Make the Most of Massage

Category: Jumpstart Marketing

  • The Biggest Mistake in My Massage Career

    What was my biggest mistake in my massage career?

    Wait, just one…I’ve got 4 screaming Pick me! Pick me!

    Okay, just one.

    Here’s my pick: Mission creep.

    Specifically, I didn’t stay focused on building a massage business.

    I kept chasing other business ideas instead.

    Why did I chase other business ideas?

    Because I wanted to be more than Mark massage.

    I wanted to be Mark writer.

    Mark audio history business owner.

    Mark Renaissance person.

    But there’s more to my mission creep than me just not wanting to be boxed in.

    Though I wanted the independence of working for myself, being 100% responsible for bringing in the business scared the pee out of me.

    That’s why a chunk of my massage career was punctuated with side jobs, like new business fitness center consultant and personal trainer.

    Don’t get me wrong, having a job outside of massage is not a bad thing at all.

    But a potential trap of adding another job is that you may be bailing on your massage career/business.

    The Insidious Bail

    The thing about bailing is that it’s sometimes hard to know when you’re actually doing it.

    In my work life bailing wasn’t: I’m out of here!

    It was more like: I can make a few extra bucks doing this.

    The “this” paid some bills. And so I did more of “this”.

    Meanwhile, the more I did “this”, the less time I had to get massage clients.

    You see where this is going.

    It’s a slow bail with an inevitable outcome—your massage door slowly closes.

    Talk about a catch-22, right?

    The additional job is paying bills and provides emotional security. But the additional job starts to pull you away from your massage career. And the next thing you know, you’re thinking about getting out of massage altogether because it’s not making you enough money.

    At this point, it’s easy to jump to this question: So, how long should I try before I give up on the idea of having a successful massage business/career?

    My answer: I have no idea.

    Sure, you can set an arbitrary timeline around the question, but I don’t think that is going to put you anywhere closer to success.

    There’s a better question to ask and it’s this: How hard should I try before I give up?

    I have an answer for that one: Harder than you’ve ever tried.

    Market and do massage until it hurts and then do it some more.

    The Way “Hurt” Has Worked for Me

    When I went all in with massage, I was forced to figure out the “bringing in more clients” thing.

    And I did.

    Here’s what I did.

    Then when I had so many client that my arm went numb and my elbow wanted me out of command central, I was forced to figure out the body thing.

    And I did.

    Here’s how I did that. (Btw, another solution would be to hire people to work for you. We did that, too.)

    The point is that you don’t get to be a successful parent unless you stay the course and work harder than you’ve ever thought you could so that you have the opportunity to figure out the challenges of parenting.

    And you don’t get to have a successful massage business/career unless you work your butt off bringing in and working on clients.

    The Price to Pay

    Does avoiding mission creep, being focused on your massage business/career, mean you have to give up your free time?

    Yes, but only for a very short period of time in the grand scheme of things.

    Once you get your massage business/career to where you want it to be, you then have the freedom to create other revenue sources or use your time elsewhere.

    Ask my massage therapist friend, Bobbi. She goes away 3 months of the year and returns to her massage business as if she had never left.

    Is it Mission Creep or Time to Add an Additional Job?

    So how do you tell the difference between mission creep and a legitimate need to add another job?

    Well, first you need to ask yourself what part of your income do you want massage to represent? 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%?

    If it’s a 50% or below then obviously you need another job, too.

    And if you’re hovering around the 75% plus range and you’re current massage income isn’t enough to pay the bills, then, yes, get that 2nd job.

    But beware of mission creep because this is what’s going to happen next.

    You’ll be dead tired from working that extra job and you’ll feel like you’re working hard enough to bring in clients, but the truth is you won’t be.

    Accept the pain.

    Do more.

    By doing you’ll create the perfect environment for figuring out how to build a massage business/career that works for you.

    Need more help bringing in clients?

    If you’re starting your business or have a business that is making less than 30K, go here: Jumpstart.

    If you have a business that is paying the bills, but you want to take it to the next level, go here: Accelerator.

