The Successful Massage Therapist: Recent Episodes
The Massage Business Coach
In The Successful Massage Therapist podcast, Claire-Jayne from The Massage Business Coach explores the secrets to growing your massage business to a full-time income. From tips on finding more clients and getting your business seen, to common pitfalls to avoid, each bite-size episode will get you thinking, feeling and acting like a 'proper' business owner, helping more people and making more money.
When it comes to advertising your massage business, I know you think you want to advertise to EVERYONE. Everyone is a potential client, right? Everyone needs massage! Surely all you have to do is let them know you exist then they'll all come flocking in? Unfortunately it doesn't work that way, and you're actually taking the hardest road to building a business if you do things this way.
And this is the one BIG mistake all therapists will make at some point - trying to advertise to everyone and trying to persuade anyone within earshot to become a client.
WE as therapists know that massage ROCKS. We know how amazing it is and how much it could help everyone.
But as much as you want to, you can't help everyone. And not everyone is going to want your help! In fact you can help far MORE people if you do this one thing that most therapists don't do. Let me explain:
When you want to get out there and advertise your massage business, some of the first things that come to mind will probably be things like:
Leaflet drops
Newspaper ads
Shop/community notice board ads
Facebook ads
Passing out business cards
Offering free or cheap sessions at community events
And all of these sound like a great idea at first glance, don't they? But there are a few things you need to consider first, or you risk wasting your time, money, and energy, with nothing to show for it at the end of the day.
And that is because:
When you put up a generic ad, anywhere, it's a bit like throwing out a net and crossing your fingers that you'll catch something. You might get lucky, you might not. But if you REALLY want to make sure that your efforts aren't wasted, and that you not only catch some clients but LOTS of them, then you need to get SPECIFIC.
What do I mean by specific? You need to work out your SUPERPOWER - you may have heard me talking about your superpower before, I've spoken about it a fair bit so check my other episodes and also my blog at massage rocks dot me/blog for more on superpowers. (click here for more on this!).
Your superpower is what you are amazing at in your business and do best. It's what you really help your clients with and love doing the most.
Perhaps you are awesome at facial massage and your clients always leave feeling super pampered and relaxed. Or maybe you do amazing neck and shoulder massages and clients always say they sleep so much better after seeing you. This is your superpower! Yes it really is that simple!
Once you are clear on your superpower, you can BE SPECIFIC.
You can be SPECIFIC about WHAT you do.
You can be SPECIFIC about WHO it's for.
And THIS is the key to marketing and advertising that works!
Read the full transcript here
Hey! Guess what? If you're ready to go from "getting by" in your massage business to Totally Rocking It, then I've got something for you - Head over to my website and download my free e-book, How To Get Massage Clients Without Paid Ads. In it you'll learn about your Superpower and how to get your S.M.A.R.T strategy in place, so that you can get clients absolutely pouring in without having to pay for ads!
Go to: massagerocks.me/podcast
Or
Download it here!
If you've read any of my blogs, social media posts or downloads, or listened to my podcast you'll know that I go on about your superpower and superpower clients a fair bit. **But what am I harping on about? What IS a superpower in relation to massage, and how the heck do you use it?
When you started out as a massage therapist, and perhaps even now, you probably felt like you were up against a million other therapists who are "better" than you, more experienced than you, or more knowledgeable than you. You probably felt or even still feel you don't have anything other than price to compete on. BUT!**
You have a LOT more than just price to stand out with, just as you are, and plenty of amazing clients out there just waiting to find you. Let me explain: You will have something, or a set of somethings that you absolutely love doing as a therapist. Certain treatments that you really enjoy doing, and that your clients get a real benefit from when you do them.
Or certain problems that you love working with and get really good results working on.
Something clients always gush about and sing your praises over, like sleeping really well again after seeing you for a neck and shoulder massage, or their headaches easing up after an amazing facial massage. Perhaps you see a lot of stressed out busy mums who love coming to you for a break and to relax and unwind.
Or maybe you're a sports massage therapist who sees a lot of runners and you're great at helping them with knee pain so they can keep running. Your superpower is most likely something you're already doing! It's the thing you are really good at, and LOVE helping people and getting results with. The thing that makes you really love massage and want to keep doing it, THAT is your superpower! Everything you do as a therapist is unique to you - yes you may have done the same courses as hundreds of other massage therapists, but YOUR way of doing it will differ from the next therapist, because YOU are different. Your superpower really comes into play here because once you know what your superpower is, you can use that to your advantage by TALKING about it in all your advertising, emails and social media posts. Talking about your superpower will naturally get the attention of the people who need help with the thing you help with, and these are your superpower clients!
Once you start using your superpower, you REALLY stand out - and this is how you start to grow your business!
