Frustrated

[Star Fairy]

Please tell me that this gets better!!!  I feel as though I've bounced around from job to job since I graduated almost a year ago and the place I'm at now, yes, it's a nice place to say that I work at, upscale, expensive, etc., but I'm being pressured to get repeat clients (I've been there 4 months) and I know this doesn't happen overnight, but I'm not making as much as the other therapists there because of this fact.  And the more I work there the more I realize that I don't want to do relaxation massage only, and I feel as though I'm limited there.  I'm taking time today to send letters/resumes out to physical therapy offices as I am going to go to school for PTA in the fall because I want to do more therapeutic work, but I'm so afraid of failing at massage as a career and have to go back to a 'regular' job, which is why I got into massage in the first place, because everyone says "oh, there's so much money in it, blah blah blah" but sometimes I want to cry because it's such a struggle.  I have clients that I see in their homes, which I plan on building more and more so I don't have to work for someone else, but I'm just having a bit of a meltdown right now because I feel as though nothing is going right.  Has anyone felt like this and when does it go away and get better?   :'(

 

[Kazandra]

Please don't get down....I have been there and done that too.  I graduated in Feb of '02 and have worked at 3 other places before I opened my own room in a hair salon.  This is working for me, but that doesn't mean it will be a good thing forever.  I was told that it will take you anywhere from 3-5 yrs to establish a good clientele and that in that amount of time, if you stick in the same area, people will begin hearing about you and follow you no matter what.  I am sure you were told in school that you will attract a clientele much like yourself and no therapist is for everyone.  There has to be a connection between client and therapist for it to work.  One piece of advice I can give you is this...if you got into massage for the money, you did it for the wrong reason.  For a while that was somewhat my focus too, but let me tell you...as soon as I started giving to my people from the heart, it all changed.  I was told by one of my regulars that..."You are a much better therapist than Sarah (the other girl that works where I do), she just isn't really into it like you are...her heart isn't in it."  That made all the difference to me.  I am not a religious person, but very spiritual and I try to make a point before every person I work on, to sit for a couple of minutes and pray to God and my angels to help me give this client whatever it may be that they need from me and help me send them off feeling much better than when they arrived.  It really, really works!Best of luck and keep us updated on how it is going.  Hugs!~Deb~

 

[Skater dudette]

The advice I give new therapists is to work in as many places and in as many environments as humanly possible the first few years.  So you are right on track and are finding out where exactly you want to be.I agree that part of the issue in retaining clients may be the heart.  If your heart isn't into serving the people in your present place of work, then you won't attract the people who will want to be served by you.For years I owned a walk-in chair massage and foot massage business.  For much of that time I hated working there because I thought that the work was not clinical enough for me...how could a quick massage possibly help anything, was my attitude.  Then a very wise person made me see that the purpose of my work there was to learn how to embrace and accept each person who walked through the door and not repel them.  Then I understood that healing can happen in an instant regardless of the kind of work I am doing.  I still enjoy the more clinical aspects of massage, as opposed to general relaxation or quick 10 minute treatments, but the vehicle really doesn't matter as much as how you open yourself to the service of others.  Once that happens you have the ability to go anywhere and do anything.

 

[Nacho-Nick]

