Most practitioners are thrilled when new clients knock on their door. Want a virtually foolproof formula for getting more new clients? Here are five key techniques to get clients to say yes to working with you (and make more money while you’re at it).
1. Do the work
Do you have what it takes to make it as a nutrition professional? With your current skillset, do you make a profound difference in every client you work with? Do they talk you up with their friends and family?
Within every healing art – from conventional medicine to acupuncture to chiropractic to functional nutrition – is the understanding that to be the best in your field, you have to keep learning and you need lots of experience. So do the work – pursue your education in advanced clinical skills so you have more tools. And then put them to use, working with as many people as possible, learning firsthand about biochemical individuality, and racking up multiple successes. Remember, results refer.
2. Find their truth
Our first job with a potential new client is to create validation and connection. We do this through active listening and determining why they are ready to work with a nutritionist. What is their big motivator? What’s holding them back? When I hear a truth bomb, I’ll often stop the client and say “What did you just say?” Or I repeat back what they just said to make sure we both recognize the significance and importance of what was said. We “win” with our ears and our conversation has to leave them feeling like “she gets me.”
3. Be true to your values and morals
In our work with clients, helping them make hard changes with their diet and lifestyle and getting them to take a handful of supplements every day is not easy. Let’s face it, some people just aren’t going to do what you ask of them. They either want a magic bullet or they are attached to staying sick because it somehow serves them. Don’t want to wait to find out if either of these are true. You’ve got to “go there” in your very first conversation. That means your prospective client needs to understand what working with you will involve. They need to know what hard changes you’ll be asking them to make. And they also need to know what it’s going to cost them – right up front. So don’t be afraid to lay it out for them – tell them exactly what working with you entails.
Along these same lines, know your non-negotiables, your deal-breaker scenarios. And don’t be afraid to turn a client away if your intuition is telling you it’s not a good fit to work with them. Our spidey-sense is almost always right and telling the client upfront that you’re not the right practitioner for them will save everyone massive grief later on.
4. Walk the talk
Do you practice what you preach? Do you eat a pristine diet (at least 95% of the time)? Do you get adequate movement (aerobic, strength training, AND stretching) every single week? Do you take targeted supplements (we all have inherent strengths and weaknesses and we need to support those weak areas)? Do you continually work on your health? No one today is perfectly healthy – there have been too many generations eating processed food and the world is too toxic for anyone to be unaffected. I know, I know, working on our own health can feel like a fulltime job but we need to model the way for our clients. Our clarity, not to mention vitality and joy, is wildly contagious. They’ll want what you have.
5. Charge what you’re really worth
While few of us enter the field of nutrition to get rich, the reality is that what we have to offer has profound value. Helping a client get their energy mojo back is incredibly gratifying. Supporting a struggling couple to finally conceive is priceless. And then there are the clients with debilitating autoimmune conditions – getting to the root cause and unwinding it into remission is life-changing. Our skills do indeed change lives.
And yet, so many practitioners struggle to make a decent living. Some don’t have the required skills to be successful with enough clients to get ongoing referrals. If you don’t help them, they’re not going to refer anyone your way. For these practitioners, their practice will limp along, they will struggle to build momentum, and they will begin to lose confidence in themselves.
For other nutrition professionals, there is an inherent belief that clients aren’t willing to pay much for their services so they simply don’t charge what they’re really worth. If that statement resonates with you, consider that it’s not your job to determine what anyone else can afford. Your job is to be a master healer and charge what you’re truly worth. Having been in private practice for over twenty years, I’ve, of course, raised my rates many times over the years. There wasn’t a single time that I didn’t wince quoting my new rate to a client. There also wasn’t a single time anyone flinched in shock at the number. When you know what you’re worth, charging more sets you apart from the others. When you charge what you’re worth, clients realize it’s like anything else: you get what you pay for.
Start employing these five tried and true principles and watch your practice blossom. If you’re looking to add to your clinical toolbox, the Institute of Restorative Health’s Mastering the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing starts September 1st. This course won’t be offered again until April, 2021. You can register here.
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FAQ
The following frequently asked questions expand on the key practice-building concepts discussed in this article and provide additional clarity for nutrition practitioners seeking to grow a successful clinical practice.
What is the most effective way to increase client enrollment as a nutrition practitioner?
