Hi lovely,

In the 18 months since I opened The Hideaway, I've run three offers.

Other than that, I never discount my treatments. Not even to fill a cancellation.

When I tell other therapists this, the question is always the same:

Before I get to that, I want to explain why I don't rely on discounts in the first place.

Price-led offers attract price-led clients, and when the deal ends, so do they. Meanwhile, your regulars learn to wait for the next one.

My clients don't come to me because of discounts. They come because they value my time and my treatments.

Now, that doesn't mean I'm against offering a discount. But it's really important that your diary doesn't rely on them for bookings.

So how do I fill my gaps? It's not clever marketing. It's a few small things I do every week. None of them feel like much on their own, and that's the point.

Most of my diary is filled by clients who are already in my treatment room. Before a client gets up, I ask when they'd like their next one. I don't ask if they'd like one. It's a natural part of the appointment, not a sales pitch, and it means my diary builds weeks ahead instead of days.

When someone cancels, I don't post a cheap last-minute slot. I message the clients who've told me they'd jump at an earlier appointment. They get first pick because they're loyal, not because they waited for a deal.

I also keep a note of the clients who are happy to take a last-minute appointment. So if something opens up on the day, I already know exactly who to message.

Nine times out of ten the gap is filled within the hour, and nobody booked in that day has paid more than anyone else.

Sometimes I do want to say thank you. When I do, it's an extra: a longer scalp massage, an add-on they haven't tried, a little something to take home. The price stays the same.

If a slot is still free after I've messaged my regulars, I'll share it on my stories. But how you word it changes everything.

A gap isn't a problem you need to fix with a price cut. It's a chance for someone who's been waiting to finally get in.

That's really it. A diary that doesn't rely on discounts isn't built in one big launch. It's built in the small moments where most of us rush: at the end of an appointment, and in how you respond to a cancellation.

If you want to go further, here are a few more small changes that make a big difference over time. Pick one or two, not all of them.

I've got a little secret. Behind the scenes, I've been working on some new things to help therapists, and I'm genuinely so excited about them.

I can't share much just yet, but everything I've been writing about here, and all the questions you've been sending me, has shaped what's coming. So keep a look out. You'll be the first to hear.