How do I market myself as a massage therapist?

You take your number one work skill—massage—and use that to sell massage.

Wait, it’s that easy, Mark?

I didn’t say it was easy. You still have to have a plan and put in the time, but by using a skill that you already have, you streamline the process of bringing in clients OR you can try to become something you’re not–a salesperson.

On second thought, maybe you could be a salesperson…

Let’s test it out.

Are You a Salesperson?

First, as a salesperson you’re going to want to overcome objections. That means if someone has a reason not to get a massage, you have a response that potentially makes that person reconsider her objection.

What are you feeling right now?

Do you want to punch me in the face?

Hell, I want to punch me in the face.

Here’s why.

Overcoming objections is 1000% NOT who I am, and I’m pretty sure that’s not who you are either.

In fact, I once quit a massage spa job because I couldn’t wouldn’t sell massages like they were gym memberships.

Okay, Mary, just sign here for the massage membership.

What?

You really don’t have money for massage and this intro session didn’t help you with that excruciating pain going down your right leg, and you still can’t move your right foot?

Well, here’s the thing, Mary, if you buy now, we’ll give you our special spring rate AND you can put your membership on hold for 3 months until that pesky back thingy gets better.

(Slide contract closer to Mary.)

Here’s my take on objections: All objections shouldn’t be overcome.

And sometimes the customer may be better off spending her hard-earned money on something other than massage in the health & wellness services field.

Because of this mindset I felt screwed or, at the very least, disadvantaged when it came to selling massage.

At one time, I tried to pound that thinking out of my brain.

I talked to shrinks and mentors. I listened to sales podcasts and read self-help books.

Guess what I discovered?

With core things, I’m sort of stuck being me.

Alas, I was a failure at selling massage…or was I?

When I looked backed over my career as a massage therapist, I had done okay. I had maintained a decent massage practice for many years, and I had a solid client base.

It was only when I tried to take my income to the next level by becoming a salesperson that I felt like a failure in sales.

But after I tanked at trying to be a salesperson I discovered something pretty cool.

To make more money than I was currently making, I didn’t need a brain transplant.

I just needed to tweak what I normally did to sell massage.

So, what did I normally do to sell massage?

I sold massage with my hands.

How to Sell Massage With Your Hands

Basically, I’d get someone on my table. If they liked my work, they’d tell other people.

Okay, so now I just needed to amp up that process. In other words, I needed more people on my table who could become clients or refer clients to me.

How did I get more people on my table?

Well, marketers told me to build a customer rewards program and an email list and a Facebook page and to join the local chamber of commerce and Toastmasters and…OMG slap me!

I’m not saying that an email list and a customer rewards program and other marketing strategies aren’t helpful.

I’m saying that marketers don’t understand the true power of “selling with your hands” and that the quickest (and cheapest) way to get more people on my table is simply for me to move my feet.

Seriously, Mark?

Seriously.

I got my feet moving and I found venues to demonstrate my value, like a chiropractor’s office (where massage wasn’t being offered), a physical therapist’s office, a running store and a personal training studio.

Here’s how I demonstrated my value: I offered free, demo massages.

Yes, free massage. But it’s also free advertising. And remember, advertising with your hands is your strong suit.

Are you choking on your gum?

Okay, I’m going to explain why free is not bad–and actually good.

Oh, still not done?…take your time…I know this seems like very choke-worthy-stuff here…okay, you’re starting to breathe again…good…so, here’s my argument for doing demo massages.

One, it’s the absolute cheapest way to advertise.

Anyone trying to build a massage business, even coming fresh out of massage school with debt, can afford to demo massages.

Hell, you don’t even need to buy face cradle covers and disinfectant wipes. You can simply use paper towels and a spray disinfectant from home.

Also, if you’re thinking you need to have a massage chair, think again. I do my demo massages using my massage table.

Two, you’ll be selling massage using your best marketing tool: Your hands.

But, Mark, what about lowering the value of my service?

I promise you that you’ll never devalue your massage if you follow these 3 rules.

3 Rules for Selling Massage With Your Hands

 

Rule #1: Not Free For Everybody

Only offer free demo massage to strategic business allies, their employees and their clients. A strategic business ally is someone who can refer clients to you, like a hospital, MD, chiropractor, PT, personal trainer, hotel, or retirement community.

Rule #2: It’s Free! (for 15 minutes)

Limit the length of the massage to 15 or 30 minutes. Typically, I’ll offer a business ally (e.g. chiropractor) a free 30 minute massage. And I’ll offer her patients 15 minute massages.

I give the extra time to the chiropractor because I want to demonstrate that I’m a good fit with her practice. For her patients, 15 minutes is the perfect amount of time to find and treat pain/problem areas.

Rule #3: Limit the Time of the Offer

Offer free massages for 3 months (12 weeks). For the first 6 weeks, do demo massage once a week. For the next 6 weeks, do demo massages once every 2 weeks. At the end of 3 months, reevaluate and decide if periodic demo massages in the future are important to keep you connected to your business ally and her clients.

By the way, you can still do effective demo massage marketing during another COVID-like episode.

Demo Massage During Another COVID-Like Episode

Instead of doing demo massages onsite, you’re going to do the demo massages in your office where you can maintain the safety measures you have in place. If you’re also selling safety as part of your marketing strategy as I do, then it’s a double marketing win—you get to sell with your hands AND the potential client gets to see how you go out of your way to keep her as safe as possible.

I prefer doing demo massages in my office even before COVID because I wanted the client to get the full experience of a massage at our office.

Earlier on I said “move your feet”, suggesting that you need to knock on doors. That is a way to introduce yourself to businesses that can refer you clients, but it’s not the only way and it’s not the appropriate way during COVID.

The  other ways to “move your feet” are calling and emailing. I have done 90% of my demo massage introductions through calling and emailing.

If you need help with wording what you want to say as an introduction I have call scripts and sample emails in a free course called Jumpstart.

Lastly, health-related businesses that you court should be very receptive to relationship building (growing their business) during this time of economic uncertainty because they too are looking for ways to sustain their businesses during the pandemic.

Let’s recap: How do I market myself as a massage therapist?

How to Sell Massage With Your Hands Recap

Strategically offer demo massages to the customers, clients and employees of potential referral sources. Bring them to your office where you not only demonstrate your massage skills but also your above-and-beyond customer care.

This free course provides an email template and a call script for introducing yourself to other businesses and has all my strategies that got my business off the ground: Jumpstart.

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