Invite potential clients to a 15 minute chair, hand or foot massage for free. Yes for free. Now before you start telling me, "How can I give away my time like that?", I want you to consider how this can add up. What would happen if only one person schedules on as a regular client from the 4 that you spent 1 hour with for free? Think how quickly that free hour would quickly change into a lucrative marketing tactic. Sometimes free isn't really free at all!
Because putting a drop dead date on an offer frequently will move that hesitant person to action, a limited time offer can often move the skeptic and procrastinator from prospect to customer. If there is only a short time to take advantage of a special opportunity - often you will enjoy more response. People will do something vs. doing nothing. Instead of coming up with excuse (I've never had a massage before, I don't have time in my schedule, I can't spend that kind of money, etc) ... they move. In essence, a limited time offer will entice your prospect into action for fear of losing this unique opportunity. You have to give them a reason to purchase a massage and a time constraint could just be the little extra motivator you might need to get your prospects over that decision-making hump.
Add one to your next marketing promotion!
Considering that anyone you come in contact with could be a potential client, do you know what to say if someone asks you what you do for a living? Do you answer, I am a massage therapist? Not exactly something that inspires people to book a session with you. What if you said, I make stress disappear in 60 minutes or I manipulate the soft tissues in the body to make pain melt away? That is more intriguing, isn't it?
Come up with a sentence that honestly describes what it is you can best do for the client. Memorize it, then use that sentence to answer the what do you do question from now on.
Business cards can either be a waste of paper or something that reflects you and your practice. Many times they may be the first tangible piece of marketing that your potential client sees. Business cards are an integral element of your branding strategy and can sometimes make or break you when it comes to getting prospects to take you seriously. Your chances of favorably impressing clients will greatly improve if your business cards display a professional-looking logo, use a font style that's easy to read and is representative of the nature of your business. Your should also consider a short bulleted list that includes your services, your expertise and your commitment to excellence.
A tiny photo of you may do more than assure people that your practice is run by a real person. It will also tell them that you are open as a person and that you are offering your massage services to clients in good faith. Add your photo to your own web site, business card and newsletter if it isn’t already there. Connecting your face with your business makes your practice more human and personal. Remember, clients buy from therapists they know, trust and like.
"No more wondering,
worrying or wishing.
Success will be yours!"
Jayne E. Thomas
ARCHIVES
You can ride the coattails of a bigger company, even if you are just starting out, by offering them some type of promotion for their customers. Offer that gym down the street a cross endorsement by offering their members discounts on your services. The gym will work out (pun intended) very well because the type of people who take the time to exercise are people who care about their health and wellness. This is exactly the type of customers you want and who needs you. The discounts pay for themselves in repeat business.
At the gym, be sure to set up your promotional offering, business cards and brochures in plain sight, so potential clients have the ability to see them, which allow them to find you!
Ask any marketer what is the most significant word for any marketing campaign to be effective and the answer most likely will be ‘you'. ‘You' means your existing and potential clients. Give them what they want -- the benefits of having your products and services. Rather than talking about your features, give them the answer to their perennial question -- what is in it for me? If you focus more on the ‘you' rather than the ‘I' then your marketing campaign will most likely generate higher client numbers. For example instead of saying "I offer relaxing Swedish Massages" try "Swedish Massage will leave you feeling relaxed". A tiny change that can make a huge difference!
All other things equal, testimonials are one of the strongest ways to enhance the credibility of your business. Whenever you are talking with a client and you receive a compliment you should ask for a testimonial. Tell the client how important testimonials are for you and how they help you keep marketing costs down and most people will be happy to oblige. Then simply add that testimonial to your marketing materials.
When you think about a person who enjoys receiving a massage, can you think of other things he or she may enjoy? How about a gym membership, organic foods, haircuts, body lotions.....you get the idea. What would happen if you were able to get 5-10 vendors together to create a coupon book for this type of person? Each vendor could hand the booklet out to all their own clients, but every vendor included in the booklet would get 5-10 times the exposure they would on their own. Start jotting down businesses that may work in your area.
It’s crucial to keep in touch with your current customers as well as potential ones, and what could be easier than emailing a regular newsletter? Offer coupons and provide links to articles online your customers might be interested in reading. Keep it simple with pure text or include photos and other graphics.
