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COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM)
HOW TO SELL YOUR SERVICES
SUMMARY:
Top 10 Massage Techniques........................................................................................................................1
What Does the Research Say about Massage Therapy?..............................................................................3
What are some of the issues in researching massage?........................................................................3
What areas are being researched?......................................................................................................4
Build Your Practice with Client Feedback — Part 2......................................................................................8
Building a Practice in a Hospital or University.............................................................................................9
Market Your Practice with Public Speaking...............................................................................................10
Networking Can Build Your Practice..........................................................................................................11
7 Tips for Marketing and Teaching Your Class...........................................................................................13
Make a Bigger Impact with Referrals.........................................................................................................14
Become a Resource in Your Community....................................................................................................16
Client Education Builds Business................................................................................................................17
How’s Facebook Working Out for You?.....................................................................................................19
Marketing Your Massage Business........................................................................................................25
"Selling Massage" Starts With Being A Great Listener!..................................................................25
"Selling Massage" Techniques...............................................................................................................26
Massage Marketing Starts With Sales............................................................................................26
Mutual Benefits For You AND Your Client!....................................................................................27
Here are just a few marketing tips I use to grow my massage business.......................................27
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How to become a successful Message Therapist.On the path to becoming a successful Massage Therapist things won’t always go according to plan. If you keep your mind focused on your ultimate goal and free of clutter then when things like this happen, you can get through them relatively unscathed.
Top 10 Massage TechniquesBack in the days before aspirin, heating pads and whirlpools, humans treated their sore bodies the old-fashioned way: With massage. When a caveman twisted one of his Neanderthal knees, he rubbed it.
In many ways, massage is the most natural of natural remedies. Touching your body where it hurts seems to be a basics instinct, like running from danger or eating when you’re hungry. And experts say that massage, no matter how humble or low-tech it may seem, can be a powerful healer.
Massage has come a long way over the centuries.
SWEDISH MASSAGE uses soothing, tapping and kneading strokes to work the entire body, relieving muscle tension and loosening sore joints. Swedish massage therapists use five basic strokes, which anyone can learn and use on themselves and others. They are effleurage (stroking); petrissage (muscles are lightly grabbed and lifted); friction (thumbs and fingertips work in deep circles into the thickest part of muscles); tapotement (chopping, beating, and tapping strokes); and vibration (fingers are pressed or flattened firmly on a muscle, then the area is shaken rapidly for a few seconds).
DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE targets chronic tension in muscles that lie far below the surface of your body. You have five layers of muscle in your back, for instance, and while Swedish massage may help the first couple of layers, it won’t do much directly for the muscle underneath. Deep muscle techniques usually involve slow strokes, direct pressure or friction movements that go across the grain of the muscles. Massage therapists will use their fingers, thumbs or occasionally even elbows to apply the needed pressure.
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SPORTS MASSAGE is designed to help you train better, whether you’re a world champion or a weekend warrior. The techniques are similar to those in Swedish and deep tissue massage, but Greene says sports massage has been adapted to meet the athlete’s special needs. Pre-event massage can help warm up muscles and improve circulation before competition, but it can also energize or relax an athlete and help him focus on the competition. Post-event massage can push waste products out of the body and improve recovery.
NEUROMUSCULAR MASSAGE is a form of deep tissue massage that is applied to individual muscles. It is used to increase blood flow, reduce pain and release pressure on nerves caused by injuries to muscles and other soft tissue. Neuromuscular massage helps release trigger points, intense knots of tense muscle can also “refer” pain to other parts of the body. Relieving a tense trigger point in your back, for example, could help ease pain in your shoulder or reduce headaches.
ROLFING seeks to re-educate your body about posture. When posture is poor, Bienenfeld says, it can be reflected in a number of health problems, such as backaches, headaches and joint pain. Rolfing seeks to realign and straighten your body by working the myofascia, the connective tissue that surrounds your muscles and helps hold your body together. The 10-session, head-to-toe Rolfing program used to be rather painful, but Bienenfeld says new techniques that employ a therapist’s hands and elbows are quite tolerable and just as effective at improving your posture.
HELLERWORK is an offshoot of Rolfing that adds both mental and movement re-education to the physical work. In a series of 11 sessions, you get instruction on how to break bad posture habits and you also get a massage that focuses on returning your muscles and other tissue to their proper positions. The result can be dramatic. “Sometimes we can greatly increase the spaces in your joints to the point where you may grown three-fourths of an inch taller before you’re done,” Bienenfeld says.
CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY focuses on the skull and spinal column. Therapists use very gently pressure no more than the weight of a nickel to massage the bones, membranes and fluids that support and bathe your skull and spinal column. The theory is that these manipulations will reduce tension and counteract any physical trauma you may have experienced to your head over the years.
ASTON-PATTERNING, another offshoot of Rolfing, was developed to teach people to maintain the improved alignment that they got through Rolfing. Aston-Patterning uses posture re-education and stresses physical fitness techniques.
FELDENKRAIS treats every body as an individual work of art, with different postures and different movement patterns. Practitioners seek to teach their clients ideal patterns of movement through slow, gentle, exercise-like sessions. It also includes a gentle massage that is designed to teach a person how to expand his range of motion. Bienenfeld says it’s often useful for victims of stroke or accidents who have lost movement.
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TRAGER uses gentle, rocking massage to help release the body’s harmful “holding patterns.” If you injured your left shoulder as a child, for example, you still may unconsciously carry it lower than your right shoulder, throwing your body off balance and robbing you of energy. Therapists employ very light, gentle shaking techniques that are unlike traditional Swedish-style massage. The idea is to make people more aware of their bodies, especially the way they move and hold themselves. For some reason, freeing people of physical holding patterns also seems to rid them of emotional stress that they associated with the prior injury.
What Does the Research Say about Massage Therapy?Like many complementary therapies, high quality research on massage has been limited due to the lack of funding. However several relatively recent developments have increased the amount of good research in this area.
