Tips For Starting Up A Home Massage Business

If you have just graduated as a Massage Therapist and want to start up your practice from home here are some ways you get started...

First of all, let me say that starting from home is an excellent way to keep overhead costs down, build up a solid client base in the control of your own environment and there are no traveling times to and from work.

Before I give you these important directions to follow lets look at this first, otherwise you won’t be able to do anything: The hardest thing about getting starting is developing momentum. This factor is so underestimated. It’s very easy to sit back and say “it’s all too hard” and rely on clients to come to you without any effort. It can be hard because you have to be very self motivated and be willing to put the time in to start this momentum.

So what are some ways to make this “gaining momentum” easier?

Write down in a special book (blank) that every day you will commit to a minimum of at least one hour dedicated to the pursuit of getting clients. If you work better with routine, then say to yourself “okay everyday, Monday to Friday, between 10 am and 11am I am going to work actively at getting clients.”

See how that feels already? Already you have formed a picture in your mind of yourself actually doing that. That picture can grow into reality and form into your life. That mental image is the basis of getting what you want. It’s very important.

The next thing to do is to have a very clear picture in your mind of what you want to be experiencing. In your special book (I call this my “inspiration book” its really a business planning book, but you can call it whatever name works to get you going) you can then ask yourself a question:

What are some of the ways I can start getting clients today?

Your response might be “contact the local Physical Therapy Center and introduce myself, and leave a brochure or flyer there.” It’s a small gesture but it might lead to something else later.Make sure though, that the clients you want to treat actually go to the Physical Therapy Center. No point marketing yourself where your potential clients have no intention of going. I want to make that point as clear as the palm of your hand.

The next thing to do is to make sure you follow up and follow up with these people or places you contact. It’s SO important to keep tabs on what your results are from your contact so that you know what’s getting you clients and what is not.

There is no point contacting a swimming center over and over again over a 4 month time frame, and leaving brochures there if you get absolutely no clients from that. There’s no sense “flogging a dead horse” as the saying goes.

This is why you must keep tabs. All you have to do for this is to write in your special book how many times you have contacted them over what period of time and whether you got any response from the swim center or not. If you did special offers and incentives to the swim center over a 6 month period, and gave your “all” and got absolutely nothing back, move on.

If you contacted the Physical Therapist a few times and had two clients from them and those clients came back and referred you other clients over a six month period, to compare, then you know that source is a good source to work on. Perhaps then you can contact the Therapist with a thank you card and some incentive for them to keep referring you their clients. It might be free massage, it might be something else. Whatever it is, make sure you do it and give them something they will like. There is no point rewarding them for the business they have given you with a nice bottle of white wine if they dislike alcohol! Just find out from their receptionist or colleague first. It’s just a bit of sneaky detective work that will go along way.

When do you stop your daily hour commitment to getting clients? You never actually stop working on your massage business to get clients, you’ll always be doing it. That’s just business and if you’ve been in it for as long as I have (since 1994) or for twenty minutes you must realise that the act of marketing is just as important as the massage itself.

The more you build up the busier you will be and that time you spend may go from one hour a day to three hours a week, but whatever time it is, make should you do it and commit to it.

Don’t worry if you take a bit of time to actually gain this momentum, just make sure you commit to it and follow through. Because the thing about starting to take action like this is actually making a promise to yourself and, on a personal level, enhancing your self esteem as well.

My best wishes to you,

Amy Roberts

www.massagetherapymarketingsuccess.com

Test Your Marketing Message In Your Massage Therapy Business

As a self employed Massage Therapist I’ve had to really learn what it means to market myself. And if you are in the same boat as me you’ll know what I mean. Being a self employed Therapist means you are in the serious business of helping people. And getting your marketing message right will make or break your massage practice. Your marketing message is the message you are getting across to your potential clients. It’s the theme of what you say in your newspaper ad or flyer. For example your main message might be lower back pain relief. What you tell your potential clients about this is your ‘marketing message’.

One way you can check to see if your marketing message is right is to directly see the results when you do marketing. In simple terms this means if your ads work then your message is right.

But really is that it? Well okay, not really, there’s a bit more to it.

It seems simple enough; but don’t forget to test your results. What this means is that you must try a few different ‘messages’ in your marketing to really know what works and what doesn’t. Don’t just stick to one thing in your marketing of your massage business and get comfortable.

You see my question to you is that how do you know how successful you can be unless you try a few different things first? If you created one marketing message about how deep tissue treatment helps back pain, how would you know if that other idea you toyed with will work better? That’s why I suggest you try a few different marketing messages and see what works.

Don’t spend too much money on your marketing. It’s not necessary- there are many ways to market your massage practice without breaking the bank. Maybe what you can do first is to arrange three different marketing messages and try each one over a period of about 6 months. And then see which one works best.