Learn something new. Rather than paying for an expert to write your press releases, take care of your finances or build your web site for example, hire one for an hour or so to show you how to do it yourself. You'll be learning another part of your business from a professional, but you won't have the long term cost of using one.
Consider offering an "add on" service to your clients during their regular massage sessions and increase your hourly rate. For example you could offer aromatherapy, specialty scalp massage, paraffin hand or foot treatments for $15 each to the scheduled session and increase your bottom line immediately.
I'm a big fan of massage therapists becoming public speakers. It is basically free for you to do so and makes you the expert in your field in front of all those people. Statistically you will even book a few new clients. What about the ones you don't book though? How do you keep in contact with them and maybe book a session in the future? Simple...hold a drawing at the end of your talk that requires everyone to provide you with their contact info to enter.
Do you offer the exact massage therapy modalities that your competition does? Do you list Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, etc. in your brochures? Think about how many more clients could be enticed with a Cool as Cucumber Massage (complete with a cucumber foot gel) or Day at the Beach Massage (think of that heavenly coconut smell) during these hot summer months. Sometimes renaming a massage to make it your own can have a profound effect whether or not a client will actually purchase one from you.
Want to make your existing client base feel extra special? Add complimentary services – a cold bottle of water after the massage, a fresh bowl of fruit or herbal teas for your client to choose from. Even something as simple as letting your client choose the music that they will hear while they are receiving their massage will enhance their experience and let them know how important they are to you.
Massage therapists in order to be a master of their craft need to know the muscles of the body better than any other person on the planet. (In my opinion, of course!) Develop that knowledge you learned in school and review the link below until you know the information cold. Become the expert!
Develop at least one 30-60 minute presentation on a topic that you are passionate about and experienced in. You have the time, you just have to do it. You can!! Every massage therapist can pretty much list the benefits of massage verbatim or can go through the ways massage therapy interacts with the systems of the body. Spend just 15 minutes a day developing that 30-60 minute presentation and when the opportunity arises you will be ready to WOW them. Once you have one presentation under your belt, you will be ready to put together another one.
Does your area have an agency that welcomes new families to the area? If it does, and most do, make sure your contact info is part of the welcome informational material. Simply contact the agency and offer to give them your brochure to add to their "welcome basket". Include a $10 off coupon to the new resident and you may have just found yourself a new regular client.
More often than not you probably are suggesting things to your clients that they should purchase to help with either massage treatment therapies you are administering or maybe just to enhance the relaxation they are feeling while on your table. Make it easier for them! Arnica gel, lotions, aromatherapy oils, heating pads, ice packs, etc. can be stored in a very small area and you could sell them directly to your clients. You may even be able to make a small profit if you buy things in bulk or while they are on sale.* Your clients will be so much happier if they don't have to make an extra trip to buy something. Let's face it, most won't buy anything if that extra trip has to be made! Keep your clients happy. Happy clients equal repeat clients.
*You can also get into buying things wholesale, but that is a little more complicated. More on that topic later!
Offering gift certificates is an excellent way of increasing sales by solving your customers’ gift-giving problems. Be sure to have an eye-catching sign advertising "Gift Certificates Available". Tell undecided customers about it verbally, too, emphasizing the benefits of a gift certificate and how much their recipient will enjoy getting the gift of massage.
It’s important to keep a log of each gift certificate you sell. Keeping a record of each certificate sold will ensure that you don’t wind up honoring a counterfeit certificate or one with a changed dollar amount when someone comes to use it.
Yesterday, I was invited to join a peer group. Like minded bodyworkers who want to work together to build each other's businesses. I was so excited to learn that there were others in my community who thought that way and actually saw the value in working with each other instead of against each other. Even in the video on my home page I tell you that potential clients need to find you before the competition. You know what though? None of us are the expert in all the massage modalities. That would be impossible. So, I invite you to join a peer group. Learn to give a client who may be looking for Reiki to the Reiki expert in your group and let that therapist give you the contact they received who really wants the treatment that you offer. Everyone wins, both therapists and most importantly, the client.
Don't have peer group in your area? START ONE!!!! It isn't hard, list something in Yahoo groups or other similar group sites and get it started. Be the innovative therapist in your area.