To begin, massage has become an important research priority for the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM ). In addition, the American Massage Therapy Association, recognizing the importance of high quality research, convened a working group of established research scientists and leaders in massage therapy in 1999. The outcome was a recommended research agenda for the massage therapy profession that included building a massage research infrastructure and investigating the safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of massage therapy. The Massage Therapy Foundation is a separate organization that is now considered to be the steward organization for moving the research agenda forward and advocating for new studies in massage therapy.
So while there is still relatively little massage therapy research compared to other treatment approaches, high quality research is emerging. This is particularly true in the area of low back pain, but also for other healthcare concerns, such as cancer symptom management, premature infancy, and other areas.
What are some of the issues in researching massage?
Like any treatment, massage therapy can and should be studied using rigorous scientific methods. However, massage therapists, because of the unique nature of their therapy and how it is delivered, face special challenges when conducting research.
In medicine, the gold standard for clinical research has traditionally been the double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Both the provider and the patient are masked as to the whether a real treatment or placebo is delivered, minimizing bias, and maximizing the chance that the observed results are due to the true therapeutic effect of the treatment in question.
While this approach works well for drug trials (the placebo pill can be made to look identical to the real pill), it isn't effective for treatments like massage. Like other forms of manual therapies,
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a "sham" type of treatment can be developed (i.e. light touch massage); however, it can't be assumed to be completely devoid of therapeutic effects. In fact, several massage therapy techniques utilize a light touch approach as a legitimate form of treatment.
Further, while attempts can be made to make the sham treatment appear legitimate to the patient, it becomes difficult as patients learn more about massage therapy from friends, media, and their own experience. Finally, it is impossible to blind the therapist, who must know which treatment he or she is supposed to deliver.
However, just because a randomized clinical trial can't be placebo-controlled or double-blinded, doesn't mean it can't be of high quality and contribute to the greater scientific knowledge.
Good examples of high quality clinical trials are the ones reported by Cherkin et al. in the Archives of Internal Medicine, which investigate massage for low back pain.
What areas are being researched?
As massage therapy has many purported benefits, research has or is being conducted on a wide range of patients with a variety of conditions. Most of the research to date has included small, preliminary studies that lack the methodological quality to draw firm conclusions regarding massage therapy's effectiveness.
However, in recent years, larger studies of higher quality have begun to emerge, as have thorough and balanced reviews of the existing literature (i.e. systematic reviews), which evaluate the effectiveness of massage therapy. There are also several ongoing, federally funded, randomized clinical trials studying the effect of massage on chronic back pain, cancer pain, depression during pregnancy, and pre-term infants.
While the evidence to date is most compelling for low back pain, there are also promising results regarding massage's effectiveness for pre-term infants, and symptom management in cancer and dementia sufferers.
One example is the study summarized below:
Furlan et al. (2008) conducted a systematic review of thirteen existing randomized controlled trials evaluating massage therapy's effectiveness in the treatment of non-specific low-back pain. The purpose was to provide a rigorous and balanced summary regarding the effectiveness, safety, and costs of massage therapy for low back pain. They found evidence that massage may be beneficial for patients with subacute and chronic non-specific low-back pain, especially when combined with exercises and education.
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Six Steps to Promoting a New Technique:
If you plan to take your practice in a new direction, here are six steps to help you achieve your goal.
1. Develop excellent skills in your new specialization.
* Get well trained so you go in feeling completely confident. Prepare yourself to fully understand both the new technique and the special needs of the targeted client group you want to introduce it to.* Practice your skills with a test group of friends, family or established clients.* Get feedback from your test group. What are their primary concerns? What do they say when speaking about your chosen approach – can you apply them in communicating what your work can offer others?
2. Develop your benefit statement.
* A benefit statement is a vital piece of information because it lets people know how you can help them. Include:
o How you address specific problems.o Your specialized training.o Your experience.o Any testimonials of your work.
* Let’s say you have prepared for a practice that will focus on massage for seniors. Think about and write down your understanding of what older adults need and how your work can help them. Do the same for a new technique, stating the benefits and what kind of people or conditions it can help.* Remember to allocate the bulk of your message to how you can help. People do not particularly care that you do the latest, greatest technique. They want to know that a session with you will decrease their arthritis pain, help them recover from an injury, or benefit them in some other way that makes their lives better.
3. Invest in marketing tools that support your new focus.
* Use your benefits statement to write your marketing materials.* Create a new or second business card that promotes your new modality or client focus.* If you have a website, add a page that explains your new focus.* Get a brochure or newsletter that focuses on particular conditions or interest groups.* Add your complete contact information to all your materials.
4. Promote your new approach to clients and community.
* If you are promoting a new technique, send a mailing or emailing offering a discount for an introductory session. Hand out your new business cards to clients, friends and colleagues. Ask
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permission to place your brochures in offices around your community.* Mail or email a newsletter to both new contacts and existing clients. If we take the example of senior massage, send a newsletter that focuses on their needs. Even if it reaches people who aren’t themselves seniors, some may read it and think, “Oh, my mom needs this.”* Take your marketing materials out into the community. In the case of seniors, it shouldn’t be hard to find them – many seniors congregate at senior centers, churches, assisted living housing and fitness clubs.
5. Build your professional network.
* Connect with other providers who serve the same population as you. Consider reaching out to MD’s, acupuncturists and naturopaths, support group leaders, yoga and meditation instructors, exercise and tai chi teachers, or nutritionists. Hand or mail them your business card, brochure or newsletter along with a letter introducing your work.* Consider initiating a referral system with other bodyworkers who do a different technique or have a different target group than you. You will refer some clients on, and even lose some. But that can actually help you become a trusted source. When you refer clients, tell them it’s because you want them to find the best help for their particular situation. And be sure they understand what your specialty is.
