Massage Parties

[mad92300]

Do any of you use massage parties for revenue or to market your services?  I have seen courses that teach this but I am not sure it is for me.  Please explain to me how this marketing strategy works.Thanks,TMT

 

[rabidliberal]

I do chair massage parties for bridal showers, corporations employee days...etc (many possibilities)I charge a flat rate for my time letting them know I can massage only so many people per hour depending wheather they want 5 min or 10 min each. They then let me know how many hours they want me with a min of 2 hours.  Also if I have to travel further than my norm I add a trip charge.good luck,gwin

 

[A Concerned Friend]

TMT,I believe you are talking about the massage parties which are based on the Tupperware / Pampered Chef concept.  I learned how to do them this summer and my first party (a practice party hosted by me) will be this Sunday.  Basically the concept is built around teaching people how to relax by presenting tools for relaxation...aromatherapy candles, bath products, heat therapy products and of course your own massage gift certificate.  No massage is done on the premises, except for a demo for the person who wins the raffle at the beginning of the party.  I got my product kit through the LMT Success Group, and all products are ordered from them.  Unless you are using your own product line (which means you have to be responsible for inventory and distribution) you don't make that much off the product orders (25%).  The products, in my opinion are to hold the whole thing together and to allow you an opportunity to be compensated for your time.  The theory is that you earn your money through gift certificate sales and booking for massages and more parties (which bring in more clients to your business).  I'll let you know how it goes.  It sounds like a fun idea, although it is usually women who think it is fun.  My husband doesn't quite get it, and I am constantly amazed at the enthusiasm I've received from the women I've mentioned it to.  I hope this helps.Cassandra

 

[Peaches]

Tell us more! I have been very intrested in LMT success group.  Mainly the spa parties.  I am not sure if thats where I want to spend my money.  Its great to here from someone who has done it.

 

[Lolipop]

Yes.....Please tell us more. I have been wondering  ???how this all works and what all is involved. Is it really worth your time? How how much money do you have to put into it?

 

[Mindy]

Update:I had a booking/practice party on Sunday with several staff members and a friend.  The friend purchased a gift certificate for her husband and booked a party for September 12th.  I also have another party scheduled for September 17th.  I'll keep you posted.To answer your question HappyHands, the kit costs approximately $300 to $500 which includes one of each product you are selling plus your manual, a supply of invitations, order forms and miscellaneous printed materials.  If you have 4 qualifying parties ($200 in sales) within 6 weeks of receiving your kit you pay the $300 wholesale price.  Cassandra

 

[chanhe25]

Why on earth would any massage therapist pay another person or company (a la Pampered Chef or Tupperware or Southern Home Living, Arbonne, etc) a perceneforum.xxxe or fee for kits, supplies or ANY of their hard work to organize & hold a massage party? ???Are they supplying you with the clients and/or hosts for the party? Aren't you simply marketing people you already know and meet, and making it attractive to their friends & colleagues to do the same?Please don't think I'm being insulting. I have personally been both a Pampered Chef and Arbonne consultant. They are multi-level marketing enterprises, and they have wonderful products, guarantees and copywritten goods that you cannot come up with on your own. MASSAGE is a service that you paid dearly in school to learn. You also insure yourself, and license yourself. Hopefully you also learned in school to market yourself... or maybe have used this forum to mentor yourself on these parts of the business.Why not create, market and manage your own massage & spa parties? Have a wonderful flyer to introduce your idea & canvass a locale to create contacts. Telephone & e:mail all your family & friends & former clients & ask them to support your new effort by hosting a party. Give the host an incentive... such as a gift certificate for a future massage (not the one at the party!) that they can use themselves OR give to someone as a gift. Show up & do a quick & entertaining presentation on the benefits of massage. Set up a 'spa craft' center & have the participants make their own bath salts or sugar scrubs. Do 15 minute chair massages or back/neck/shoulder table massages. Teach a guided relaxation technique or meditation & then offer gift certificate sales or appointment bookings for in-home or office massages & future party bookings.It can be very simple, or very elaborate. You could ask another therapist to join you for larger parties, or a related service provider such as a Nail Tech or Esthetician, or Yoga Instructor. Charge a set rate per head & have the host provide refreshments. If you happen to retail any products, bring them & set up a sample display area & promote them. Have a drawing for a free half hour massage certificate (with the option to pay for an upgrade of course!) Have a goodie bag to give each guest at the end. Fill it with things of value, but items that cost you very little: scrubbies in beautiful colors, recipes for other spa treats they can make at home (look at makeyourowncosmetics.com), your business card, referral cards they can give to others (with maybe a referral incentive offer).....you get the idea.Here's another: ask someone you know who is already a multi-level marketing business consultant & offer to make their parties extra special!... Let them promote you:  have the participants pay $X each for your service at the party. If it's Pampered Chef, do the massages while the recipe being demo-ed is baking, etc, etc.Whatever you do, don't turn massage into a multi-level marketing experience. you will be working far too hard & giving away a hefty perceneforum.xxxe of your income to "whomever" simply provided you with an idea and some invitations, brochures, etc.Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[stillababy]