Today's tip is going to be a little different. I would like you to tell me the biggest obstacle you have today in your business. Together we can work on figuring out solutions that will help you specifically and begin to develop a game plan for you alone. I will get back to everyone, so send (or call if that is easier for you) me your issues and together we will overcome them. It is time for you to be successful!
413-588-8137
Please feel free to contact me with your specific problems.
Your competitors plus all other advertisers are occasionally forced to cancel their ads just days before the publication goes to press. The good news for you is that newspapers won't allow big blank pages to be included in their printed issues. Identify the two or three newspapers you want your ads to run in this year and next. Call their sales representatives and invite them to lunch to discuss an advertising opportunity. Be honest that you're not currently in a position to be a regular advertiser but that you have an idea that can help them. Explain that you are willing to act quickly when their publication gets an inevitable last-minute cancellation. In return, you expect to pay a greatly diminished fee for the ad space. As a rule, you should offer to pay only one-fourth to one-tenth of the list price. Without your ad they will have to give that same space away for free to avoid running a blank page. Initially the sales rep may seem uninterested, but he or she is forced to find a last minute ad replacement, make sure YOU are the first person called to fill it.
This one may be hard advise for some of you to take. You have to believe that every hour you spend working as a massage therapist should yield the highest available dollar amount. For example, if you are spending an hour doing your own bookkeeping (and struggling because you aren't trained as a bookkeeper, so it takes you even longer than an hour) you may be wasting that hour. Think about it. What if the going rate for bookkeepers in your area is only $12 an hour. If you were seeing a client for $50 an hour while that bookkeeper was working for you, you would still be making $38 an hour. Try to hire or delegate things to other people, so you can focus on the client.
YOUTUBE. You've heard about it and most of you have probably watched some of the videos. How many of you actually have one? Did you know posting a youtube video can up your rankings on google and let clients find you faster. It isn't hard. No one is expecting you to win the Academy Awards, people, but they would like to see what you have to offer them. Take the time, videotape yourself explaining the benefits your potential clients will receive if they come to you. Show them how beautiful your massage room is. Even show them the steps necessary to ease that tennis elbow that has been troubling them. If I can do it, you can do it. Remember sometimes seeing is believing.
Some of you have contacted me with questions about your marketing efforts. One of the biggest problems that seems to be reoccurring is not acting on an idea because of the fear of failing. Don't be afraid to act. Your worse case scenario if you do act on your idea is it won't work, BUT you will learn something about your marketing efforts and it may even spark another idea that does work. If you stay in limbo and are afraid to commit to doing something chances are nothing will change. Don't be passive!!! If you need an ear to sort things out, just call or email me. Success sometimes means only one good idea. Start trying!
Always look for ways to incorporate your marketing materials into your daily routine. Including advertising material in other mailings, such as in invoices, saves postage and the cost of an extra envelope. You could even print the advertisement on the back of the invoice to save paper cost. Likewise, make the most of your point-of-purchase opportunities by tucking coupons, newsletters or other promotional fliers in the bag with customers' purchases.
Lately, everyone is talking about convenience....emails, enewsletters, ecards, even using the Internet to send einvitations to birthday parties or weddings!! Maybe, just maybe, you could stand out from the rest of the "epeople" and send a handwritten thank you to a new client for choosing you as their therapist or to show your appreciation to a client who has been receiving regular weekly massages for over a year now. Sometimes this personal touch can speak volumes. Try it.
Do you have an email account that allows potential clients to contact you? If so, do you take advantage of autoresponding? If a prospective client takes the time to send you their email, the least they can expect is a thank you from you emailed back to them. Perhaps, the next day, you could send them a coupon for new clients, the day after that a newsletter link, the day after that, well that is up to you. The point is you have begun to build a relationship with them. When this person decides to get a massage, who do you think they will schedule with? With an autoresponder, all this is done automatically for you for each new prospect!! Contact me with questions or type autoresponder in a search engine to learn more about how this service may work for you.
When is the last time you created a flier about your massage business? Did you get the predicted result of 2-3 people out of 100 who actually viewed it and became a client or at least contacted you to discuss becoming a client? You don't know? Well, it is worth your time to start tracking these sort of things. Once you know if you are getting results or not getting results, you can start designing 2 fliers with the same information to see which one will give you the higher number of clients. If flier A brings in 1 client, but flier B brings in 5 clients, well let's face it, you have a clear winner. Toss flier A and design flier C with the idea of it bringing in 7 clients. This system can work with ALL your marketing materials. Try different wordings, graphics, fonts, etc. and see what makes people call you. (Call or email me, if you want help with free design or tracking ideas!)