6. Become known as an expert over time.
* As you work with a particular group, say seniors, or people with chronic pain, you will get to know them more intimately. They will teach you a lot, and you will continue to grow into the expert people seek.* Keep working on your “elevator speech.” That’s your 30-second introduction explaining what you do. Focus on how you have helped people resolve their pain, maintain their flexibility, recover from surgery or resolve other issues.
Build Your Practice with Client FeedbackSurveys are an underused tool in many practitioners’ marketing kits. Here’s how to use surveys to help build customer satisfaction — and increase bookings.
Idea #1If part of your marketing plan is to give free first-time massage, survey folks right away when they receive their complimentary massage. If you don’t give free sessions, question clients after their first or second massage. Start with questions such as:
o Do you often experience neck and shoulder tension?o Are your arms or wrists often sore or tired?o Do you experience back pain?o How do you feel after your massage?o Would you pay ( list your target price ) for a massage? (Ask only if the session is
free or deeply discounted.)
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o If you ask an open-ended question on the survey such as, “List the way that massage has benefited you most,” you can also quote the clients who comment in your promotional material. If you use their names, you will need to ask permission, of course.
Keep survey cards with your clients’ screening form. When they return for their next massage (or one or two sessions later), go over their answers. Has anything changed?
Over a series of visits, this can raise awareness about how much massage is reducing their tension, pain or other complaint. What better motivator could there be to continue using your services? Keep track of their responses, and ask them to fill one out again from time to time.
Idea #2
Use client survey results to promote the effectiveness of your work.
* Use the results in brochures, newsletters, or press releases. You can report, for example, that 20% of your clients reported reduced arm and wrist pain in the last year.* If you are promoting a new service at a worksite or institutional setting, present survey results to decision-makers such as a human resources department.* If your practice is already established at a site, you can demonstrate that the service is appreciated by your clients. In your survey include these kinds of questions:o How do you like the service?o Does it make a difference in your work day? In what way?o Are the hours inclusive enough?o Are you more interested in chair or table massage?Even if you don’t use the data to impress anyone or to establish a program, you can use it to improve your service.
Idea #3This approach is slightly different, but if you want to try something that gets clients to focus on the benefits they receive, that creates excitement with a reward, and that provides a cache of great testimonials, give it a try.
Say something like:
Has massage helped you or a loved one? Would you be willing to share that story? I would love to include your story in my newsletter (or in my monthly email or on my website). To thank you for sharing it, your name will be entered in a drawing for a one-hour hot stone massage!
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Build Your Practice with Client Feedback — Part 2 Here are two more ideas for surveys you could give to stir up interest about your range of
services and help you gain more information about your clients.
A. Personality surveyHere are some examples of questions that could make a fun, but brief personality “test” to tell you more about your clients, and even provide an avenue for marketing services your clients haven’t yet tried.
1. What is your favorite kind of vacation?
• Reading a book on the beach• Enjoying a fancy hotel and 4-star restaurants• Taking a self-care workshop• Hiking, biking or kayaking
2. After running, biking or playing volleyball, would you rather:
• Soak in a hot tub• Shower and eat a hearty dinner• Rub your legs down with liniment• Stretch or practice yoga for an hour
3. Where do you relax the most?
• In warm summer sun• In a yoga class• In the woods or by a stream• In a cool, quiet room
4. In your free time, would you rather:
• Work in the garden or around the house• Write or sketch in your journal• Take a walk• Have coffee or wine with friends
The following text is an example of how you can conclude the survey by giving clients an idea of what other services might work well for them. Substitute the services I mention for some of yours.
Look over your answers. They might give you some ideas about what other of our services you might like to try. Care to try out our soaking tub before your massage? What about Thai
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massage, sometimes called “lazy man’s yoga”? We also offer weekend workshops on a variety of self-care topics. Sign up with a friend and make a special day of it.
B. Promotional surveyWhen you collect these kind of surveys, note what clients like and tailor your offers accordingly. You could also collect information about the client surveyed, such as gender, to see if that impacts the answers.
We offer you special deals from time to time. In your opinion, what are the best specials? Which ones do you take advantage of?
• A free or low-cost offer for a service you haven’t tried before• A discount coupon for your usual service• A two-for-one offer (for you and a friend, for example)• A package deal (five sessions for the price of four)• A special combination treat for a good price
Building a Practice in a Hospital or UniversityIf you have your sights set on working in an institutional setting such as a hospital, university or governmental setting, adjust your marketing efforts accordingly.
Offer free demonstrations
Some massage marketing strategies are the same no matter what type of practice you’re promoting. In any type of practice, giving free massage at the beginning can build business quickly.The experience of receiving massage is key to making clients out of curious people.
In an institutional setting, it is just as important to get people on your chair or table, and that’s especially true for decision-makers. Get these people interested, and they will grease the machinery you need to establish a viable practice.
Research is key
In institutional settings, you really need to get your research on massage together. Collect a packet of multiple copies of research articles to hand out. Even better, have some copies of Touch Therapy by Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute or A Physician’s Guide to Therapeutic Massage by John Yates to loan or give to movers and shakers. An outstanding book to help you get a hospital program going is Massage Therapy Guidelines by Tedi Dunn.
Be visible within the organization
To get the word out about your service, attend internal health fairs and other free outreach events with a massage chair, or substitute a comfortable chair and supportive pillows. Then get your hands on as many backs and shoulders as you can.
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Schedule presentations on massage, stress reduction or other related topics. This can provide you with a way to reach people who may then book appointments once they feel they know you.
Another avenue to educate potential clientele and get your name out is to write articles for an institutional newsletter about the benefits of massage.
Institutions normally have a complex system of hierarchy in which decisions are made. Be prepared for your promotional efforts to take time. But if you offer quality, professional bodywork and persevere with your promotional efforts, your practice should grow steadily and profitably.
Market Your Practice with Public SpeakingDespite being nearly universal feared, public speaking is one of the easiest, most effective and most natural way of marketing holistic health care. If you can get over the hump of fear, developing speaking skills is one of the best ways to grow your business.
