Keeping clients engaged and ensuring they continue their care is essential for the health and success of your practice. While bringing in new clients is always important, retaining those who are already working with you is what really creates stability. Thoughtful follow-up, clear communication, and some simple engagement strategies can go a long way in showing clients you care and ensuring they stick with their treatment plan.
Here are a few ways you can make follow-up and engagement work for both you and your clients.
Try this: Thoughtful Follow-Up After Appointments
After each session, following up with clients in a thoughtful way can show that their progress matters to you. This doesn’t mean constantly checking in, but instead, being intentional for the relationship.
For exmaple, if you come across a resource that could benefit a client, you could send a message like, “I hope you’re doing well today. I came across this article and thought it might be helpful for what we’ve been discussing. Feel free to take a look when you have time! We can discuss further when we meet next.” Sending a quick note like this through your secure EHR messaging system shows clients that you’re invested in their progress between sessions without stepping outside professional boundaries. This small gesture can help clients feel supported and more engaged with their treatment.
Try this: Set Up Recurring Appointments for Consistency
While it’s common to schedule sessions at the end of each appointment, doing so can lead to inconsistency, missed appointments, or scheduling conflicts. From the very first session, it’s helpful to orient clients to the idea of regular, recurring appointments.
You might say something like:
“Typically, we meet at the same time each week. This helps us stay consistent and keep the momentum going with your progress. If at any point you need to adjust the frequency or timing, we can do that, but for now, let’s set up a recurring time so that your spot is always secured on my calendar. Does that work for you?”
By setting up recurring appointments, clients don’t have to wonder when their appointment is and are thus less likely to miss sessions or let other commitments take priority.
Try this: Proactive Scheduling and Appointment Reminders
Once clients have their recurring time set, ensuring they stick to it is key to keeping them engaged. Most EHR systems have the option to send automated appointment reminders, typically via text or email, which can easily be turned on. There may be a small additional cost, like 30 cents per message, but this very minor investment is so well worth it. Reducing no-shows and helping clients stay consistent in their care more than makes up for the cost. By automating reminders, you can ensure clients know when their sessions are coming up and offer them an easy way to confirm or reschedule if needed, all without adding to your workload.
If you don’t have an automated reminder option, you can still make it easy for yourself by setting a daily reminder in your calendar. Each morning, you can check who has an appointment the next day and send them a quick text reminder. To make this even smoother, you can save a text template in your notes app for easy copy-paste. Here’s an example:
“Hi, this is just a reminder about your appointment tomorrow at [Time]. Please let me know if you need to reschedule. Looking forward to seeing you!“
This small step can help ensure clients stay on track with their appointments, reducing no-shows and keeping them engaged without much extra effort. If you’d prefer to take this task completely off your plate, a virtual receptionist can handle appointment confirmations and rescheduling for you; so let’s jump into that next!
Try this: Outsource Scheduling and Rescheduling
First impressions are key, especially when welcoming new clients. Confirming their initial appointment promptly and professionally not only sets a positive tone but also reinforces trust and reliability from the start. A virtual receptionist can be an invaluable support by managing these confirmations and handling rescheduling requests smoothly.
Now, think about this: Imagine a client trying to contact your office to reschedule but struggling to reach anyone in a timely manner. That small inconvenience can quickly lead to frustration and dissatisfaction—not with your in-session care, but with the overall experience they associate with your practice. It’s not just about the therapy itself; it’s about the level of care and attention clients receive outside of sessions, particularly when it comes to seemingly simple but essential tasks like scheduling.
On the other side, you may also need to reach a client for scheduling or rescheduling and have difficulty reaching them, not enough time to get to it on your to do list; or you have time, but end up playing phone tag or unnecessary back-and-forth texting to find mutual availability! Instead of juggling calls and messages between sessions or missing out on scheduling opportunities, a virtual receptionist can take care of all of this. That’s new client inquiries, follow-up confirmations, any necessary changes; really, whatever communication you may need besides the actual therapy session itself! This keeps the entire process smooth, ensuring clients feel cared for and valued throughout their service, without adding to your administrative burden.
Try this: Celebrate Milestones and Show Appreciation
Acknowledging client progress and showing appreciation doesn’t have to be elaborate—it can be woven into regular sessions in simple, meaningful ways.
- Celebrate Milestones: Whether a client reaches a specific therapeutic goal or hits a personal milestone, make it a point to recognize their hard work during your sessions. A simple acknowledgment can reinforce their commitment to their growth.
- Birthday Reminders: Adding client birthdays to your calendar can be a small, thoughtful way to make clients feel seen. You might say something like, “I noticed it’s your birthday this week—how are you feeling about that?” Little personal touches like these show clients that you care about them beyond just their treatment and that they are valued and prioritized as a human, not just a client.
These small moments of recognition can help clients feel connected to their therapy and committed to staying engaged with your practice.
Happy Highlight
Client retention isn’t just about keeping your schedule full—it’s about showing clients that they matter, both in and out of the therapy room. By incorporating simple follow-ups, setting up consistent appointment schedules, and streamlining client interactions with the help of a virtual receptionist, you can create a supportive, seamless experience that keeps clients engaged. The more valued they feel, the more likely they are to continue their therapeutic journey with you.
