Make the Most of Massage

Author: Mark Liskey

  • How to Succeed When You’re Afraid

    How to Succeed When You’re Afraid

    Welcome to massage talk therapy. Got a problem?

    I do. I hate cutting my toenails. Don’t know why. Maybe I was an unhappy podiatrist in another life. Anyway, I avoid cutting them at cost. They get way too long, and when I finally cut them I announce to my wife, Lisa: Hey, I cut ’em!

    Omg, pink champagne or white?! The question is, what was the big deal? There was no blood when I cut them…but there could have been blood, right? So, I better not cut my toenails. Or I better not call the client who I worked on 2 days ago in case her condition got worse. You see where I’m going here in this massage talk therapy session.

    Could Be Bad Thinking

    “Could be bad” thinking stops you from completing tasks and accomplishing goals. It’s like a faulty brain wire that slowly drains your energy reserve. You probably got a case of “could be bad” thinking if you constantly ask yourself questions like: Why don’t I have more clients?

    Mark Versus Joe

    I was the poster child for “could be bad” thinking when I first started massage. Back then I worked in a chiropractor’s office with other MTs. Joe, a colleague and friend, had a kick-butt following. My following was mediocre.

    Was Joe that much better than me?

    I don’t think so. But he was willing to put himself out there by letting people know he did massage. I, on the other hand, wasn’t. If I talked about my massage it could be bad because… …people might start thinking that I’m simply a self-promoter…or I might not live up to their expectations…or they just may hate me and tell everyone that I stink as a therapist.

    The Change

    Fast forward to today. I still don’t like promoting myself. And I still have a “could be bad” mindset. But my practice is everything I want it to be. What’s up? There’s one major difference between me then and now. Now, when I start thinking it “could be bad” when making a business decision, I take a moment to look at what’s going on.

    Falling Through the Display Window

    A while back, I had agreed to be a sponsor at an event my favorite business partner was putting on. Even though I had done massage at tons of events over my career, I still had anxiety about doing this event. After all, it could be bad because… ….I could fall through the display window where I’d be doing the massage…I could have a client come in and complain about a massage…I could look like an idiot because no one gets in my massage line…I could be so awkward that I make all the other vendors uncomfortable and my favorite business never invites me back…

    What was going on to make me feel this way?

    To be honest, I’m not sure, and I didn’t do a deep dive into my psyche to find out. Instead I simply listened to the chatter, and when I did I realized that it wasn’t all that rational.

    Was I going to fall through the display window? Unlikely. However, if I bailed at the last minute would I disappoint the running store manager? Possibly. And that might jeopardize my business relationship with the manager going forward.

    So, I did the event. It was great AND I didn’t fall through the display window.

    Are You Worse Than Me?

    But it’s all relative, right? Your case of “could be bad” could be worse than my case of “could be bad”. What then?

    Simple, says Dr. Mark (haha), you need to experience a win. Then you need another win… …and another win until your brain says: Hey, I’m doing this.

    But here’s the tricky part, you may not get a win tomorrow or the day after that or next week or next month. Take me for example, I’m entering a whole new game. I’m trying to promote my new book due out in June.

    Wait, Mark, isn’t this therapy supposed to be about me?

    Me, you, us, them, let’s not get hung up on pronouns. I’m going through some really no-win days here. Query email after query email shot out into a cyberspace, editorial, black hole. It reminds me of the 50 query letters I sent out before I sold my first article or the many promising email and phone interactions I had with an employee of that local running store with the display window that ultimately went nowhere. Finally I went to the store in person to introduce myself to the manager and the rest is happy history.

    Yes, that first win may take a while, but that’s okay as long as you’re getting a win in an area that matters.

    The business relationship I was establishing with the running store manager—very important.

    A chair massage gig at a one-and-done event—not so important.

    Knowing the business areas to focus on is not straightforward. Before I started my blog, I read and listened to a lot of blog experts. One, Pat Flynn, once talked about being everywhere as the key to getting his name out there. When I applied that principle to my massage business I was out of control—I was running in a million directions and wasting a lot of time. It was in complete contrast to what I did before—one thing at a time forever without evaluating the return. Eventually, I realized a lot of wins or just one win in areas that ultimately weren’t important to my massage business success were a waste of my time, period.