The most effective way to increase client enrollment is to combine strong clinical results with authentic client relationships and clear communication about your services. Practitioners who continually improve their skills, actively listen, set expectations, model healthy behaviors, and confidently communicate their value are more likely to attract and retain clients.
Why do clinical results matter for growing a nutrition practice?
Clinical results are a primary driver of sustainable practice growth because satisfied clients naturally refer others. Continuing to build advanced clinical skills and gaining experience with diverse client cases helps practitioners achieve better outcomes and strengthen their reputation. As the article states, results refer.
How does continuing education support practice growth?
Continuing education helps practitioners expand their clinical toolbox and improve client outcomes. Ongoing learning, combined with hands-on experience, builds confidence, broadens clinical skills, and increases the likelihood of producing meaningful results for clients.
Why is active listening important during an initial client conversation?
Active listening helps create validation, trust, and connection from the very first interaction. Understanding a prospective client’s motivations, challenges, and readiness to change allows practitioners to demonstrate that they genuinely understand the client’s concerns.
How can practitioners uncover a prospective client’s true motivation for change?
Practitioners can uncover motivation by asking thoughtful questions and listening carefully for meaningful statements. Repeating important comments back to the client or asking them to expand on significant insights can help clarify what is truly driving their decision to seek support.
What expectations should practitioners discuss before accepting a new client?
Practitioners should clearly explain what working together will involve before beginning the professional relationship. This includes discussing:
- Expected dietary and lifestyle changes
- The commitment required from the client
- Supplement recommendations, when applicable
- The financial investment involved
Setting expectations early helps determine whether the practitioner and client are a good fit.
Is it appropriate to turn away a prospective client who is not a good fit?
Yes. The article recommends recognizing situations where a practitioner believes the relationship is unlikely to be successful and communicating that honestly from the outset. Establishing clear professional boundaries can help prevent challenges later and supports better outcomes for both practitioner and client.
Why is it important for nutrition practitioners to practice what they teach?
Practicing healthy behaviors helps practitioners model the lifestyle they recommend to clients. Maintaining personal health habits can strengthen credibility and demonstrate consistency between professional recommendations and personal actions.
Which personal habits does the article encourage practitioners to model?
The article encourages practitioners to consistently model the behaviors they recommend to clients, including:
- Eating a predominantly healthy diet
- Engaging in regular aerobic exercise, strength training, and stretching
- Using targeted supplements when appropriate
- Continuing to invest in their own health
These habits reinforce authenticity and professional credibility.
Why do some nutrition practitioners struggle to attract referrals?
The article suggests that practitioners who do not consistently help clients achieve meaningful results may receive fewer referrals. Without strong client outcomes, it can be more difficult to build momentum, grow confidence, and develop a thriving practice.
Why do many practitioners undercharge for their services?
The article suggests that some practitioners believe clients are unwilling to pay higher fees, leading them to undervalue their expertise. This belief may prevent practitioners from charging fees that reflect the value of their skills and experience.
How can charging appropriately influence client perception?
According to the article, charging fees that reflect your expertise can reinforce the value of your services. Confident pricing may help differentiate practitioners while communicating the investment involved in receiving specialized care.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anne Fischer Silva’s journey in the field of functional nutrition over the last 23 years began in a functional medicine practice, where she learned the power of objective testing. From there she opened her own business, A New Leaf Nutrition, where she built a wait-list distance practice. Anne has taught nutrition courses in Washington, Hawaii, and California, and hosted a radio show, “Health-Wise”, for 3 years. She helped develop the original curriculum for the Nutritional Therapy Association, was a lead instructor with NTA for 8 years, and she continues to lecture nationally on a variety of health topics. Anne founded the Institute of Restorative Health in 2013 with the sole purpose of training other nutrition professionals how to address complex issues with their clients and achieve the same stellar results she gets in her practice.
The core principles Anne built the Institute of Restorative Health upon are the importance of nutrient-dense foods and balancing biochemistry. From there, she looks for the deeper underlying issues by utilizing a variety of testing techniques and customized healing methods to restore optimal function and health.
Anne received her certification in functional nutrition from Advanced Integrated Medical Institute in Washington, DC in 2000 and she is a Master Restorative Health Practitioner and Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.
*In 2022, Anne decided to pursue new and different aspects of holistic wellness and left the Institute of Restorative Health in the hands of her dear friend and business partner, Margaret Floyd Barry.
