Massage Your Mind Blog

So, would you like to get more massage clients by creating exciting partnerships with other professionals and businesses in your community?

There are endless possibilities for great partnerships. However it's a lot easier to pick those key referral partners when you're crystal clear about who your target market is, and how you serve that market in a unique way.

Your ideal partner will have the same target market as you, but offer different but complimentary services or products to your own.

However, if you haven't defined your niche yet, don't let that stop you. My first alliance was with a chiropractor when I was straight out of massage school. It worked because he liked my work, he knew I had great training, our services were complimentary, and he was the kind of guy that when he suggested something, his patients really listened.

In exchange for use of a treatment room in his clinic and as many referrals as I could handle, I worked for him a few hours a week, massaging patients prior to adjustments. In addition to having a thriving practice in no time at all, he became my mentor, and I learned a lot from him about how to run a successful business.

So don't let lack of experience stop you. But do approach the potential partners in your community in a professional manner. I will be writing more about how to do that in upcoming posts, so do pop back!

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 1:25 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I recently wrote about the advantages of creating relationships with key referral partners to build your massage business.

But why would a potential partner want to send you referrals in the first place? What's in it for them?

The obvious answer is that you could refer your clients back to them. But what if you currently don't have a large client base or are just getting started in your business?

Well, there are many other benefits that you could offer your potential partner. Here are just some of them:

• They are seen as holistic for referring to massage.
• It helps them build good rapport with their clients.
• You can offer them and their staff (or family) massage.
• You can make their work easier (in the case of, for example, a chiropractor or dentist).

If you have thought of others, hit the "comments" link below and please let us know.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 1:06 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The final essential quality to look for in an ideal referral partner for your massage business is...

P stands for Promoting. In other words, they are currently engaged in promotional activities in their own business. This lets you know they are looking to grow their business and makes it easier to create win-win-win relationships.

So now you have the 4 key qualities to look for when choosing referral partners. To recap, they are:

P = Purposeful
E = Enthusiastic
R = Respectful
P = Promoting

PERP!

And remember, the more the potential referral partner knows you, trusts you and believes in you, the better. It may take some time, but you can literally fill your practice with one great alliance.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:38 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

A couple of additional qualities to look for in an ideal referral partner for your massage business are:

E stands for Enthusiastic. They are enthusiastic about massage, about your services as well as for the partnership.

R stands for Respectful. There has to be mutual respect. They have to have respect both for you as a professional as well as for the massage profession as a whole.

One more essential quality to come...

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 7:12 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

So, how do you go about finding great referral partners? Good question. Let's start by looking at the essential qualities to look for in the ideal referral partner. Here is an easy way to remember. They must be PERP!

The P stands for Purposeful. They must have services (or products) that are purposeful for your target market. There has to be a connection with the people in the community that you are drawn to serve.

In other words, they have the same target market as you, but offer services that are different but complimentary to your own.

For example, if your target market is pregnant women, referral partners could be maternity clothing store owners, midwives, Lamaze instructors, obgyn doctors, pre-natal exercise instructors, and any professional or business that serves pregnant women.

Next I will share with you the other essential qualities to look for in an ideal referral partner for your massage business. Till then…

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 4:39 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The third key to getting lots of referrals from other businesses in your area is to have a system by which your referral partner introduces you to their customer or client base in a professional and consistent manner.

For example, if you partner with a health club, every new customer of the club gets a discount coupon for a massage.

If your referral partner owns a maternity boutique, you might write a short article for their monthly newsletter that also promotes your pre-natal massage services. In addition, they may feature you on their web site three times a year.

If your referral partner is a chiropractor, when booking patient appointments their staff may be trained to say, "and have you seen Amy yet for a massage?"

So, if you don't have a system in place for getting referrals from other professionals, you could be missing out on lots of new massage clients.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:45 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The second key element to creating successful referral partnerships with other professionals and businesses in your community is to have a written agreement between you and your new referral partner.

Now this does not have to be elaborate or complex. In fact a simple paragraph or two outlining what you are both agreeing to can be sufficient.

But having it creates a high level of professionalism and really makes you stand out from other massage therapists who may be approaching the same potential partner.

