October 14th, 2006 Julie Onofrio
The ebook that was sale is now free! Make Your Content Presell
This is a must read for anyone with a website.
Don’t be alarmed by the word pre-sell. Massage therapists may cringe at the thought of selling. Pre-selling is just building trust. It’s about connecting. That’s important for a business in which you are asking people to come in and take their clothes off and let you touch them. People are very vulnerable getting a massage. Help reduce their fears. You do that online by providing content.
So many websites are full of things that have no interest to the potential client. Most do not care about the history of massage.
What they want to know is can you help them solve their problem or issue?
Put yourself in your potential clients shoes….would you go to someone you just found on the web? What attracts a reader is knowing more about you.
Write about what you do. What is it that you tell people on the phone or in person?
What do people ask the most?
I find people asking about how things work - how did they get this pain? How can they get rid of it? Why do things hurt in the first place? Is that a muscle or a bone is my favorite question.
People need to be educated and the more massage websites that do so will help the profession overall. A one page website does nothing.
My clinic website that I just started in July www.massageseattle.net can be used as an example. I have another website -www.citycentermassage.com that I did a few years ago using Front page and ez-web-hosting.com did get me clients, but my massageseattle.net is already number 2 on msn results which I never got to with my other site that was online for a few years.
The power of SBI is what it does- it gets results.
Learn more now at www.workless-playmore.com
Posted in Websites for Massage therapists | 1 Comment »
October 8th, 2006 Julie Onofrio
I started my first website in 1999 -www.thebodyworker.com.
One of the first things I purchased this amazing manual called “Make Your Site Sell” by Ken Evoy from Sitesell.com.
At the time it was known as the “The BIBLE of selling on the Net”.
It is now available for free and even though some of the technical things are outdated, it still can’t be beat for teaching you how to make a living online.
I have been following SBI since then and have 2 websites using their service and have a list of about 12 more that I want to create. My website www.massagetherapycareers.com and www.massageseattle.net are build using the SBI block builder that anyone can use to build a website.
The most amazing thing about SBI is that they aren’t just a hosting program. For the same amount of money as most hosting programs, they go the extra mile (more like 10 miles) and teach you everything you need to know about being successful online. And their software is there to back you up and make it look easy.
From their brainstorming software that helps you choose a niche and the best name for your website, to tracking your results.
Everyday, SBI amazes me with the new developments. They are constantly adding more and more and the price doesn’t go up.
Posted in Websites for Massage therapists | No Comments »
October 4th, 2006 Julie Onofrio
The new buzz word in the massage profession is “medical massage”.
There seems to be a branch evolving who want to separate so called “medical massage” from the rest of the massage profession.
To me “medical massage” is only the ability to bill insurance companies and get paid which I have been doing quite successfully for 17 years with a basic 250 hours of education in my initial massage training and of course a number of CEU’s through the years.
There seems to be a movement to require more education in order to be able to work with insurance companies that seems to be coming from the massage profession as well as the insurance companies themselves. The insurance companies want to increase the number of hours of education so they can eliminate some massage therapists from being able to participate which is the same as “they don’t want to pay any one any more than they have to” in my opinion. The reason why insurance companies are setting these policies is because they can. And the massage profession has yet to define “medical massage” so the insurance companies will.
From what I have learned the drive from within the profession seems to be coming from one assocition in particular the “United States Medical Massage Association (USMMA), and it’s founder David Luther -formerly(??) of The Medical Massage Office & Associates (TMMO), a for-profit company and the owner of the Medical Massage National Certification Board (MMNCB), a for-profit company. His article awhile ago (August, 2005) in Massage Today explains his position. He also explains why he developed the medical massage company which I find very interesting.
Some of these so called medical massage professionals seem to just by Physical therapy or Osteopath want to be’s. Where is the line between therapeutic massage and physical therapy which requires a 4 year degree?
There is much more that a massage therapist can do by just staying present with a client who is in pain and helping them to deal with some injury or disease without have to know any more medically. It comes by just being of service and holding the space for healing.
There are also some other interesting articles at Massage today
http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=13417
http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=13245
http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=13256
http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=13294
Posted in Ethics, Insurance Billing | No Comments »
October 4th, 2006 Julie Onofrio
About 10 years ago I read this article by Rachel Remen MD called “In the Service of Life“.
In it she states:
“Serving is different from helping. Helping is based on inequality; it is not a relationship between equals. When you help you use your own strength to help those of lesser strength. If I’m attentive to what’s going on inside of me when I’m helping, I find that I’m always helping someone who’s not as strong as I am, who is needier than I am. People feel this inequality. When we help we may inadvertently take away from people more than we could ever give them; we may diminish their self-esteem, their sense of worth, integrity and wholeness. “
Everytime I go to that article online to cut and paste a few sentences, I start wanting to just copy the whole thing - it is so powerful.
“When I help I have a feeling of satisfaction. When I serve I have a feeling of gratitude. These are very different things.”
Serving is also different from fixing. When I fix a person I perceive them as broken, and their brokenness requires me to act. When I fix I do not see the wholeness in the other person or trust the integrity of the life in them. When I serve I see and trust that wholeness. It is what I am responding to and collaborating with.
