How to Price Your Massage to Make Money

Massage pricing is not easy, but also not as hard as you may think.

The other day I read a post and the LMT who wrote it said that she never lowers her price because it devalues her work.

She added that LMTs who discount their massage do a huge disservice to the industry because clients start shopping for lower prices.

And if we all vowed to never lower our prices, held hands and sang Kumbaya around the massage table, we’d all be happy and well-paid.

Okay, that was a little nasty of me and, honestly, I have no room to talk. When I first started massage I was Mister I-Discount-Every-Massage-Because-I-Think-I-Suck.

Add up all that money that was lost because I discounted my massage and think of all the money I could have spent—I mean saved.

But that’s not the end of my pricing story. After I got confidence (go here for some) as a massage therapist, I started to over-value my service, and I missed business because I was too expensive.

I was a pricing pendulum.

Eventually I realized that the price I should charge shouldn’t solely be determined by my gut (how much I felt I was worth). Something else needed to be factored in.

Competition

Whether you like it or not, competitors, the massage businesses in your space, are free agents and are probably not going to agree to price fixing.

What they charge matters.

Why?

If you’re charging $85/hr and Johnell down the street is charging $70, you better be $15 better than Johnell.

And it doesn’t matter if you think you’re worth the extra $15. Trish, the customer, has to think to think you’re worth it.

And how is Trish going to determine if you’re worth it?

Someone OR the Internet will tell her.

Referrals

Having a client refer Trish to you is pure sweetness.

In that scenario, price expectations are already set because your price was probably already mentioned when the referral was made.

But if the Internet tells Trish that you’re good, things are a little different.

Let’s say that Trish goes to your website, sees that you have good reviews and likes what you say. But the $85 is a little more than she wants to spend.

She then lands on Johnell’s website, another good fit with good reviews, BUT Johnell is charging $15 less.

Who’s Trish going to call?

Not you.

So because of the Internet I need to do massage at $65 an hour, Mark!

No.

But you need to do some serious price thinking.

Fix Your Website

First, you need to make sure that your website is all that it can be–it needs to engage Trish.

1. Are you answering her questions? If not read this.
2. Do you have great reviews?

You need them. Lots of them. As many if not more than Johnell. If you need more reviews ask existing clients to give you reviews.

3. Is your website optimized for a local search?

No biggie. Click here and you’ll find how to do that in this website guide.

Okay, now you’re on even footing with Johnell in terms of your website presence.

Finding the Right Price

Now, let’s talk actual pricing.

You want $85. Johnell’s at $70.

Hmm…what would happen if you offered a one-time, introductory special of say $59 or $65?

This is what happened to us: People started calling.

Once you get them through the door, then you just need to give them reasons to come back.

I have no doubt that you’ll do a great massage–and that will be a pretty convincing argument to come back.

But what about your price? Is that convincing?

Is the $15 difference between your price and Johnell’s price a deal breaker?

Maybe your price in the Johnell market should be $75.

And lose $10 a massage, Mark!

Well, let’s do the math.

The old way: $85 x 0 (the number of Internet clients that you were getting) = $0.

OR the new way: $75 x 4 (the four new online clients that come back to see you in a month) = $300.

But, here’s the thing, you may not need to adjust your price at all.

It could be your $85 is spot on because customers experience your value as higher than the other LMTs around.

You’ll know if you’re spot on in a couple of months.

How?

Are those introductory massage clients coming back at your $85 normal rate?

If not, you may want to start retooling your price.

Massage Pricing to Compete

There’s no way around that we’re emotionally connected to our price.

BUT unless you’ve got serious self-devaluing issues and are always discounting your hourly rate, you need to be willing to adjust from your ideal price if you want to be competitive with the LMTs around you.

First, know the market you compete in.

Who’s good?

Who’s got a big clientele?

What are they charging?

Set a price around that rate.

Get the client to call by having an engaging website.

Once the client comes in, the price testing has begun.

If your intros are not coming back, you might be too high.

If they talk about what a great deal you are, your price may be too low.

Pricing is not rocket science, but it shouldn’t be pure gut either.

Need help?

Check out my free massage business crash course: Jumpstart.

I also have an email group. Sign up and I’ll send my latest everything weekly. It’s free:-)

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