WELCOME TO 10 TIPS FOR SUCCESS YOU WONT
LEARN IN MASSAGE SCHOOL, A FREE E-BOOK
FROM MASSAGE MAGAZINE
W hen you enrolled in massage
school, you embarked on a
challenging and rewarding career
path. Professional massage therapy
is a valued health care specialty in
use at a wide variety of venues. When
you launch your practice, you might
decide to work with athletes, medical
patients, seniors, pregnant women,
infants or the general public.
No matter what specialty you
choose, many people await your
skilled touchand those potential
clients need to know who you
are, where you are, and what you
offer. Thats why you need to have
inside strategies for promoting and
maintaining a successful massage
practice.
Massage school is teaching you how
to massage with skill and compassion,
but the curriculum probably doesnt
include the latest business techniques.
Do you know, for example, why you
should consider billing insurance and
networking with physicians, and how
those activities will help you achieve
financial and professional success?
Are you aware of the ease with which
product sales benefit clients and your
bank account? Do you realize how
vital liability insurance is to protecting
your practice and professional
reputation?
Thats where this e-book comes in.
Here, MASSAGE Magazines editors
share a selection of articles from
top business and marketing experts,
tailored to massage students like you,
on these topics and more.
MASSAGE Magazine and Massage
Magazine Insurance Plus want you to
succeed as a massage student and a
massage therapistand to provide
healing benefits of massage therapy
to many clients, for many years to
come. We are here to assist you
on every step of your journey as a
student and therapist:
Visit massagemag.com for regular
updates to massage articles and
blogs from leaders in the massage
field, and to subscribe to our
monthly print publication.
Check out futureLMT.com, for
information tailored to todays
massage student.
Go to massagemag.com/resources/
insurance to sign up for your liability
insurance policy.
Bookmark massagemag.com/
ceu-center for your continuing
education needs.
Its great to meet you, and I look
forward to connecting with you. Im at
edit@massagemag.com.
Karen Menehan
Editor in Chief
MASSAGE Magazine
2
 20

CONTENTS
4 Technology Is Your Friend
by Justin Shelby

5
11
You Want Liability Insurance
by Brandi Schlossberg
PLUS: Questions to Ask About Your Policy

8 Millennials Are the Next Target Market

by Karen Menehan

11 Take Control of Word-of-Mouth Referrals

by Benny Vaughn, A.T.C., L.M.T., C.S.C.S.

8
12 Insurance Claims Are Where the $$ Is
by Meagan Holub, L.M.T.

13 Network With Physicians &Build Clientele

by Coach Cary Bayer
13 PLUS: Sample Physician Networking Letter

15 Yes, You Can Be a Salesperson

by Felicia Hayes, L.M.T.

17 ItGets Lonely Out There

by Cherie Sohnen-Moe

19 Youll Do a LOT of Laundry

by MASSAGE Magazine

20 Serve Clients by Serving Yourself

by George Davis

5 2016 MASSAGE Magazine -

MassageMag.com
All images/Thinkstock
unless otherwise indicated
15
TECHNOLOGY IS
YOUR FRIEND
F or independent massage therapists,
it is sometimes easy to get caught
up in doing the work you lovemaking
people feel betterand forget to work
on your ownbusiness. When you dont
pay attention to your business, you might
not generate enough income to live
comfortably. When you make more money,
you will feel better about your work and
your bank account, and you wont have to
worry about getting a second job.
These four simple business processes can
lead to more income and peace of mind,
and higher-quality service for your clients.
1. PROVIDE APPOINTMENT REMINDERS.
How many of your clients will miss
appointmentseach month because they
just forgot? A missed appointment here
and there doesnt seem like a big deal,
but if you add up the revenue for all of
those missed appointments, you could be
losing thousands of dollars a year. Plus,
your clients arent getting the services
they need. Tracking appointments and
sending your clients reminders could help
you give yourself a raise. I recommend
by Justin Shelby
sending reminders 24 hours in advance of
each appointment.
2. SCHEDULE RECURRING APPOINTMENTS.
For regular clients, set up recurring
appointments rather than struggling to
find new times for each appointmentor
worse, sitting around waiting for clients
to call you. With recurring appointments,
you will become a part of your clients
routines. That means the income from
those appointments can become part
ofyourroutine. (You should still send
your clients reminders for recurring
appointments.)
3. SET UP RECURRING PAYMENTS. Set
up a system to automatically bill your
clients on a monthly or weekly basis to
improve your cash flow and save time for
everyone involved. If clients know they
are automatically paying you, they will
be more motivated to make time for an
appointment with you, which is good for
your business and your clients well-being.
Plus, setting up recurring payments means
continued>>
4
you dont have to keep asking your clients
for money. Automatic payments are easier
for both you and your clients.
4. AUTOMATE. Dont do grunt work
yourself. Find software that will handle
your appointment calendar, appointment
reminders and billing. Lets say you spend
even 15 minutes a day on this kind of
administrative work, and you work 260 days
a year, equating to five days a week. Thats
65 hours a yearmore than eight entire
workdaysspent on administrative work
instead of billable work. How much would
65 hours earn you at your hourly rate?
Taking a breather from the daily grind to
automate some of your business processes
can really be life-changing. You are in the
business of de-stressing otherswhy not
give the same attention to yourself?
Justin Shelby is CEO and cofounder of Artichoke
Client Management Application (getartichoke.
com), a mobile app that helps massage therapists
get organized, booked and paid. He is a 15-year
veteran in the wellness industry.

