PRACTICE BUILDING TIPS
- Take time to create a clear vision of what you want and need based on your values.
- Think about tangible and tasteful ways to cultivate referrals, increase your presence in your client’s lives, and fill your practice, all the while staying true to your values and principles
- Examine how attitudes about money, value, socioeconomic class, and the age-old clash between commerce and healing, can affect your ability to truly useful to those you serve.
- Appreciate what you have. Focus on what you’re grateful for in your life.
- Networking – Attend networking events and let people know you offer massage
- Effective use of e-mail and direct mail – let people know you offer massage sessions
- Newsletters – add information about Massage in your newsletters
- Gift certificates – offer gift certificates for an introductory discounted massage.
- Web sites – feature massage on your web site
- Follow up – call, write or e-mail customers who have come in for a massage
- Letters of appreciation – send a letter to customers and friends who refer people for massage
- Publishing articles – publish an article about massage and share copies of the articles with colleagues and clients
- Print advertising – include massage in your print advertising
- Referral incentives – offer a free massage for every 3 referrals or offer $10 off of the next session
- Brochures – add information about massage in your brochures
- Business cards – add information about a massage on your business cardsDiversify and prosper – offer a variety of services, including massage combined with Aromatherapy
- Keep a file box on your desk with all your ideas in it on separate cards.
- Send out birthday cards with a gift certificate offering a discounted offer.
- Call customers that you haven’t seen in a while and let them know what times you have available that week.
- Do market research and find out what others in your area are doing and how they are marketing. Ask them to send you their flyer, card or brochure.
- Return all phone calls and e-mails within hours or at least the same day. Many clients and potential clients have a list of massage therapists and they schedule with whoever is available first.
- Focus on your goals and intentions. Rich people see opportunities, poor people see obstacles. Rich people see potential; poor people see potential loss. Rich people focus on rewards; the poor focus on risks.
- Ask for regular feedback from your customers.
- Call your client the next day after a session to see how he or she feels.
- Set up a regular treatment time for repeat clients.
- Develop a giveaway product for your clients after each visit
- Give free consultations.
- Develop a one-line slogan that can be associated with your practice
- Give free lunchtime seminars where people can find out about your services.
- Ask for referrals. Ask the referring people for information about themselves too so that you can refer to them.
- Have a ready-made list of contacts for referrals.
- Become a great learner. Attend conferences, workshops and CE classes.
- Get set up to take credit cards through your business account.
- Set up regular business hours so people know they can count on you.
- Keep track of everyone who comes to see you and Keep your mailing list up to date.
- Focus on you. You are the root of your financial success or failure. If you work on the roots, the “fruits” will take care of themselves.
- Develop an information kit for new prospective clients telling them everything they need to know about receiving a service from you such as location, cancellation policies.
- Develop detailed educational material.
- Research rates and price structures in your area to make sure you are charging fairly.
- Enhance your energy. Everything is energy. Money is energy. Big money takes big energy. So get into shape, eat properly and get enough rest.
- Increase your value. Become an expert in your field and be the best at what you do. To get paid the best, you must be the best.
- Keep up on techniques and methods, always improving yourself and your treatments.
- Make copies of interesting, informative articles to distribute to clients and colleagues
- Believe you can be successful. Put your attention on the traits, strengths, and virtues that allow you to believe you can – and deserve to be – successful.
- Selectively consider offering a senior citizens’ discount, a students’ discount, a teachers’ discount, a military discount, and a professional discount to colleagues.
- Volunteer your time to charities and non-profit organizations. Give back.
- Find other businesses to network with such as health clubs and gyms, beauty salons, florists, and retirement communities.
- Find several successful mentors to work with one on one. Contact www.micromentor.com
- Associate with successful people. Birds of a feather flock together. Energy is contagious.
- Review your business success plan often and share your review with supportive friends and mentors.
- Choose your thoughts wisely. You can choose to think in ways that will support you in your happiness and success…instead of ways that don’t.
- Be mindful.
For information about online Practice Building and Marketing classes at Ariana Institute, visit https://arianainstitute.com/ce-online/.
Ariana Vincent directs the Ariana Institute in Houston, Texas, which offers continuing professional development for massage therapists. Ariana is a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Massage Therapy Instructor who has practiced massage therapy and bodywork for thirty years. Her highest aspiration, personally and professionally, is to facilitate the integration of mind, body and spirit, and to ultimately allow a state of balance to effortlessly and peacefully become an integral part of everyday life.