     

     

  • How to Use Free Massage to Build a Business

    How to Use Free Massage to Build a Business

    How many hours of free massage do you do per week?

    Huh?

    Yeah, I know, it seems like it should be zero, but if you’re using free massage (demo massage) as an advertising strategy, then that’s not the case—and I have a plan for you.

    If you’re still at huh?, here’s why I recommend doing free massage: How to Sell (A Lot) of Massage with Your Hands.

    My Plan for Doing Free Massage

    Alright, for those of you who do free massage or are thinking about doing free massage to advertise, the answer to how many hours of free massage you should be doing a week depends on where you are with your massage practice.

    In general, if you’re just starting out, you’ll be doing a lot of free massage. If you’re just tweaking your business–less.

    The plan I follow is based on my experience using free massage as a strategy to build my private practice and now as a strategy to grow multiple locations. It has 3 steps.

    Step #1: Give A Lot Away for Free

    If you are brand spanking new to massage or your business is in desperate need of clients don’t freak out when I tell you that 4 to 5 hours a week of free massage is on the mark.

    Okay, just seeing that in writing freaked me out a little, too.

    But here’s the thing about free massage, I’m not talking about actual hands-on time. I define free massage as the time you’re making yourself available to provide free massage.

    Say you’re doing demo massage at a health fair and you’re there for 4 hours, but your actual hands-on-clients time was only 2 hours.

    So, rub time = 2 hours. Total time available to do massage = 4 hours.

    That’s 4 hours of free massage in my book because 4 hours of your time was reserved for free massage.

    Still a little freaked out because you think your hands will be crying?

    Don’t be.

    If you use massage tools, demo massages are easy. This article will help you with massage tools: The Mighty T-bar.

    Step #2: Give Less Away for Free

    In about two to three months you’ll get traction (more clients coming in), then you can prune free massage back to 2 to 3 hours a week.

    Step #3: Give Little or Nothing Away for Free

    In 6 months to year, once your business is rolling, you can back off to an hour or less a week OR you can stop doing free massage all together.

    Our Phoenixville Office

    Here’s how the free massage advertising strategy worked out in our Phoenixville office.

    I went in heavy with demo massages for about 3 months.

    First, I invited local personal trainers to come in to get a free massage.

    Then I did demo massages at a personal training studio and at a chiropractor’s office on a regular basis. And I massaged runners every Saturday at a local running store.

    After 3 months, as the Phoenixville client list grew, free massages slowed down naturally.

    My newness was wearing out at the chiro’s office and the personal training studio. So it was time to stop at those places. (By the way, it’s been about 2 years since I did demo massages at either place and we are still getting referrals from both.)

    I did keep doing free massage at group runs on Saturday at the running store for the next 6 months. That put me at 2-ish hours of free massage per week.

    After a year, I dialed back the free massage for the Saturday runners to every two weeks and now it’s once a month-ish.

    Why don’t I go to 0 hours of free massage?

    For one, I like working the group run on Saturday. It’s a lot of fun and everybody there treats me like family.

    Two, I stay connected to the running store staff and they include me in special events they have at the store.

    Multiple Locations

    I’ve taken this same strategy that I’ve used in Phoenixville and I’m now using it at our new office in Lansdale.

    We’re still in the 4 to 5 hour phase of free massage, but should be in the 2 hour phase by the end of fall, and the 1 hour (or less) phase by the start of summer.

    Using Free Massage for Advertising in a Nutshell

    So for a general plan when using a free massage to build a business think:

    MONTHS HOURS OF FREE MASSAGE PER WEEK
    1 – 3 4
    3 – 6 2
    6 – 12 1

    Keep free massage as special deals you make with select people.

    And don’t say a word on your website about free massages.

    Here’s what I put on my websites to bring in clients: How to Build a Website Fast.

    Get Massage Client Online Programs

    If you’re trying to start a massage business and need help, this free course can get you to 30K: Jumpstart.

    If you need to take your “okay” massage business to the next level, go here: Accelerator.

  • Why Your Massage Practice is Meh

    Why Your Massage Practice is Meh

    The key to building a massage business is to actually build it.