Although it may seem daunting, making presentations is a you can present yourself by reaching out to people with respect and caring, using the same skills and attitude you use every day with your clients. By making a presentation, you meet potential clients face-to-face, demonstrating a special effort to offer information that can make an improvement in their lives, and inviting them to take a positive step forward.
The essential component in this kind of natural marketing is that you care enough to step out and tell those you come into contact with that they are deserving of the best. You care
enough to share what you know that can make people’s lives a little better.
Becoming a good public speaker can:* Increase your comfort and ability to connect with potential clients.* Improve your skills in educating people about the work and benefits of treatment.* Clarify understanding of your own approach and philosophy.* Help develop your professional goals and target clientele. Do you want to work with seniors, athletes, pregnant women and young mothers, people with injuries? It would be well worth your while to hone a presentation which focuses on the benefits of the work with your chosen target group.* Increase your visibility and credibility with referring health care practitioners.
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Give demonstrations. Keep in mind that giving a hands-on demonstration during a presentation can be your best selling point. And, always be prepared to send participants home with business cards, client education brochures and other marketing materials.
Here are some resources to help you further prepare to make presentations.
Books
Present Yourself Powerfully, Cherie Sohnen-Moe
101 Secrets of Highly Effective Speakers: Controlling Fear, Commanding Attention. Caryl Rae Krannich, Ph.D.
Public Speaking for Dummies. Malcolm Kushner.
Natural Touch Marketing Presentation Planning Kits:
* Therapeutic Massage: How it Helps & Why it Works!* Chair Massage Business Kit* Beginner’s Massage Community Class Presentation Planning Kit* Stress Management Presentation Planning Kit
Websites
www.public-speaking.orgwww.stresscure.com/jobstress/speak.htmlGarrReynolds.com
Networking Can Build Your PracticeMany successful massage therapists say that joining a business networking group, especially in the beginning years of their business, made all the difference in their success. Here are two of our customers, in their own words:
Jen Hathaway: “Three months after I opened my business, I ended up joining a Leads Group. I found myself surrounded with people who were building their businesses and could help me build mine.”
Amanda Braun: “I visited some chapter meetings [of a business networking group], and joined because the value was obvious. As uncomfortable as it was for me personally, I knew it would pay off as far as my business was concerned, and I kept at it.”
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What is a networking group?
Business networking groups, sometimes called leads groups, are organizations of professionals who meet on a regular basis to exchange the names of potential contacts and build alliances. At the meetings, members have the opportunity to present themselves and what they do.
How do you find networking groups?
Search the internet for groups in your area, and ask your friends and colleagues for referrals. You may have to try more than one group to find one that you like. Some groups have no formal membership, while more formal groups usually allow you to attend at least once before committing.
Here is an introduction to some networking groups. For more information, check out their websites, and contact them with your questions.
* BNI.com. The members of Business Networking International exchange ideas and contacts for both client and professional referrals. The website makes it easy for you to find a chapter in your area. Attendance is required, which may be why some people find it so successful. BNI is the largest and most expensive of these kinds of groups.* Biznik.com. Biznik is set up for business people to meet informally both online and in person to discuss ideas and help each other succeed. Events sponsored by different members are constantly being announced on the website. Membership ranges from free to a reasonable fee.* Itakethelead.com. I Take The Lead is an organization that creates groups of professionals who meet on a weekly basis to exchange professional and client contacts and build business alliances. There is only one person in each group from each profession. Membership is $25 to $50/month.* Local groups. Look for home-grown groups in your town or city. Our community has one called “Connections for Women” that meets once a month for networking and professional support. The cost is $14-$18 per meeting.
Why join?
* Networking groups are a ready-made method of ongoing word-of-mouth marketing.* Members of the group get to know you personally, and can help you build your reputation as a knowledgeable and trustworthy professional in your community.* A business networking group is at least partially a support group. Not only do you have a chance to present your business to the membership, but you can also listen to the stories of others and learn from them.
In fact, you may be most successful if you go into a networking group with curiosity about what other people do and how they got there. Observe the group, express interest in others, and take your time getting to know people and going further into detail about what you do. Always have your business cards on hand.
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It’s normal to feel awkward about attending in the beginning. Keep in mind that the people who participate are in the same boat as you, and will welcome your attendance. Everyone in business needs to reach out in order to become known in their communities.
7 Tips for Marketing and Teaching Your ClassEducating the public about massage is one of the very best ways to let people get to know you and what you have to offer. By spending the effort to teach classes and make presentations, you build your reputation, attract new clients, and create an additional source of income.
Seven pointers for giving classes
1. Focus. It’s tempting to think that a massage class for anybody and everybody is the way to go. But you may actually get more interest if you focus on a particular group. Targeting any kind of marketing is a well-known strategy of reaching people who really want what you have to offer. Slant your class toward a particular group’s interests. For instance, focus on seniors, couples, or women only.
2. Choose the right venue. Cost, size and availability of the room are important, but the location also depends on your focus. The perfect location is a place that makes it easy to reach the people you want to attract.
The senior center, for example, would be perfect for a class on massage for seniors. If your community doesn’t have a senior center or it isn’t available, maybe one of your older clients has a home or studio that would provide a good space for a class. Or, if you want to teach expecting couples, perhaps there’s a yoga studio offering prenatal yoga who would welcome a massage class.
3. Preregister participants. As people contact you, ask them to register. Registration creates commitment, so request a deposit. Explain that you limit the number of people to fit the space, and that a deposit will secure a participant’s place.
4. Invite questions. During your class, encourage questions, and make sure there is plenty of time for discussion. This kind of exchange can improve learning. It can also begin a dialog that carries through to a eventual client/therapist relationship. When someone asks a question, repeat it so that everyone can hear. If you don’t know the answer, say so, and offer to get back to that person in the next class session if there is one, or by phone or email later.
