Practice Building and Marketing

The Ariana Institute, www.arianainstitute.com, offers a course in Practice Building and Marketing for massage therapists. Here are some marketing tips:

MARKETING AND PRACTICE BUILDING TIPS
• Take time to create a clear vision of what you want and need based on your values. 
• Think about tangible and tasteful ways to cultivate referrals, increase your presence in your client's lives, and fill your practice, all the while staying true to your values and principles 
• Examine how attitudes about money, value, socioeconomic class, and the age-old clash between commerce and healing, can affect your ability to truly useful to those you serve. 
• Appreciate what you have. Focus on what you’re grateful for in your life. 
• Networking – Attend networking events and let people know you offer massage 
• Effective use of e-mail and direct mail – let people know you offer massage sessions
• Newsletters – add information about Massage in your newsletters
• Gift certificates – offer gift certificates for an introductory discounted massage. 
• Web sites – feature massage on your web site
• Follow up – call, write or e-mail customers who have come in for a massage 
• Letters of appreciation – send a letter to customers and friends who refer people for massage 
• Publishing articles – publish an article about massage and share copies of the articles with colleagues and clients
• Print advertising – include massage in your print advertising
• Referral incentives – offer a free massage for every 3 referrals or offer $10 off of the next session
• Brochures – add information about massage in your brochures
• Business cards – add information about massage on your business cards
• Diversify and prosper – offer a variety of services, including massage combined with Aromatherapy 
• Keep a file box on your desk with all your ideas in it on separate cards. 
• Send out birthday cards with a gift certificate offering a discounted offer. 
• Call customers that you haven't seen in awhile and let them know what times you have available that week. 
• Do market research and find out what others in your area are doing and how they are marketing. Ask them to send you their flyer, card or brochure. 
• Return all phone calls and e-mails within hours or at least the same day. Many clients and potential clients have a list of massage therapists and they schedule with whoever is available first.
• Focus on your goals and intentions. Rich people see opportunities, poor people see obstacles. Rich people see potential; poor people see potential loss. Rich people focus on rewards; the poor focus on risks.
• Ask for regular feedback from your customers. 
• Call your client the next day after a session to see how he or she feels. 
• Set up a regular treatment time for repeat clients. 
• Develop a give away product for your clients after each visit
• Give free consultations. 
• Develop a one line slogan that can be associated with your practice 
• Give free lunch time seminars where people can find out about your services. 
• Ask for referrals. Ask the referring people for information about themselves too so that you can refer to them. 
• Have a ready made list of contacts for referrals. 
• Become a great learner. Attend conferences, workshops and CE classes. 
• Get set up to take credit cards through your business account. 
• Set up regular business hours so people know they can count on you. 
• Keep track of everyone who comes to see you and Keep your mailing list up to date. 
• Focus on you. You are the root of your financial success or failure. If you work on the roots, the “fruits” will take care of themselves. 
• Develop an Information kit for new prospective clients telling them everything they need to know about receiving a service from you such as location, cancellation policies.
• Develop detailed educational material. 
• Research rates and price structures in your area to make sure you are charging fairly. 
• Enhance your energy. Everything is energy. Money is energy. Big money takes big energy. So get into shape, eat properly and get enough rest.
• Increase your value. Become an expert in your field and be the best at what you do. To get paid the best, you must be the best. 
• Keep up on techniques and methods, always improving yourself and your treatments. 
• Make copies of interesting, informative articles to distribute to clients and colleagues
• Believe you can be successful. Put your attention on the traits, strengths, and virtues that allow you to believe you can – and deserve to be – successful.
• Selectively consider offering a senior citizens’ discount, a students’ discount, a teachers’ discount, a military discount, and a professional discount to colleagues.
• Volunteer your time to charities and non-profit organizations. Give back.
• Find other businesses to network with such as health clubs and gyms, beauty salons, florists, and retirement communities. 
• Find several successful mentors to work with one on one. Contact www.micromentor.com
• Associate with successful people. Birds of a feather flock together. Energy is contagious. 
• Review your business success plan often and share your review with supportive friends and mentors.
• Choose your thoughts wisely. You can choose to think in ways that will support you in your happiness and success…instead of ways that don’t. 
• Be mindful.

Register for your Practice Building and Marketing CE course at www.arianainstitute.com.