Websites for your massage business

Having a website for your massage business is one of the most important and easiest thing you can do to create a steady supply of clients for your massage business. With todays economy challenges, your ability to find clients depends more and more on how you differentiate your business and educating clients. One of the best ways to do that is by using a website and not just any old website - it has to be one that is content and information driven so that you can connect with your visitors and build their trust.

You can also find out how many people are actually searching for massage in your area by using Searchit!( just follow the directions and play with it a bit as it is a bit confusing at first) and using the first search brainstorming and then choosing the Google Keyword tool, the US Yahoo Keyword selector tool and the wordtracker search.  Like ’seattle massage’ shows

A website is one of your best methods of finding new clients because when they are searching for ‘massage your city’ they are already interested in massage therapy. They most likely already know that they want a massage and understand the value of massage or else they wouldn’t be looking for one. What they are looking for also is a solution to their problem and when they find your website that informs them of a solution to their problem you will get people coming to you rather than having to go door to door or doing direct mail pieces that are just going out to random people who may or may not be even interested in massage let alone want to get a massage. People who are searching for massage don’t have to be convinced that massage is what they need. They just have to find your website informative and professional.

To get found by a search engine there are many things you need to do with a website. If search engines and especially Google can’t find your website it isn’t doing anyone any good. To begin with you need to choose a domain name that reflects what you do and where you do it - like my clinic site www.massageseattle.net . Naming a website with those most often sought after keywords makes it easier for search engines and people to tell what you offer. Other names could work but you will need to put more into it to get found for your main keywords which will most likely be your city and the word massage.

Creating pages on your site using more keywords that people are searching for most often is the next step. The keywords are what make the internet work. Site Build it! will help you research what the best keywords for your domain name and site are with their keyword software called Brainstromit! It goes out and researches how many people are searching for the keywords and then checks to see how many people are using those keywords and determines the profitability potential of each of those keywords so you can then use the best keywords in your pages.

To create a page you choose a keyword such as ‘massage seattle’ and use that keyword in the metatags (keywords and description and title and file name of the page.) SBI! explains it all and will even help you create better pages using their page analyzer but if you are using other software you can do some of the same thing. Just start with naming the file name with the keyword -www.massageseattle.net/massage-seattle.html -the massage-seattle.html is the file name. Next put the keywords in the first few words of the Title of the page and in the keyword section, the description section and also in the headline of your page. That is one of the things that search engines look for. Also putting the keyword in a link from the page can help but may be more difficult to do sometimes.

So start with creating a basic 8 page or so website with all of the basic information like your rates and services, location and contact information as well as a bio about you and your work etc. This will be sort of like your basic calling card type of site. Once you get that information on there you can start putting your website address on all of your mailings and business cards as well as any signs around your office etc. Creating this basic site may be enough to even get you to the top of the search engines if you are in a small enough town.

If you are in a larger town where there are many more massage therapists competing for the top search engine results and there are many massage therapists to choose from the next thing you need to do is to use the website to educate potential clients about massage and what it is that you do. This is done by writing short articles on many various topics about massage. It doesn’t have to be a term paper or you don’t even have to know how to write. You just have to start writing down all of the things that you usually say to people when you are talking to them on the phone or in person. You can write about various diseases and conditions by going to the pathology and massage guide sections on my site www.thebodyworker.com and reading some of the best websites and articles on the topic and using that information for an article. Writing articles you can also write about a topic that you know a lot about or deal with most often in clients. Like I somehow always get people with headaches, computer stress and fibromyalgia. Even though I don’t actually think of these as my specialty, they are topics I have researched a lot in order to be able to work with these people more. As I wrote in my post a few days ago in “The Answer” - choosing a specialty or differentiating yourself from others will give you a path or direction for your marketing efforts. If you don’t differentiate your service the only thing you have to differentiate yourself from others is price and prices will always be lower by someone else. Working for less money than you need to make is one of the surest ways to burnout.

