Do you need more massage clients?
I know what that’s like. Early on in my massage career I was barely making a living and it took me a long time to figure out that I needed to hone certain skills. But once I became competent with these skills, I found a good living at the end of the massage rainbow.
What are these skills?
They are (1) fostering therapeutic rapport/care, (2) applying appropriate pressure, (3) doing relaxation massage with focus work and (4) executing basic marketing.
For those of you who are just starting out with massage, don’t freak out.
You can compete with LMTs who have been doing massage as long as I have—25+ years. (I stopped counting when that number spoke more about my age than it did about my experience.)
In fact, I think you can “add” 5 years of experience to your massage in a short period of time (6 months) IF you work my plan.
Ready to try?
First, repeat after me: I will channel all my energy into developing the following skills and won’t waste time with other less important skills.
Now, let’s focus on these essential skills starting with therapeutic rapport/care.
Four Essential Skills To Get More Massage Clients
Skill #1: Therapeutic Rapport/Care
You may have noticed that I didn’t say just “therapeutic rapport” or just “care”.
Why?
Well, to me “therapeutic rapport” is about caring for the client when she’s in the office.
“Care” covers all the other times, like:
Do you return clients’ calls quickly? Are you nice on the phone?
Do you follow up with the client after the first massage to see how he’s doing?
Does your advertising show that you care about clients and their needs?
Caring goes a long way with getting and retaining clients and is easy to amplify since we, LMTs, are natural, caring people.
So, go deep with caring.
This article will help you out.
What about hands-on massage skills?
Yeah, they’re pretty important, too.
Skill #2: Pressure
A top one in my book is being able deliver the appropriate pressure.
Hell, we even named our business PressurePerfect.
The right pressure relaxes the client.
The right pressure helps relieve pain.
Want to make it so that your client will never leave you for another LMT?
Then nail the pressure and have outstanding therapeutic rapport.
This video will help you out with getting the pressure right.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERhl08hkZi4[/embedyt]
Skill #3: Relaxation Massage With Focus Work
The last essential skill to cultivate is being competent at doing a relaxation massage with focus work.
When you’re competent with this skill your client will get off your table feeling relaxed and in less pain/discomfort than when she came in. And that’s some major selling-your-massage-without-ever-saying-a-word. By the way, relaxation massage with focus work is my bread and butter massage.
And no, you don’t need to know MFR, NMT, MAT or anything special to do good focus work.
You just need to have a basic understanding of anatomy and be spot on with your pressure.
Tight traps?
No problem. Spend more time working the traps with the pressure that provides pain relief.
Low back pain?
No biggie.
Focus on the QL and lower-back, spinal erectors nailing the pain relief pressure as you go.
Taking My Potential Clients
Now that you can snag my current clients with your souped-up skillset, you need to be able to take my potential clients, too.
You’re going to do that by getting customers to walk through your door before they walk through my door.
How do you do that?
Step #4: Execute basic marketing.
Here are two straight-forward strategies that will take care of basic marketing for you.
The first one is: Get noticed on the Internet by making a website that is engaging and is optimized for a Local Google Search.
A big, hairy deal?
No.
Some work required?
Yes.
But it’s upfront work.
Your phone will continue to ring after the upfront work is done.
In other words, once your website is good to go, you’ll reap the reward of new clients for many months to come without having to touch your website.
Here’s how you build a website that makes you money: My Easy Massage Website Guide.
The second marketing strategy is: Get noticed in your neighborhood by building referral sources.
This is simple.
Get your butt out there in your community and start making connections with people and businesses who can refer clients to you.
But, Mark, I want to stay in my massage room and get more massage clients.
Been there, done that.
Psst…it doesn’t work.
This is how you create referral machines: Get Referrals.
More Massage Clients in a Nutshell
Getting a little overwhelmed?
Let’s break it down to make it easier.
To take my clients hone these massage skills: (1) therapeutic rapport/care, (2) appropriate pressure and (3) relaxation massage with focus work.
And as you’re fine-tuning your massage throw in some basic marketing.
Start with your website or building referral sources in your community.
Okay, now that you know how to take my current and potential clients, how about showing me a little love and leaving me a few:-)
Need some more help?
This is a DIY website, but sometimes you may need some more guidance.
It’s a free class: How to Build a Massage Business Crash Course.
Need even more help?
Click here.