reba627,I had a lovely response to your post... really detailed and full of quotes. Unfortunately it was "To long" and when I went back to shorten it as they requested. The Bulletin Board ATE it.   :'(   :'(   :'(I'll try to give you the gist of it here.1. "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."  Care about your clients... establish a rapport.  See, Michael LeBoeuf's Book, "How to Win Customers and Keep them for Life." People only buy for 2 reasons, feelings and solutions to problems. Which reason to buy are you?  Provide exceptional service. As we've learned here on the board what other MT do... bottled water, a chocolate on the pillow... little touches that say, "I Care," and set you apart in your client's mind.2. Who is "pressuring you to get repeat clients?" And why do they think they have the right to do that?  As for repeat clients. It took me a long time to figure that one out as well. Some of us have "issues" with money anyway. First, Look inside and see if that could be a problem. Secondly, don't forget to "ask for the sale." I couldn't understand why even the new hair stylists at the salon I worked in got repeat clients, while I didn't. Then one day it dawned on me... the receptionist would ask the hair client to rebook. But would not ask my clients. I started taking over that duty myself by handling the money and grabbing my appointment book and suggesting they come in again in 2 weeks or a month so we could work on that problem again...If they seem reluctant to rebook because of their hectic schedule, assure them that it only takes a phone call to reschedule it if there is a schedule conflict later, but you hate to see their preferred time slot get given to someone else.    And as for referrals, word of mouth is the best advertising!3. Try limiting the days you work at the "upscale place" and finding somewhere else to work from as well. Perhaps do MT working with a chiropractor? Anyway, I would probably recommend you hand deliver the letters/resume rather than sending them. But maybe I am just old fashioned.... or that could be just Old. LOL4. Stay in touch with colleagues on this bulletinboard... on http://www.massageresource.com, or http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Body_Work/Not to mention any local "area" massage & bodyworker network groups.  We all need a bit of moral support now and then, no matter how long we've been in the biz.  I've been at it 6 and a half years and still need it.I recently attended a 6 hr course on ethics... and it was my first Continuing Education in a while. I'd been feeling "burnt out" but it really helped me a lot.  I'll close with this little motto the instructor had on her handouts, it really blew me away. "When you touch someone, everything changes."  

 

[Theodore Macmahon]

I agree that you should try several different atmospheres before you settle on one place. What is right for one, may not be right for all. I forgot to mention that I also work 1 or 2 days a week in a Chiropractors office which makes ppl realize (until my name gets around in a positive way) that I truly am legit and there is no "funny business" going on. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful forms of advertisment and if you just keep doing what you do and to the very best of your ability, everything will fall into place and you will have more ppl than you can handle. I can't stress enough to focus on giving to them from your "core" and not just from the elbows down.  ~Deb~

 

[Sailors Girl !]

I agree with what everyone is saying, and it completely makes sense, and the place that I work at (the day spa), the higher ups want me to get more repeat clients, but they don't understand that it does take about 3 years to have a steady clientele...I've been there 4 months, so they will just have to get over that.  However, I was told today that I had the highest average ticket in the department, and yeah, that was great, I brought in more money, but everyone is right and I totally agree, it's not about the money.  However, I almost feel like I'm selling out because I care more about the clients that I see on my own, the home clients, more than I do about the spa clients.  Maybe because I know that I handle every aspect of their treatment and time with me, from the initial visit to rebooking, to taking the money and finally, making sure that I am doing the absolute best job that I can.  And I think that this is why I'm not as happy at the spa as I am with my clients, but I am sending my resume out to physical therapy offices around here as I am planning to go to school for physical therapy/PTA because I want to do massage more on a medical/therapeutic aspect rather than just massage people who have had a bad day.  I mean, that's great too, but I feel as though I'm being limited with what I can do with relaxation massage.  I just finished with a friend of mine who is 7 months pregnant and comes to see me every week for a massage, and I love working on her because I know how much it is helping her, and the look in her face when I'm done makes me realize why I'm doing this.  Wow, that was long PS-I'm so glad that I found this message board.  

 

[Luveena]

Reba, every massage therapist has been in your shoes and believe it or not, it comes and goes.  I often think that I'm insane for giving up my former career for the ups and downs of massage.   I think you need to keep trying new things until you find what you like best.  Also, I don't agree that spa work is not therapeutic.  I find that clients that come to my spa weekly receive very therapeutic work.  We work on specific problems and continually build on increasing range of motion and the like.  Granted, they may have originally come to me for pure relaxation but once they realized what the sessions could really be about, they were hooked.  The one thing that jumped out at me in your post was that you said you cared more for your private clients than the spa clients because you controlled the entire experience.  Once you're in your room, you do control the entire experience (at least the part that really matters and the part that keeps clients coming back).   That statement seems somehow connected to money and I've felt this way too.  If it's not, than I apologize but if it is, perhaps you should consider renting a space of your own or do outcalls and invest in yourself and only yourself.   One last note, if the owners want you to build your repeat business than you need to ask them what tools are they providing you to do that.  I offer spa personnel listing of clients that have not been in for 30 days, 60 days or 2 weeks and supply printed thank you cards and follow-up cards for them to use at their discretion.  We pay poseforum.xxxe and offer regular mailings on their behalf.  They shouldn't be throwing that all on you considering how short of a time you've been there.  Good luck.  Joe E.

