Real-Life Communication -- Solution
Here's how the conversation could have gone:
"Hello, Top Form Rolfing. Pat speaking."
"Hi. How much do you guys charge?"
"That depends on what you need. Do you know much about rolfing?"
"Uh, not really. I'm just comparing prices right now."
"I understand, and I'd be happy to give you our prices. However, if you want to get a good value, you need to know what you're getting for your money, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yeah, but don't rolfers just charge by the hour?"
"Actually, we charge by the session. The sessions each last an hour and 15 minutes. Before your first session, you get a free half-hour consultation. This allows us to learn about your lifestyle and how rolfing can help you.
"We also have what's called a health intake form. This lets us ensure the rolfing program is safe for you. If you decide to complete the full program, and your health allows it, it consists of 10 sessions. Each session costs $125. There's no commitment if you decide after the consultation not to go ahead with the sessions.
"To really learn the value of what we can do, I recommend the free consultation. How about we set up a time later in the week?"
Rolfers need excellent communication skills to get clients and keep them. People often call asking for your price, just like in the above example. If you want to get callers as clients, you have to be a good communicator.
"So many people just phone and they want to know a price, but a price doesn't mean anything unless you put a value to it," says rolfer Jaret Leah.
Before you perform on clients, you need to consult with them. This is when you need to listen well. If you don't know how they feel, physically and mentally, and why, then you won't be able to help them as well.
"It's very important that you establish rapport and build trust right away, and listen to people's problems, so that you're addressing their problems and not [just] following your own agenda," Leah says.
Rolfers also use writing skills for keeping records on their clients. During the initial consultation, they take notes. During sessions, clients might mention something important, such as the fact they broke their leg when they were 10. The rolfer will remember this and later write it into the client's record.
"If you don't have good listening and communication skills, you might not build relationships with people and they might not carry on as clients," Leah says.