YOU WANT
LIABILITY
INSURANCE
by Brandi Schlossberg

W hen Juliana Barron enrolled in

massage school, part of her tuition
fee went toward the purchase of massage
student liability insurance. Now more than
six months into her program at Massage
Therapy Institute of Colorado, Barron
appreciates the peace of mind that comes
along with liability coverage.
Having liability insurance makes me
feel protected, Barron said. If anything
happens, my clients will be able to rectify
the situation.
According to Mark Manton, director of
Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado, in
Denver, students from the school provide
massage to members of the public during
clinics, as well as at numerous community
outreach events.
If an accident occurred, such as
someone getting up from a massage
and fainting or stumbling and falling, or
if someone was injured by a massage
continued>>

5
technique, then it is important that funds
are available through insurance programs
to help the injured person recover, Manton
said, and to protect the school, faculty and
students from the possible expenses that
can accrue as the result of an injury.
This protection is among the main reasons
Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado has
built massage student liability insurance
into the tuition fee, so every student is
covered from day one.
However, not all schools purchase
coverage for each incoming student, so
its important for students to do their
homework when it comes to liability
insurance. Find out whether your school has
a policy that will protect you, or whether
you want to seek out massage student
liability insurance on your own.
Most schools do not require students to
carry their own insurance, and some schools
provide only general protection for their
students while enrolled, said Heather Alves,
director of Massage Magazine Insurance
Plus. Either way, it is important that
students understand the extent to which
they are protected by their school policy.
LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE
Massage is a hands-on career, and a key
piece of training is hours of tactile practice.
Typically, students provide massages to
one another, along with school staff, as well
as members of the public during student
clinics and various community events.
The benefits of providing massage
while a student are important and include
gaining experience with a variety of
clients, products and techniques, Alves
said. However, these benefits must
be balanced with an understanding of
exposure to liabilitywhen students work
with public clients during clinical hours,
they are open to the maximum amount of
risk for liability.
Taking the possible risks into account can
help students understand why they need
massage student liability insurance. The
bottom line is that even though massage
is a fairly low-risk profession, accidents
happenand when they do, massage
Not all schools purchase coverage
for each incoming student,
so its important for students
to do their homework when it
comes to liability insurance.
liability insurance is designed to provide
necessary financial protection.
People can be injured by massage,
Manton said. Hot stones might cause a
burn; working on the elderly may cause
osteoporotic bones to fracture; [clients
can experience] bruising and muscle tears;
disk injuries might occur with [range of
motion] and stretch techniques; [and] if a
contraindication is not observed properly,
injury can result.
These are only a few examples of risks
that can come with massage. Others include
clients slipping and falling in or around the
session area, as well as accidents associated
with products, such as an allergic reaction to
an ingredient in a lubricant.
I think a lot of students are under the
impression that if the school has coverage,
which most do, that the student is somehow
protected, said Kevin McCarthy, managing
director of Massage Magazine Insurance
Plus. However, the schools policy may
cover the school and not necessarily the
student.
If your school does not include the
purchase of individual massage student
liability insurance with the price of
enrollment, it may be wise to consider
purchasing a policy on your own.
UNDERSTANDING LIABILITY COVERAGE
One of the primary reasons for students
to purchase liability insurance is the peace
of mind that comes with knowing one is
covered in case an accident does happen.
With student insurance, the student
continued>>
6
should receive the same thorough coverage as a
professional massage therapist.
Coverage for massage students is no different than
[coverage] for professionals, Alves said. General,
professional and product coverage are the three most
important and cover the majority of situations.
Typically, these three forms of coverage are