Read the blog post here
Hey! Guess what? If you're ready to go from "getting by" in your massage business to Totally Rocking It, then I've got something for you - Head over to my website and download my free e-book, How To Get Massage Clients Without Paid Ads. In it you'll learn about your Superpower and how to get your S.M.A.R.T strategy in place, so that you can get clients absolutely pouring in without having to pay for ads!
Go to: massagerocks.me/podcast
Or
Download it here!
I'm seeing a fair few therapists saying that their bookings are declining and they're considering jacking it in to go get a "proper" job.
Yet other therapists are saying they are busier than ever and booked out for months!
So what's the difference? What's one doing that the other isn't? And if you're in the "bookings are dead" category, what should you be doing to fix it?
Some people will say it's all to do with your location - whether you're in an affluent area or not, and while this will have a part to play it does not mean that you can't have a booming massage business if your area is less affluent.
The key is in knowing your Superpower, your area of expertise, and using it to market your business in a way that brings in the people who need what you do - and this is what the therapists with booming businesses are good at doing, whether they realise it or not!
In the nicest possible way, there will always be people who can't afford to see you. These are not the people you are aiming to attract. They are not your superpower clients, and your business will never flourish or grow (or even survive) if you are aiming at people who can't afford you.
Once your business is booming and you can afford it, by all means offer concessionary rates or volunteer your time, but put your own life jacket on first! Once your business is in a position to allow you to give to others, then you can! Until then, concentrate on the clients who can afford you.
You are aiming at people who NEED what you do and are willing and able to pay for it.
Yes the economy is tough on everyone at the moment, but your response to this needs to be to double-down on your efforts to attract in your superpower clients, not to throw your hands up and say no-one wants massage anymore!
People still want and need massage just as much as ever, that hasn't changed. What HAS changed is that people will be more careful and more considered about where and on what they spend their money.
So it's your job to get really clear on what it is that you do for your clients and to speak to the people who need that in all of your marketing, loudly and consistently.
You can't expect mediocre marketing and relying on people finding you by chance to be enough any more - in this climate we have to be far more proactive about bringing in clients and far less complacent about how our businesses will grow!
Another thing - YOU do not know what's going on with your client's finances. You can't see their bank accounts and you don't know their budget, so it's NOT up to you to decide that they can't afford to see you. Your job is to shout from the rooftops and get really, really visible to your potential clients so that the people who need you and want to spend their money on their wellbeing can find you. AND so that they know when they do find you that you are exactly the therapist they need.
Continue reading here
Hey! Guess what? If you're ready to go from "getting by" in your massage business to Totally Rocking It, then I've got something for you - Head over to my website and download my free e-book, How To Get Massage Clients Without Paid Ads. In it you'll learn about your Superpower and how to get your S.M.A.R.T strategy in place, so that you can get clients absolutely pouring in without having to pay for ads!
Go to: massagerocks.me/podcast
Or
Download it here!
Should you drop your prices due to the economic situation right now?
If you watch the news you won't have missed it - There's a lot of buzz about economic downturn, the cost of living increasing, and "no-one having any money" at the moment. It's all pretty depressing and it might be making you feel like you should drop your prices to keep clients coming in.
Us therapists are generally kind-hearted souls and you might also be feeling you should do it to help people out. But here's why dropping your prices right now (or at all!) is a bad idea:
Read the full transcript here
Hey! Guess what? If you're ready to go from "getting by" in your massage business to Totally Rocking It, then I've got something for you - Head over to my website and download my free e-book, How To Get Massage Clients Without Paid Ads. In it you'll learn about your Superpower and how to get your S.M.A.R.T strategy in place, so that you can get clients absolutely pouring in without having to pay for ads!
Go to: massagerocks.me/podcast
Or
Download it here!
Part 2 of my interview with special guest, Lisa Walker from White Apple Thinking. Lisa is an expert in clarity and confidence for women in business. Find her on Facebook here
Or copy/paste https://www.facebook.com/whiteapplethinking
And on her website here
Or copy/paste: https://whiteapplethinking.co.uk/
You can read the transcript of episode 1 here, but the interview parts 1 & 2 are exclusive to the podcast!
How can you get more massage clients? How and where should you advertise your business? Are Facebook ads a good bet for therapists?
Click here to read this episode as a blog post
Or copy/paste: http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/should-i-use-facebook-ads-to-get-massage-clients
Click here to get the resources mentioned in this episode
Or copy/paste: http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast
Unless you really know what you're doing, using Facebook ads and boosting posts to get massage clients can be a bit like using those grabby claw machines in an arcade.
You put your money in, direct is as best you can, then hope, cross your fingers and pray that you get something back! And 9 times out of 10, you don't. But the temptation is still there to put more money in and have another go! If you just do it this way, or tweak that!
