Advertising Yourself

[Fancypants]

I work for an established massage business with a long-running reputation that does hundreds of massages per week. Most of their advertising is word-of-mouth, but they do some promotions throughout the year. There are over 20 therapists on staff throughout the year.

Though this is enough to keep most of us busy, I took it a step further. Early on, I approached my employer about advertising myself to pull clients in to see ME at the business. She was pleasantly surprised that I didn't simply expect her to provide all of my clients, and has pretty much given me free reign to promote my services under her roof. It has worked great; I am consistently busy and she is making money. Better yet, I am better known in my area than many therapists that have been practicing longer. Hence, I am becoming a go-to person for those seeking competent therapeutic massage.

For those of you working as an employee, what do you do to advertise yourself? Do you simply count on the business to bring in clientele, or are you taking an active role in building your business?

 

[FLOW]

If you're so good at body work and networking (and I have no doubt that you are good at both) why do you even need to work for anyone else? You'd make much more on your own. Why make money for someone else? I've always made 100% of what I charge. I bet you could do that as well. Trust me, it's a lot more fun.

 

[Holly T]

For right now, it's a LOT less paperwork and I can simply focus on continuing ed and improving my skills. Besides, the massage room at home is usually being used by my significant other; she went into business for herself right out of school, and we don't have any more rooms.

 

[IVY]

For those of you working as an employee, what do you do to advertise yourself? Do you simply count on the business to bring in clientele, or are you taking an active role in building your business?

Because my focus is on building my private practice, I don't generally go above and beyond my contract in IC situations. I prefer to spend any advertising/creative time and energy on building private clientele.

 

[Worldemperor]

Advertising Yourself

It has worked great; I am consistently busy and she is making money. Better yet, I am better known in my area than many therapists that have been practicing longer. Hence, I am becoming a go-to person for those seeking competent therapeutic massage.

JasonE,
This may require a different thread; but you just can't post a statement like that and not expect some of us to want details.

I'd love to hear some of the marketing you did to increase your client base and get your name out there.

Brian

 

[Maira]

:iagree: We want details!!!
So far (in my private practice) I have done mostly word of mouth promos. I hand out business cards to anyone and everyone (including bank tellers) and have posted some up in local coffee shops. I also have done local health fairs to increase business. They have brought me a few clients, but mostly I just like to get out there and mingle and give a few chair massages while I am at it.
What have you done?

 

[Deacon]

Uh-oh, didn't expect this... :shock:

I don't think anything I've done is revolutionary. I just noticed early on that some therapists at the business were booked solid all the time while most of the others just kinda hoped for the best. It was obvious that being booked solid was more likely if people asked for me by name when they called to make appointments.

Since I hadn't been practicing long, I needed to get my name out there. My employer was surprised when I approached her, as no other therapist that had ever worked for her (in 25 years) had (she claims) taken the lead to promote themselves as actively as I intended to. She immediately gave me permission to make and distribute my own business cards (rather than use her generic cards), just so long as I had the business name and contact info on my cards. I started distributing these cards and some $5 discount cards she had for the business, with my name on those as well. I actively provided my card(s) to the people I treated, and asked them to contact me directly if they had questions. I also invited them to give the discount cards to anyone else they knew that could use the kind of work I did.

My cards have my cell phone # and my web site address. The people I treat know that I am also an athletic trainer, and this often opens dialogues about daily habits that gives me more insite into their conditions. I invite them to check out my web site so they can see my full credentials and learn more about my background. Of course, they can refer this info to others that may be interested.

I have done chair massage events (paid and unpaid), at both private and business events. I use the treatment time to talk to the receivers and educate them on how they might benefit from table massage. Shutting up and being quiet through a 5-minute chair massage seems like a huge wasted opportunity, so I use it to help them in more than one way. I adjust my speech patterns, tone, and pace for the clients so they relax while we chat, and before they know it the treatment is over, they feel better, and yet they've learned a few things that might help them over the long run. I give all of them my card(s) and invite them to visit my web site. I also have a little sign up for watchers to read, and invite them to take cards too.

When not giving a chair massage treatment, I talk to those nearby. Even if they don't want a massage right now, they could probably use one later, or know someone who does. Kids are also welcome on my chair if a parent/guardian is right there watching. Then I talk to both parent and child during the massage. Since people at chair massage events only stick around a short time, I often find myself repeating several simple, clear messages about massage, health, and the body to many different people. I don't rehearse them, but find myself going back to several fundamental points that help them understand the type of massage I am providing at that event, while suggesting the potential benefits of more in-depth treatment.

In some ways, this is not unlike the "spinal evaluations" you see chiros doing in some malls or other high-traffic areas. They provide a minor service while educating you on how regular treatment will provide a greater benefit.