    So, I set my sights on figuring out where I should be focusing my attention for wins. And here’s what yielded me the best ROI: building quality referral sources and getting competent with free, online advertising.

    If you’re just starting out with a massage business and want some wins in the areas that I just mentioned, go here: Jumpstart.

    If you want to take your massage business to the next level, go here: Accelerator. Okay, that’s where you go to get wins. Now, this is how you’re going to get your first win:

    5 Steps to Success When You’re Afraid

    1. Pick a task.

    Pick something that you’ve been avoiding but need to do to move forward with your business.

    2. Don’t panic.

    When all the “could be bad” thoughts pour into your mind, don’t panic. Look at them. Are they legit concerns or are they unrealistic concerns? Fall through the display window—unrealistic concern. No one in my massage line—unrealistic concern. Worst vendor ever award—unrealistic concern. Client tells me I suck in front of everybody—unrealistic concern. If your concerns are mainly unrealistic then say:

    3. F*ck it!

    Sorry. But doesn’t this stuff get you a little jacked? How many times have you NOT followed through on something because of unrealistic concerns and regretted it. The reality is, you can’t get the win if you don’t go for the win. And the memory of the first win will be the incentive for the next win and on and on… Eventually, you’ll create a habit of pushing forward when your brain says “could be bad” and offers only unrealistic concerns. The first win is the hardest. If you find yourself wavering…

    4. Get support.

    Talk to a colleague, friend or spouse. Let them know what you’re doing and how they can help you. By the way, my office door is open. Email me and I’ll be happy to be your Judge Judy or Oprah, whichever you think you need to finish the job. But before you do, there’s one more thing you need to know. Success is not a straight line. When you have a setback (you will), like actually falling through the picture window or having a disgruntled customer, you’re fear is going to escalate. And you will want to stay down to avoid getting knocked down again. When that happens…

    5. Get up.

    Like now, get up.

    Seriously.

    Why?

    Because this is what hapens if you don’t. You waste time. In 2007  I wrote and Op-Ed for the Philadelphia Inquirer about the high cost of pet care. I got letters and emails from people telling me their stories about dealing with the high costs of pet care. I was feeling great! But then I got a letter from someone in the veterinary industry who attacked my piece. I was devastated.

    My wife, Lisa, was a bit surprised by my reaction. She said: Did you expect everyone to agree with you? Actually, yes…yes, I did. In fact, I so hated the feeling of being hated that I stopped writing Op-Eds and articles. It took me a few years before I picked up my pen again.

    When I look back I realize that my fear of being criticized cost me big time. I didn’t work on honing my writer skills. I didn’t bring in extra money. And I didn’t grow as a business person. Trust me; you will make mistakes in your massage business. It may be a missed appointment or a massage that the client didn’t like or a month of being in the red. It will be a punch that will take you to the canvass. Don’t let fear keep you down–like fear kept me down with writing. Because the longer you stay down, the harder it’s going to be to get up.

    Get up now.

    Assess what went wrong.

    Make an adjustment if you need to and look for that next win. But remember to make sure that you’re looking for wins in the right places. This article is another resource that will help you out.

    Oh my, how time flies!

    We need to wrap up today’s massage talk therapy session. But before we do, one parting thought: Don’t expect the “could be bad” mindset to go away. (Well, it didn’t for me.) Don’t worry; it doesn’t need to vanish for you to move forward. You just need to manage your “could be bad” thinking. And you can:-)

    Hey, here’s another way you can get support, join my email group. I’ll send you the latest everything I’ve got going on. It’s free and you can unsubscribe anytime. Sign up below:-)

     

     

  • Hit Your Massage Number

    This post was going to be called How to Hit Your Massage Number.

    But I didn’t go with that title because before the how there needs to be a why.

    And that why needs to be compelling for one simple reason: If you stay connected with the why (the need to hit your number) then, more than likely, you’re going to hit your number.

    Let me explain.

    Hitting Your Massage Number

    First, by hitting your number I mean that you achieve the weekly number of massages you set as a goal.