with the amount I make per hour I certainly don't want to work several hours to book one hour of massage and another few hours of party work.  Use your time to market to people who want or need YOUR services not some more stuff to buy as a reason to get out of the house.  I used to be a Tupperware consultant and did well but could not stand the hard sell.  My energies are better spent making money and my clients feel better.good luck

 

[a.e.b]

Jill , jill , Jill ,     You are a woman after my own heart. I agree completaly! I've done  birthday parties but they wernt to promote. I think these parties could be a lot of FUN and a very good tool to use. I am going to get one togeather and I will let you guies know how it goes.

 

[Dean]

Jill,I think you have misunderstood the concept.  While pampered chef and tupperware may be multi-level and entirely product oriented, it is not so with this concept.  Basically you are paying for the initial demo products and then receive a perceneforum.xxxe of sales from the products you demonstrate.  I view this as merely compensation for the time spent to do the party.  The real profits and pay-offs come from the gift certificate sales (which the company takes none of) and the widespread, but personalized exposure to groups of people who are interested in health and wellness.  The idea is to market your business while creating a stream of income which is not entirely dependent on the direct exchange of service for money.  Your ideas are great and certainly you can use your own products and do your own party or modify it anyway you want.  I personally don't want to be bothered with maintaining an inventory and distributing products.  I'm more concerned with widening my sphere of influence, so for me this is the most convenient way to approach such a concept.Cassandra

 

[the hackmaster2013]

Cassandra,   What kind of products are in the kit? LMT success will be near my hometown later on in the year. I would like to learn more to deside if I want to take the class. Did you do any other of the classes they offer.  My friend took the medical massage she liked it a lot. I want to do alot but I need to focus on somthing. Doing every thing on your own is good but simple and easy is also good.  Jessica

 

[i love him]

Yes, but Cassandra, you are spending $300-500 payable to a company for demo products, display examples, etc. You can buy/order, etc any number of great products in any quantity from sources such as massage warehouse or got your back. And you can easily create any of the paper tools you need with your own PC.I simply believe that it is a very expensive way to broaden your sphere of influence, etc. you already have that sphere. You will create the contacts if you are a good networker... without paying anyone a few hundred dollars.On the other side of the coin:  any money you invest in your career (if documented) is a tax write off & will decrease your total amount of taxable income, so these things are never a "loss".Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Glutburger]

Hi everybody!I'm new to this, altho I have been "watching" the last few weeks since I registered.  I have been so inspired by all of you and I think Jill (SageTherapist) has a GREAT idea when it comes to spa parties.  If you go into Spa Techniques and on the first page towards the bottom is great stuff on spa parties it's titled Spa Parties.  I'm so excited that there is something like this out there because I start massage school next Tuesday (Sept. 2) and can hardly wait I am soooooo excited!!!!  Does anyone have any good advice?  I'm very excited and very nervous.  ThanksDMBJ

