Who do you think of when I say massage advertising?
Jenny’s massage?
Hardly.
I think of massage spas, like Massage Envy.
Massage spas have fat advertising budgets.
Private practice MTs not so much.
But we’ve got something else. And it’s a massage advertising dynamo when it becomes a habit: It’s the practice of building rock-solid relationships with other health practitioners.
I’m not talking about a “I’m just gonna drop off my business cards” kind of connection.
I’m talking about an ongoing, highly interactive relationship that (1) improves treatment outcomes, (2) makes clients happy because you’re all in (and they know it), and (3) spreads your name like crazy.
Yeah, Mark, I already do that.
For twenty years, I thought I was doing it. But then I learned that’s there’s another level to connecting with health practitioners that I wasn’t doing.
By the way, connecting with health practitioners is something massage spas can’t do.
For one simple reason: Their business model won’t let them.
Imagine a Massage Envy owner telling one of her MT employees this: “Go ahead and text Bob (the client) to see how he did after his adjustment yesterday?”
Or: “Did you check in with Tara’s PT yet to make sure that you’re on the same page?”
Not going to happen.
Why?
A massage spa has to protect its business.
If a MT walks or gets fired, a massage spa doesn’t want her to have access to a client’s information, like a cell phone number, for fear she might take the client.
Also, we all know that massage spas tend to have a high MT turnover rate.
And if a MT employee has a great therapeutic relationship with a client, built by going the extra mile, that client is likely to follow him when he leaves.
So, incredo therapeutic rapport is actually a double-edged sword for a massage spa.
The inevitable consequence of this business model is “above and beyond” gets dialed down and interchangeability gets dialed up.
Which means we OWN strong relationships.
Our advantage. Forever. Period.
(Unless massage spas change their business model…psst…they’re not going to….they’re making way too much money doing it their way).
To see the biggest business benefit from strong relationships with other health practitioners, you need to execute 3 steps (the 3rd one is the “next level” step).
Here are the steps:
Massage Advertising Through Strong Relationships
Step #1: In-depth intake and permission to consult.
I do a thorough intake with the client. If the client has a pain issue I’m going to be working on, I make sure that I know who she’s currently working with to resolve the problem.
I then ask the client if it would be okay if I talked to ———– (the health practitioner working with her).
I’ve never had a client say no. And who isn’t happy knowing that everyone is working together on her/his behalf?
Step #2: Email/call the health practitioner.
From the get-go, I want the health practitioner I’m contacting to know that I’m there to support his/her work.
Sometimes the person you contact may want to meet you. Whether you meet face-to-face or not at all isn’t important.
The fact that you’re checking in and supplying your piece of the puzzle is the most important thing.
Step #3: Do steps 1 and 2 with each client who has a condition/issue and is seeing another health practitioner for that same condition/issue.
This is the step that will take your business to the next level and is the step that’s the easiest to screw up.
Why?
Because it takes effort to make steps 1 and 2 a habit and not a random act of kindness.
Also, you won’t see the business benefits from your efforts right away.
But if you stick with it, your name will start to spread among area health practitioners and within their patient/client bases.
You know you’ve got a good massage advertising system in place when a client hears about you from two different sources.
My acupuncturist gave me your card, then my friend, Joanne, said that she saw you last year for her back because her chiro recommended you.
This is free (time as payment) massage advertising on steroids. And there’s an added bonus.
The Added Bonus
When you start connecting with a client’s health support team you learn a lot. And you become a better therapist.
Massage Advertising Through Relationships in a Nutshell
Own massage advertising by doing what the big players can’t.
- Deep dive into the intake and ask for permission to consult.
- Contact the appropriate health practitioner.
- Do this with each client who has a condition/issue and is seeing another health practitioner for that same condition/issue.
It’s free massage advertising that massage spas can’t will never do.
For more about how you can grow your business by understanding the business model of massage spas, check out: How to Compete with Massage Envy.
Wait, Mark, too much info, I’m just starting to build my massage business.
No problem, go here: Jumpstart.
And if you’ve got a meh massage business (30K or less a year) and need to crank it up, go here: Accelerator.