    If you were in sales hitting your number would be straightforward.

    Your sales goal number would be put on a board or entered in a spreadsheet and you’d work to accomplish that goal.

    Pressure’s on.

    But you’re not a salesperson.

    There’s no sales board.

    There’s no spreadsheet.

    There’s no one there telling you to hit your number besides you—which makes it easy to lose sight of the need to hit your number.

    I get that.

    For a chunk of my massage career I wasn’t hitting my number.

    And I addressed the problem by lowering my number.

    That’s one way to hit your number, right?

    But not a good way because as I adjusted my number down, my income went down, too. And I struggled to make it as a massage therapist.

    Eventually, I became determined to hit my original number.

    And I did.

    Then I raised my number

    And I hit that number, too.

    Motivation Behind Determination

    So, just get determined and everything will work out, Mark?

    No.

    You have to be determined, but we all know determination is not as simple as flipping on a switch.

    Here’s what made me persistent in working towards hitting my number: Utter desperation.

    At the lowest point in my massage career I either needed to hit my number and climb out of a financial hole or find another career.

    That was a significant fire under my butt.

    What’s your fire?

    If you’ve been at massage for a few years and are barely making it, I’m going to give you some preemptive desperation (motivation) by telling you what’s ahead: More floundering until you quit.

    I’m such a nice guy…

    Seriously, I’m not trying to upset you.

    I’m just trying to light a controlled burn under your butt so that you don’t end up as desperate as I was.

    My How to Hit Your Massage Number Formula

    So, embrace the reality that you have to hit your number.

    Then define that number.

    How much do you need to make each work week this year? The following year?

    Next, implement basic marketing strategies, like the ones you can find in my free Jumpstart course.

    Stick with the plan for 6 months.

    Tweak it if you need to.

    Hit your number.

    Enjoy the success:-)

    P.S. Want my latest info? (It’s free.) Sign up here:

  • Massage Practice 101: How to “Just Do It”

    Massage Practice 101: How to “Just Do It”

    What do you really need to do to build a massage business?

    Before you invest in branding and more advanced massage certifications, invest in understanding what: 1. motivates you, 2. keeps you focused, 3. scares you to death and, 4. compels you to finish a task.

    The Problem With Not Knowing Yourself

    Here’s a question that I still ask myself: Why did it take me so long to build a cranking massage business?

    The answer?

    I didn’t understand me.

    More specifically, I didn’t understand what prevented me from accomplishing my goals.

    For example, once when my wife, Lisa, and I opened up a new office, it took me a year to get the sign up. We lost hundreds if not thousands of dollars because I had moved so slowly.

    It was failures to act, like my sign fiasco, that added up and netted me a massage business that was so-so.

    Time to Build a Massage Business

    The story of change started about 5 years ago.

    At the time, I was on the verge of quitting my so-so massage business because in addition to making just okay money, my elbow ached, my hand was numb and my shoulder felt like it was going to snap off.

    I didn’t quit because my dad had driven home how important it was to work efficiently and effectively both physically and mentally.

    Maybe there was a way I could do massage with less effort and less pain to my body.

    So, I started to experiment and over the course of a year, I was good.

    How good?

    Damn good.

    In fact, I could do more massages without being in pain at 49 than I could do at 29.

    Talk about a shot in the arm. My body was ready to go. Now I just needed more clients.

    So, I really started to think about why I had accomplished some goals while I completely struck out with others.

    And I found 4 things that were holding me back from building a massage business that exceeded my expectations.

    Going After a Goal Must Do(s)

    1. Find the right motivation to get started.

    Not all motivation is equal. For me, effective motivation has a sense of urgency, like: If I don’t bring in more clients, I won’t be able to pay for _______ or do _______.

    Urgency doesn’t have to come out of a dire situation. It can come from the realization that everything has a shelf life.

    At 54 I’m less likely to stop everything and travel the world than I was at 24. If you don’t start your massage practice now, chances are that you won’t start it later.

    Feel the adrenaline kicking in?

    2. Focus on the goal, not the details.

    Once you’re motivated (got the adrenaline going), it’s time to fight off everything that’s going to derail you. Your punch list could be one of them.

