How a Chiropractic Clinic That Started with Zero Reviews Became Fully Booked Through "Referrals Only"
I have a student who is in this situation.
They have been in business for two years. They are confident in their skills.
After treatment, clients tell them, "That felt great."
But reviews just don't increase.
They have almost never received a referral.
When they came to me for advice, asking, "How do I get more reviews?"
there was an unmistakable sense of exhaustion on their face.
They kept paying for Hot Pepper Beauty,
posted on Instagram every day,
and handed out flyers.
Even though they were doing everything they could,
they had to start from zero every month to attract new clients.
They said they thought referrals were just a pipe dream.
Are you in a similar situation?
"Not getting reviews" is not your fault as a practitioner.
I will be honest with you.
The reason reviews and referrals aren't increasing
is not because you lack technical skill.
In fact, it is the opposite;
the more seriously you have honed your skills,
the more you tend to struggle with reviews and referrals.
For the past 16 years, I have specialized in marketing for solo salons and chiropractic clinics,
working with over 4,000 people.
I have conducted over 1,000 individual consultations alone.
Through that experience, I have consistently observed one thing.
Salons and chiropractic clinics that don't get more reviews
are usually missing one thing.
That is the "design of the experience before they arrive."
Being polite during treatment,
honing your skills,
and valuing communication.
These are, of course, important.
But the reason a client feels like "I want to refer someone" or "I want to write a review"
is not just during the treatment itself.
In fact, the key lies
in the interactions before they even visit.
What was happening to that person
As I delved deeper into the conversation with the chiropractor who came to me for advice,
I realized something.
The only interaction with new customers before their visit was
a "booking confirmation LINE message."
"You have an appointment on [Date] at [Time]. We look forward to seeing you."
That was it.
What kind of feelings do customers have when they come in?
What are they expecting?
What are they feeling anxious about?
There was absolutely no engagement with those aspects.
The treatment was thorough, and customers were satisfied.
But often, they would only come for the first visit.
Even if they became repeat customers, it rarely led to referrals.
To that practitioner who was struggling and wondering "why,"
the first thing I suggested was
the concept of incorporating emotional psychology and linguistic psychology into the pre-visit communication.
A state of "nice to meet you" but "not really meeting for the first time"
Actually, one of my students
by incorporating emotional psychology and linguistic psychology into their pre-visit communication,
has reached a point where customers arrive
in a state of "nice to meet you" but "not really meeting for the first time."
What this means is,
before they even arrive, the feeling of "I'm going to trust this practitioner" has already been cultivated.
That is why after the first treatment,
without having to push anything on them,
the next appointment is naturally decided.
They say, "Doctor, can I come again?" on their own.
And those customers then tell their friends and workplace colleagues,
"That chiropractic clinic was truly great," in their own words.
This is the mechanism that creates a chain of referrals.
Instead of asking for feedback after the treatment is over,
you cultivate the conviction that "this place is right for me" before they even arrive.
This difference in design fundamentally changes the number of reviews and referrals.
An "everlasting" customer acquisition method that is not swayed by trends and keeps bookings and applications coming in
↓
https://utage.actdream.net/p/system_opt_c?ftid=KwZv0y0mI1u6
The changes that occurred at the doctor's clinic
Together with the doctor who came for a consultation,
we refined the design of the pre-visit communication.
I changed the content of the appointment confirmation LINE messages.
I changed the timing of when they are sent.
I changed the choice of words.
I didn't do anything difficult.
I simply understood how the clients were feeling before they arrived,
and made sure to deliver words that resonated with those feelings at the right time.
That is all.
Three months later, I received this report from that practitioner.
"My repeat rate has improved.
Moreover, the number of people coming through referrals has increased,
and before I knew it, I had almost stopped doing any new customer acquisition."
The new appointments, which used to be only 1 or 2 per month,
increased to over 5 in three months.
And most of them were through referrals.
The paid listing fee for Hot Pepper Beauty became zero.
Without spending money on advertising,
local customers started gathering through referrals.
This actually happened in reality.