 

[pretty]

Jill,You are absolutely right.  I could put together my own, but easily spend $300 - $500 and more developing and maintaining an inventory.  Perhaps someday when I have a little more time, I will consider doing this as it would be more profitable.  The products are easy enough to get at wholesale (heat packs, bath stuff etc), but again I don't want to be bothered with distribution of stuff.  It is far more convenient to pass the orders to the company, so that they are mailed directly to the host.  Except for the kit, I never have to touch or keep track of any products once the orders are placed.  As far as the paper goes, for those of us who have rarely or never participated in home parties, the organization of them can be a little daunting.  I'd rather pay someone for order forms, invitations etc (at least initially), than reinvent the wheel.  The printing would probably cost about the same on my end or more if you add in the time it takes to create these items.  At any rate, the "do it yourself" way is an option, but it takes the joy out of the process for me.  IMHO, if I am only paying wholesale for my kit and am getting support in the form of paper materials and coaching (which I have received), then I think I've come out ahead of the game.Cassandra

 

[Gabrielle Bell]

Cassandra,Good for you. I wish you success, and hope you have great experiences with your parties.I do want to keep responding, though... understand, it's not for argument's sake, but to illustrate for others (like the fellow who opened the topic at the start, etc) how it can be easily done for do-it-yourselfers.Get the host of the party to make the payment to you for the retail amount of the products you'll order at wholesale prices, and use your credit card to order the quantities of the products ordered at the party, having them sent to the party hostess (or to you, and you can make an additional contact for another party with her, etc, when you drop the boxes off). The party host can distribute the items ordered.If you aren't set up for taking credit card payment (from the hosts), you can set up a free merchant account through PayPal (paypal.com). It is a very reputable company & service provider... you simply pay a transaction fee & perceneforum.xxxe (same as with any credit card merchant company) off the top of what they deposit to your account. THAT WAY, more people at the party can pay for gift certificates as an impulse buy, too.The paper trail doesn't have to be difficult:an itemized order form with blank itemizations, etc, that can be written in by hand (Quantity: 3  Item:  4oz Kur Candle, Energizing  Subtotal, etc)As far as ordering the initial items you want to include, just order one of each for display & one for "use" or demo at the parties (fairly low cost). The beauty of this is that you can have different products featured for each party, or even get one hostess to sign up for another party, featuring different products & services (an exfoliating "scrubs" party, scents & candles, muds & clays, etc).Invitations can be done beautifully online (there's a service that a friend of mine uses for her scrapbooking & pampered chef parties... it escapes my mind right now, but the invites are beautiful, easy & fun... they even track the RSVPs and reponses from invitees), through a creative e:mail, or with postcards you can purchase or create yourself.Anyway, the point is, with a little help & advice from others who have done MLM parties before, you can streamline what you need/what you do not. You can order & re-order supplies as you need (not purchasing a kit, etc), and remain true to your idea as a Massage Therapist who owns his/her own business. That way, you don't have to deal with the parent company.... believe me, if you're making 15% commission, they're making much more!Good luck all.Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[BigAl]

Well, I have sat here quietly for some time now and have learned a lot.  Cassandra and Jill you have both done an excellent job of pointing out the advaneforum.xxxes and disadvaneforum.xxxes of each viewpoint.  Jill you make it sound very simple and I thank you for all the valuable information.  There is a wealth of information in these posting that can apply to many situations and I thank you all for that.  You did answer my questions, though I am not sure the party situation is for me.  Maybe I am a little like Cassandras husband, over my head, or maybe it just does not fit my target market.  Most of my services are designed and marketed to fill a need that people have and I do not connect it with the fun approach of a party I guess.  I have marketed some through seminars and public speaking to groups and I do see some opportunities to increase my income from these events by providing participants with an opportunity obtain other items.  It always helps to involve participants in demonstrations and some of these ideas will work well.Thanks again,Bill