Knowing how to be a doula is not the same as knowing how to get hired as a doula.
If you do not know how to sell yourself, you can’t get doula clients or earn a living.
- Get training in this area if you struggle with the sales end of the work.
- Practice your sales skills with friends or family members.
- Learn how to talk about the benefits of your doula work to potential clients. Hone your doula elevator speech.
- Realize that the services you offer have value and you deserve to make money for the work that you do as a doula.
Change Your Thinking
The idea of sales often brings up negative thoughts, particularly for some populations. The fact of the matter is that without the sale, you have no client. It is an essential interaction that is necessary for your success in doula business.
- Change your outlook by challenging negative thoughts and beliefs.
- See yourself as offering to help someone, rather than taking away their money.
- Think of how you have benefitted from other helping relationships.
- Recognize the benefits of what you have to offer as a doula.
- Change your thinking from one of sales to one of serving others.
- Stop pitching your sale and simply talk about your passion for doula work.
- Don’t promise things you can’t deliver – this makes it easier to sell your services.
Free is good, but your expertise has a monetary value.
This is one of the biggest mistakes that doulas make – undervaluing their services. There is a time and a place for freebies and discounts, but when it comes to a full service, don’t sell yourself short. You exchange your experience, training, knowledge, and insight for monetary rewards. Think of your doula services and yourself as a product available for hire/purchase.
Show your potential client why they need you.
Learn how to interact with potential clients so that they realize you can help them navigate pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This means showing them, rather than telling them about your skills and knowledge. Focus on demonstrating your skill set in a way that your prospective clients come to their own conclusions about your capabilities. As a doula, you are the product, and your interactions are a taste of things to come.
Believe in yourself. SELL yourself.
Acknowledge your personal strengths and demonstrate them to your potential doula clients. Help clients-to-be recognize your passion and interest in helping them achieve their goals. Once you believe that you are worth the price and capable of delivering the goods, it shines through to others.