The 9:42
From first enquiry to first session.
Someone reaches out at 9:42 at night. What happens next decides who gets the client. This free guide for therapy clinics and coaches follows one enquiry all the way through, with texts you can copy.
Free PDF. 8 pages. Add your name and email to download.
How to turn a new enquiry into a booked client
People rarely reach out at a convenient time. They message after the kids are in bed, between meetings, or right after a hard day. Someone looking for a therapist or a coach may contact two or three people that same night, and often goes with whoever answers clearly and makes the next step easy.
So most lost enquiries are not lost on price or skill. They slip away in four small moments: nobody replies, booking takes too many messages, the person misses the call, or nothing happens after it. The 9:42 walks through each moment, what to do, what to say, and which number to watch.
Reply
How fast should you reply to a new enquiry?
Aim to answer within 5 minutes in office hours. That is our suggested starting target, so adjust it to what your team can keep up. A quick answer tells the person that someone real is there, and it reaches them while they are still thinking about getting help.
- Pick who answers enquiries, and who covers during sessions.
- Turn on a missed-call text, so no caller is left without an answer.
- Say one kind thing, then give one next step.
Number to watch: time to first reply
Missed call 4:12 PM
Sorry we missed you. This is Harbourview Counselling. You can book a short consult here: [link], or reply and we will call you back.
Thank you. I will take a look tonight.
Book
How do you book more consults?
Every extra message is another chance to lose someone. Put your booking link in your first reply, so nobody has to ask twice or trade times back and forth. People often decide late in the evening, so they should be able to book then too.
- Send one link, not a list of times.
- Let people book online after hours.
- Follow up twice if they do not book, then stop.
Number to watch: enquiries that book
Hi, I am looking for a therapist. Do you have any openings?
Hi Sam, we would be glad to help you find the right fit. Pick a time for a short consult here: [link]
Booked for Thursday. Thank you.
Show
How do you reduce consult no-shows?
First calls take nerve, so make them easy. A reminder the day before gives the time and how to join. If someone misses the call, a kind message the same day makes it easy to come back. Make the new time one tap away and leave out any guilt.
- Send the time and how to join the day before.
- Keep texts to times and links, with no clinical details.
- Missed a call? Reach out that same day.
Number to watch: consults attended
Hi Sam, we missed you today. No problem at all. Here is a link to choose a new time: [link]
So sorry, work ran late. Friday works.
Friday it is. We will see you then.
Start
How do you turn a consult into a first session?
The end of a good consult is the best time to book. Offer a first session time before you hang up and send your intake forms that same day, so the person leaves knowing exactly what happens next.
- Offer a first session time before you hang up.
- Send intake forms that day.
- Not ready yet? Check in once, with no pressure.
Number to watch: consults that become clients
Hi Sam, it was good to talk. When you feel ready, Maya has openings this week: [link]
Yes please. Tuesday at 10 works for me.
You are booked. Your forms are on the way.
Your 15 minutes a week
Which numbers should a practice track? Four are enough: enquiries, booked, attended and new clients, plus where each person came from. Print the check at the back of the guide, write in last week's numbers, find the biggest drop, and pick one thing to try next week.
Common ways practices lose enquiries
Replying the next morning
An automatic reply with your booking link means nobody waits overnight to hear back.
Sending a list of times
Times go stale and start a back and forth. One booking link shows what is really open.
Letting missed calls go quiet
Many people will not leave a voicemail. A short text back gives them a next step anyway.
Giving up after a no-show
Life gets in the way. A kind same-day message often brings the person back.
Ending the call without a next step
If nothing is booked or sent that day, the decision gets harder to come back to.
Not knowing where clients came from
Without a source for each enquiry, you cannot tell which marketing is worth keeping.
Questions about The 9:42
What is The 9:42?
The 9:42 is a free guide from Rella for therapy clinics and coaches. It follows one enquiry from a late-night message to a booked client in four steps: reply, book, show and start, with texts to copy and a 15-minute weekly check.
How fast should a therapy practice reply to a new client inquiry?
We suggest aiming for 5 minutes during office hours. People looking for a therapist often contact more than one practice, so a quick, kind reply with one clear next step helps. Outside office hours, an automatic reply with your booking link means nobody waits until morning.
What should I say in my first reply to a new enquiry?
Thank the person, say one kind thing and give one next step, usually your booking link. Keep it short and leave out clinical details. For example: Hi Sam, we would be glad to help you find the right fit. Pick a time for a short consult here.
How do I text back missed calls automatically?
Use a business phone system that can send a short text when a call is missed, with your booking link and an offer to call back. In Rella this is a setting under Texting and calls, and a callback task is created either way.
How do I reduce no-shows for consults and discovery calls?
Send a reminder the day before with the time and how to join. If someone still misses the call, send a kind message the same day with a link to choose a new time. Make rebooking easy and leave out any guilt.
How many times should I follow up with someone who did not book?
We suggest two follow-ups, then stop. Keep each one short and low pressure, and only send marketing messages to people who agreed to receive them.
What numbers should a therapy practice or coach track?
Track time to first reply, enquiries that book, consults or calls attended, and consults or calls that become clients, along with where each person came from. Look for the biggest drop and work on that step first.
Can therapists text clients about appointments?
Keep texts to times and links, with no clinical details, and follow the privacy and consent rules where you practise. People should always be able to opt out of texts.
What is different in the clinic and coach versions?
The steps and the weekly check are the same. The clinic version talks about consults, intake forms and first sessions. The coach version talks about discovery calls, proposals and signed clients, and its last step is Sign instead of Start.
Do I need Rella to use this guide?
No. The steps work with whatever tools you use now. Rella can run most of it for you, including missed-call texts with your booking link, online booking, reminders and follow-ups.
Get your copy.
Rella can run most of this for you too: missed-call texts with your booking link, online booking at any hour, reminders and follow-ups that send on their own, and every enquiry on one board. See Rella for therapists.