It will also clarity things and help eliminate any misunderstandings.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:43 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Forming referral partnerships with key professionals in your community is absolutely one of the most effective and powerful strategies you can use to build your massage practice.

Not only is creating referral partnerships a long term and sustainable way to build a business, it can happen fast. And it is efficient because you are working with the principle of leverage.

A referral partnership is a relationship or partnership with someone in another business that refers clients to you. There are two types of referral partnerships, primary and secondary.

Secondary partnerships are casual, for example, if you focus on sports massage you could leave your business cards with the owner of a sporting goods store where their customers can see them.

Primary referral partnerships on the other hand are more formal, professionally structured relationships.

There are three key elements to their success. Firstly, the partnership has to be win, win, win. In other words, it has to benefit you, your new referral partner and their clients or customers.

Want to know what the other two success keys are? Over the next few days I'll be sharing them with you, so do check back.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:44 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Do you love doing massage but feel uncomfortable promoting yourself? Do you want more clients, but don't want to feel that you are "selling"? Then read on...

I am inviting 20 massage therapists to join me for a series of 8 weekly group coaching sessions via the telephone.

You will learn how to promote yourself and your massage services in a way that feels authentic and natural to you.

You will be guided through a step-by-step process to help you create the foundation of a marketing plan based on your unique style and passion.

You will discover how to:

1. Stand out from the crowd and eliminate your competition
2. Have clients come to you versus chasing after them
3. Charge more for your services and have clients willingly pay
4. Create focus and momentum in your business
5. Increase the joy and satisfaction in your work

By the end of this program, together, we will have created an action plan based on your unique strengths and talents, so that you can get on the fast track to filling your massage practice and getting more massage clients right away.

In addition to the group coaching via teleclasses, you will also get a study guide for each class that you can print out to create your own workbook. But do hurry as classes begin on March 10th, 2008.

So, if you want to stand out from the crowd, have clients come to you versus chasing after them, charge more for your services, and have clients willingly pay, come join us!

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 12:48 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

We just got a call from a client who wanted to buy some massage gift certificates, but she needed them right away.

So we emailed her, and attached a file for a gift certificate that she could simply print right from her own computer.

You could do this too. It is not too late to make money from gift certificate sales. There are many folks out there stuck with ideas for last minute gifts.

If you don't already have a digital certificate, here is one that you can use. Simply download it to a file on your computer, and then it is ready to attach to an email. Make sure the person who purchases it knows to fill out any information needed (ie the number to call to schedule, the expiration date if that applies to you).

As for payment, the simplest way is for them to pay you by credit card if you accept them. If it is a regular client you trust, you can also have them mail you a check. If you like, you can tell them the certificate won't be "activated" until you receive payment.

You could also print these out yourself to use in your practice. So, if you are looking for some last minute, attractive, inexpensive (free!!! - other that the paper to print them out) massage Christmas gift certificates that then look no further. Here you are. My gift to you. Free Massage Christmas Gift Certificates. Enjoy.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:36 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Today on Massage Success Radio I interviewed massage therapist Luata Bray from Seattle, WA .

We talked about:

• The primary way she gets new massage clients.
• How she built her "sphere of influence".
• "The Front Desk Policy" and how she used it to get a client that stayed for 8 years.
• Using complimentary massages to build your business.
• Things that a therapist can do to get more clients that don't cost a lot of money.

You won't want to miss it so pop on over to Massage Success Radio and have a listen.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Looking for some ideas of how to use the internet to get more massage clients?

Then just check out what one very enterprising mobile massage therapist has done......

You can also view the video at Rob's Mobile Massage.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 12:48 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

It's Earth Day.....

Did you know that Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in Earth Day Celebrations every year.

It's great to see how many massage therapists have booths or volunteer their time and skills at various Earth Day celebrations around the world. What a wonderful way to give back while helping the massage profession by being so visible. It's also a great way to get more massage clients!

And at least one therapist I read about gave a small potted plant to each client who had an appointment on Earth Day.

Did you do anything fun or unusual? If so, hit the comments link and let us know.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:29 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

If you'd like some beautiful, no-cost Valentine's Day gift certificates to help you promote your massage practice you can get a couple here.

Free Valentine's Day Massage Gift Certificates

Enjoy!

