One of my engagements (the end of a continuum of 17 in a row) was for the Australian Massage Therapists Association. I was asked to present Your recipe to build a better massage practice, in line with their conference theme, Building Healthy Massage Practices.
In addition to normal online research about the industry and the association that you would expect any speaker (and any sales person too I might add) to conduct, I always do a preconference online survey of delegates.
This gives me a much better feel for how they're running their businesses. How they're using technology and what their goals and pain points are.
Normally survey responses flow in the minute the survey is sent out, with tendrils of response flowing in through a week or two. The AMT response was different. Slowly, slowly. One by one they came in over a three week period.
Because their responses were so slow in coming, and I was frantically busy, I created my keynote presentation following normal recipe ingredients. How to get many more backs on beds (sales I think we could say). How to get more repeat business. How to improve customer service. How to save heaps of time using their software better. I let it sit for a few weeks.
So here I was, flying to Melbourne from Las Vegas. I started to tally their responses and pivot them into pretty pie and bar charts for PowerPoint in illustration.
Their answers told me that I had to change my presentation. Almost completely!!!
I'll outline the questions, explain what I assumed, and what their answers told me.
Q1. Do you use your client database for marketing?
One would assume a good percentage were. Normally I get over 50 per cent. AMT only two people said yes. This suggested quite a few causes. Not by keeping a database per se. Not being very computer oriented. Too busy. This leads to the next question.
Q2 How are the practice bookings now?
Only 1 person responded 'need more business'. The others were equally split between 'a few more bookings' and 'close to capacity'. This, coupled with their top business problems (primarily work life balance, too much to do and location) showed that my original plan was the wrong, wrong message for this group. The next two question results were startling.
Q3. What type of smartphone do you have?
For the first time ever, 30 per cent did NOT have a smartphone. Normally I have only 1 or 2 people that don't have one.
Q4. What is your main business goal?
The options were: More time, more income, both, grow a saleable business and the last, happy clients.
Normally I get a mixed bag of time, money, both. With a sprinkling of the other two thrown in. For AMT (all but one were self-employed therapists) 56 per cent said happy clients were their main business goal. I shouted 'what' out loud when I tallied this one and scared the person sitting next to me on the plane.
I had planned on laughing straight into a business building presentation to a group of nurturing, caring, not technically oriented overworked individuals. I couldn't do that. I had to change the focus.
The plane touched down in Melbourne Australia at 8:35 am Friday. I was ensconced in my hotel next door to Flemington Raceway by 11:00. The presentation was at 9:30 am the next morning. I booted up my laptop and got to work. Jetlag was going to have to wait.
What would your message be to this group?
Cornily I gave the new presentation an acronym, ACT!
A for attitude. For those that were happy as is, there was strategies to free up time and increase income concurrently. For those that wanted to grow business, with the right attitude they could overcome their obstacles. To take courage and take the next step. That meant hire another therapist for their practice.
If their premises were too small or not in a great location - then think creatively and go to their clients. Get part time help as their hours were more valuable than the housework or administration they were doing.
Putting myself in their shoes, I gave them creative ideas for building business; going to clients and drumming up new business to fill their new capacity. I charted out an action plan for both categories- happy as is, wanting to grow. Click here to see a copy.
C was for communication, and that was again how to fill their new capacity - adding on consumables, parties, joint ventures, gift certificate, event marketing - all to their clients and prospects.
And of course T was for Technology. All but four that responded had a Gmail type email address. I suggested creating a Facebook open group as a website substitute. I showed them the free cloud software of Microsoft OneDrive and Google Documents. Of course I gave examples of the time saving, customer service and business building things they could do with a / their smartphone and a couple of oh my goodness email tricks - 50 per cent had said they had too many emails.
So how did it go? The presentation went beautifully. They loved it. I profusely thanked everyone that had answered the survey and all I can say is thank goodness I took that extra step of surveying the delegates!!!!!
Written by Debbie Mayo-Smith, One of New Zealand's most in-demand speakers, trainers and bestselling authors. Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff. For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter. 