packaged together in one liability policy for
massage students. This means the student will get
professional, general and product liability coverage
with his or her purchase.
Most of these policies are very inexpensive
we sell ours for $25, McCarthy said. Its a
very inexpensive way to transfer the risk from
the student to the insurance company in case
something unforeseen happens.
If that unforeseen happening is a client injury due
to a lack of skill or competence on the part of the
student, the situation would trigger the policys
professional liability coverage, also known as
malpractice insurance.
If an injury occurs as the result of an accident
around the session space, such as a slip and fall,
rather than anything directly related to the session,
coverage would come from the general liability
portion of the policy.
The third component, product liability, covers
those instances where a client may be injured or
adversely affected by a product used during the
massage, such as a lubricant that causes an allergic
reaction or hot stones that are overheated and burn
the clients skin.
The concept behind liability insurance is
that you can eliminate the risk of facing a very
significant financial penalty for something that just
happenedsomething that was not your fault or
was not intended but happened on your watch,
McCarthy said. In exchange for the cost you pay
for the coverage, youve transferred that financial
risk to the insurance company.
Editors note: The American Massage Therapy
Association and Associated Bodywork & Massage
Professionals were asked to contribute to this
article but declined.
Brandi Schlossberg is an avid bodywork client and full-time
journalist based in Reno, Nevada. She has written on many
topics for MASSAGE Magazine.
QUESTIONS TO
ASK ABOUT
YOUR POLICY
DOES THIS POLICY HAVE
SHARED LIMITS?
If you have a master policy, or
shared-limit policy, everyone
insured by the company shares
one master limit of coverage
per policy year. As claims are
paid, they count against the total
shared limit. When the master
policy limit is reached, no matter
how early or late it may be during
the year, there is no remaining
coverage available for the rest of
the year.
With coverage that provides
individual limits, your policy will
protect you up to the amount
listed on your policy. Every
insured person has his or her own
coverage; claims others make
will not affect your individual
coverage amount.
IS THIS AN OCCURRENCE FORM
POLICY OR CLAIMS-MADE
POLICY?
If you have an occurrence form
policy, as long as your policy is
active at the time of an incident,
youll have coverage. It wont
matter if the claim itself is filed
after the incident takes place.
If you have a claims-made
policy,the policy must be active
at the time the claim is filedin
order for the provider to cover
you. You run the risk of being
completely unprotected if a claim
is filed after your policy expires.
7
MILLENNIALS ARE
THE NEXT TARGET
MARKET by Karen Menehan
M arketing your massage services to
Millennialspeople born between
1981 and 1997, of which there are about
73 million in the U.S.looks different from
how you market to their parents.
Millennials were raised by baby boomers,
the generation born between 1946 and
1964 who possess a keen interest in holistic
health care and self-help practices, including
meditation, yoga and massage therapy.
Reaching this large demographic
with your message presents
many unique challengesand
opportunities. Heres how to
capture their attention.
Because of the interests and habits of their
parents, Millennials dont find massage
therapy esoteric or confusing; they grew
up with it in the mainstream. The oldest
among them was 14 when David Eisenberg,
M.D.s 1993 report, Unconventional
Medicine in the United States, opened the
floodgates to research and media reports on
complementary medicine.
Reaching this large demographic with
your message presents many unique
challengesand opportunities. Heres how
to capture their attention:
USE REVIEW SITES. Millennials use
technologysmartphones and tablets
continued>>
8
to find out everything they can about
a product or service, before making a
purchase or scheduling an appointment.
They tend to seek comparison data
reviews and information about pricing
because they expect to be able to find the
best experience as well as the best price on
anything, immediately, by searching online.
With brands and services, what used
to be a one-way conversation is now a
multifaceted, 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-
week dialogue between brands and their
customers and among their customers,
noted The Millennial Generation Research
Review, a special report from the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