The other day I called a store I wanted to visit and was reminded by that interaction how important basic phone skills are. Remember that a client needs to know that they reached you. Answer with your name and place of business and ask how you can help. Listen to questions and don't talk over someone. Be sure they have finished speaking before you speak. If you must put someone on hold, don't place the phone on the counter and then start talking to someone else about something that may be inappropriate to the person you just put on "hold". Clearly, my interaction with the person on the phone didn't lead to a visit to his store from me and I am hoping none of you treat your clients this way when they call. Do remember though that the phone call may be the first interaction a person has with you. Make it a good one!
It pays to keep a close eye on your competitors. Using this work sheet can help you learn about what the massage market is like in your area and how you can tweak your business to take advantage of services that aren't available to the surrounding client base. Simply click the link below.
Have new special offers each month. Make sure that every client is presented with these offers with emails, letters/postcards, posters or fliers in your waiting area, attached to their invoice, etc. and on your web site. Every month has something to celebrate or an event to promote. Use your imagination to come up with a new idea or use your search engines to type in "September events" (or October to start formulating next month's ideas). You will probably be surprised by the amount of things you will find.
Every lead that you get is important and should be treated that way. If someone makes an effort to contact you or if you meet someone and they show interest in massage don't expect that they will schedule immediately. It is up to you to follow up with them regularly, to build credibility and to educate them on what you offer. Did you know it takes at least 7 contacts to convert a prospect to a client- and most people give up after 2? Put their email on your email marketing list and follow up with them over the phone as well. If you are getting regular leads it can be difficult to track the follow up process. Some type of follow up management process is an important tool for every massage business that is focused on growth. You can either create one for yourself or you may want to consider investing in one such as ACT or Salesforce.
You have probably heard about attraction marketing. All it really boils down to is this.. if you stop viewing your marketing as a way for people to buy sessions from you and instead explore how your promotions could actually help them solve some of their problems (pain, stress, injury, etc.) you might experience two wonderful things. One, because promoting yourself will become a natural extension of what you already love doing, which is helping your clients solve their problems with massage - you will enjoy spending more time and effort working on marketing your business and two, your phone will actually start ringing. Need some ideas? Contact me!
Collect great ads to get ideas from. I'm not saying to plagiarize or steal someone's designs, of course. What I am saying is that larger companies hire high priced designers and writers to come up with perfect marketing materials. If you start collecting ads and other promotional items that grab you, you will probably start noticing the things in those ads that stand out. What colors are used? What fonts are used? How are the graphics used? Start paying attention to these details and then design materials based on these principals.
Today's tip is quick, but I think important to understand. It costs much less money to keep an existing client happy than it does to advertise for a new client. Keep your existing client base loving you and your massages. Go that extra mile to keep them coming back.
Do you have a system that allows you to keep your day organized to make sure you get everything you need to get done accomplished? It can be as ambitious as one of those Stephen Covey organizers (wonderfully thought out!) or something as simple as a notebook and pencil. I use a mixture of the notebook, post its and a day planner. The important thing to remember is it is pretty much impossible to keep everything needed to run and GROW a business in your head. Between seeing clients, writing SOAP notes, returning phone calls, answering emails, laundry, keeping up with supplies, etc. (the list is endless) you have to be sure to dedicate time to finding new clients. Take the time to develop a system that works for you and it will pay off tremendously in the long run.
Today's tip comes Stacey Hall. "It takes at least 33 contacts a year with each customer for them to feel loved. Some ideas: follow-up on last appointment, birthday cards, announcing loyal customer programs, etc." Think about that number. That means contacting each of your clients on average 3 times a month. Nothing makes a person feel more connected to you than knowing you took time out of your day to reach out to them directly. Thanks for the tip, Stacey.
Okay people it is time to get obsessed! I want you to throw yourself into your marketing efforts. The more this is on your mind, the more marketing books you will read, the more marketing seminars you will attend , the more Internet ideas you will find. It would also be a great time to look around your neighborhood at the businesses that are remaining strong. What is it about them that makes them so attractive to clients?