Don't get me wrong, Facebook ads can have amazing results. But for most massage therapists, without spending some serious chunks of cash on learning the proper way to do it (and being able to put top dollar amounts on the ad spends themselves), it's just not worth the effort (or money you'll be tempted to keep feeding it!).
So how CAN you get more massage clients? How and where should you advertise your business?
Keep reading here
In Today's episode, we're going to be talking about my #1 tip to double your bookings without spending any more time marketing.
To read the full transcript click here
Or copy/paste: http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast-episode-4-my-1-tip-to-double-your-bookings
To get the resources mentioned in this episode click here
Or copy/paste: http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast
The first thing you need to do when you're marketing is you need to be attracting a certain type of person -
The type of person who is a really good fit for your particular business.
Because when you market just to anybody and everybody, you will get not really anybody at all.
Or worse, you'll be getting the wrong type of person.
And you probably know who I mean by the wrong type of person, they're the type of client who doesn't turn up on time, cancels their appointment at the last minute, or who questions your prices, or they're just a bit difficult.
And you just don't need or want that type of person in your business.
You want the right type of clients.
You want plenty of them.
And you want to be able to attract them easily into your business.
But how do you do that?
To keep reading click here
http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast-episode-4-my-1-tip-to-double-your-bookings
How to set clear boundaries and enforce them in your massage business
Today we're going to be talking about pushing the boundaries, or rather clients who push your boundaries as a massage therapist.
Click here to read the transcript of this episode
Or copy/paste: http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast-episode-4-pushing-the-boundaries
Click here to go to the resources mentioned in this episode
Or copy/paste: http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast
Let's face it, there are plenty of people out there who think they're entitled to the moon on a stick and expect you to get it for them too!
And it's an unfortunate fact that sometimes, as a business owner you will inevitably encounter these people. It's amazing where they crop up! Sometimes even someone you thought was lovely will turn into one.
But how do you deal with these people without getting overly stressed or wanting to quit altogether?
How do you reduce your chances of getting them in the first place?
And what about the dreaded "bad review" threat?
We're going to go over these things in this episode, and talk about a few things you can do to put yourself in a stronger position when it comes to clients who try to push your boundaries.
Later on I'll be speaking to special guest Lisa Walker from White Apple Thinking, an expert in clarity and confidence for women in business, to find out her take on boundaries and enforcing them as a massage therapist.
Now if you're watching the video of this episode and want to hear my chat with Lisa then head over to the podcast, the link is below, as it's exclusively on the rock your massage business podcast.
So! Setting your boundaries as a massage therapist:
It's very much about setting boundaries that work for YOU and being able to clearly communicate them to your clients and potential clients.
But firstly, what ARE your boundaries? Are you clear on them yourself? You can't clearly communicate your boundaries to anyone if you don't have clarity on them yourself!
It's a good idea to sit down with your laptop or pen and paper and write down the things that matter to you, and how you want to deal with them, even if it seems obvious:
What is your cancellation policy?
What is your booking & payment policy?
How will you deal with any inappropriate requests, whether by message phone call or in person?
What will you do if someone turns up smelling like they haven't washed for a week?
If a client turns up late or even early?
And what's your policy if something like the covid lockdowns were to happen again?
This may all evolve as time goes on, and that's fine! People will do things you hadn't expected or even imagined they would. There are some quite crazy stories out there, which is another episode in itself really! Just update your policies accordingly. But whatever you do, make sure it works for YOU! Don't for example say that you will require 24 hours notice from clients to cancel if you could really do with 48 hours notice! It's your business, you make the rules!
When you've set your boundaries you can be clear about them. And clarity is key. It leaves no room for misunderstanding, and allows you to be more comfortable dealing with any issues that do crop up from time to time.
To keep reading, click here
Or copy/paste: http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast-episode-4-pushing-the-boundaries
Why putting my prices up got me more clients, and why it's time for you to put your prices up too.
Click here to read the full transcript of this episode
Or copy/paste the link:
http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast-episode-2-why-putting-my-prices-up-got-me-more-clients
Click here to see the resources mentioned in this episode
http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast
In today's episode, we're going to be talking about why putting my prices up got me more clients, and why it's time for you to put your prices up too.
Now, that's a bold statement. Isn't it? So let me tell you why it's true.
Most people when they start out as a therapist and I'm guessing you're the same, set their prices by looking around and seeing what other massage therapists are charging in the local area.
And they'll set their prices somewhere, probably a bit below what the medium level is in their area, they certainly won't set their price higher because "Goodness me you're not worth that are you, can't possibly charge that much!" So I'm guessing that's what you've done as well!