I’ve always done this even when my marketing has been incredibly successful. Why? Because I wanted to learn what my potential client market responded to, wanted and felt more comfortable with the most. It’s so important to create successful marketing for the short and long term aspect of our massage businesses so that we learn and learn well.

The key factor to the success of your practice is to market well, and behind marketing well comes knowledge of what works and who you are marketing to. You must know what they want, how they want it, etc. By knowing these things you will be well on your way to a constantly full appointment book, a feeling of security and an immense satisfaction in this beautiful profession.

Good luck!

Amy Roberts

A Way To Get New Clients Back In Your Massage Therapy Business

Last week I spoke about energy and a positive attitude and this week I will share with you a little secret that helped keep clients coming back. This helped me turn new clients into regular clients.

After each massage I used to ask them if they wanted to book in again. Most of them said yes.

This "asking-for-another-session" method of client retention was spoken at the right time. As you know now one of the key elements to getting new clients is catching them when the time is right for them. There are quite a few ways to know when to do that as asking them if they want to rebook for another session is another method.

The reason why this works is because of the following:

You are fresh in their mind as to what great feelings they are experiencing. Asking them right then and there if they want to experience this again is the opportune time to gain their business back again. As soon as they have gotten off the table, got dressed you can simply ask;

"How do you feel?"

Most people will say; "good."

And you can say; "would you like to book another treatment?"

Or they might say; "when do you think I should have another one?"

Be honest. If they have hectic lives and are stretched for time for example, acknowledge that and respond accordingly. "Well you have some tightness in your shoulder area that does need work. If you came back next week (whatever time you feel they should) you will be really starting to get rid of that pain and your tension headaches should be a lot better. I recommend having 8 weekly treatments for a while, I'll get you to a stage where you have significant reduction in your tension headaches and then you can tell me when you want to come. We can then maintain the relaxed state of your shoulders and neck by coming once a month. How does that sound?"

By responding like this, you will be demonstrating that you do want to get them better. And being a Massage Therapist you should indeed be as genuine as you say. It's not good to respond with "Oh you should come whenever you can afford it."

That's really negative. Not only does that negate your positive energy as a business person, but it brings the focus back onto money, which massage is not. Massage is about healing. THEY will work out if they can afford it or not, that's not your job. Your job is to get them to come back to help them heal and increase good business for you.

I did this so many times and so many times people said yes.

Now not all your clients will come back. And that's ok. Let them go. But you will find if you open your heart and mind to asking for what you want, it will be provided for you. And it all starts with a simple question; "Do you want to make another booking?"

Good luck as always.

Amy

Have You Got What "It" Takes For A Massage Therapy Business?

There is something that I want to share with you about your massage practice. It’s something that is not spoken about very much in the industry yet it’s an essential thing to your success as a sole practising massage therapist in business for themselves.

You see my friend, not every Massage Therapist will actually make it. A lot of therapists will fail and fall out of the game at an early stage due to this factor. Oh yes, they will blame it on the economy or "bad times" or a "quiet period in business" as the reasons they can't make it work. Heck, some, who have not understood this unspoken factor, will even blame it on competition as the reason why their practises don't take off. But in fact it's something else... Sure these external things can affect business but not in the way you think. Not as much as you would think.

So let me ask you this: Can you speak comfortably with someone you have never met before, as though they were your friend of ten years? Do you love it when the phone rings? Do you always keep your massage room sparkling clean? You see all these factors will make you more appealing to clients who are coming to you for the very first time.

Massage Therapy is completely a relationship business. Your ability to build client relationships and loyalty is your personality. You need to be gentle and listen; you need to be considerate, polite and always keep good energy.

What do I mean by "good energy"? I am referring to a good attitude that spills out onto others so they can't help be affected by your happiness. Not only will they get a good massage, but they will feel good just by being in your presence. Grumpiness has no place in a massage room.

They will feel listened to, care about, valued and respected. Do you think a client who feels like this will tell others about you? You bet they will! Maintaining a good client base is dependant on your ability to communicate well with your clients. Clients will appreciate and value YOU in return. That respect that you show them, along with a good massage that helps them, will give you the right ingredients for getting more client through word of mouth, and keep the ones you've got for years to come.

I’m not saying you have to be "UP" all the time. It’s not about being someone you are not. It’s a matter of being positive. And letting that positivity shine through and infect your clients.

Because life is far from perfect, what can help you tap into this reserve of happiness within you is to feel your passion for massage therapy. By feeling strongly and passionately about your massage business you will find that many things just come to you more easily then before. Passion ignites happiness and determination to stay on track. So if you are having a bad day, or clients aren't coming, remember your passion to refocus on the direction you need to go in.

And let that happiness out.

Best wishes,
Amy Roberts

www.massagetherapysuccess.com
www.massagetherapymarketingsuccess.com