CREATE UNIQUE, USEFUL, MASSAGE-
RELATED CONTENT. Millennials grew
up with technology delivering content,
so they know they can grab short-form
content on any topic, explained Jeff
Fromm, president of Millennial marketing
company FutureCast (futurecast.com),
and co-author of Marketing to Millennials:
Reach the Largest and Most Influential
Generation of Consumers Ever. If you
have content that informs and inspires me,
youre going to win.
What this means for a massage therapist
is creating and updating a website that
includes articles about massage therapy,
as well as videos and a blog. Website
content should be pushed out regularly via
Determine what your target
Millennial clientele needs from
massage and then create content
that addresses those concerns.
social media, with a headline and hotlink
back to your site.
Usefulness is key, Fromm said. Millennials
are smart, educated and not interested in
hype or vague descriptions.
Millennials will research, research,
research, said Zack Hanebrink,
MassageBooks head of marketing. They
have put in so much work reading articles
that by the time theyre ready to talk to
someone, they are already completely
sold, because theyve done their
homework.
Hanebrink suggests determining what
your target Millennial clientele needs from
massage and then creating content that
addresses those concerns.
continued>>
9
 Give them information about their pain, Instead, he said, make posts stand out.
their conditions and how you can help Post a photo of stretches a client can do
them, he said. Answer their questions, at the office, or an article that describes
such as, Do I have to take my clothes off? how massage can help someone injured
and Is massage effective for low-back in a pickup basketball game. Focus on the
pain? Although this type of information experience and value your sessions can
is no different from what you might tell give them.
a 50-year-old prospective client over the
phone, the delivery of itvia Facebook, BE UNIQUE. You can capture Millennials
blog post, tweet or textis. attention with uncommon experiences,
said massage instructor Ariana Vincent,
HAVE AN INTERACTIVE, MOBILE- L.M.T., M.T.I., B.C.T.M.B. Offer sessions that
FRIENDLY WEBSITE. Its no longer enough are unique and interesting, like lomilomi
to put up a website consisting of a photo or a package that is a little out of the
of your session room, menu of services ordinary.
and contact information. To matter to
Millennials, you need to offer online DONT MAKE THEM CALL YOU. Companies
booking, text reminders, blog posts, including MassageBook (massagebook.
videos and articles. com), MINDBODY (mindbodyonline.
com), Schedulicity (schedulicity.com) and
GET SOCIAL. Keep your social media SpaBoom (spaboom.com) help massage
pages updated consistently. therapists create sites with integrated
You cant be a massage therapist who booking and reminder tools that make it
refuses to use social media and still easy for clients to reach you online.
market to this group, said Las Vegas, I use text messaging almost exclusively
Nevada, massage therapist and marketing in my practice, Poulson said. People text
consultant Kris Kelley. me to book an appointment, I send an
According to The Millennial Generation appointment confirmation text, and I send
Research Review, the key to marketing to directions to my practice with text. If you
Millennials is understanding social media, dont have text functionality, he added,
as Millennials spend an average of 1.8 You are missing out huge with the young
hours every day on social media websites. generation if you force them to make a
For younger clients, you have to meet phone call.
them where they are at, said Stratton Its time to utilize social networking,
Poulson, a Dallas, Texas, massage texting, blogging, videos and
therapist who is himself a Millennial. communication technology in ways that
Things like billboards, newspaper ads capture the interest of the Millennial
we dont care about them, we dont pay generationwhich by 2020 will comprise
attention to them. What will make us act 33 percent of the U.S. adult population.
are things we are actively plugged into They are your next generation of
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Relevance is an important component of
massage clients.
social networking posts, Poulson added. Karen Menehan is MASSAGE Magazines editor
I see massage therapists on social media in chief (massagemag.com). She has edited
who might [post], I have appointments and written for additional publications and
available today or I have a two-for-one organizations, including Imagine Magazine,
specialand thats not marketing, thats the Sacramento Bee newspaper and LIVESTRONG
just asking people for money. Foundation.