The thing about setting your prices that way is that there are a number of drawbacks. Firstly you need to be basing your price on what you need and want to earn to be making a profitable business, and to be making an actual income and living.
The problem with setting your prices based on what other people are charging is that doesn't take into account anything like your costs, or the amount of time and money that you've put into training, into setting up your business, or how much you need to be personally earning to make your business viable.
So if you are charging 25 pounds an hour, because the massage therapist down the road is charging 30 and you don't want to be more expensive than them, or "you won't get business", then how are you ever going to cover the cost of your training? Or your room expenses? Your laundry costs, your equipment, your oils your waxes, and actually be taking some money home at the end of the month?
The answer is, the only way you're going to be able to do that is if you work more hours, if you get more clients in, and if you work yourself into the ground.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with working more hours and getting more clients in but wouldn't you rather be doing it for a decent rate?
One of the problems with setting your prices too low is that you're going to be attracting the wrong type of people to your business. You're going to be attracting bargain hunters and freebie seekers and people who just want the cheapest thing that they can find every time.
They're not necessarily going to be the type of clients who will come back or who will refer people to you, or give you repeat business because these types of people's goal is just to pay as little as possible for what they're getting.
Long term in business, you want people who have got better goals, such as health, or fixing a problem, and who are going to be coming back to you.
When I was starting out, I had a client come in once for an appointment.
I had my prices too low and I was doing an offer. So she was getting the appointment for really cheap.
To continue reading the full transcript, click here
http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast-episode-2-why-putting-my-prices-up-got-me-more-clients
In today's episode I'm going to tell you about the time I lost a shocking £1200 worth of bookings in one month, what I was doing wrong, and what I did to fix it.
Click here to see the resources mentioned in this episode! or copy/paste the link: http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast
Episode transcript:
A few years back I was getting a lot of new clients booking in, but I started having a lot of trouble with no-shows and cancellations.These were mainly with new clients who were booking through ads I was running. As you can imagine this was hugely frustrating! I'm sure you feel my pain here!
When a client doesn't turn up it wastes your time and costs you money -You've not only lost out on the money you'd have made if they had turned up, but you could have booked another client into that slot, which of course you can't do can't without notice.
And then there's actual loss of money!
- You still have to pay all your overheads even if your client doesn't turn up.
- You still have costs that haven't been covered - Your room rent, heating, electricity, travel costs
- You've spent the time getting there or being there, perhaps amended your day to fit your client schedule
- Maybe you've even paid for childcare.
It just generally feels really rude and inconsiderate and annoying doesn't it? It definitely made me quite cross on occasion!
And it can become really quite costly if it keeps happening!
Things really came to a head for me when I got to the point where I lost a ridiculous amount, £1200 of bookings to no-shows and last-minute cancellations in a single month.
And I realised something had to change.
I had to stem what felt like a haemorrhage of cash and time and patience flowing out of my life and business!
So what was I doing wrong? Why was this happening?Click here to read the full transcript
http://rockyourmassagebusiness.com/podcast-episode-3-why-i-lost-1200-of-bookings-in-one-month
In this episode I talk about the time I lost £1200 of bookings in one month, what I was doing wrong, and how I fixed it.
If you'd like more help with growing your massage business, come over to my free membership group, The 100 More Clients Club, and learn the secrets to growing your massage business to a full-time income, plus how to add 100 clients to your books in easy, actionable steps, without overwhelm.
Want to stand out from the crowd and get people choosing to book with you over other massage therapists?
Download my list of 10 things you can start doing right now to help your business stand out and grow!
Download your free e-book: 10 Top Tips to Make Your Massage Business Stand Out
In this episode I talk about how most massage therapists set their prices, the problems with this, and why putting my prices up got me more clients - and why putting your prices up can get you more clients too.
If you'd like more help with growing your massage business, come over to my free membership group, The 100 More Clients Club, and learn the secrets to growing your massage business to a full-time income, plus how to add 100 clients to your books in easy, actionable steps, without overwhelm.
Want to stand out from the crowd and get people choosing to book with you over other massage therapists?
Download my list of 10 things you can start doing right now to help your business stand out and grow!
Download your free e-book: 10 Top Tips to Make Your Massage Business Stand Out
In this episode I talk about the number one thing you need to be doing to increase your bookings without spending more time on marketing your massage business.
If you'd like more help with growing your massage business, come over to my free membership group, The 100 More Clients Club, and learn the secrets to growing your massage business to a full-time income, plus how to add 100 clients to your books in easy, actionable steps, without overwhelm.
Want to stand out from the crowd and get people choosing to book with you over other massage therapists?
Download my list of 10 things you can start doing right now to help your business stand out and grow!
Download your free e-book: 10 Top Tips to Make Your Massage Business Stand Out