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 7:36 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Do you want to really explode your massage practice and have clients lining up at the door?

Time and time again I have found that the fastest, most effective way to build a practice is by partnering with other key professionals. Find out everything you need to know about creating referral partnerships that work on my upcoming teleclass.

You can find out more or register here.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:36 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I'm melting, I'm melting........ I just got a wonderful massage from therapist extraordinaire, Elizabeth (Beth) Brown (no relation). Thanks Beth!

Isn't it odd that in a small sized place like Bellingham, Washington there could be two therapists with the exact same name. So to avoid confusion she goes by Beth Brown and I by Elizabeth Fletcher Brown. But there is still confusion. Good job we are friends and are happy to communicate when someone calls the "wrong" Elizabeth Brown LMP.

But what it has made me notice is how many clients use the yellow pages to find me when they need to change, cancel or schedule an appointment and they don't have a biz card on hand.

You see, Beth has a listing in the "banana pages" and I do not as I have scaled down my practice to devote time to building
The Massage Business Center, and am accepting massage clients by referral only. So I didn't think it a neccessary investment.

But sooooo many of my clients simply pick up the yellow pages, see "Elizabeth Brown LMP" and call Beth thinking they are calling me. Of course, the accent always gives it away (if you haven't heard me speak I have a bit of a Scottish Brogue).

Anyway, I still wouldn't choose the yellow pages as my only source of "getting the word out" about my massage practice. I think that is where a lot of therapists get stuck. But if you have an established practice, an ad in the banana pages might be a good thing to consider adding to your "massage marketing mix". In addition to general visibility, it will make it easier for existing clients to find you.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

My husband's massage practice is mostly made up of busy professionals and executives. So one year, in early December we sent a letter to all of his regular clients with 3 lovely gift certificates.

He explained in the letter that he wanted to alleviate some of their holiday stress. So if there was someone on their holiday list that they did not have a gift for yet, all they had to do was call us with their credit card information (or mail a check) and give us the certificate numbers and we would instantly "activate" them. Then, the certificates were ready to be put under the Christmas tree or popped in the mail. What could be easier?

We followed up with a brief reminder call to anyone who hadn't used them a week before Christmas, incase they just forgot about them. A few clients who had been procrastinating about gifts were really glad we called, and we sold quite a few more.

And in addition to selling a record number of certificates, his clients really appreciated that we made their lives a bit easier during the holiday season. A win-win situation for us all (not to mention the happy recipients!).

Don't forget to download your free massage gift certificates. Enjoy.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 7:09 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Want to know another truth about December"? Did you know that some of the BEST connections are made at this time of the year?

How so?

Well during the holidays you will find that many professionals, for example chiropractors and MDs are in their offices taking advantage of the holiday lull to catch up on things. And very often they will answer their own phone.

So if there is someone in your area that could potentially be a great business contact or referral partner, but who you've had a hard time reaching, give them a try over the holidays. Less folks will be vying for their attention and you might just make a connection that could propel you into having a great 2007.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 6:20 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Did you know that most massage therapists (in fact most professionals) slack off building their business during the holiday season? They recon it is a bad time to focus on business growth and decide to kick back and wait until after the holidays are over to do any marketing.

But I was recently on a phone call with Michael Port (who wrote the fabulous book, Book Yourself Solid) and he pointed out the truth about December… people are in a buying mode.

And they are looking for things to buy. So don't be shy about letting your clients, colleagues, friends and family know about your massage products and gift certificates. And if you don't have any massage gift certificates handy, download some for free here.

So don't give up on December. It's not too late to make it your best month yet of 2006!

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:02 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I posted this last December, but it was so good..... here it is again.

Last December, a massage therapist who was taking part in my Massage Marketing Marathon program, set the intension to sell 30 Christmas gift certificates. That was more than she had ever sold before (by far) and in fact more than she had sold in the entire previous year. But not only that… she had fun doing it. And in the process she completely shifted her attitude about "selling" to one where she is so much more comfortable promoting her services and products.

Want to find out how Beth Brown, Licensed Massage Practitioner of Bellingham, Washington did it? Then click below to listen (or "right click" the MP3 link to download to your computer). Way to go Beth!