 

[Passionate Ringo]

Reba627, You can do a more therapeutic massage and yet be within the spa environment.  If your clients enjoy the work you do, it doesn't matter if you work in a day spa,  private practice, or a chiropractor's office.  It's your massage that brings them back, wherever that location may be.  Lots of spas offer, deep tissue. sports massage or myofascial release, and choices other than the traditional "fluff and buff."  (No offense to fans of traditional swedish massage.)I totally understand why you prefer doing the massages for your home clients better, there's a more personal atmosphere then. It's also probably a Control Issue.  At least it is for me.  And if you want to give someone an extra 5-10 minutes, no "boss" is going to jump down your throat at a home/private practice.  Joe_E, That's so nice that you help your new MT's out by providing them with a list or database of clients and marketing materials to contact prospective clients and keep in touch with former ones!  Sounds like your spa is a nice place to work!

 

[Jeff Garcia]

Maestra, thanks for the kind words.  I must say that we do whatever is feasible to help our therapists grow their business.  Our philosophy is that as a therapists business grows so does ours and that's a win/win all around.  Offering marketing materials and the like is just one of the many benefits that a smart spa employer can offer.  Thanks again. Joe E.

 

[Linni]

[quote author=reba627 link=board=bus;num=1079970903;start=0#0 date=03/22/04 at 07:55:02]Please tell me that this gets better!!! آ I feel as though I've bounced around from job to job since I graduated almost a year ago and the place I'm at now, yes, it's a nice place to say that I work at, upscale, expensive, etc., but I'm being pressured to get repeat clients (I've been there 4 months) and I know this doesn't happen overnight, but I'm not making as much as the other therapists there because of this fact. آ And the more I work there the more I realize that I don't want to do relaxation massage only, and I feel as though I'm limited there. آ [/quote]It gets better.  Building a client base takes time and effort.  More effort may make it happen faster, but no amount of effort on your part or pressure and coercion on their part will make it happen overnight!  You might talk to your manager, perhaps she/he has some ideas to make the work environment more cooperative and less competitive... and maybe the manager can borrow some good ideas from JoeE.I understand what you mean about feeling limited.  My first job after school was in a tanning salon.  I was the only therapist (nobody to keep up with or compare to) and I could do pretty much whatever I wanted (nobody cared if I spent an extra 15 minutes with someone) and I was able to go as far above and beyond "traditional swedish relaxation massage" as I wanted to - but I still felt limited.  I had been self-employed for a couple years in another field (computers) before becoming a massage therapist, so working for someone else just didn't "fit" for me.  I feel I can offer much better service when customers deal with me directly from the very first phone call (aka no flaky receptionists), when I can do my own marketing, sell my own gift certificates, and make all my own business decisions.

I'm taking time today to send letters/resumes out to physical therapy offices as I am going to go to school for PTA in the fall because I want to do more therapeutic work, but I'm so afraid of failing at massage as a career and have to go back to a 'regular' job, which is why I got into massage in the first place, because everyone says "oh, there's so much money in it, blah blah blah" but sometimes I want to cry because it's such a struggle. آ 

I know that this is a "healing and helping" sort of profession and it's true that if we got into it solely for the money, we're in it for the wrong reasons, we won't be effective, etc etc etc.  Anyone who becomes a massage therapist hoping to get rich is setting themselves up for disappointment.  On the other hand, we're performing a very beneficial and worthwhile service and it's reasonable to expect compensation.  No matter how much of a "warm fuzzy" feeling we get when we take away someone's pain and help them, it's hard to feel good about our career when we're constantly worrying about having enough $$ for things like rent and groceries.Jumping from one job to another allows you to experience all sorts of work environments and find out what you really enjoy... but it also usually means that every time you change jobs you usually have to start building your client base from scratch.  If the first six months at a new job are the hardest and you're repeating the hardest part over and over, no WONDER you're frustrated!!You're smart to be developing your OWN collection of clients on the side.  It will make it much easier if/when you decide to rent office space and become officially self-employed.Hang in there!