I had a recent phone call from someone wanting to quit smoking.  The call went something like:

Caller:  ‘How much to quit smoking.’

Me:  ‘That would depend on how many sessions you need.  I offer a…’

Caller:  ‘Give me a ball park figure.’

Me:  ‘I offer a complimentary consultation so we can work out what you need.  If you…’

Caller:  ‘Can you just tell me how much?’

Me:  ‘If you come in for a chat, it’s free, 45 minutes of your life, we can work out how many sessions you’ll need and what the fee will be.’

Caller:  ‘Listen, I can go to Newcastle and do three sessions and know exactly what I’m up for.  So just give me a price.’

Me:  ‘Sir, I’m very happy for you to go to Newcastle.  In my business, I do things differently.  I offer you my time and expertise, for free, to work out exactly what your triggers are and together we create a program specifically customised to your individual needs.’

Caller:  ‘This is rubbish….’

Needless to say, this smoker didn’t come see me.

Here is why I do what I do.

For almost 10 years I have worked with clients as a hypnotist/hypnotherapist.  Early on in my profession we were trained to just work on the presenting issue, which in this case would be quitting smoking.  A lot of what we did, was apply generic suggestions to tell our clients that they don’t do that behaviour anymore, instead they do this behaviour.  A simplistic description, but you get the picture.  This approach never really sat well with me, given my professional background, even though in some instances it can deliver the desired results.  Relapse however, is another matter.

As my training and development continued over the years, yes, we are required by our professional associations to do annual training to remain current, I confirmed for myself that our earlier methods were very much a band-aid approach.  As I’d suspected, there were always other issues sitting behind the presenting symptoms, and often they were much higher level problems.

It was then I began to test out other skills I had acquired and I found that clients received better, longer lasting results, when their hypnotherapy program was custom produced in collaboration with them.  Since then, I have been offering my obligation free complimentary consultations to pinpoint precisely what a potential client needs.

Here’s a very brief example:  Dave arrived for our complimentary consultation wanting to quit smoking.  He smoked when he was bored, he said and considered it an ‘automatic thing’.  He wanted to quit to be healthier for himself and so he could keep up with his grandkids, and of course the cost was now skyrocketing.  With some appropriate questioning, I discovered Dave had quit once before for around three years, but took it back up after his daughter was involved in a car accident.  Delving deeper into his smoking history, Dave had begun occasional smoking as a 12 year old, but became what he described as ‘a serious smoker’ when he was 14 after his best mate was killed in a car crash.

And there it is.  The real causes:  Fear.  Anxiety.  Sadness.  Anger.  Hurt.  And so on.

I’m definitely no sales person, and have no desire to oversell to any potential client.  That’s why our face-to-face conversation is necessary to highlight for both myself and the person making the enquiry, exactly what is contributing to their presenting problem.  From there we can work out how many sessions are required and what the plan will be for the proposed sessions, based on their desired outcome.

Those who have come to see me will tell you I’m famous for saying ‘I don’t want to waste my time or your money’.  They know without doubt, that what I offer is the opportunity to bring positive change to your life.  If you don’t want to resolve your problem AND feel better about yourself and your life, that’s fine.  We’ve both spent 45 minutes, but now we know.

In the case of a quit smoker, not only will they typically quit, but all of the triggering emotional programming that has brought them to this place in time, will also be dealt with.  Which for example may be, work anxiety, dealing with the stress of teenage children, or struggling with the passing of a parent.  Even the sound of a Police or ambulance siren.

And finally, on to pricing.  Some of the therapies I offer have an attached industry guideline, and as they are registered/trademarked therapies, it is frowned upon to alter the price.  With my other techniques, I’m free to price as I choose based on my skill and years of experience.  For a potential client, this means I have the opportunity to customise their program price too, and to save them money.

You should be aware though, that if you are shopping on price alone, you may just get what you pay for.  That is, a generic set of suggestions to address a presenting symptom, rather than the true cause of the problem, delivered by a poorly trained practitioner with limited experience.  Want proof?  Google it.  You can get a ‘Complete hypnotherapy and hypnosis certification diploma’ online for $14.99.

In a nutshell, it’s worth your while to find those 45 minutes to have that free conversation, and to be open and honest about your situation.  There is no judgement.  You deserve to thrive, not just to exist, or survive.  We want you to get results and to live an inspired life.  The choice, however, is yours to step up, or not.

About Us

Imagine.  Believe.  Become!

You can find out more at www.whisperedwisdom.com.au, like us on FaceBook, email lee@whisperedwisdom.com.au or call M: 0427 431 567.