I only recently started building my massage practice again this month. I was only working 2 days a week for the past 2 years or so and I recently decided to add a 3rd day. My website always got me at least one call a week but for the past 3 or 4 weeks since I have been adding articles, I have been getting 4-5 calls a week. I at first thought it would take me 3-4 months to build that extra day and was almost looking forward to still having a free day during the summer (if it ever will get here already!) but now I am already booked for the next 2 weeks. My goal is to be booked a few months out like Paul Ingram of Vancouvermassage.ca. Paul’s main page says this:

Unfortunately, I am unable to offer my services to new patients. I no longer maintain a waiting list, because the wait is too long. However, my telephone consultation service is still available, and my tutorials published on SaveYourself.ca are valuable resources which, in many cases, are more useful than an office visit.

His article writing has been an inspiration. Even though I know that this is the basic premise of SBI! it can be done using any hosting if you know how to do all of the above search engine optimization.

My other site www.workless-playmore.com actually explains everything you need to do to get your website found by search engines and what you need to do to get the clicks and convert those potential clients into actual paying clients.

Posted in Building Your Practice, Recommended Reading, Starting Your Practice, Websites for Massage therapists | No Comments »

Massage Office Phone Etiquette

The massage office phone is often the first client interaction (besides the website or referral from a client/doctor/other) and is of vital importance to building a solid massage business. No matter if it is in a mulit-practitioner clinic or spa or a self-employed massage business, knowing how to answer the phone and engage the potential client in a conversation can help the potential client feel more at ease about their decision for calling.

I haven’t written about things like this much because I just take it for granted people know how to answer the phone. I was in customer service for 12 years before I became a massage therapist. It is the curse of knowledge that Chip Heath talks about in his book “Made to Stick”. We often forget how it was before we knew something.

In the past few years I have been going to various spas and clinics and the degree of service varies from non-existent -Oh is there a client on the phone wanting to give me their money for a massage but I’ll just continue to do my scheduling updates and be distracted - to mediocre - does the job, gets the appointment but there is no connection. I guess I have yet to find a place or massage therapist who knows how to engage a client right from the beginning.

The first phone call is important as it sets up the basis for the relationship and can influence whether it is going to be one appointment, a series of appointments over a month or two or a client for life coming 2x a week for 18 years. Cherie Sohnen Moe in her book “Business Mastery” says:

Every time you answer the telephone, you create an impression. The question remains what that impression will be. Within the first few seconds of a conversation you convey how you feel about yourself, your practice and the caller.

Some of my pet peeves are:

• I ask for deep tissue massage and ask for the person most versed in deep tissue. The response is all of our therapists do deep tissue. A better response would be a question like what do you mean by deep tissue? or what types of massage have you had before? I went to a clinic last year that said everyone did deep tissue and I went through 3 different therapists and none really did deep tissue by my standards. The thing they don’t realize is that my deep tissue experience comes from Zentherapy an offshoot of Rolfing. It is deep.
• While calling for an appointment the person on the phone continues to talk to someone who is standing in front of them without putting the phone on hold. This is a privacy violation in addition to just being unprofessional.
• While calling for an appointment, I get the person who is distracted making copies of the schedule for the massage therapists there and the appointment book is all taken apart. I know this because she tells me. She also continues to try to make an appointment for me rustling through papers looking for an opening. A more appropriate response might be to ask if she could call me back in a minute or put me on hold for a minute

These are just a few things that have happened in the past month with me. The people answering the phone were receptionists and not massage therapists. Maybe I am too critical, but I just keep thinking about what if it was a new client who never had a massage - what would their impression be of making an appointment?

If the person who is answering the phone is not a skilled massage therapist it is important to educate them thoroughly about massage and answering the phone. The receptionist should get regular massages from all of the massage therapists so that they can describe and know each massage therapists style and type of work. They should also be trained in asking clients questions that show that they know what they are talking about. It reflects on your business when they don’t.