    For example, if you want to open a massage practice, but your To-Do list to open your practice is the length of your arm—you’re set up for failure.

    Instead of trying to get every detail done, just pick the key ones that are essential to opening your practice.

    3. Acknowledge Fears

    There will be times when you find yourself dragging your feet about a key task you need to do to accomplish a goal. These are the times when you need to ask yourself some serious questions, like “Why am I dragging my feet?”

    Look closely. Nine times out of ten, I’m dragging my feet because of fear.

    Remember the sign that took me a year to put up? Here’s why. The person that I hired to do our signs was a disaster. It took him 3 months to get our banner sign done.

    He was supposed to do our marquee signs, but after the banner debacle I couldn’t trust him. The other sign companies that gave us proposals for our marquee signs were too expensive. So I decided to make the signs myself.

    But I was so nervous that I was going to mess them up and have to redo them (costing us money) that I kept putting the job off.

    Eventually, I made the signs and got them right the first time. However, at the end of the day, my feet dragging probably cost us more money (lost revenue because the signs weren’t up) than if I had paid a sign company who would have gotten the job done in a timely manner.

    pressureperfect-sign-pic

    The project that took me a year, ugh.

    Here’s a common fear for MTs striking out on their own: fear of being exposed as a fraud. I can’t tell you how many times in the beginning of my career that I waited for the client to get off my table and say, “Well, that really sucked.”

    When you’re in this fear-based mindset you may find yourself not following through with advertising. That way your name doesn’t get out there (just in case you really do suck).

    This should help you with some of that pesky fear: How to Succeed When You’re Afraid.

    4. Stay connected to what compels you to accomplish a goal.

    To resolve the feet dragging, reconnect with what is compelling for you to complete your goal. It could be a stick or a carrot.

    A stick would be: if I don’t accomplish this goal, I will never have a house. A carrot would be: if I accomplish this goal, then I will have my dream job.

    One more thing about the compelling part, it is the emotional fodder that will get you through the tough times. This is where knowing what moves you is important.

    When I started this website, I had no idea of the challenges that I would face, like learning WordPress. And when my due date for my website revamp was rapidly approaching, I balked at the thought of only getting a few hours of sleep for the next couple of nights to get the job done.

    But I had trained my brain to go back to the most emotionally compelling reason for me to do the website.

    Here’s my compelling reason: I had written for magazines and developed CE courses for quite a few years. And I loved having my work out there through these businesses and professional organizations. However, the final product was always filtered through their screens.

    I wanted the freedom to say what I thought needed to be said without their filters. Hence, the website. This was waaaay compelling to me.

    Build a Massage Business Recap

    Okay, are you ready to get this party started?

    Let’s build a massage business.

    First, grab that goal by its ears. Look it in the eye and find the strongest, biggest and baddest motivation for getting the job done. The motivation could be a dream or it could be a negative consequence that results from not following through. Lock it in your brain.

    Then don’t get bogged down in the details. Focus on what is essential.

    You’ll have to face your fears. And if you find yourself in mission creep, latch onto the motivation that is so compelling you have to stay on track.

    Need more help?

    Email (mark@makethemostofmassage.com) me or sign up for my email group.

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  • You Have to Sell (Sorry…)

    You Have to Sell (Sorry…)

    You have to sell—especially if you’re going to work for yourself.  But, if you’re like me, selling is a gigantic mountain to climb. For one, I hate, hate, hate sales scripts, strategies and formulas.

    Sales, to me, is not a game where the customer is prey. A customer is a human being who deserves honesty and respect. That said, I finally found a way to sell where I don’t feel like I need to take a shower afterwards.

    To Sell Is Human

    I don’t think selling is simple. Throughout my life, I’ve failed a bazillion-ish or so times to be comfortable with selling.

    Then, after reading To Sell is Human, I finally got that practically everything we do in life has some sales in it. We sell, even if we don’t think we’re sales people.

    When I want my wife, Lisa, to go to out dinner with me, I start off by telling her about the lousy meal I’m planning to make because I’m tired and not willing to put a lot of (any) effort into it.

    That’s pretty persuasive.