    I should know. I spent many years thinking I was building a practice when I was simply living off referrals from a few key clients.

    Eventually, my referral sources dried up, and it was sink or swim time for Markie.

    That’s when I discovered something really important about business: Either go all in, or go home.

    Going all in is critical because it will afford you the time to work on all the things you need to do to make your business succeed.

    Many Hats Challenge

    But going all in can be a challenging, especially if you wear many hats like me (massage therapist, business owner, CE teacher and writer).

    At first, it seems like the “many hats” strategy provides a level of income security. If one job goes, you still have the other ones to support you.

    But the reality is unless each job is set up to produce extra income on demand, you don’t have security.

    For example, if your $1000 a week massage therapist job suddenly goes south because you injure yourself, it’s unlikely that your $50 a week daycare worker gig is going to replace your massage income.

    Building a Massage Business Detour

    Years ago when my practice took a hit, I threw myself into generating more money through my side jobs (personal trainer and writer) and a vicious cycle started.

    I spent a lot of time working the side jobs that didn’t generate as much as I was making as an MT, and my massage business (where I should have been throwing my attention) shrunk even more.

    If having “many hats” is preventing you from going all in with your massage business, I’ve got a pill that can help you out.

    Alright, I’m lying. No pill. But I do have something else.

    It’s self-interrogation.

    Yeah, I know, it’s not a whole lot of fun.

    Here, I’ll make it easier by going first.

    “Mark, good, ole buddy, why do you wear so many hats?”

    Because that’s who I am.  

    I feel my best when I have multiple things going on.

    And I don’t like being boxed in.

    Are you trying to box me in?!

    (Long, contemplative look from internal interrogator.)

    “Anything else?”

    Well, yeah, if I go all in I could fail. That gets me nervous.

    And there’s the thing about competition. I really don’t have to compete with others if I’m only half-way into massage.

    Not to mention that I’d have to sell myself (my soul) if I went all in. (No you don’t.)

    Oh, and once I’m all in, I could get stuck in something I don’t want to do.

    Sure enough when I did my own self-interrogation, I started to see a pattern,

    I was emotionally comfortable having many hats. And when the going got tough with my massage business, I’d throw myself into writing or personal training.

    Later, recognizing this pattern was enough to keep me on track when I wanted to diverge from working on my massage business.

    And getting small wins, like  more clients walking through my door, made me want to stay all in.

    Building a Massage Business Bonus

    At the end of the day, going all in with building a massage practice, netted me more than a massage practice.

    It gave me confidence.

    Oh, and remember that fear of getting stuck?

    It went away because I had the confidence to try other things, like developing and teaching CE classes.

    I also didn’t have to give up being me.

    Hell, I even added more jobs, like Make the Most of Massage.

    The difference between me then and now is that now I recognize when the other jobs are distracting me from growing my massage business.

    Building a Massage Business Quick Notes

    If you’re business is floundering because you’re not all in, try some self-interrogation.

    You may find that one reason you have a lot of things going on is so that you don’t have to commit to going all in with your massage business.

    Once you commit to building your massage practice, you’ll begin to recognize the times when you’re avoiding massage business projects because they’re unpleasant.

    I ain’t going to lie–the costs for going all in are blood, sweat and tears.

    However, the rewards are a productive massage business, confidence and opportunities to build other businesses.

    P.S. When I opened my first office, I knew a massage husband and wife duo. They opened up a massage practice in a high rent district and tried to make it as a wellness center.

    It failed.

    Damn, Mark, why are you telling me this when I was getting pumped about starting (growing) my practice?

    Here’s why. Their business didn’t fail because they hadn’t gone all in.

    They had.

    Their business failed because they started off too big. They had too much rent to cover.

    Being “all in” is important to building a massage business.

    A good business plan is, too.

    Can’t get beyond 30K?

    If you need to take a meh massage business to the next level, then this course will finish the job for you: Accelerator.

