piece by Seth Godin on being a Generosity-Based Business and the importance of Pink Spoons. You can Google it.

While you are at it, notice that free is not always generous. Sometimes, “free” can be an ultimately selfish move. A generous gift comes with no transaction anticipated, changes your approach to the market, changes your relationship with the recipient, and can even change you.

Social Media Marketing

It’s easy to find advice about social media marketing. Just be sure to look closely at the details about what is involved to get a good return on your investment of time, energy, and money.

I have little to say about social media marketing because I have not found a method that works for me. My general advice is to choose ONE media channel (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, or whatever), consistently post content your audience values, and do not spend money on ads until you have grown a strong following that engages with your content. 

It’s crucial to know what you're doing when you start spending money on social media ads. Otherwise, you'll likely receive a poor return on your investment.

I have consistently posted content and ads for another company that was paying me to do its marketing. However, I have not had enough success to say it was worth my time and energy. Other paths, like the ones I wrote about above, have been far more fruitful. This may be because I do not like social media much. So, if it works for you, that’s great. 

One exception is that I did a few Facebook Lives last year, and there was much more engagement with them than I expected. 

I post videos on YouTube when I have something to say. I enjoy watching YouTube videos, and I have gained a lot from them, so I am happy to add to that pool.

Email Marketing Tips

Do you receive way more emails than you read? Everyone does. However, that does not mean we don’t read any emails. We read them when we think there might be something worth our attention. 

I encourage you to email the people on your list when you have something to say that will benefit your audience. While some marketing mentors teach you to send emails as often as daily or multiple times a day during a product launch, I find that annoying. No one has that much to say that is worth that much of my time, not even my family members.

In my opinion, quality is more important than quantity when it comes to emails. Here are a few other tips.

1. First and foremost, email marketing is a conversation. Email is uniquely 1:1. Even if you send the same message to 1000 people, always remember you are writing to another human being. If you ask questions and your readers answer, acknowledge those readers and continue the conversations.

2. Email’s biggest advantage is that you can automate it. You can personalize your messages, deliver them at scale, track your audience’s actions, use automated workflows, and generate data that will help you better understand your customer’s problems and preferences.You can then build your marketing strategy around those relationships. Several systems can do this for you. I have used MailChimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, Infusionsoft/Keap, MailerLite, and Systeme.io. I recommend Systeme because it is easy, includes everything you need to create and send emails to your audience, set up automated follow-up email sequences, create a website, create courses, manage affiliates, track data... and they offer free and low-cost versions for small start-up businesses! Click here to learn more.

3. Post-sale marketing. Building a relationship with your audience is a process; a sale is not the end of communicating with your customers. It’s important to continue the conversation with your customers after the sale and give them the tools to spread the love about your business. If your customers love your product or service, they'll come back and/or might recommend it to their friends. 

4. Sponsored emails. If you enjoy writing and can provide content that is valuable to your audience, it has the potential to become a stand-alone business. For example, if your newsletter has a large and loyal audience, you can look into sponsorship opportunities or other ways to monetize your email content. Another approach is to provide exclusive content to the subscribers that support you financially. If that interests you, check out 88 Cups of Tea, an online platform and podcast for creative writers that offers special content for those who support them on the crowdfunding platform Patreon.

Conclusion

The purpose of marketing is to create awareness of your services, nurture a relationship with your audience, and provide a user-friendly pathway through which people can buy the value you provide. 

Approaching marketing with generosity and a focus on genuine connection will yield the most fruitful results. While various strategies, such as social media and email marketing, can be effective, it’s crucial to tailor your approach to your strengths, audience, and business goals. 

Nurse entrepreneurs can effectively grow their businesses by focusing on conversational marketing, building strong networks, and prioritizing quality interactions.