An interesting comment was made at the Hypnosis Technique Exchange about whether or not folks should do followups (short-term and long-term) regarding their hypnosis practice. One view is that when we do followups it provides excellent information about effectiveness but it might also create a sense of fear that our session failed. I hadn’t looked at it that way so here’s my response.
There are ways to do followups that engender confidence. If you are projecting a fear of failure in followups, then you really NEED to learn to get over that. Think of some ways that you can frame your followup in a positive light. It’s not merely about checking on a particular person’s progress (although that is very very important). Followup is a standard technique to check on your own efficacy both in terms of individual cases but also in terms of general professional behavior . . . it can be used to improve your service outside of the actual session. Followups are also a way to stay in touch with clients to remind them of their success and of your services both for themselves for other issues but also as a reminder for them to reccommend you to friends.
I believe critics make a very valid point that many hypnotists do not do followups and then make the assumption that they have success merely because they don’t get complaints. That’s not success, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. So many hypnotists do have ad copy that makes them out to be nigh on divine. I take such copy with a huge double dose of salt and some of ’em I just dismiss the person completely. I don’t care how good you are, there are just some reported success rates that are either inflated because the person doesn’t do any sort of followup at all and has deluded themselves about actual session experiences or because the person has consciously inflated the numbers and added in some hyperbole.
Be aware that if you use success rates in your advertising, you had best be able to back it up with objective numbers or data. When someone says they have a 90% or higher success rate with "stop smoking hypnosis" – and I’ve seen this a number of times – then they’d damned well better’d be able to back it up with legitimate followup data that has a longitudinal component. Anything less is false advertising and that can lead to legal problems well beyond simple client disatisfaction.
Here’s my question for you . . . rather than just avoiding it or having a fear of failure issue with it all . . . since it is very likely that reliable feedback data of this sort will help you enhance your business far more than not having it will . . . how could you perform client followup in a way that avoids any negative connotations but also reinforces the impression of success AND provides you with reliable data AND enhances other positive session booking opportunities with a particular client or referrals?
In August 2006, Craig Eubanks wrote an interesting note about referrals and followup in his hypnosis marketing blog for those with an interest.
All the best,
Brian
(Instant and Rapid Hypnosis Techniques)
See http://www.BrianDavidPhillips.com for details!
Brian David Phillips, PhD, CH [phillips@nccu.edu.tw]Certified Hypnotherapist
President, Society of Experiential Trance
Associate Professor, NCCU, Taipei, Taiwan
http://www.BrianDavidPhillips.com