10
TAKE CONTROL OF
WORD-OF-MOUTH
REFERRALS
GET RESULTS. You must get results in your
massage sessions that excite clients to
refer and refer some more to you. Massage
therapy is an experience for the person
on the tableand you must market by
providing an excellent experience for each
and every client, every time.
WATCH THE CLOCK. Begin on time, and
also finish the session on time. If your
client is late for her appointment, still
finish on time to ensure being on time for
your next client.
DONT GIVE IT AWAY. Establish your
fee for services based not on minutes
massaged, but on results. Results that
stem from your knowledge, experience
and training have value.
PRESENT PROFESSIONALLY. Maintain a
clean, organized, professional workspace.
by Benny Vaughn, A.T.C., L.M.T., C.S.C.S.
CONSIDER EVERY DETAIL. For example,
if you accept checks, provide a professional
writing surface and a pen that writes
smoothly and effortlessly. Make the
experience of writing you a check the best
writing experience the client has ever had.
INVEST IN HIGH-QUALITY BUSINESS
CARDS. Often, your card will be the first
contact a prospective client has with you.
ASK FOR REFERRALS. Ask clients to refer
family and friendsand provide several
extra business cards so its easy to hand
them out. If clients value your services,
theyll want to help you be successful.
Benny Vaughn, A.T.C., L.M.T., C.S.C.S., has been a
licensed massage therapist for 40 years. He has
worked with many Olympic athletes and owns and
operates Benny Vaughn Athletic Therapy Center
(bennyvaughntherapy.com) in Fort Worth, Texas.
11
INSURANCE CLAIMS
ARE WHERE THE $$ IS
by Meagan Holub, L.M.T.
B y learning the ins and outs of insurance
billing, you can give your practice
an enormous boost. I have never, in all
my years of mentoring in this industry,
seen faster transformation in massage
businessesfrom bankrupt to thriving
almost overnightthan when a therapist
takes the leap into insurance billing.
HERES WHY THAT LEAP CAN BE A
GAME-CHANGER FOR YOUR PRACTICE:
MORE FREQUENT APPOINTMENTS.
Clients who have an injury may see you
two or three times per week, per physician
prescription; and because they dont have
to pay out-of-pocket themselves, they are
likely to keep these appointments. This
provides you regularity and predictability
in terms of both income and schedule.
MORE MONEY. Clients with a high
number of monthly treatments can add
an average of $1,000 per month to your
income.
LESS MARKETING EFFORT. Serving
clients who need repeat sessions is much
more efficient than marketing to clients
who can only afford one massage per
month.
MORE AUTHORITY. When you establish
yourself as the go-to therapist in your
town for insurance billing, it sets you
apart as an expert in the eyes of clients
and physicians.
GREATER IMPACT. The ability to work
with injured clients and witness their
transformation back to health and
mobility is powerful. You will appreciate
your skills that much more, as will
others.
HOW PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION
COVERAGE WORKS
Personal injury protection (PIP) coverage
is my favorite of all insurances. PIP is an
optional auto insurance coverage, and
the policyholders injuries after an auto
accident are covered for up to $300,000
in medical treatments. Your client will
be required by a doctor to get massage
therapy two to three times per week, via
prescription; you can be reimbursed up to
$140 per hour, plus an additional 25 percent
for hot or cold packs, per treatment.
You can bill this insurance in most U.S.
states, and it pays within 30 days, like
clockwork, if you bill correctly and
lawfully.
HOW WORKERS
COMPENSATION WORKS
Workers compensation, also
called Labor and Industries, or
L&I, covers massage therapy
two to three times per week,
per physicians prescription,
for clients injured in
work-related accidents.
You will be reimbursed
$35 to $85 per
treatment.
Timely billing is
critical if you accept
continued>>
12
this type of referral, since benefits can be
cut off without warning; youll also need
to screen clients through their claims
representative to make sure their claims are
valid and you qualify for reimbursement.
HOW MEDICAL INSURANCE WORKS
Traditional health insurance plans may
pay you a fair compensationbut it may
take a process of trial and error to find
out which pay well and which pay poorly.
Sometimes you may be able to have clients
pay you up-front, then get reimbursed by
their insurance.
You have to bill in a timely manner, and
you will not know how much an insurance
company pays until you receive your first
check; their idea of 80-percent coverage
may be 80 percent of an undisclosed
NETWORK WITH
PHYSICIANS &BUILD
CLIENTELE by Coach Cary Bayer
allotted amount. This can be upsetting for
both you and the insured, when a large
balance remains due to you after final
insurance reimbursement. Also, the waiting
lists to become a provider can be long and
the sign-up process a hassle.
This is generally an inefficient insurance
to bill, but good for patient massage
therapists who are willing to work hard
and keep their books full in any economy.
Take your practice from just surviving
to thriving, by taking the leap into billing
insurance. Your clients will thank youand
your bank account will, too.
Meagan Holub, L.M.T., is author of the The Magic
Touch: How to Make $100,000 Per Year As a Massage
Therapist series. Find her continuing education
classes at hundredthousanddollarmassage.com.
N ational research has indicated
the average massage therapist
receives four referrals from
physicians per month. If youre
not receiving your share of those
referrals, it may be time to do some
networkingand with doctors, the
best way to do this is to write a
letter. Follow these eight simple
steps to write a networking letter
that gets results.
1. Indicate youre well aware that
physicians often seek non-drug
remedies to help relieve patients
pain, and healthy ways to manage
patients stress. An American
continued>>
13
 Massage Therapy Association
report released in February
noted that more than 54
million American adults
(17 percent) had discussed
massage therapy with their
doctors or health care
providers in the previous year,
a slight increase from 2013,
and that of those people
who discussed massage with
their health care provider, 71
percent of their doctors or
health care providers referred
them to a therapist; strongly
recommended massage
therapy; or encouraged them
to get a massage. Why
should another massage
therapist serve your nearby
hospitals patients when, with
a little bit of networking, it
can be you?