5. Avoid jargon. Avoid any words your listeners may not understand. You don’t want to lose your participants’ interest or confuse them. Unless you’re speaking to a medical audience don’t refer to muscles by their scientific names. “Thigh” and “lower arm” are fine terms to use.
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Even referring to techniques like myofascial release or neuromuscular therapy will not mean much to most people. Instead, speak about the benefits of particular techniques. For instance, in response to a question like, “I get headaches and massage has never helped,” rather than naming a modality, you might say, “I do a special technique that has helped quite a few of my clients with headaches. I would be happy to tell you about it at the end of the class, and give you more information to take home.”
6. Provide contact information. This will make it easy for people to act on the rapport you have built with them. Prepare a table with a sign-up sheet and materials to take home. Make sure your contact information is clearly printed on any flyers, brochures or discount coupons. On your sign-up sheet, participants can check to receive your free newsletter, discount coupon or more information about a particular condition or modality. Remember to bring your schedule book. It’s not uncommon for participants to make an appointment then and there.
7. Practice, practice, practice. This is a big one. Practice in front of a mirror. Record yourself, play it back and listen. Give the class to loved ones or friends who will be kindly honest about what worked and what didn’t. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will be, and the less you will have to worry about stumbling over something. Remember, your class may be the first time you make a connection with potential new clients. Make sure you are very familiar with the material, and you will be able to deliver it with enthusiasm and warmth.
Make a Bigger Impact with Referrals “It’s fine for you to say that you provide a great service, but when someone else says it, it instantly has more impact…especially when it comes from a trusted friend or contact.” — From “Building a Referral Friendly Business”
Close to seventy percent of US consumers say they are more likely to make a purchase if a friend or family member recommends it. Creating a referral program has the potential for a high return on a small investment of time and money.
Make it easy
Make it easy for your clients to talk to other people about you by giving them something to pass on. This will:
* Increase the likelihood that a referral will be acted on.* Give you a chance to control the message that gets passed on.* Provide your clients something of value to share with others. For example, if a client mentions the needs of a friend, give him or her a brochure, massage newsletter or information sheet that speaks to that person’s situation. (Make sure your contact information is on everything you hand out.)
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Three direct ways to pass on your name
There’s no substitute for simply asking your clients to recommend their friends and family to you. Here are three good tools for helping clients pass on your name.
* A special recommendation card.
You can make an attractive and effective referral card using a postcard. On the postcard, write something like, “Bring this in for $15 off your first session. For appointments or more information, call me at….”
* A business card.
Make a special version of your business card with a referral message.
Make a version of your regular business card with a special offer on the back.
* The “combo” offer.
With one offer, boost referrals and reach out to people who may or may not be your regular clients. Mail a special postcard with a discount offer to friends, relatives, colleagues and clients including inactive or irregular clients. Below the offer write, “If you’re not going to use this, feel free to pass it on to a friend who would like to try my services.”
Opportunities to make connections
There are many ways to bring your wish for referrals to your clients’ attention.
* When clients compliment your work or say what a difference you’ve made in their lives, ask if you can give them some business cards to pass on. One very effective time to ask for referrals is after a massage, for instance when clients are rescheduling.
* Send a letter to regular clients expressing appreciation for their business. Include some business cards, and ask them to pass them on.
* Include your referral business cards or recommendation cards with your brochures or newsletters wherever you display or mail them. Also leave a stack on your desk, so it’s easy to ask clients to take a few with them.
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Become a Resource in Your Community“Seek out other professionals in related fields and get to know them and what they believe and how they work. Yoga teachers, chiropractors, osteopaths, midwives, life coaches — find whomever you might learn from and can share your knowledge with.”
—Cynthia Bryant LMT, Columbus, Ohio massage therapist and business owner.
One way to build a massage business is to become an indispensable resource in your community. Since opening her business, Kneads On Call, LLC, Cynthia Bryant has made it a point to go out and create the kind of practice that goes above and beyond to meet the needs of clients and community alike.
Developing a niche: the athletic club
In the beginning, Cynthia’s practice was 95% corporate onsite massage. She now gives full-body, table massage 80% of the time. At Wyandotte Athletic Club, she targets two groups that work out there — the morning seniors, or the “Bagel Bunch,” and the afternoon group of young professionals. With both groups, she meets them, demonstrates on a massage chair, and talks to them about what she offers. But then her approach diverges. Why? These groups want different things. The first group wants relief from achy backs and joints. She emphasizes the gentle, but effective relief that massage offers and talks about resources that can help relieve pain and maintain flexibility.
With the young body-builder types, she talks about specific muscle groups, and uses terms like the ACL and iliotibial band because these clients understand them. She also spends time educating the personal trainers at the club. Personal trainers tend to know about massage for healing injuries. Cynthia works to educate them to see massage as part of the fitness regimen. Now the trainers understand that massage can help prevent injuries as well as treat them.
Taking the next step: expanding into new arenas
Cynthia has taken on two new groups of clients as well — fibromyalgia patients and yoga students. She employs effective techniques for fibromyalgia patients, and the word is spreading that she is a well-educated resource in this specialty. People hear about her and seek her out, saying they think they have the condition, for example. She advises them not to self-diagnose, and refers them to good websites and doctors.
At Flex Yoga Center, Cynthia has connected with new clients through the yoga teachers. She attended meetings with yoga teachers so they could get to know her personally. But she didn’t just talk about herself. She asked the teachers questions, so she could learn the differences
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between types of yoga and specific classes. Now when her clients have questions about yoga, she tells them what she knows, and then refers them to a teacher for more. She also attended yoga classes and introduced herself as the Center’s massage therapist. She thinks of all of this as becoming part of the yoga center “family.”
Now it’s your turn
Cynthia’s advice is to get more education, get comfortable with your knowledge, then share it with your clients and the wider community. And she recommends sticking with your specialties. Don’t be afraid of referring clients out for other conditions or techniques. You can’t help everyone, and even if you are helping someone a lot, other practitioners can complement what you are doing to great benefit. Using your referral system builds trust and adds to your reputation as a resource.