In your local area find a chiropractor, personal trainer, hairdresser, tanning salon and other service related professionals. Ask these professionals if you can send them new prospects. Of course, they will say yes! Then ask them if they would be willing to give the new prospects a free service (ie, free haircut, free spinal evaluation, free fitness session, etc) Explain that the prospect could also become a new client for them, if they like the services they provide.Once you get the okay, produce gift certificates of these free services and give them to any new client that would like to get their massage with you. Who wouldn't want to get a massage with you if you are offering a package deal that includes $200+ of free gifts? You get the benefit of a new client, get paid for your session and the ability to hand out a huge gift bag for FREE!!
Robin Streit sent me this tip. She is currently studying to be a massage therapist. Thanks, Robin!!
"Organize free events for a good cause - you make a nice sum of money for a good cause, you get your name out there, and people respect you!" Good advice from Robin. Community events, weekly farmers markets, athletic events, etc. are all great supporters of on site volunteers. You can contact the organizers of these events directly and pursue how you can best be of service. This works wonders to build connections. Another approach to volunteer your time. Offer your services in a monthly talk or class at another practitioner's thriving office. This is yet another wonderful opportunity to network with like-minded professionals!
Want to make a client feel extra special and get yourself noticed by other prospective clients? Send your client flowers or a gift basket to their place of work for their birthday or other special occasion. Think how wonderfully special your client will feel and know that their coworkers will want to know where the gift came from. Your name will be mentioned and you will be remembered when they need a massage therapist!
Because I firmly believe you should treat your existing clients like gold, take the time to prove to them how important they are to you. Everyone loves to be asked their opinion, so ask your clients from time to time with how your business is doing overall. Ask them if there is anything you should consider changing to make your business more favorable to their needs. Then, take the time to actually make those changes for them. Just another way to build a good relationship with your clients and keep them coming back to you.
Set up a twitter account to let your existing client base know of a last minute opening or of a upcoming special. Visit www.twitter.com to start your own account and then tell clients that you are using twitter in your next newsletter with a link for them to join. You can even post a link on your web site and emails.
This tip may take a little planning, but if you start now, by December, you should be able to produce a 2010 calendar to hand out to your existing client base. Most people do use these and that will keep you in plain sight all year long. Be sure to include monthly specials (maybe even a few massage facts and statistics to spice things up) that they can benefit from along with your logo and contact info.
People can't help themselves when it comes to freebies. If you are handing them out at your booth at a function, people will flock to you because they can't wait to pick up their own freebie. When they do, you can talk to them about your business and how you can help them live a pain free/stress free existense. If you're just sitting there handing out brochures, you will find that most people will pass you by. They don't want to be sold to, but they do want your tiny gift.
Have you ever considered offering chair massage to corporations in your area? You should! Let prospective businesses know that chair massage can keep their employees productive, energetic and feeling good about themselves and their careers. Tell them that a good massage is a wonderful perk that leaves employees feeling great. Explain that the money invested in massage will easily pay for itself with increased productivity and positive attitudes.
There is a saying that goes something like this. You are an accumulation of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Who you are with can elevate you as much as it can bring you down. It is important to think about this because if you aren't necessarily building the type of massage business you want, maybe it has to do with the company you keep. Do you spend most of your time with pessimists who never have any thing positive to contribute or optimists that are driven and filled with enthusiasm? Start keeping track and make changes accordingly. You deserve to be successful.
Start a VIP club for your clients. People love to belong to special groups. Get your cross promoting really working, by creating an insiders club. Identify those who have become customers of both your business and the business you are currently cross promoting with and make them part of a special group that will receive exclusive specials and offers. You could even create custom cards that identify their club status. Continually try to add other businesses to the mix to add further value to the VIP card.
I wish I could tell you that there is one secret formula to make your business run successfully, but there isn't. There are literally hundreds of thousands of how to ebooks on line and even more info in the library and local bookstore. I'm sure you even get advise from family and friends. What I do know is, in running your own massage business, it will soon become apparent you can’t do it all alone. Begin to develop the tools and systems you’ll need to make your business run productively and efficiently. Force yourself to think differently about your skills and abilities and accept that sometimes getting help may be the best possible tactic to make your massage business profitable .
