ARTICLES OF ASTROLOGERS CAROLE DEVINE « MARKETING AN ASTROLOGICAL BUSINESS »
ARTICLES OF ASTROLOGERS CAROLE DEVINE « MARKETING AN ASTROLOGICAL BUSINESS »
Newsletters.
This is expensive, but it ' s powerful in reminding your clients that you are there. Sometimes they don ' t remember that you ' re there for them until you give them a nudge. I don ' t directly " market " in the newsletter anymore. I used to give them deals like half off a second chart if you order one at full price, but I think that cheapens our image. Doctors don ' t do it, so I don ' t believe we should either.
Now it ' s much less expensive than it used to be because of electronics. I send the great majority by email now, and then I store it on the website so that back issues are available. If you want to see them, the URL is ww. devineadvantage. com. I try very hard to make the newsletters interesting, relevant and in-depth so that clients can be subliminally instructed in the language. This and the parties have been the most effective marketing tools.
Website.
It goes without saying that any business that is going to be taken seriously MUST have a website. It is so important, it ' s worth hiring an expert to do it for you. I ' ve been extraordinarily fortunate in finding good people without even trying. Just look at websites to find out what is more your style and go for it! PayPal is also a good option for online orders. It ' s the best decision I ever made.
Teaching.
Many people specialize in this, but it is here I must make a statement. I ' ve met hundreds of astrologers and aspiring astrologers, and sad to say, many were so inept, they didn ' t even know enough to know how much they did not know. A couple examples of this: In California there was a practitioner who went through a litany about planets in houses and signs. When I asked about aspects, he said he had not " studied those yet." However, he ' s taking money to do charts for the public who do not know better. In a southern state within the last two years, I met an aspiring astrologer who considered himself as competent as I was( he said so), who showed me his notebook with his " discovery." He had found that if he drew lines between planets, they made patterns. He showed me a grand trine, T-square, etc., but he said, proudly, he didn ' t have names for them yet. He actually believed he had discovered aspects!! The state of our preparedness to do the job is appalling. Doctors would not be allowed to practice if they were as unprepared as our own practitioners. Unskilled, we can do as much mental damage as they can physically!
Astrology is a huge body of knowledge, and knowing only a part of it can be very damaging to not only your own practice, but to our reputation as a whole. It is no wonder we are not taken seriously when we call ourselves professionals without the credentials. I think the best thing we all could do is to learn what it takes to truly be competent and pass credentialing exams. Then we are prepared to teach.
NCGR has a new study guide that can give you a detailed synopsis of what it takes to be truly professional. I ' ve patterned my own correspondence course around this guide.
When you teach or lecture, record what you say. By duplicating yourself you can make more income. I recorded a class in Florida between 1992 to 1995 and now market it all over the world. I even sold the Japanese rights to it. With careful planning and good equipment, you can do this too. I ' m about to do another updated one all over again on CD because I ' ve learned a lot in those years and would do it a bit differently now. Never rest on your past. Life is always moving forward with new ideas and challenges.
Publish.
Whenever you have a good idea, it ' s wise to write it down and develop an article. Even if you ' re rejected a few times, keep trying. Editors will get to know you if nothing else. Offer to write for a local small publication. I wrote a column in Florida for more than a year. The newspaper suggested syndication. I sent copies of the columns to colleagues for endorsement, and this effort led to a column in the Mountain Astrologer between summer of 1994 and winter of 1995 / 96, if I remember the dates correctly.
Do you have an idea for a book? If so, and you don ' t consider yourself a writer, you can do two things. One is to join adult writing classes in your community, or you can get a ghost writer. Many people who have knowledge don ' t feel competent to write, but there are many students who are good writers and could use the extra income.
Advertising.
It ' s a good idea to advertise in astrological magazines, even if it ' s just a small ad. You may not get much response, but it puts your name out there over and over again. It has generated requests for my demo tape of my course, which has led to new students, so I ' ve found it profitable, but not for clients. The only ad that worked for that was a local one in a metaphysics newspaper that was an " infomercial." It was a half page that amounted to an article. The publisher suggested a " first time " coupon with a discount. I did it, but probably wouldn ' t again.
Groups that Teach.
I joined the VIRGINIA SPEAKERS ASSOCIATION many years ago, not that I thought I ' d be doing a lot of speaking, but to learn to do it well, just in case. They taught day long seminars about the craft of being a professional in the field. It was not cheap, but what I learned was enormous. They taught how to develop products for sales " in the back of the room," how to assess the speaking accommodations in the room( sound, equipment, etc.), how to contract for the engagement, humor, technique, and a host of other skills. Toastmasters, of course, is another that teaches.
30 КАРЬЕРА АСТРОЛОГА | 2 2012