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:18 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

One year at Christmas, a client of mine said that she would like to purchase a gift certificate for her boss to get a massage as she was so stressed out. (Now there's a smart strategy!).

However she wasn't sure if her boss would use it as she had never had a massage before. So I told her that I would put a 6 month expiration date on the certificate, and if her boss didn't use it, it would revert back to her to use for herself or gift to someone else. She loved the idea so much that she bought more certificates for family Christmas gifts that year.

So that inspired a new policy with gift certificates in my practice. When someone purchased one (or more), I'd ask for the name and phone number of the recipient (if that information was available). After 6 months I'd call the recipient to remind them it was about to expire. I would always extend that if they asked.

They were also free to transfer it before it expired. If it still did not get used, I'd call the purchaser and they could schedule a session, or I'd re-issue them with a new certificate. Because of this policy I have sold a LOT of massage certificates.

Do note that in some states, (for example, Washington) it is illegal to put an expiration date on a gift certificate, so do check your local laws.

How have you used gift certificates successfully in your practice?

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:02 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

It's that time of the year again. The snow is on the ground, the houses are decorated, Christmas songs are in abundance on the radio, the stores are crowded..... and our clients are looking for meaningful gifts for their family and friends.

And you have the answer - a beautiful, relaxing, de-stressing massage. Now who wouldn't want that under the Christmas tree?

If you are looking for attractive, inexpensive (free!!! - other that the paper to print them out) massage Christmas gift certificates, then look no further. Here you are. My gift to you. Free Massage Christmas Gift Certificates. Enjoy.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:18 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The headline in a local business journal recently said, "Pressure Washers Find Open Niche". Seemingly a pressure washing company new to town decided to specialize in cleaning restaurant hoods. And business was booming.

The owner said, "There's no competition here. Business has been non-stop. Every day has been better and better."

Now, do you think there is no competition because they are the only pressure washing company in town? Heck no!

There is no competition because they did their homework and found a unique niche market that nobody else was serving.

So I was wondering.... what could we, as massage therapists, learn from the pressure washers?

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

In response to a previous post about getting massage clients during day-time hours, Tamara Felix, PhD, LMT of The Right Touch had this to say...

Massage therapists are MEDICAL providers. If you are trying to establish a 9 to 5 practice (as I have successfully done for the last 12 years), the next time you have a client ask if you for an appointment in the evening after work or on weekends, ask the client how they handled their last medical appointment. Most employers provide 2-3 hours during a work day for medical appointments, which is what you are offering. The only difference is yours feels a whole lot better, and provides more health benefit than they realize!!!

Then ask the client if their employer offers a FLEX plan (caffeteria plan, etc.). FLEX plans cover medical services not covered by their health insurance. Massage therapy is not typically covered by health insurance without a prescription, and is a serious business requiring tons of documentation; but with a FLEX plan, they don't need a prescription, and you don't have to deal with their insurance. All the client has to do is simply supply a copy of your receipt to their human resources manager and they get REIMBURSED from their employer for your services!

So, then, not only will their employer provide the time for them to get a massage from you during your normall 9-5 day, but will also PAY FOR IT!

Happy massaging!

Thank you so much Tamara. We appreciate you sharing your expertise.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 10:43 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I recently got an email from a massage therapist dealing with the challenges of getting a massage business up and running. In particular, he had rented a massage space during the day, but was having a hard time filling his schedule with clients during those hours. He had no problem finding folks who wanted evening appointments. He asked for my advice and this is what I suggested:

As far as getting clients to come during the day... I have found that a lot depends on who your clients are. For example, I have often attracted massage clients who are also in the healing arts, many of whom are self-employed and have flexible schedules, like therapists and counselors. Or they are in professions like nursing which also does not have regular 9-5 hours.

If most of your clients have "regular jobs" it may be harder for them to take time off during the day. So maybe take a look at your target market and see if their typical work schedule is a match for the massage times you have available.

Once you get yourself established and start to get more and more referrals from existing happy clients, you will find that folks are more willing to take the time off work for a massage, just like they would for a doctor or dentist appointment.

But in the beginning, when you are building your massage practice and want to attract clients who can schedule during the day it will help if you target clients who don't have 9-5 jobs.