Why the "before they arrive" phase is so important
When people decide on something,
what ultimately drives them is emotion.
"I want to entrust this person with my care," "This place is right for me."
The moment they feel that, people take action on their own.
Conversely,
no matter how skilled you are at treatment,
if their emotions haven't been moved,
they will just say "That was good" and leave,
and that will be the end of it.
The interaction before the visit is the one and only timing to "move their emotions."
Because they haven't met you yet,
the client is holding both anxiety and expectation, wondering "What kind of practitioner is this?" and "Will they understand my problems?"
When the right words reach them there,
trust that "this practitioner understands me" begins to sprout.
This is the state of "not being strangers anymore."
And this trust continues even after the treatment is finished.
It turns into "I want to come again" and "I want to tell someone about this."
Reviews and referrals are not born from the quality of treatment alone.
Only with "emotional design" do they begin to spread naturally.
The reason you didn't know until now
No one ever taught you about "pre-arrival design," did they?
Technical seminars don't teach it.
SNS marketing know-how doesn't touch on it.
Your Hot Pepper representative doesn't tell you about it either.
That is why many people only think about "what to do once the customer arrives,"
and never even had the idea of "designing the customer's mindset before they arrive."
But this is not your fault.
You simply never had the opportunity to learn it.
In the 16 years I have spent working with over 4,000 people,
I have seen the same thing happen over and over again.
Solo salons and chiropractic clinics that struggle
do not have low technical skills,
nor do they have poor communication.
In the three-stage flow of "Attract -> Nurture -> Contract,"
the "Nurture" step is completely missing.
You work hard to get them to come (Attract).
Once they arrive, you perform the treatment (Contract).
You are operating on just these two steps,
and because there is no process for "nurturing the customer's feelings before they arrive,"
you end up having to start from zero every single month.
This is the real reason why you are exhausted and your sales are not increasing.
And what happens if you continue without knowing this?
You keep paying hundreds of thousands of yen for technical seminars.
You keep paying 50,000 yen every month to outsource your marketing.
You get pushed around every time a new social media platform appears.
Yet, nothing changes.
In my experience, after continuing in this state for several years,
I have known many people who have ended up saying,
"I think I'm going to close my business."
But I want you to realize this before it gets to that point.
This change can happen in your salon too.
Chiropractors whose clinics have seen reviews and referrals spread naturally
did not have special talents,
nor were they naturally good at talking.
They simply learned about "pre-arrival design"
and put it into practice.
Incorporate emotional psychology and linguistic psychology into your pre-visit interactions.
What you need to do is simple.
However, the specific words you use and the timing of your delivery will vary depending on
your salon or chiropractic clinic's industry, target audience, and location.
That is precisely why we need to discuss this tailored to your situation, rather than using generalities.
I would like to share just a few of the actual figures
that my students have achieved.
Someone who was at a dead end with zero inquiries and zero sales
attracted 140 clients in two months and achieved 6.06 million yen.
Someone who only ever got one-time customers even after listing on Hot Pepper Beauty
now finds being fully booked the norm, reaching an annual turnover of 16 million yen.
Achieved a monthly turnover of 1.6 million yen in four months at a chiropractic clinic.
These are not stories about exceptional people.
By learning and practicing the concept of 'designing before they arrive'
and applying psychological marketing,
these kinds of figures are being produced.
It is simply the difference between knowing and not knowing.
Once you know the method, you can walk the same path.
An 'everlasting' customer acquisition method that keeps bookings and applications coming in, regardless of trends.
↓
https://utage.actdream.net/p/system_opt_c?ftid=KwZv0y0mI1u6
A system where word-of-mouth and referrals spread naturally.
It is not about social media buzz, advertising costs, or superior technical skills.
'Whether or not there is a design to nurture the customer's heart before they arrive.'
That is all there is to it.
I explain more about this in my email newsletter.
If you are wondering, 'How can I incorporate this into my own salon or chiropractic clinic?',
please be sure to read it.
The skills and sincerity you have built up until now are genuine.
All that is left is to learn the 'design'.
Just by knowing or not knowing,
the landscape changes completely.