Design a questionnaire for your receptionist and have them practice taking calls and sit with them while taking calls for the first week or so. Improving client communication begins with the first phone call.

• know how to describe all of the services and techniques in detail
• know each massage therapist and their skills personally
• be prepared for each call with necessary materials for making appointments, referrals
• know what the office policies and procedures are and know how to execute them appropriately
• answer the phone promptly with one ring
• don’t be eating or doing other distracting things when answering the phone
• follow through with everything you say you are going to do on the call in the time frame you agreed on
• if you need to put someone on hold ask if it ok and let them know how long you think you will be on hold if you can.  If it is too long ask to call them back.

If you are answering your phone it is important that you take the time needed to talk to each caller and ease their hesitations. Ask questions like “What do you need a massage for today?” Some sort of pain or stress? Then you can respond with something like “yes I work with that all the time”. What most people want to know is are you able to handle the problem that they are having.

Knowing what a client needs is important as it will help you make appropriate decisions regarding their care.

In a good phone call you will also be able to screen clients for inappropriate requests or conditions that are out of your scope of practice. You can also find out if that client is appropriate for your business. You don’t have to take everyone who calls. That was a big revelation to a massage therapist on my discussion group.

Every phone call deserves your complete attention.

I use a voice mail service to answer incoming calls. While this is less personal, working alone I never found a need for a receptionist. I do answer the phone if I am sitting at my desk but I always make sure I am not going to be distracted with a client coming in a minute or whatever. I always leave time in my schedule every few hours to return phone calls promptly the same day.

Resources:
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Business Mastery : A Guide for Creating a Fulfilling, Thriving Business and Keeping It Successful

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Writing Sales Copy for your Massage Business

One of the challenges of being a massage therapist is that you have to wear many hats. You are the massage therapist, the website designer, the bookkeeper, the janitor, the marketing and networking supervisor. You have to combine all of these skills and create a successful massage business.

One of the things I see a lot of and am even guilty of myself are websites or other marketing material that is supposed to be promoting your services and it turns out it is really all about you - you have this degree, credential, skill, experience or whatever it is. You offer this service, you do this… The vital thing that is missing is connecting with the reader (potential client). What they want to know is what is in it for them! People are only interested in themselves and how it will affect their lives or solve the problem that they are having.

Most people don’t really know the difference between swedish massage or cranio-sacral therapy. They don’t care how long you have been doing massage. They don’t know what the names of all the muscles are and don’t care if it is their splenius that is causing their neck pain or not. They only care about how it will help them feel better.

So how do you take what you do - massage- and what you know ( from massage school as well as life experiences) and create sales copy that doesn’t sound like a used car sales man but gets you what you want - new clients!

The first step as outlined in this free Ebook “Make Your words Sell” by Ken Evoy is is to get into the shoes of your reader/target. Who are they? What do they want for themselves? What do they value most? And here is the part that massage therapists cringe over- who can afford your services? Massage therapists in general want to just be able to provide massage for everyone and even seem to be drawn to people who can’t afford massage. The best way to be able to provide massage to this population is to focus on finding those who can afford you and make enough money so that you can do something like set up a clinic for low income families. Trying to work on these people without having your basic needs - enough money to pay the bills, take the vacations that you want, save for retirement - is a sure way to end up in burnout.

Another thing to become aware of is learning to talk about the benefits of massage in a way that people understand. How does ‘increasing circulation’ apply to someone who is in pain or has a herniated disc? Massage relaxes muscles but who really cares - how does a tight muscle cause pain?

These are just a few of the many things you can do for your website and brochures.  In order to create effective marketing materials you need to either hire a sales/marketing person to write your ads or website for you or study and learn about it.  One of the best sources are the Free Ebooks from Site Build it!  You don’t need to have a SBI! website even and all of the principles can really be applied to any marketing pieces.  You can learn more in the free Ebook “Make Your words Sell” by Ken Evoy.   I am just reading it now so will be sharing more as I get through it. It is a few hundred pages and it used to cost $30 but it is now free for anyone to learn from.