    A problem arises when persuasion moves into manipulation or outward lying. Far too many sales scripts and marketing tactics fall into these categories.

    The good news is that you don’t have to trick, wear down, or lie to somebody to make a sale. Instead, you can use gentle persuasion. Some people call this soft selling.

    Here are 3 musts (for me) to soft sell effectively:

    1. Believe in what you’re selling.

    I can’t sell something that I don’t believe in. Period. Oh, I’ve tried and it’s always been a huge disaster. For instance, in my twenties a naturopath wanted me to sell an herbal drink that he sold. Worse, he wanted me to sell it to my family and friends.

    One day in his office, he was going to “help” me sell. He asked me to pick up the phone and call someone that I thought could benefit from using the product. I literally stared at the phone for 5 minutes—and then never made a call.

    Here’s why I stared at the phone: Though the naturopath was convinced the product worked, I wasn’t. The evidence was purely anecdotal, and the supplement was expensive.

    Here’s another example. Once I worked as a director at a massage spa. The job was actually about sales, not management. The owner wanted me to memorize their product line so that I could sell the products. This one particular pain relief ointment had zero science behind it and she wanted me to sell it as if it were proven to be effective.

    I never memorized the sales script, never sold the product and soon after tendered my resignation.

    Do yourself a favor, if you’re have a soft-sell personality, don’t try to talk yourself into selling something you question, don’t believe in, or don’t use. For example, don’t sell essential oils to clients if you don’t use them yourself. It’s a waste of time and will cause you a lot of anxiety.

    2. Show them why they want to buy from you.

    Selling doesn’t have to be direct, like: “Would you like to come back for a massage?” In fact, some of the most powerful persuasion comes from action, not words.

    With massage, you can take action by showing that you care.

    Doing a wrap-up after the massage demonstrates care. Grab an anatomy text book or pull up pics of muscles on your cell and let the client know which muscles you’ve worked and how you worked them. Tell her what you plan on working next time and then touch base with her in a couple of days to see how she’s doing.

    Also, if you’re treating your client for a particular condition and she is seeing another health practitioner, like a chiropractor, physical therapist or acupuncturist, for the same condition, ask the client if you can coordinate care with the other health practitioner. Not only will this enhance your treatment plan it will further demonstrate to the client that you care. By the way, coordinating can lead to referrals—a lot of them.

    That’s a whole lot of persuasion that you’re providing without every saying “When would you like me to schedule your next appointment?”

    3. Give yourself a break.

    You’re not going to love your work all the time. That’s just the way life is so don’t beat yourself up if on a bad day you feel disingenuous because you’ve depleted your reserve of empathy.

    Remember, your sales system is built around care. And that is 100% congruent with who you are. So plug into that system even if you feel like you’re going through the motions. Do the post-massage wrap-up or whatever it is that shows that you care about your client.

    In other words, FAKE IT! The love will come back at some point and in your heart you know that you do care, just not right now so much.

    Soft Sell Your Way to a Dream Business

    If you hate hard selling, soft selling is a legitimate and effective way to sell. Start by only selling what you can get behind. Then show the customer why they want to buy from you.

    Providing above-and-beyond care is a great way to show the client you’re going the extra mile. And demonstrating care is a natural for a lot of MTs.

    Make care a process in your practice. One way to make it a process is to have wrap-up time after the massage. Let the care flow. Report findings. Talk about what you did and what you think might be helpful in the future (massage or not-massage related). Follow up in a few days.

    Don’t forget to coordinate care with other health practitioners whenever possible. It’s good for your client and good for your business to connect with other health practitioners who could turn into referral sources.

    If you’re not feeling the passion for the job, give yourself a break. You’ll feel it again soon, especially if you’ve built your practice (and your sales system) around the concept of caring for your client.

    I Can Help You Build Your Massage Business

    Creating the massage business that you want is less complicated when you understand who you are and how “who you are” fits into how you sell.

    If you’re a soft-seller, like me, and are just starting out or are not making 30K on your own, I have a free program for you: Jumpstart.

    If you are ready to take your business to the next level (60K+) and click here Accelerator.

    You can also email me at mark@makethemostofmassage.com if you would like to talk about coaching.