Can you find recession-proof massage clients during a pandemic?
Yes, and I’m going to show you how to in a minute, but first I want to talk explain what a recession-proof client looks like.
I used to think that recession-proof clients were scarce because they were only the super-wealthy, like Warren Buffet. But I was wrong.
Recession-proof clients are simply people who will still have disposable income during a recession; specifically, now, I’m talking about the Covid-19 recession to come.
So, what’s the difference between your plain old recession and a Covid-19 recession?
Recession-Proof Versus Covid-19- Recession-Proof
Well, not all recessions/depressions affect industries in the same way. Sure, there are a group of typical industries that in general may tend to do well during any recession/depression, like food and sanitation.
But then there are some that will be up or down depending on what’s causing the economic crisis.
So, for us now, we want to know which industries are stable or are up during this specific crisis of Covid-19 so that we can find the people who have secure jobs.
And who would that be right now?
One industry that’s doing just fine is Pharma, especially the companies directly or indirectly involved with a Covid-19 vaccine or therapeutic treatments for Covid-19.
But before you start spamming Merck or J&J employees to find the Covid-19-recession-proof clients I have a more practical way of ferreting them out.
Ready?
Tyshea, a new client, walks in your door.
You tell her your price.
She says okay.
You work on her.
She likes your work.
Her credit card is accepted.
She asks if she can schedule the next week.
You say yes and schedule.
She comes in next week, likes your massage, pays and reschedules.
Do you want to punch me now or later?
But here’s the thing, I’m not being facetious. This is a true way to see if a person can afford and/or is willing to pay for your massage during a pandemic.
You don’t need to pull up Tyshea’s intake to see if she works in Pharma or sneak out to the parking lot to see if she’s drives away in a Mercedes or a Tesla.
She already proved that she qualifies as recession-proof by paying for your massage twice and by setting up a third appointment.
I’ll admit that proof is the easy part of getting Covid-19-recession-proof clients.
The more challenging work is actually getting one of them to walk through your door during the middle of a pandemic.
How to Find Recession-Proof Massage Clients
So here’s what you’re going to do: You’re going to run a Google ad.
Get a pencil out, I’ve got the copy. Ready?
Wanted people who can afford massage as the economy goes into the sh**ter?
Okay, this time I was joking. Skip the Google ad and get your marketing message out there through free advertising.
Here are some free marketing platforms: Your website, Facebook page, Google My Business page and Yelp page.
What you say, how you present yourself (and your massage) on these platforms is what pulls the client in. By the way, safety sells massage for me now (and by emphasizing that in my messaging it raises my safety bar, which is only a good thing).
The potential client will see your price on these platforms and that will act to some extent as a self-selecting process. People who can’t afford your massage will move on.
I need to mention one thing here about free marketing, you need to respond quickly if someone contacts you. The person who found your website is not going to wait around for you to get back to her, whereas a referral will.
Speaking of referrals, referral sources are another great way to find Covid-19-recession-proof clients.
Referral Sources Sending Recession-Proof Massage Clients
Here’s how it works for me. A running store is one of my referral sources and will continue to be during this pandemic.
How do I know that?
Running does require some money. You need good shoes, as you increase your mileage you may need some coaching, travelling to run marathons is not cheap, and conditions and injuries can come with added out-of-the-pocket expenses. Of course that doesn’t mean that all runners will have disposable income during a pandemic.
However, an avid runner is like an AFOL (Adult Fan Of Lego), and they will spend money on the thing they love—even during an economic downturn.
Another ongoing referral source for me during this pandemic is a local personal training business. If their clients can still afford personal training, their clients can still afford me. I don’t need another litmus test.
Here’s a referral source that still produces for me and should continue to produce for me even if the economic situation gets dire: physical therapists.
Now, I know this seems wrong. PTs see people who are paying through insurance. However, the PTs and PTAs who send me referrals understand that massage is an out-of-pocket expense, and they take that into consideration when they recommend massage to their patients. In essence, they screen out the ones who can’t afford me.
Okay, that’s some of what I have going on with current referral sources. How about new referral sources on my radar?
Here’s one. I’m looking in the boutique wellness realm for a concierge doctor, a wholistic doctor, a wellness coach, or a chiropractor whose price point is higher than most in the area.
How will I find this referral source?
Easy, a recession-proof client will tell me.
Leslie, a new client, came back to see me. She had passed the recession-proof test by scheduling multiple weeks in a row.
As we were talking about her massage treatment she mentioned how she was going to get platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) for her knee.
Hmm… that might be a doctor that I’d want to introduce myself to for coordinating care and as a potential referral source.
Leslie was also starting up with a naturopath for nutritional challenges she was having. I’m thinking the naturopath is covered by insurance, like me, and that within her practice are Covid-19-recession-proof clients. I will reach out to her in the near future, too.
If you don’t have an intro via a client, do the cold-call email.
It’s a number’s game. Here’s the generic email that I sent out to build referral sources in our Phoenixville office.
Hi Lou,
My name is Mark Liskey. My wife and I own PressurePerfect(TM) Massage (www.pressureperfectmassage.com) in Phoenixville. A good chunk of our work is with athletes and people trying to get in shape who have all sorts of preexisting conditions.
Recently, we’ve done free demo massages at Stellar Chiropractic (Dr. Bernard Stern) in Phoenixville. It’s working out really well. Dr. Stern’s patients get a nice perk after their adjustments and we get the opportunity to demonstrate our massage.
I was wondering if you’d be interested in talking about setting up free demo massages for your clients? We could do it right there on the premises like we do at Stellar Chiropractic. Also, I would like to offer you and your trainers a free 30 min massage.
Lastly, I would love to know more about your personal training business and how we might be able to help you. Thanks for your time, Lou.
All the best,
Mark Liskey, BS, LMT, CNMT
www.pressureperfectmassage.com
Now Is The Time
Am I sounding very business-y?
There’s a good reason.
We don’t know what the economy is going to be like in a month, 6 months or a year. We need to be business-y.
Don’t wait for things to get better.
There are Covid-19-recession-proof clients out there. Make them your clients.
Some are wealthy. Most are not wealthy, but will have disposable income during and after this pandemic because they have jobs that are untouched or their industries are benefitting from the pandemic.
Find them directly through your free marketing platforms (website, Facebook, GMB page, Yelp page), and find them indirectly through referral sources.
Clients can lead you to good referral sources like a wellness center or a concierge doctor.
Don’t be above cold calling or emailing potential referral sources with a special so that you can build a relationship with them.
You can do this.
In fact, you’re doing it.
Just dig a little deeper and land those Covid-19-recession-proof clients.
By the way, if you like what you’re reading you can get my latest weekly post by signing up for my email group. It’s free:’)