“There is distance between ourselves and whatever or whomever we are fixing. Fixing is a form of judgment. All judgment creates distance, a disconnection, an experience of difference. In fixing there is an inequality of expertise that can easily become a moral distance. We cannot serve at a distance. We can only serve that to which we are profoundly connected, that which we are willing to touch.”
“ I think I would go so far as to say that fixing and helping may often be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul. They may look similar if you’re watching from the outside, but the inner experience is different. The outcome is often different, too.”
“Lastly, fixing and helping are the basis of curing, but not of healing.”
I have read that article so many times and continue to be deeply moved by it.
How do we as massage professionals try to fix others? We are required to “fix” by insurance companies or they won’t pay us.
And I know all about fixing as I still get caught up in it. It is so hard not to. It’s like eating a piece of chocolate - so yummy but you know it’s bad for you. I want so much to be able to help others, but what I really want is to have had parents who helped me. The pattern of wanting “to help” is so ingrained in me that it gets triggered especially with people who are in the “victim” mode. I fix when I am not feeling as strong as I’d like to be. I fix when I am not taking care of my self in the way that I need to be. I fix others so I don’t have to look at my own pain. I fix to try to take others pain away hoping it will take away mine.
Massage schools’ whole focus is to fix - it’s all about techniques.
For more on the “Code of the Caretaker” which is the core of fixing and being of service.
Posted in Ethics, Peer Supervision, Recommended Reading, Starting Your Practice, The Wealthy Massage Therapist | No Comments »
October 2nd, 2006 Julie Onofrio
By Angie Berberich L.M.T, NCTMB
Columbia Missouri
http://www.handsofhealingtouch.zoomshare.com/
I do massage parties and here is how I work them. I will offer a
free massage to the host or a friend of the host if they have 8 or
more people. I usually all ways offer a half hour table massage due
to the amount of time aloted. Chair massage just doesn’t pay well if
you offer a 15 min. Why short yourself to 15 min chair when you can
pull in a half hour. Many women want the table anyways. They like
that spa atmosphere. I tell them they have to have room for at least
two tables depending on the size of the party. I charge $35 for a
half hour you can raise that depending on your market. I usually
always give the host a gift of a free hour or a bottle of wine for
hosting the party. That is depending on how many people they pull in
and if it is the first party booked. I have many people do parties
once a month all fall and winter months. Summer is kind of slow for
parties. If it is a small party offer to up grade to an hour for
like $50. Some times on small parties I will offer a foot soak,
scrub and a foot massage and then let them take turns getting a
massage. You can charge more for this, but I usually do not as I
normally only do that if the party is at my place. Time matters.
Expect less people to show up than who r.s.v.p’s. Always something
happening to where a few people don’t make it. So don’t schedule too
many therapist unless you want to make very little$. I even take 15%
of my theripist earnings for arranging the parties. You can take
more or less. I do encourage them to pull in a party and vise versa
on the cut. This will help keep your party bus. in gear. You can go
about parties in many other directions. I am just starting out, so I
don’t have decorations for themes or anything like that. Nor a
building to have them in except for my home. Depending on what you
put in to your buisness changes all. People love the parties and it
allows most people to experience it with their friends for the first
time. I am sure I left many things out that I do, but if you have
any other questions feel free to contact me.
I seldom do them in my home. I mostly do them in other peoples
houses.Most people just take turns going in while others are just
hanging out talking, eating, and at times drinking a glass of wine.
It is thier party so they can drink what they want. I just suggest
them drink water after the massage. Let them know the risk in volved
when drinking during a massage as well.
I usually bring another L.M.T with me to work the parties. So I
usually have two or three L.M.T’s with me. Depending on the size of
the party. If it’s 4 or under I try to do them my self. Depending on
time.
When the host has her (first party) I give her a GC for a half hour
or hour depending on the size of party for her to use in my office.
I also give a free half hour at the party if she has 8 or more
people including herself. Plus I may give a small gift as well. I
usually get the host to book with me quite often when planing
parties for them. So like when they are not having parties they will
book with you at your office. Most people plan the parties in the
fall winter and spring. Summer I hadn’t had any luck. I think it
depends on your area.
Many of the party guest will book individual appointments with you
as well. Always bring with you an appointment book, G/C, intake
forms, bus. cards, brochures, ink pens, Clock, calculator, wipes,
sheets, lotion, and etc. (music just in case)
The host will usually keep people entertained while they all take
turns. Some times the host will do a massage first or last
depending on the crowd.
It has been the best thing I have done to start out with my
practice. It really makes up for those slow days in the office.
Always plan ahead with these parties. Prep yourself the day before
if you have time. Make sure before you commit to a party, that you
have another helper to work the party with you. Be sure to remind
your helper of the dates. You don’t want to be stuck doing 10 people
by yourself!
Hope that helps you all. Have fun with them! It’s seems to be pretty
popular since I have offered them. People love to talk to other
people about how much fun they have had. It’s great word of mouth!
Posted in Building Your Practice | No Comments »
