Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Inspiration

Looking at the calender this morning, there is a note in my schedule to think about sending a thank you gift to a doctor who sends me a huge number of referrals. I know this is a touchy subject, as I do not want to be accused of bribing this source of monetary support. But it has been a year as of today that we have been doing business together and and I want to hallmark this occasion by showing how appreciative I am of the referrals.

Well, thanks to keepcash.com and their online shopping coupons, inspiration has occurred. I know, I know - Ellie and her sweet (as one teenage client says) deals, but what can I say, I enjoy Internet shopping and researching prices and such. There is nothing wrong with being an informed consumer and it always feels good to know that you have saved money. Okay, so what inspired me this morning? To be exact, my inspiration is an MP3 player. Through the keepcash.com site, I found one that is incredibly affordable (plus someone gave me one at Christmas last year and I have had great luck with it). With CompUSA's great deals, I can give a token gift that is usable and personal. I will load several of my hypnosis for relaxation audios on to it. What doctor cannot use a stress break every so often? The other benefit of this is that it provides a personal touch and reinforces the idea of what I do, so perhaps it will inspire more referrals.

The great thing about keepcash.com is that the site is updated daily with new deals and coupons. And if you have a favorite merchant, there is a huge chance that they will have some sort of special of which you can take advantage. The site is easy to use and is can be browsed quickly. If you do any sort of Internet shopping, it only takes a few moments to find what you are looking for and the payoffs can be large.

Anyway, just thought I would share both my good fortune (finding a great deal) and my inspiration with you. Perhaps, you too, will be inspired by them.

Also, if you give similar gifts, please feel free to share your ideas as well.



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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That does sound like a lovely gift. I do hope the doctor accepts it in the spirit in which it is given.

When I started to practice I carried around a handful of business cards to give out to people I encounter who might want the help. Early this year, though, I stopped doing that because the response wasn't very good. I figured most people were just pocketing the card to be polite and then throwing it away later.

Now instead of the cards I keep a few copies of my stress relief recording, which you linked to a few weeks back, on mini CD in my shirt pocket and give those out instead. The label has the same information as a business card would, but the CD is actually useful in itself. I figure even if they never call me they can still get some benefit from the CD.

The price is right. By buying the supplies in moderate volume (100 CD blanks/envelopes/labels at a time) and doing the duplication at home I end up spending about 40 cents per CD -- enough that I think a moment before giving one out but not so much that I mind doing it if I sense it will help someone.

And yes, I've gotten a few calls from people after they've listened to the CD. Mostly thank-yous, though one or two have booked sessions.

-Michael Raugh, C.H.

The Transparent Hypnotist said...

Ah, I remember you telling me about your CDs. It is a fabulous idea. Perhaps that is what caused me to think of the MP3 player. :) Glad they have worked out. And you know if your clients are anything like mine, it may take them awhile to actually call.

This is a great idea. Where does one get mini-blank CDs?

Anonymous said...

There are many sources, as a Google search on "mini CDR" will reveal.

I get the blank CDR media and labels (matte finish for my inkjet printer) from a place called neato.com. Then, for the finishing touch, I get clear vinyl sleeves from Sleevetown.com. The vinyl sleeves cost a little more than paper or Tyvek ones, but they're much more durable. They stay crisp and professional-looking even after several days in the shirt pocket, and of course they allow the label with my name, URL and phone number to show through.

The CDR media I use is the standard "mini CDR" which is a disk roughly 3 inches in diameter. It holds about 18 minutes of audio in standard CD format. Pretty much any CD player can read them that way.

-Michael Raugh, C.H.

The Transparent Hypnotist said...

That's great! Huge thanks.