Though I can provide a very nice relaxation massage, my focus has primarily been on treatment of complex problems like migraines, musculoskeletal problems, and so forth. Many people with chronic pain understand that it will probably take multiple treatments to resolve a problem. I let my employers and our receptionists know that I welcome the challenges of those problems, and some "challenging" clients started getting referred to me. When chatting with my work colleagues, I like to discuss difficult cases, and some have started referring clients to me when they feel something is "beyond them" or whatever. :roll: I don't have all the answers, but I do like researching stuff in my growing library to improve my treatment efficacy. If I know a condition is likely to show up in my treatment schedule soon, I read up on it ahead of time and try to be prepared.

When clients see me for the first time, I take extra time to do an intake, even if it throws me off schedule. The extra care up front pays big later, as I will be better equipped to handle their concerns and they are more likely to trust my judgement. I also ask more questions during the first few treatments, to better understand what I am feeling vs what they are experiencing. As I learn my way around their body, I become more efficient and they become more comfortable discussing symptoms and such. After each treatment, I take a few minutes to provide water, discuss how they feel, what to expect over the next few days, etc. I make sure they have my contact info and invite them to call or e-mail with any questions or concerns.

During treatments, I may explain an anatomical or physiological fact or principle (in layman's terms) so the client can better understand what is happening in their body. Most of my clients welcome this, and tell me that few (if any) of their prior therapists ever bothered to do so. This builds further trust, and has resulted in many referrals of friends, family, etc.

Sometimes, I get health pros (MDs, DCs, PTs, etc) on my table. Most initiate a level of professional dialogue at some point, usually in response to the questions I am asking about what they are feeling. These dialogues are generally very interesting and productive (I learn cool stuff too), but the majority of it is usually them grilling me on what I know. Most are surprised by the level of anatomy and physiology detail I use to answer their questions, and by my candor when I simply don't know. These conversations have lead to MANY referrals from medical pros, so I guess my answers have generally been okay so far.

I have visited a number of business networking groups, but have yet to join any. These are great opportunities to get your name out there and form productive relationships with other people that know people. Some of these one-time visits have resulted in interesting opportunities and in referrals. (I know some therapists swear by networking groups.) I'd probably join one if I needed to grow a new business rapidly.

As a personal trainer and yoga teacher, I talk to MANY people who have problems. These people are generally thinking about their health and would like to be in less pain. I provide these services in a different suburb than where I provide massage, but some choose to make the drive. If not me, I always offer to recommend other good MTs that I feel can help them. When I attend martial arts, dance, continuing ed, or other classes, I talk to people about the health issues that come up in conversation... and of course some ways bodywork may help them.

My web site is primarily oriented towards training, and it is primarily advertised via fitness-related web sites and online journals. However, it can be found on the AMTA MT locator service and some other search engines.

I have also volunteered massage services at some events like Grandma's Marathon. Though that event was far from my home area, many participants came from that area too. Knowing a good MT is like gold to some athletes, and I welcome the opportunity to work on athletic performance issues as well. Participating in such events is also gold, as you can talk to the other athletes and knowledgeably provide information about bodywork and how it may help them as well. Running a simple 10K race has done a world of good for my credibility with runners, though I freely admit my competitive experience is limited. My past experience in swing dancing has helped me with many types of dancers, my experience in submission wrestling has helped me with many types of martial artists, ... you can see where I'm going with this. I give people a little background about myself that helps them relate to me, or at least helps them realize that I am trying to understand their particular needs. This gets me business too.

I have been pursuing CECs and amassed 65+ this year, with more to come in December and January. I sometimes tell clients about the courses I am about to take, or about the ones I just completed. They often ask questions and are interested in whether something in the course could help them. They are also happy to hear that I am actively working to improve my knowledge base for their benefit, and I tease them that "It's too bad I can't raise my rates." : It doesn't hurt to remind them of the value of my services. The cost of my treatments is the same as any other therapist at my place of employment, but no other MT there can do all of the things I do.

That pretty much covers the majority of what I've done. I don't mess with online chats, Craigslist, or the like. I utilize online forums on a very limited basis simply because it's very hit-or-miss compared to direct contact and providing a real service. I love talking to people and giving them information that helps them become healthier. It's my bread and butter, and in-person is more effective for me than anything I've done remotely.

 

[sharpz]

Oh yeah, I also work on other MTs. I prefer payment over swaps, as it's easier to schedule and puts food on the table. Many MTs see me to learn more about the work I do, or because their "usual person" isn't doing much good. So far I've been getting very good feedback, and a few referrals.

Whenever possible, I treat my colleagues at work, where I can offer a reduced rate for employees. These opportunities help them understand my approach and (so far) have boosted my rep and triggered more referrals. I am a strong believer in matching clients to the therapist best able to help them, and am not shy about referring clients to some other therapists as appropriate, so it's not a one-way street.

Enough on me, now. What are the rest of you doing? What more do you think you could do? How can you improve on the way you do what you do?

 

[WilliamJ]

Very interesting! Thank you for the information! If I come across any other ways to promote, I will let you know. But thanks for the info, it will help me hone my skills at promoting, and keeping clientel.