Client Education Builds BusinessFor most massage therapists, regular clients provide the majority of their business. So you want to make sure those clients are satisfied with their experience in your hands. Satisfaction, however, depends on more than your technique. It comes down to the personal connection you make with people.
Some clients will be happy with your pleasant demeanor, inviting setting and the chance to luxuriate for an hour. But many people come to massage because they want to enjoy their massage and feel better between sessions. They expect effectiveness and long-term results. In other words, they expect your work to extend beyond the table.
Therapist as educatorPart of your job involves stepping into the teacher role. You need to support clients in changing their habits so that what they do between sessions supports the bodywork they receive. If your clients never exercise or stretch, let their stress get out of hand or don’t get enough sleep, the work you do with them will have limited success.
Client education handouts are an easy way to support your clients in self-care. They will leave your office with instructions telling them explicitly what to do. So they will be more likely to remember to stretch, take time to meditate or to improve their sleeping environment. Their ongoing self-care will add to the effectiveness of their massage sessions and reinforce the idea that you are a resource which adds value to their lives.
How to use client handoutsYou can write up individual notes for them, but for topics you find yourself recommending to clients again and again, you may wish to have handouts ready. You can then add an individualized note or circle the items that especially apply to your client. Make sure your name and contact number is on each handout.
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Think of client education as a way to increase client rebookings and word-of-mouth referrals. They will appreciate the care and concern you send home with them. And as they begin to take better care of themselves, you may realize a better return on your hands-on efforts.
Marketing with Postcards:
In my experience one of the best ways to communicate marketing messages to your prospects and customers is through direct mail. There are a number of ways to use direct mail effectively, and postcards are right on top. —Joe Garcia, marketing consultant and author of Give to Get Marketing Solutions.
A couple of blogs back, I made a case that snail mail still works to increase bookings. Now I want to share what our best massage marketing consultants — our customers — said about their postcard mailings. These particular customers were willing to experiment until they found what works for them and their clients. What works for one practitioner doesn’t necessarily work for the next, but they ALL find that some kind of massage postcard campaign works to bring in both returning clients and new ones.
Let me introduce you to your creative, enterprising colleagues.
• Marie McMahon has been in business since 2006. She gives $10 off on all her postcard offers. She has sent both holiday and birthday messages to her massage clients, but her Thanksgiving postcard is by far the most effective. Several years ago at Thanksgiving, she sent out 100 — thirty of those had booked by February first.
Marie attributes the great return on that mailing to her message of appreciation (“Down to Earth Therapeutic Massage would like to give thanks”) plus the fact that she hand writes a personal note. When clients bring the card in, they often say how much they appreciate both the card and the message.
• Jon Petersen learned for himself that postcard campaigns get results. His first year in business he didn’t send postcards at the holidays, and sold $1000 in gift certificates. The next year, he sent a Christmas mailing announcing this offer: “Buy a gift certificate by Dec. 31st, and get the second one for 25% off.” His sales increased to $4000! Many clients who bought one the year before, bought two the next.
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Jon emails the same offer for a “double hit,” as he called it. But he added, “With postcards, there is a nice looking card to hold in your hand. With email, people delete a lot of messages every day.” Jon sent 320 cards at Christmas. Since then, his mailing list has grown to 400. And half the bookings since the holidays have been new clients due to gift certificate sales, an impressive boost for his business.
• Barbara Green-Hyduchak gets a great return on massage postcard mailings — 40 to 50%! She gives $5 off in her ongoing birthday discount program, and mails Christmas postcards (“cheaper than greeting cards”), offering 10% off gift certificate purchases. The only lackluster response she received was when she sent “It’s been awhile” cards to folks who had not scheduled for some time.
On her Christmas postcard this year she hand wrote both “Happy Holidays,” and special offers for both gift certificate purchases and aromatherapy sessions. She sent 400 postcards to regulars as well as clients going back 2 years. Barbara has found her offers work fine without an expiration date — she doesn’t want anyone to miss out.
How’s Facebook Working Out for You?Do you use Facebook to reach clients with news about your business? Do you announce business changes? Post openings in your schedule, or your hours and menu?
Now for the most important question — have you noticed your posts are reaching fewer people lately?
Recently Facebook brought onboard something called EdgeRank . Not being a techie, don’t ask
me to explain it to you. I can tell you what the upshot is — your posts may now be reaching a lot fewer of your fans than they did before. As you can imagine, this is a growing concern among small business people who use Facebook as part of their marketing.
What are businesses doing about it? Some are getting out of Facebook and going back to sending notices via email, Twitter or posts on their websites. Some are staying with Facebook and making the most of a challenging situation.
“And how you do that?” you wonder.
In order for your fans to keep getting your posts in their feeds, you should do 2 basic things:
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1. Ask your fans to comment on, share or like your posts.2. Post links to OTHER people’s interesting news, posts or blogs.
Regarding number one, check out the way one smart blogger asked her fans to interact with her on Facebook.
“If you don’t comment on the Scrimpalicious facebook page, you’re never going to see when new posts come up.
1. Comment! Visit the Scrimpalicious facebook page and do some interactions with it. Leave comments. Answer questions. Ask questions. Share photos of your food or craft projects. Whatever it is, the more you do it, the more likely you are to be notified when new posts come up.
2. Make a list. This is what I did to make sure that I can still follow my favorite facebook pages and blogs. On the left-hand sidebar of your facebook page, you should see a section called “Lists.” If you click on this, it will take you to the List page, and you will see that facebook has given you the option to create a list by clicking the “+ Create a list” button. If you click this button, you can create a new list (I called mine “Blogs and Sites”) and manually add the blogs whose facebook posts you like to follow. They will not always show up on my facebook feed because of this, but the Lists sidebar will now alert me with a little (#) if there are new posts by those people.”
Facebook may still be a good business tool for some of you. But stay light on your feet, and be prepared to roll with the punches.
