www.thebodyworker.com

I have heard many massage therapists put off their sales/marketing efforts because they hate the word and the process that is equated with sales. When people think of sales they often think of it as having to be one of those used car salesman who dress up in wierd costumes for TV commercials.

Having to make sales or sell your clients on your service is not what creating a massage practice is about. All sales or marketing really means is that you tell people what you do and you go out and find people who need what you do. Simple- right?

Well even though it is simple - it does take time. What makes the difference in being successful in sales/marketking is really having the confidence in yourself. It requires being able to handle and deal with rejection by not taking it personally and learn to communicate what it is you do.

The best way to do this is to use the Sitebuildit! business building system and webdesign/hosting company. You can actually read all of their material for free - that’s how confident they are in their product. Once you take the time to really study what they are saying, I think you will understand what it is that they are teaching you to do through a website. All they are doing is helping you get clear about what it is that you do and helping you to find people who need your service. It’s simple marketing.

The best place to start is with their Service Sellers page or the complete Service Sellers Manual

For a limited time I am offering my website design services for reader of this blog and websites at a really reduced rate. I am offering to start a 8 page website for you for $300 (hosting and software are an additional $300 for a year of hosting.) An 8 page website is a great place to start. It gives you a website to start putting information for your potential clients. You will still have to market your practice and put your website address on everything. (If you are doing any kind of marketing or even have business cards printed - it is a waste of time to give them out without having your website address on them.)

Another article on Sales from Massage Today.
The Difference Between Sales and Marketing

Popularity: 1% [?]

No Comments »

The word is out…Google is cracking down on websites that are all links and no real information or content.

From the Jensense Blog

NY Post Article

What this means or I hope this means is that all of those sites particularly massage related that are just a list of links and no real content will be taken down and put out of business.

I am not sure quite what this means for adsense publishers like myself, but we will soon see!

Popularity: 1% [?]

No Comments »

How many massage therapists do alot of massages for free or offer a sliding scale to clients?

Working for free has various sides to it.

On one hand working for free because you absolutely love massage and offer a special technique or work on a special population of people it is a way of truly doing what you love.

Marianne Williamson in her book “A Return to Love” wrote about how she did talks for free for years on the course in miracles. She was so passionate about it and felt so compelled to spread the word - she did it for free for years. Now she is a best selling author and speaker.

I also read an ebook which I can’t remember what the name of it is - on marketing your massage business that said that a great way to start your practice is to work on everyone for free for the first month and you will be booked the rest of your career. The one thing about this way is that I would set clear boundaries around it and get really clear about what you do so that you can convey it in all those free sessions enough that you create a following and get people to come back. Otherwise you are just doing free massages.

Some of the reasons people use as to why they do free massages are:
-don’t want to lose that client
-there are many disadvantaged people who really need massage and can’t afford it.
-they think they have to work for free to get more clients

If you are doing massages for free and have enough income in other areas or financial support in a spouse or partner or family - then doing massages for free is a great service to the community.
If you are trying to make a living doing massage and all you are doing are free massages you will most likely start to feel resentful of your work (burnout).

I did free foot massages and free chair massages in the beginning when I started out. I don’t think it did anything but attract people who wanted free massages. Some people just don’t value massage or much of anything for that matter so they are just wanting everything for free. If you can find someone who really does need it and is very grateful and shows their gratitude by doing other things for you - like sending you new clients then doing some free massages may be worth it.

There are special populations and situations where people really can’t afford massage. People in need of touch in hospitals, hospice centers. and nursing homes (and many other situations) really need to have a massage program where massage therapists can volunteer and provide massage to qualified receivers. Giving massage as a way of building community can be rewarding work.

Just giving massage away for free trying to get a business started and feeling resentful when people don’t come back and pay or send paying customers really reflects your beliefs about money. It can reflect how much you value yourself and provide you an opportunity to really uncover your core beliefs about yourself that lead you to taking actions that show how much you value or don’t value yourself.
If you don’t value yourself, how do you expect anyone else to value you?

Many therapists start out early in their practice or right out of school thinking that they aren’t good enough to charge alot and that they need to work for free to get clients. It is a good way to start working on a number of people and getting experience and building confidence, but you can also learn from your experience and start seeing that you need to make a living and that it is ok to ask for money in exchange for a massage.

There really isn’t any right or wrong here and there are many sides to the issue…

How many free massages do you do a month?
How many free massages have you done in your career?
Have they been worth it?
How have you benefited from it?
How has working for free helped or hurt your practice?

Popularity: 1% [?]

No Comments »

Why do people become a massage therapist? What brings people to the profession?

Most come wanting/thinking they are just want to help others. Some may come because they got worked on by a massage therapist and got relief for some condition that they had for a long time. Some are looking for more freedom in their life/schedule and the ability to work where they want and when. The massage schools make becoming a massage therapist look glamorous with people getting this soothing massage at the spa or resort.

While helping others or having more meaningful connections with people seem to be a big part of it, helping has such a deep shadow part of it - a hidden side to helping. Helping is a very co-dependent response and really can bring up core beliefs about yourself. Helping hurts people more than it helps.

Oprah had a show last week that talked about this in a different way. They were talking about raising kids with high self esteem. The only way to do that is to have high self esteem yourself. Showing kids you have a life and that you come first shows them that they need to come first too in their life. Kids learn from watching what others do not really what they are told to do.

I think the same applies to creating a healing relationship. People will respect you more when you have boundaries around yourself and take care of yourself more than others.

My favorite article on this that I have referenced often is of course “In the Service of Life” by Rachel Remen.

Popularity: 2% [?]

No Comments »

I have been doing some research for the writing of a new ebook for my www.massagetherapycareers.com website. The name of the ebook will be something like “The Truth about becoming a massage therapist…”

I actually had an ebook by the same name when I first started that site and eventually took all of the information and put in onto the site. I now am getting enough traffic and have been collecting information to create a new ebook.

Locally, I saw a commercial the other day in the middle of the afternoon advertising a massage school. The advertisement talked about getting a job with the freedom to be your own boss and set your own hours. It showed pictures of people getting massages with the clients head turned toward the cameras ( I hate that- I never in my 18 years have had a client turn their head to the side while working on them. It puts more strain on their neck than anything I think.) Anyways, the commercial made it look like such a glamorous career.

Does anyone really have freedom just by being able to set their own schedule?

I am not sure what people are being told about becoming a massage therapist. I think they are being drawn to the field because of these typed of unrealistic commercials and advertising. No one talks about the real things that happen on a daily basis - having to do laundry, trying to find a job that pays more than $12 an hour, dealing with getting a steady flow of clients.

I also has an email from a disgruntled ex-massage therapist awhile ago who had tried to make a go of running a successful business and he had to give it up because he could get the clients he needed yet he really thought he was good at what he did- doing massage.
What massage schools don’t tell you is that it really doesn’t matter how good you are or aren’t.
The technique does not have much to do with it. I have gotten the worst massages in my life from people who were really successful at running a business.

What makes the difference in starting, building and maintaining a successful business also does not have anything to do with figuring out the best marketing tactics.

What it does have to do with is YOU. YOU are what makes the difference between being able to make it in this profession or not. YOU and your values, beliefs and thoughts about who you are and what you do.

Part of the law of attraction or what is being said in the movie “The Secret” is asking for what you want, but being clear about your intention for wanting something and believing that you can get it and having the commitment to follow through and take the next step on the path.

So what does it take to be a massage therapist that has a successful and rewarding practice?

What else do you think it takes to be successful as a massage therapist? What qualities are need to build a successful and rewarding career?

Popularity: 2% [?]

2 Comments »