Adding value to your massage business will help you be able to make more money by charging more to your clients. First you have to find out what it is that your clients or people in the area want. You can do an informal survey of your current clients to find out more.
Since most people don’t know what they want or what is even possible in the massage world your findings will probably be limited but could give you some insights into what classes to take or what services to offer.
Some of the things that you can do to increase the value of your massage are:
- Take classes in things like Rolfing or Structural Integration which is usually a year or more of training or classes in orthopedic massage techniques such as those offered by Whitney Lowe of Omeri.com or any of the big names such as Eric Dalton, Denise Dieg and others. Take classes that will set you aside from everyone else in your neighborhood.
Take classes that will teach you how to work with a specific disease or condition that will make you an expert in that area. Some things to consider are fibromyalgia, cancer, pregnancy massage. Learn how to treat unusual diseases such as Chronic Pulmonary Disorders. Specialize in Deep Tissue, Myofascial Release, cranio-sacral therapy, lymphatic massage, sports massage (specific sports!) or triggerpoint therapy. Deep tissue is advertised a lot but not many really do it. Take a few months of training. Just taking a weekend workshop is just the beginning. To be an expert really you need to take intensive training. Target Professional Sports teams such as basketball, football and baseball. These teams will have a lot of work for you and you will need to be on call constantly. You can charge much more for that. Start a mobile massage business going into people’s homes. You can charge more or set it up so that you don’t go into a home for less than 2 people making it more worth it for you. You have to include your travel time and set up time in the rates you set. Target high end hotels who obviously have people who have money going there. Targeting people who have money is just as challenging as to those who don’t as some don’t want to part with their money. Learn how to bill for motor vehicle accidents. Most states will let you do that and you can charge more too when you do that. (Take the Massage Insurance Billing Class I have on the right to find out what you can legally charge and how to get it.) You can also make additional income from selling products through your website and in your office. You have to be careful when doing this to keep the therapeutic boundary clear. Many people will often buy anything that you sell just because it is you selling it when they become attached to you as a client. If you use certain products for pain relief those are often a good place to start instead of getting into selling stuff you don’t really use or know about.
These are just a handful of ideas to start with. You really have to work with a coach or develop your own angle that fits with who you are.
The other part of this is that just because you charge more doesn’t mean it will all work out. Your beliefs have to be in alignment with what you are charging. To figure out if they are just try this little exercise.
Write down on a piece of paper what your goal and rate are:
I charge $100 for my massage sessions.
What feelings come up for you when you say that? What thoughts do you have? Things like “Yeah Right!” I can’t charge that much. People won’t pay that. Think of all of the things that you come up with as an excuse or reason for it not working for you. Keep writing the phrase over 100 times or more. After each time write down your little thoughts that tell you it won’t or can’t happen. Keep writing until you don’t have any more resistance. It may take a month or more of doing this to overcome your resistance. You can also find out what you are comfortable with charging.
You can’t raise your rates by $30 or something too high like that either unless you really just completed an intensive program or get support for helping you to make that jump. It is often too much for your mind to handle all at once but if you stay with it and raise your rates gradually you hopefully will find yourself making that soon.
The other part of this is that you have to learn to communicate that your services are worth that. When people call and ask what do you charge – don’t ever tell them up front. Start asking about them and what their problems are that they are looking to get help with. If they are a match for what you do, you can then educate them on the condition or talk to them about what solution you provide. People won’t mind paying more when they know you can handle more than other therapists.
You won’t be able to please everyone. You will lose clients when you raise your rates. Sometimes it will tell you just how much your clients really value your work. If there are special cases of people who really can not afford you you will have to decide which way to go with these people. There will always be someone who will charge less than you do. Trying to outwit these people isn’t necessary. Just stay true to what you are doing and your values. Respecting yourself in that way may sometimes be hard especially when you need to eat and pay the bills. Find other ways to make money rather than sacrificing your values. Hire a coach or start your own peer supervision group to get the emotional support that you need in making the changes that you need in your business.
If you try to raise your rates and you lose too much business it doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed in doing that.
The book “The Answer” is a really good book for understanding how to communicate your value as a massage therapist. Here is one of my favorite quotes:
‘The difference between being committed to your success and being interested in your success. If you are interested, you will do what’s convenient. If you are committed, you will do whatever it takes.”
See also:
The Answer for Massage Therapists
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