If anyone else has suggestions that would help we'd love to hear. Just hit the comments link below.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 12:59 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Today's Success Snippet comes from Tamara Felix, PhD CMHt LMT of www.therightouch.com

She has some amazingly great ideas on how to get new massage clients through networking with doctors and other health professionals. But doctors are busy! How do you even get in the door? Well, listen to how Tamara does it....

Weekly Success Snippet:
"Networking With Doctors"


Right Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 3:20 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

Or listen right now:

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 6:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Today's Success Snippet comes from Tamara Felix, PhD CMHt LMT of www.therightouch.com

She shares with us one of the best ways she has found to get new massage clients.

Weekly Success Snippet:
"Getting Clients Through Networking"


Right Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 2:00 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

Or listen right now:

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 7:45 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I was recently reading the book for solo-professionals by Harriet Rubin called "Soloing". She reminded me of the famous ploy executed by Cleopatra when she wanted to get an audience with none other than Julius Caesar. She had herself wrapped up in a beautiful Persian carpet and delivered to his palace. It worked!

Then there was the consultant who tried and failed to reach a potentially very lucrative prospect. He never could get past the secretary. Till one day he heard that his potential prospect was going to be at a conference in a local hotel. So he hand delivered steaming hot pizza to the conference room right before lunch. And he got his client!

So who are your hard-to-reach potential clients or joint-venture partners (folks who reach the same target market as you but offering different services or products) and what creative ways can you think of to reach them that are outside the box of conventional marketing.

In other words, what can you learn from Cleopatra?

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 7:46 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Here are some more massage marketing ideas from blog reader Warwick Bumstead on the use of fliers and networking:

Fliers don't need to be expensive, you just need to have a good offer for people to take it up. I have found if you value-add instead of discounting the repeat is better. A common one I use is receive your first one hour massage at 1/2 hour price. Team up with another business that you can help with clients and they can help you. A lot of businesses do mail outs each month. Find out if they can put fliers in with their mail outs for a free massage or you pay half the postage etc. Networking meetings are another great place to go. Aim to talk to about 10 people, don't go in, see some one you know and only talk to them. Move around the room.

Thanks again Warwick for sharing your experience and wisdom.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 7:56 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I just got a new comment on this blog from Warwick Bumstead of Core Benefits, Toowoomba, Australia. He had some great ideas for getting new massage clients that are free or don't cost much. According to Warwick, the best clients are referrals because he has found that massage clients that are referred seem to come back more often than the clients you get from advertising. Here's what he said:

I have found that newspaper adverts have very little response and are over priced and over rated. The best advertising that I have found to work for me are Gift Certificates which I supply businesses for free for them to give to their clients as an up-sale or a gift. The value of the gift certificate is only 1/4 of the price of a massage and the store only validates it for 1 month so it is not put into a drawer and forgotten about. The types of businesses I supply with these are upper class and fitness clubs.

Thanks Warwick. So what have you found to be the best way to get new massage clients? Please click on the comments link below and tell us.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 5:29 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

One of our blog readers, Michael Mc Hugh, had a great book recommendation and I wanted to share it with everyone. His post is below.

Do you have a book or resource that has really  helped you in your massage business? If so, please hit the comments link below and let us know.

Here is what Michael said (thanks Michael):

I came across a very good book recently in my local library its title is "how to write letters that sell". It is all about what to put in advertisements, what words to use and what words not to use. I found it invaluable and my responses have increased considerably. As far as I know the book is out of print but your local library should be able to get it for you.The Authors name is christian H Godefroy and Dominique Glocheux and the ISBN number is 0-7499-1179-4. I also find that reading these books gives me great confidence as does your articles that you E-mail to me .Thanks for everything keep up the good work  p.s. I hope your dog is feeling better bye for now michael

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 9:20 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Have you ever been at a networking event, or even a party and someone asks you what you do or what your specialty is and you feel tongue-tied?

Or you tell them that you are a massage therapist that focuses on Holographic Repatterning to balance non-coherent frequencies in the energy field, followed by restoring the bio-mechanical functioning of the body through Hoshino Therapy and by manipulating the fascia. And you finish the session off with the Rubenfeld Synergy Method which integrates components of Gestalt psychotherapy, Feldenkrais movement, and Ericksonian hypnotherapy to best meet the needs of the client... and you wonder why you get a blank stare?