Posted in Building Your Practice, Recommended Reading, Starting Your Practice, The Wealthy Massage Therapist, Websites for Massage therapists | No Comments »

Massage Therapy Business and Taxes

I am doing quite an overhaul on my websites and have been finding some great articles and putting links to them from my site.

I didn’t have a place for these but they are timely since tax day is here. Even though these are a little outdated they are still good resources.

Tax Makeover by Cherie Sohnen Moe from Massage Therapy Journal

Give Yourself a Tax Break by Clare LaPlante from Massage Therapy Journal

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A New Earth for massage therapists

“A New Earth” is Eckhart Tolle’s book that is now being promoted by Oprah. They are teamed up and offering a free online class that starts on Monday, March 3rd.

When I read “A New Earth” a few years ago when it first came out, I couldn’t put the book down and it became an inspiration for me to continue writing about such things despite many massage therapists not quite getting it that they can build a massage practice using similar principles of becoming more authentic by being present.

So many massage therapists are caught up in knowing more, learning more and doing more and the client usually gets caught in the middle. Part of the problem is how we are trained to ‘fix’ in massage school and our new role with the medical profession requires us to do it even more by reporting on improvements and having treatment stopped when function returns rather than when pain is resolved.

I was at a spa a few weeks ago and overheard a massage therapist in the hallway talking to someone who had just come out of the massage room and telling her how stressed the client was and how much more work the person needed. I could feel the tension in the air. The person who had just gotten a massage was being berated for how much stress they had rather than being honored for who they are. Now I am sure I am reading into things because I don’t know the whole story but it is examples like these or other stories of massage therapists saying things like “I just need to fix their pain” or ‘it is my duty to tell people about mercury poisoning and other possibilities that could be causing their health issues or I don’t feel like I am doing my job.

What “A New Earth” talks about is our roles that we take on to protect ourselves and our egos from suffering and how that creates more. But it is suffering that can free us from our pain and unhappy lives.

The ego is not something that is bad or that we need to get rid of. He says “It isn’t wrong, it is just unconscious” We are alive today because our egos are invested in ourselves. Tolle says that ‘Our egos are just are false self. It is the unconscious part of ourself.” The way to become more conscious is to become more present and aware of our egos.

But awakening from being unconscious is a little like thawing out from having frost bite - it is painful as we start to regain feeling.

A common thing that I often hear from massage therapist that I work with is about how they don’t feel like they know enough to help people. Tolle says this is actually the best place to be. When you can admit you don’t know enough you can realize that you are enough just as you are.

Another way to become aware of your ego is to become aware of what you are feeling in your body. As massage therapists we have the unique opportunity to help people feel their bodies more. ( I actually think this is more important than any specific massage technique or method.) Tolle says “Body awareness not only anchors you in the present moment, it is a doorway out of the prison that is the ego. It also strengthens the immune system and the body’s ability to heal.”

I also so often see massage therapists who become their role thinking that they are the only ones that can help someone and that massage is the end all answer to the worlds problems. I used to think like that when I first started out saying things like ‘if everyone got a massage once a week there would be world peace” (well there might be!) I also hear them complaining about things like working for chiropractors who take advantage of them or not having enough clients because of the economy or whatever the complaint is at the moment. Tolle says that “Complaining is one of the ego’s favorite ways of strengthening itself”. It makes us feel better to complain. And clients come into us complaining about this or that, this work situation or family situation and they come in with their pain and their attachment to their pain.

He talks about roles and how we take on roles to get the needs of the ego met.
How can we as massage therapists learn to become aware of our roles and learn to just be as a massage therapist?

How can we learn to serve and become more present with ourselves and with our clients to help make “A New Earth?”

Posted in Changing Your Beliefs, Peer Supervision, Recommended Reading, The Wealthy Massage Therapist | 2 Comments »