Steps in Creating Your First BrochureTo celebrate our 3rd decade of selling our first brochure, What is a Massage Like?, I want to share my thoughts on that sometimes daunting task — getting your first brochure.
A brochure is a vital marketing piece. When you are ready to invest in one, how do you go about getting what you need?
Make your ownMaybe you’re thinking that you want to start out with a splash by creating your own brochure from scratch. To make a brochure for your massage practice, start by researching these questions:
1. What’s the best way to present the benefits of your work?
Emphasize the problems you can solve, rather than the techniques you use.
Consider using testimonials. Personal statements from satisfied clients can make a convincing case.
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Have a colleague, friend or family member read it carefully for language that might be misleading or offensive to a reader.
2. Should you include your menu, rates or directions to your office?
Think about how often your rates and other facts may change. These may work best on an insert.
3. How do you achieve a professional and attractive appearance?
If you have a computer and layout software, you can design and layout a brochure on your own. But keep in mind that hiring a graphic designer can make a big difference in the quality of your presentation. If you do hire a graphic artist, be prepared for a considerable investment.
Proofread several times for typos.
4. What graphics will catch people’s eyes?
Googling for “free clip art” returns a number of sites that could help with graphics. Check out the free art at Microsoft and Avery.
If you are working with a graphic designer, ask for their ideas.
5. Printing options
Once you have a brochure design, how can you get it into print?
• Your home printer. To make changes as often as you want, print a few brochures at a time at home. Big office supply stores even sell tri-fold brochure paper. Do take into account the cost of paper and especially ink for making full-color copies.• Copy stores such as Kinko’s. They can print from paper master or CD, and fold, too. The more you print, the less each brochure costs.• Online print services like the popular VistaPrint.com. Prices vary widely from $.07 to $1.20 a piece, as does quality. Order small at first to make sure you get the look and feel you want.• No matter what option you choose for printing, look carefully at the print quality. Check for smearing, feel of the paper, and crispness of the folding.
Ready-made, professional brochures
“Why reinvent the wheel?” is a frequent comment made by bodyworkers who use pre-made professional brochures. They seek a brochure company they trust to provide brochures that are reputable, well-researched and attractive.
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Many find that massage brochures from an independent source also add credibility to their practice. In other words, when you claim that massage can help prevent injuries, improve sleep or reduce stress, there is evidence to back that up.
It’s easy and inexpensive to type up, print and add a single panel insert to a pre-made brochure that states your rates, menu and other business information. When your rates needed to be adjusted, simply replace the insert.
A combination approach
If you have your own brochure, there are still good reasons to use brochures on modalities like Reiki, reflexology or Thai massage where detailed explanations really help. In addition, brochures on conditions like back pain, headaches or fibromyalgia help you reach specific individuals in, say, fibromyalgia support groups, childbirth classes, or your chiropractor’s office.
A massage brochure is something you can hand people that’s more in depth than a massage business card. Think about the impact you want to achieve, and research your options well before committing to a particular type of brochure. You want to be happy with what you get — and where it gets you
Do you need to work harder at marketing to men than women?
If you want more men in your practice, the answer may be yes. Women are still receiving massage more than men. According to the American Massage Therapy Association’s (AMTA) 2011 consumer survey, 24 percent of women and 13 percent of men reported having a massage within the year.
Why do men get massage?
What motivates men to schedule massage? Since I’m not one, I decided to ask some guys who get massage their reasons. Reducing aches and pains, and recovery from injuries topped the list. They also gave injury prevention, relaxation and stress reduction high marks.
Here’s how they answered the question, “Why do you get massage?”.
The captain in the armed services (formerly in Iraq):
I got my first massage after a particularly difficult field exercise. I was sore in places I didn’t know I could be sore in! Although I don’t have any facts to back this up I think it could curb any symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder many service members get when they return home, and I fully intend to get one.
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The civil engineer:
I get massage if I get injured or something gets really tight, and I can’t work it out myself.
The small business owner:
I get regular massage because when I take care of any aches and pains right away they don’t usually turn into something bigger. Massage helps keep me from getting injured, and if I do get injured it gets treated right away.
The attorney:
Number one, I get massage because it’s a great way to deal with stress, and number two, it helps me recover from injuries.
Do men have special concerns?
Two of my interviewees said that not knowing what to expect was a concern before they went in. This may not be particular to men, but for massage therapists it can be easy to forget that a new client is entering an unknown world that can challenge his comfort levels with intimacy. New clients need to know they will be draped, whether they can keep any clothes on, what the therapist needs to know about them, and what they should do during the session.
Relieving the concerns of a new client extends to the moment you meet your new male client for the first time. Shake hands firmly and communicate clearly and non-flirtatiously to establish a sense of professionalism and security.
How to get guys into your practice?
As you may have guessed, it was their wives or female partners that convinced the interviewees to try massage. These women have experienced the benefits and pleasures of massage and wanted to have the men they love give it a try, too. Studies also show that women are more likely to research problems and make health care decisions in families. You can help reach out to men by educating your female clients about how massage works. Many massage therapists have found that they also reach men through female clients with gift certificates and targeted promotions.
What are some other ways to reach men?
Chair massage in the workplace or at events is a fantastic, safe way for men to experience their first massage, clothes on.
Offer couple’s massage. Schedule time in your clinic, gym or spa for side-by-side treatments, or sell packages that include one-half hour massage plus time for a warm tub or foot soak, for example, so partners can trade off.
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Target promotional messages to men’s concerns! Let your community know what your special contribution is. This doesn’t mean that you advertise the modality you do, at least not primarily. What it does mean is that if you are skilled at helping active people prevent injuries and maintain their bodies, then that should be said on all your marketing supplies such as business cards, flyers and brochures. If you focus on stress reduction with all the corresponding benefits of fewer headaches, reduced tension, and better sleep, advertise that!