Want to start a blog, but don't think you have anything to say? Here are some ideas to inspire you to give your clients a reason to visit your page.
- Sharing your expertise on massage
- What a typical day is like running a massage business
- Interviews with people in your area who are in professions that compliment massage, ex. chiropractic
I'm sure you will be able to come up with many more. The point is, it is important to keep your clients interested enough to keep checking your site so that you stay on their minds.
Host a seminar in your area and get some free, well, almost free, publicity. You or other business owners that compliment massage therapy can begin to give weekly seminars in each others' place of business. Take turns giving "classes" about the benefits of each of the businesses involved. Hand out coupons you print and collect contact info from all attendees. Market your event in your newsletter and the newsletters that your complimentary business owners have and on a free search engine event calendar such as the one at Yahoo. (At least send out an email to all existing emails and request that they bring a friend to gain access to the free coupon you are handing out.)
Want to make it easier for your clients to book sessions with you? Consider offering them the option to set up their own appointments on your website. I am not affiliated with Appointment Plus in anyway, but I do feel they make the set up very easy for you. Visit this link to learn more and see if it might help you bring in more clients because of this added convenience.
Keep it simple!! Can you explain in two sentences or less what you can do for prospective clients in a way that they could understand and remember? Do you think 3 days from now they would remember what you said clearly enough that they could explain it back to another person? If not, take the time to find the words necessary to express yourself effectively. Don't lose a client because you are caught off guard and start babbling. They will lose interest and you will lose a valuable opportunity.
Sometimes being quiet is a good thing. Engage your clients by following the 70/30 rule. This means they should be talking 70 percent of the time, while you're talking only 30 percent of the time. Now, I'm not implying you should be passive. You should always remain in control by being assertive and asking plenty of good questions. By asking questions, you will inevitability cause the client to ask you questions. This is your time to shine and to educate your client with information that is relevant to his/her situation. This can be a little tricky at first and does take some practice to learn and perfect.
Try to collect 25-100 emails per month from the people that cross your path. Ask everyone that you come in contact with that you would like to add their email to your email list and that you will reward them with a monthly newsletter on massage therapy and wellness. It is also important to add an email opt-in form on your website with an incentive based opt-in, such as an ebook about the 10 top ways to reduce stress (one being getting a massage of course). If your email list is built over time to several thousand, it is unlikely you would have to use many other type of advertising to have a successful business.
Are you letting people know what your web site address is? Place it on everything so that people can find you!
- letterhead
- business cards
- e-mail signatures
- promotional items you give away
- press releases
- your car
- any place else that is visible by potential clients
Hey don't take this personally, because it probably doesn't apply to you, but.......please understand that all the marketing in the world won't make you retain clients if your massages aren't up to par. Take the time to continue to upgrade your technique by attending classes and seminars. Trust me, you didn't learn everything in school. Also do surverys from time to time to check in with how your massages are measuring up. (Don't do this with family and friends, because they may not be your best critics. Ask another therapist or a first time client for their opinion.)
Use Online discussion groups to your advantage. Posting and responding is a no cost way to send clients to your website. Search for groups in your area that are dealing with chronic pain or stress and remind them how massage can be beneficial to both these problems. Don't post your contact info or link in the body of the message, that is usually against the rules. You can however, add it to your signature file (a description of who you are and what you do).
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Send your client a Thanksgiving card to thank them for being such a loyal customer. It will probably be the first card they receive as this holiday filled time begins, so it won't get lost and forgotten in the pile of the other ones they are going to receive.
If you have your own massage space there are obviously hours during the week that you aren't physically using it. There are a few ways that the space could be making you money. One is having another therapist rent your room from you on your off hours. Charge the therapist a percentage of her hourly rate or decide on a flat fee. Decide up front if you will provide supplies. (Be sure to check with your insurance provider for any additional coverage you may need.)
With our holiday season just around the corner, it is time to step up and take care of those less fortunate. Consider hosting a food drive at your place of business and donate the food to a local food bank or other charity who can distribute it to needy families. Be sure to offer any client who brings a food item a discount on their next visit or gift certificate purchase. (It wouldn't hurt to write up an article to let the local newspapers and television stations that you are doing this....might bring you some extra publicity.)