Have you ever had that experience with your auto-mechanic?

To increase massage marketing confidence, practice explaining what you do in a clear, concise way, without using any massage lingo, so that instantly people respond by saying... "WOW, how soon can you fit me on your schedule?"

There is a chapter in my free workbookfocused on how to articulate what you do in a compelling way that gets you clients. You can sign up for it on the home page of this blog.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 4:11 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Work with a coach or mentor to help you stay focused and on track as you grow your business and build your massage marketing confidence.

If you don't yet have the resources to hire a professional coach, consider a buddy coach. Just be sure that the buddy you choose will actually hold you accountable to do the things you commit to. Pick someone that will really hold your feet to the flames, so to speak.

As a coach myself, I have found it invaluable to work with someone who has "been there, done it". It can really cut down your learning curve.

Not only that, if they are successful they are bound to have made tons of mistakes along the way. That's part of the journey. But why not learn from them so you don't have to make the same mistakes too. Now, that's a great confidence booster.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:07 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Talk to or read about successful massage therapists. Be inspired by their stories of success. Find out what they did. See how you can apply that to your situation.

Got a great success story you'd like to share? Then we'd love to hear it. Just type it in the comments below.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Create a marketing action plan and chunk it down into do-able bite-sized pieces. Then stick with it!

Overwhelmed at the very thought of a massage marketing plan? Then here is a great article I wrote: A Simple 9-Step Marketing Plan for Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 11:04 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Continuously strive to improve your massage skills. Find other therapists that you like and trust, and ask them to give you constructive feedback on your work.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 11:03 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Make a list of the 6 things that you are absolutely better at than most other people. Any 6 things! Then find creative ways to incorporate them in as many ways as possible into your massage business. Have fun.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:02 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

A great confidence booster is to collect and periodically read testimonials from your clients.

Don't feel comfortable asking for them? Then any time a client says something nice about you, (they do, don't they…?) write it down (as best as you can remember) and send or email it to them with a note asking if you can use it as a testimonial.

There is nothing like reading them from time to time to beat the blues. You can also use them in your marketing (with written permission of course).

So what is your BEST EVER client testimonial?  Go on, toot your own horn. Brag a little. And please share it with us by clicking on the "comments" link below.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 9:58 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Just ask... Ask your clients, friends, family and colleagues for referrals. You'd be surprised how often they assume that we are too busy to need or want new clients, and how willing they are to pass on the word about our good work.

And there is nothing better for the good old self esteem than an influx of new clients.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 5:47 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Every day, challenge yourself to write down at least 3 massage marketing victories. They could be either successes you had that day, or things that you overcame (like procrastination) in building your massage business. Keep a "victories journal" to read in those moments when you don't feel you are getting anywhere. It's a great reminder of what you have accomplished.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 11:00 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Call up 5 of your very favorite, regular clients and ask them what they most like about coming to you for a massage. You might be very surprised by the answers. A great confidence booster.

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:57 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Do you ever have those lulls in your business... when you know you have to go "out there" and get more massage clients? But you loath the very idea of picking up the phone and making those calls? Or scheduling a wellness talk? Or going to that networking event?

You see, often the problem is not that we don't know what to do to get more clients, but that we are simply a little "under the weather" when it comes to marketing confidence. And let's be honest, even the most successful therapists have confidence challenges from time to time.

Now I am not talking about general confidence. You may think you're the bee's knees in other areas of your massage business and in your personal life. But if you'd rather get a bikini wax (sorry guys) than make those follow up prospecting calls, then you might be suffering from the Massage Marketing Confidence Blues.

But the good news is, no matter how atrophied your massage marketing muscles may be, you can strengthen them with some simple confidence building strategies. I'll be sharing some of my favorites over the next few days. I'd love to hear some of yours...

Posted by Elizabeth Brown at 8:53 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

This morning I went to hear a great marketing consultant, Taimi Dunn Gorman, speak about getting free publicity. Now wouldn't we all like more of THAT! She told a great (true) story I'd like to share with you.

There was a restaurant owner (in Seattle I believe) who had a disaster strike one day. A huge truck carrying syrup had an accident and ove