As one of my interviewees said, “Massage works! My muscles are continually tight, so I use massage and yoga to stay loose and more flexible.” He’s stating a benefit (flexibility) that matters to him, and you can bet he’s not the only guy that raves about massage after experiencing the results.
So keep helping to relieve pain, reduce stress and increase relaxation. And let men know that through your education and marketing. Once they come in for massage, experience great results and find they feel safe with you, men may become your most loyal clients.
Marketing Your Massage Business
"Selling Massage" Starts With Being A Great Listener!
Successful massage therapists don't push massage; they listen for people's wants and needs. The really good massage therapists I've met sell other products just as readily as they 'sell' their massage sessions.
Get in that habit, the habit of being helpful. Find people's needs (and wants!) as a matter of fact. Find them even when you're not really 'on duty'. Listen to people. Effective listening skills will help you decipher what people are really saying versus what is actually rolling off their lips. This will pay you forever when you get in 'touch' with them ;)
There's what you do to attract massage clients and selling massage, and there's everything else. There's your main massage business and there's everything else. What is your main business? Performing massage? No. Attracting clients (selling massage) is your main business. You attract prospective clients in the door and then after the massage you attract your client back as repeat clients, referrals, etc.
If you're not organizing your time and your chores and your day's plans accordingly, how do you think the results will turn out?
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"Selling Massage" Techniques
Massage Marketing Starts With Sales
I lead with sales because I'm convinced that everyone in every organization is now part of the sales force. I also think you're part of customer service, but there are no clients without sales. Sales come first.
No matter if you're the new massage therapist just out of school or the owner of a chain of spa's, your job is sales and then customer service, great massage techniques, etc., etc. If you don't think it is, your massage company's health is probably just as questionable as the rest of the businesses out there.
The #1 trait of excellent customer service is empathy married to action. Sometimes, empathy is all you can deliver. Empathy plus action is what makes great customer service. You can practice this as often as possible, too. You can do it at home. Get on the other person's side of the table as often as possible. Look for potential ways to help. And remember, listening and making someone feel heard is every bit as important an action as any other. (Note to men: We tend to leap to action instead of helping a woman feel heard – that's from personal experience.)
Are you the prospective client of massage products or massage services? Most likely, yes. I would hope you receive a massage on a regular basis. Yet, perhaps you're such an old pro that it's hard to connect with the mindset of the 'prospect' any longer. You know the inside language. You know what you want the prospective client to do. But if you're going to market, in social media or otherwise, you have to become the prospective client once again. See reality from their point of view and you will understand the soft sell techniques to "selling massage".
Do you know who your prospective clients are, your target markets, and what they want? In my mind, my prospective clients are small business owners and entrepreneurs, sports enthusiasts, medical professionals. But maybe many of them are independent thinkers, looking to find tips and tricks to improve their health and wellness in ways other than massage therapy.
Does the language of your massage website, your newsletter, your blog posts, your sales copy, your elevator speech, help you find new prospective clients? Does your massage marketing content (verbal or written,) focus on benefits as opposed to features?
Say I've miraculously self-identified a prospective client. What do I do to start? Is the onramping process obvious and easy? Do I understand what comes first, and what I'm supposed to do? You might think it looks perfectly obvious but maybe it's not.
If I look at the multiple steps of attracting a client, scheduling them, obtaining their contact information on the intake form, performing an excellent massage, getting them re-scheduled, teaching them how to refer others to me, there's a lot there. If I were new, would I know what to do first, second and third? Maybe not.
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How does your process and/or your massage content stack up? If someone has stumbled into being a reader of yours, how are you serving their further education on the benefits of massage? How are you getting them 'up to speed' on their own bodies with their own specific issues?
"Selling Massage Services"
Mutual Benefits For You AND Your Client!In a conversation a day or two ago, I steered a therapist away from "selling massage", and instead pushed for selling services that were wrapped around massage packages instead. This, by the way, is a make-or-break experience. If I'm the prospective client and I have every intention of trusting you, then you the massage therapist have to tell me, "You don't need this spa treatment yet. Hold off on spending on that until you've had a little more time with this massage treatment you already have." You know that experience, right? You can earn a loyal client for life if you help me navigate 'what else do I need' without milking me.
If you're here with the intention of marketing your massage business, then you have to build on your empathy, your understanding, and your experiential design. Unless you're selling a simple 'one time massage,' or service, something that's throwaway, then it's vital that you become the prospective client.
Practice this exercise once a week. Review EVERYTHING you're sending out, everything you're presenting, and ask yourself whether it sells to your prospective clients. Rip out everything that doesn't and work until you have your target market defined, prospective clients pegged and essentially on your way to successfully marketing your massage business. Use great Massage Marketing Tips and Ideas to kick-start your massage business!
Here are just a few marketing tips I use to grow my massage business.
Massage Marketing Using FacebookThe fastest, easiest, and most cost effective way to quickly build your massage practice...Regardless if you work for yourself or someone else!
Facebook AdvertisingWhile you are digesting the e-book mentioned above, click on this link to add Facebook Applications.
Marketing Massage using Gift Certificates Massage Gift Certificates are CRITICAL to your Massage Business! Let's go step-by-step on how to craft a holiday letter to your clients, get the gift certificates right in their hands, and convince them to purchase multiple massage gift certificates!
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Three direct ways to pass on your nameThere’s no substitute for simply asking your clients to recommend their friends and family to you. Here are three good tools for helping clients pass on your name.
* A special recommendation card.
You can make an attractive and effective referral card using a postcard. On the postcard, write something like, “Bring this in for $15 off your first session. For appointments or more information, call me at….”
* A business card.
Make a special version of your business card with a referral message.
Make a version of your regular business card with a special offer on the back.
* The “combo” offer.
With one offer, boost referrals and reach out to people who may or may not be your regular clients. Mail a special postcard with a discount offer to friends, relatives, colleagues and clients including inactive or irregular clients. Below the offer write, “If you’re not going to use this, feel free to pass it on to a friend who would like to try my services.”
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