From DMs to Dollars: How to Turn Client Questions into Paid Sessions as a Doula
Are you ready to leverage all the simple questions that you’re sent into both profitable AND valuable paid sessions as a birth doula?
If you’re ready to take advantage of the goldmine that is your DMs, then get out a pen and paper, this episode is for you!
The 3 questions we answer in today’s episode are:
How can I offer pick-my-brain sessions as a doula when I have limited days/times that I am available?
Using Squarespace, can you give an overview of how to run a workshop through my doula website? What programs do you recommend?
I got my first hate comment on my doula Instagram page. Should I ignore it or comment back? How do you handle situations like this?
Every Friday, I answer your biggest questions right here on the Birthworker Blog AND the Birthworker Podcast.
To submit a question for next week’s podcast,click here.
Question #1: “I work full time and have two small kids, but I constantly get asked questions in my DMs that I think I could be charging to answer and dedicate time to a more in-depth response. How can I offer pick-my-brain sessions as a doula when I have limited days/times that I am available?” -Amanda
Embrace your boundaries. I could scream it from the rooftops. Don't let your passion for helping others overshadow your own needs. Offer your sessions when YOU are available. This is your doula business afterall, so appointments get to go around your schedule!
Use online scheduling tools like Calendly or Acuity to manage your availability. I personally prefer Calendly.
Offer different session lengths to cater to varying client needs and optimize your time. You could even consider group sessions or webinars to accommodate more clients within a limited timeframe.
Create packages that offer more comprehensive support, combining pick-my-brain sessions with additional resources like guides or birth plan templates. By providing value-driven packages, you can justify charging a premium rate for your limited availability.
While the above is true, make sure to establish fair pricing (meaning fair for both you AND the client. We have to make this sustainable) by conducting market research to understand the pricing landscape for doulas with similar 1:1 offers. Consider your level of experience, additional certifications, and any specialized training you’ve completed to determine your final price tag.
While pick-my-brain sessions are usually client-led in regards to what topics are covered, sometimes clients can space out and forget what they even wanted to talk about. And that’s okay! Pregnancy brain is a real thing.
Develop loosely structured session formats that help push the mom to ask the questions they have on their mind. Guide them through a variety of birth/postpartum topics to help jog their memory and give them the confidence to ask away.
Believe in the transformative impact of your work and the value you bring to your clients' lives. It might feel intimidating or “mean” to send a link to your paid 1:1 call after a mom just asked you a quick little question, but just know that pick-my-brain sessions are 100% more valuable to the mom than a quick (and free) answer in the DMs.
You deserve to be paid for your expertise, and the mom will be so much happier in the end to have more thorough answers to her questions. And honestly, she might just hire you as her virtual doula if you two connect really well, so keep that in mind!
Question #2: “I'm launching my website through Squarespace, can you give an overview of how to run a workshop through my doula website? What programs do you recommend? I have never hosted a workshop before, so I don’t know where to start. SOS.” -Clara
Skip everything and go listen to this episode of the Birthworker Podcast (or read the blog!)... It talks allllll about hosting a workshop and what you need (nd don’t need) to make it a huge success.
**Hint: you don’t need a website or squarespace to do it!
Question #3: “I got my first hate comment on my doula Instagram page. Should I ignore it or comment back? How do you handle situations like this?” -Destiniy
Hate comments will most likely find their way into your online spaces as a doula. There are a lot of controversial topics in the birth world, so this is *nearly* inevitable as a birth worker. Here’s how to handle the comments with grace and turn them into lessons for your other followers!
Assess the nature of the hate comment. Is it constructive criticism or simply trolling? Troll comments don’t always deserve any acknowledgment from you. If the comment is more on the constructive criticism side, then consider how you’d like to handle the situation.
Do you want to respond to their comment directly? Do you want to jump straight into their DMs and hash it out there? (This will fizzle out 90% of the “haters” since they no longer have a sense of community to witness the interaction.) Or do you want to make a statement with it and address the comment in your stories?
The last option is my personal favorite. It gives an opportunity to address the issue to a larger audience and teach a lesson, whether it’s about mindset (most common), a specific intervention, infant sleep, or some other controversial topic. This method also teaches other “haters” who are ready to mash their keyboards at you that they should think twice. They might just get really embarrassed in the end.
You now have the knowledge and strategies to turn client questions into paid sessions, run engaging workshops on your doula website, and handle hate comments with grace. (and maybe a little bit of spice…)
Remember, by taking control of your time, embracing technology, and handling hate comments effectively, you'll elevate your doula business and empower more women along their birthing journey. It's time to transform those DMs into dollars and thrive as a birthworker! Let's make it happen, together.
thank you for listening
If this episode lights you up, I’d love it if you’d rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. After you review the show, snap a pic and upload it here… and I’ll send you a little surprise as a thank you.
Your feedback helps this podcast grow and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you!
And don’t forget to subscribe to the Birthworker Podcast on iTunes to make sure you never miss an episode.
a free gift for you!
Grow your income and make a lasting impact on the global birth community (even when you’re not on call for a birth).
✨ GROW YOUR IMPACT
Learn 12 ways to grow your impact (and make more money) as a doula even when you're not on call.
✨ TIME-SAVING TOOLS
Systems I use behind the scenes in my doula business to make my life easier.
✨ BIRTHWORKER ACADEMY
Go from side-gig doula to full-time birthworker... so you can impact lives all across the world.
more episodes for you...
Meet your host, Kyleigh Banks, a side-gig doula turned CEO of a multi-six-figure birth-focused business. Her passion? Teaching birth nerds, like you, how to build an incredibly successful doula business that allows you to quit your day job, stay home with your kids, and most importantly, make a lasting impact on the world.