  • How to Crush “Getting More Clients”

    How to Crush “Getting More Clients”

    If you’re waiting to feel like a pro before you open your massage practice, you’re wasting precious time. Instead of waiting, think about doing the opposite: put yourself out there.

    Putting yourself out there means that no matter how uncomfortable you feel and/or how low your confidence is, you are in front of the people who can refer clients to you.

    But I’m Weak

    This may seem counter-intuitive— showing the world your massage talent when your confidence is shaky—until you view confidence as a moving target.

    When a client sings your praises you feel pretty good, right?  But a couple of days in a row with no work and you doubt if you can even spread cream.

    The truth is that everyone waxes and wanes with confidence. When you’re waning, here’s a technique to help you along: How to Stop Feeling Like an Impostor.

    Holes In My Massage

    But what if your lack of confidence is partially due to the fact that you have holes in your massage? Great! If you’re putting yourself out there, you’ll now have an immediate need to plug the holes.

    Early on in my career, I wanted to be a pro with pain and muscular conditions. However, my anatomy was weak. One day a chiropractor called and asked me to fill in for a sick MT. That quickly lead to a full-time job and suddenly body parts were flying at me. I needed to get up to speed on anatomy fast!

    So before my shift, I’d call the chiropractor to get my client list (and their conditions) for the day. Then I’d  study the anatomy that pertained to each case before I went in. It worked.

    The reality is that most holes that need to be plugged are a lot smaller than we think.  To quickly patch holes when doing relaxation and pain relief massage, check out my posts New Therapists Can Be Good Therapists and Competing with Bob for Clients.

    Putting Yourself Out There

    There are a lot of ways to put yourself out there and get in front of referral sources. I like this 4 step process. It reduces the scariness by easing me into the process.

    Step #1:  Ask Your Current Clients

    Approach your regular clients for referrals, but instead of simply asking them for referrals, give them an incentive to refer to you, like a free massage for each referral. If you have an email list, you can announce your referral program to everyone all at once. Check out How to Email in More Clients for help.

    Step #2:  Email/Call Other Health Professionals

    Next, do a Google search for local businesses with referral potential. Look for businesses that do NOT have massage as part of their business. My list includes: chiropractors, pain management doctors, personal trainers, individual physical therapists, yoga and Pilates studios, country clubs (tennis and golf), cycling shops and running stores.

    Once you have your list, it’s time to call or email to introduce yourself and make a special offer. As a special offer, free demo massages have worked spectacularly for me.  Here’s a demo-massage email [download id=”688″] that I sent to personal training studios. You’ll need to modify it, but it shows you the main points to get across.

    In the email you’ll notice that I offer the demo massages to the business owner, her employees and her clients. In fact, I give the business owner and her employees each 60 minutes of free massage and her customers/clients 15 to 20 minutes.

    My first goal is to win over the business owner and her employees. If I do, they will champion my service to their customers/clients.

    Step #3: Special Intro Offer

    After the demo-massage customer gets off my table, I tell him about our special intro rate. (Our special intro rate is $45.) If the person liked the demo massage, the special intro rate is hard to pass up. Keep your schedule nearby in case someone wants to make an appointment right then. Seriously.

    Step #4: Ask the New Clients from the Demo Massages

    The people from the demo massages who are now your clients are potential referral sources, too. If you have a referral program, let them know about it. If a demo massage client works at or owns a business that’s a good fit with massage, offer to do demo massages there.

    Putting Yourself Out There Is Currency

    It’s not an overstatement to say: “Putting yourself out there” is currency that you spend to build a practice.

    And you don’t need to be an extrovert to put yourself out there. Most of us aren’t. You just need to follow a plan:

    1. Give your current clients a referral incentive.
    2. Email/call businesses and offer to do demo massages.
    3. Tell the demo-massage customers about your special intro rate.
    4. Offer demo massages to new clients who work for or own a business that’s a good fit with massage.

    Free Course to Jumpstart Your Massage Business

    If you’re just starting a massage business and aren’t making 30K a year working for yourself take this free course: Jumpstart.

    If you’re trying to take a meh massage business and make it a dream massage business, go here: Accelerator.