10 Ways to Work with Clients Remotely

April 16, 2020

Recent events have changed the way much of the world works and for many practitioners that means taking their practices online. This may feel uncomfortable at first for those who are new to the online space, which is absolutely valid, but we also see the silver lining.

There is a real opportunity to open your mindset and get creative with what you’re offering to not only best support your community but to keep generating revenue in your business. Not to mention that your clients and potential clients need your services more than ever right now. With limited exercise options, less access to groceries, juggling more commitments than normal, and the overall increase in stress – health and wellness professionals have an important role to play in supporting their communities right now!

Here are 10 ways you can continue to work with clients and run a thriving business online:

1. One-on-One Video Conferencing Sessions

One-on-one virtual appointments are a great way to continue to support your existing clients with no interruption to their care. Video sessions allow for that personal connection and allow you to maintain a high-touch relationship with your client. This is not only important with existing clients but especially with new clients to build that sense of trust and safety.

One-on-one video sessions can also be used with new clients as well as potential clients. Thinking about running a free intro call to potential clients? Switch that session to a video session so you can continue to bring on new clients.

2. One-to-Many Video Conferencing Sessions

When you’re meeting in person, it can be difficult to manage a large number of clients. The same is not necessarily true when you’re meeting online. Multi-person video conferencing sessions will allow you to reach a greater number of clients, especially if you are able to offer those sessions at a lower price point and make them more affordable for those with limited income. Consider hosting accountability group sessions or a workshop series weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

Group sessions also have unique advantages of their own. You will be able to foster a community of individuals who can hold each other accountable and keep each other motivated on their wellness journey. Partnering group sessions with a Facebook forum or Practice Better group chat, also allows your clients to build relationships with each other.

3. Meal Plans

With limited access to groceries right now, many people are left without their go-to ingredients and feel lost with what to eat! Offering meal plans and recipes that can be made using household staples or limited ingredients will help your clients continue to eat healthily and work toward their health goals during isolation.

Tools like ThatCleanLife are there to help make meal planning easier than ever.

4. At-Home Workout Programs

Being limited to at-home workouts may throw many of your clients off. They are used to their favorite gym or group fitness class and may feel less than motivated to try something new. That’s where you come in!

Creating fun and dynamic at-home workouts for your clients will really help to boost their motivation. You could consider creating an outdoor run-based exercise for your clients if they are able to get outside, or equipment-free workout programs that can be done in the living room, backyard or on a patio. Take it to the next level and include videos of you demonstrating the workouts or even host these as live group classes through a video session! (see our point below  ).

5. Virtual Classes

Virtual classes are a great way to engage with your community online. This type of session could cover a wide range of subjects such as cooking, meal planning, yoga, fitness, growth mindset, or any other health-related topic. What are the biggest struggles within your community right now? What is your area of expertise?
Use questions like these to help you determine what type of class you could offer that will have the most impact, and reach the most people.

A good workshop can generate more revenue over time as more people discover you and your offerings. You may want to consider a pay-what-you-can pricing model to boost engagement and build that word of mouth.

6. Host an Online Challenge

Low-cost programs such as an online challenge can allow clients and potential clients the opportunity to work with you for little investment. It’s a great opportunity for them to see what it’s like to work with you, gain a bit of momentum and feel more confident that you’re the practitioner they want to work with before opting into a higher-priced offering.

These online challenges are also great for collecting valuable input from your ideal clients about what else they’d like to learn, what they’re struggling with, and what their goals are. You can use that feedback to then include trainings and resources on those topics in your next group program.

Check out our 10 Day Self Care Challenge for inspiration.

7. Online Membership 

If you’re already producing regular content, it might make sense to offer a monthly subscription that would give customers access to all of the digital resources you’ve created. Perhaps you create new meal plans or educational videos each month for one-on-one clients and want to re-purpose this content in an accessible way. Those online memberships can support clients who don’t need the accountability and support of one-on-one coaching while providing you with another source of income.

8. Maintenance Programs

A long-term client with a strong track record may not need regular appointments, but they can still benefit from an occasional check-in. A maintenance program allows you to offer limited services for a lower, ongoing fee. These types of programs are not only beneficial for those experienced clients but are a great way to continue to support clients who may have less disposable income. It allows you to keep them engaged and progressing towards their goals, keeps you at the forefront of their mind, and allows you to continue to generate revenue for your business.

9. Virtual Corporate Lunch-and-Learn

With many employees working from home, the idea of workplace wellness has really shifted! There are a whole new host of challenges that employees may face when it comes to their workflow, productivity, motivation, and mindset. Now more than ever, they need support with their health and well-being and need help building healthy habits into their day-to-day.

A Lunch-and-learn can be held as a virtual group session that employees engage with while working from home. There are a variety of topics and themes that would be beneficial right now such as stress management, sleep support, or meal planning. There is a huge value for employers to get their staff together for a wellness session, as it not only supports each individual but supports the team as a whole. This is especially important right now when they can’t connect together in person.

10. e-Book

E-books are another creative way to offer your services at a low entry point, while still providing value to your community. If you don’t have the time to write a whole new e-book, consider consolidating your most loved blog posts, recipes, or PDF handouts. Re-purposing content that is tried and true is not only a smart business decision but is sure to help your new clients.

Another thing to consider here is collaborating with other practitioners for the e-book! Put together your favorite resources and bundle them into one value-add piece of content. This way, each of you gets in front of a new audience or community – not only allowing you to get more potential clients into your funnel but allowing you to help more people along the way.


Practice Better is the complete practice management platform for nutritionists, dietitians and wellness professionals. Sign up for free today.

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