Nothing is more frustrating than putting a call in to someone to schedule an appointment and no one ever calls back to help you out. If a potential or existing client takes the time to call you to schedule an appointment, call him or her back promptly!! This should hold true if the client emailed you instead of using the telephone. This person thinks enough of you to put their trust into your ability to get them out of pain or relieve their stress. Show them the same respect by getting back to them in a timely fashion. Wait too long and they will be calling someone else.
There is nothing more flattering to clients than to have their therapist know exactly where they left off during the last session. You should always review your SOAP notes , but by briefly reviewing what the last session accomplished and what you plan to accomplish in your next session, you will have a much better chance of really engaging clients and making them feel like they are a part of a well thought out, professional program. It doesn't hurt to keep little side notes about your clients, too. If they mention they have a nephew's birthday party coming up, it would make them feel great if you asked how it was next time you saw them.
Change of seasons, change of your regular massage menu. I live in New England. Right now, the weather is going from 30-70 degrees in less than 12 hours. The grass is covered everyday with leaves falling out of the trees and we need to put away the summer stuff so that the 3 foot snow piles won't ruin it. What kind of massage do I need? One that will relieve tired muscles and get me mentally prepared for the winter ahead. What would make that massage special...hot stones, cup of cider before or after the treatment, a scented oil that smells like fall (think apples or pumpkin pie)? Take the time to create a seasonal massage special for your menu. I know some of you don't have the seasons as strongly as I do, but I bet you can come up with something creative for your clients.
Lots of people have facebook pages now. There is a good chance you are reading this tip because you linked to it from one of my facebook pages. This, of course, means you must have a facebook page, too. Are you using facebook to promote your business in anyway? A quick way is to ask your existing client base if they would mind posting a quick testimonial about how wonderful their last massage session was with you. If you have 5 clients who would be willing to do this for you (and why wouldn't they, you give them your best every time you see them, right?) and they each have 100 friends, you received potentially 500 new people learning about you for FREE! There are other ways to use facebook, too, join the clique to learn them all.
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and almost without fail I choose the vampire to dress as. With that thought in mind, consider hosting a blood drive. Contact the media (newspapers, tv news, radio, ect.) have 1-2 banners up with your website information and also have business cards or flyers at the sign in table. Everyone loves to do their part to help the community and giving blood is an easy way to do that. Your practice will be seen to a whole range of new potential clients.
You know me well enough by now to know that I believe taking care of your existing client base is your number one priority. So today's tip is quick and easy. One, be sure to remind your clients 24 hours in advance that they have a scheduled appointment with you and two, call them the next day to see how they are feeling. Two simple things that make a client feel extra special.
Are you making it easy for your clients to pay you? In this day and age it is easier than ever to accept all major credit cards. Many people take advantage of the perks that credit cards give them, (for example frequent flyer miles) and actually choose to use their credit card all the time to earn the maximum points and then pay off the balance at the end of the month. Don't lose a client by only accepting cash or personal checks. Be sure to advertise the fact that you will take all major credit cards in all your promotional materials.
Need a quick way to get people's contact info for future marketing? Have a contest. Offer a holiday stress relief gift basket that includes a massage gift certificate from your business as a prize and make the sign up requirement be their name, address, phone number and email. Try to get other local businesses to add items to your basket for free by offering to mention their business in the contest promo flyer.
I have seen this tip in a variety of locations, but it is a good idea. Take your business cards and head to every library or book store in your city and find the section that relates to massage therapy and holistic health. Place your business card somewhere in all the books. Maybe take the time to add an extra to this group of business cards, such as, "Congrats, this card entitles you to an extra 30 minutes when you purchase an hour massage treatment." This will put you directly in contact with clients looking for massage therapy information. It only costs you a few dollars and a couple of hours of your time. (Or someone else's if you hire them for $10/hour. Remember if you are seeing a client while someone is doing this for you, you are still making money.)
Maybe you don't think being a massage therapist would give you any reason to have a blog. WRONG!! Small businesses can use their blogs to keep clients informed about openings in the schedule or upcoming specials they offer. Make it clear to your clients that they will ONLY get these special offers by reading your blog, so you’ll constantly gain readers. The more readers the higher your website will rank on search pages and the easier for new clients to find you.