2. At a party, you tell the person

youre meeting your name
early on, right? So, let the
physician know who you
are, how long youve been
a massage therapist, where
you work, and if you take
insurance.

3. Offer the medical

professional a complimentary 6. The person youre writing to has an extensive
massage, so she can scientific background. If space allowsbecause
experience firsthand how your letter should be just one single-spaced, typed
effective your work is pageyou can also include a brief summary of
in addressing pain and scientific research conducted on massage in helping
managing stress. address one condition, such as lower-back pain or
cancer-treatment side effects.
4. Next, if you have any
successful case histories, 7. If you have a brochureand you really should have
share one, briefly. onelet the physician know youre enclosing it.

5. Indicate your eagerness to 8. Close the letter by telling the physician that if you
help any patient who might dont hear from her within a week, youll follow up
be similarly suffering. to arrange the complimentary session.

14
 After you send your letter, make a note
to follow up with each physician a week
later. Send a similar letter to the office
manager of each medical practice, because
this person often controls who sees and
speaks with the physician. Offer the same
complimentary massage.
When you reach the physician or office
manager, reiterate that youre offering a
complimentary hour-long massage, so the
physician can experience the quality of
your massage for helping cope with pain
and stress. If you dont reach the physician,
repeat the invitation in the message you
leave, and remind yourself to make the
second follow-up call in three business days.
If a third call is needed, state that this
will be your last one. Mention that you
dont want to bother her; if shed like to
take advantage of your complimentary
massage, she should return your call. If she
doesnt, cross her off your list and contact
another physician, whose patients will
benefit from your work, and through whom
your business will thrive.
Coach Cary Bayer is an American Massage Therapy
Association keynote speaker and marketing coach
(themassagemarketingcoach.com). He has created
14 National Certification Board for Therapeutic
Massage & Bodywork-accredited workshops.

YES, YOU
CAN BE A
SALESPERSON
by Felicia Hayes, L.M.T.

C hances are, you didnt learn much about selling

products in massage schooland you may
find the idea of retailing products in your practice
intimidating or even unethical. The truth is, offering
clients products to purchase for home use will
set you apart as a massage therapist who takes
extra measures to help ensure client health and
well-being. By creating a solid sales cycle, you can
incorporate retail sales into your practice in a way
that makes sense for you and your clients.

KNOW WHAT YOU SELL

First, know your products. How many times has
a client asked about a product and you had to
read the label to answer the question? This wont
help you make a sale. It is your responsibility to be
knowledgeable about the benefits of any products
you sell. continued>>

15
 Understanding everything about every
product is impossible, so learn about one
to two key ingredients or additional facts
about each product, or create a quick
reference guide filled with information
about the products you carry.
The point is, your client wants to buy from
someone who understands the products
sold.
MAKE THE RIGHT FIT
Next, recognize that not every product is
the right fit for every client. The way this is
done is by having conversations with your
clients.
You can have a conversation with a client
about her massage goals over the phone,
through email or on location before or
following a massage session. I like to ask,
What are your goals for this massage
session? or How would you like to feel
after your massage? Answers to these
questions can give you great insight about
client needs without taking too much
time or bombarding clients with a list of
questions.
In the conversation, you can recommend
the type of massage to be performed and
the products clients may use to better
address their goals. Your knowledge of
your products and services secures clients
confidence in you, the expert.
COMPLEMENT STATED GOALS
Use your retail products during your
services. This provides you the advantage of
having 60, 90, even 120 minutes to silently
make your presentations.
Afternot duringthe session, you should
reiterate the name of any product you
used, why you used it and how the client
may extend session benefits by using the
product at home. These three simple pieces
of information can potentially leave a
lasting impression on your client, and lead
to a sale.
Leading to the final step of making a sale,
I recommend you leave the products with
your clients in the room after sessions,
as this allows clients time to review the
products on their own. This step puts the
sale in their hands. You should also walk
clients past an attractive, well-organized
display of your products while pointing out
ones you used during the session.
ASK FOR THE SALE
Youve heard the phrase, This product
sells itself. This can be true when a client
uses and likes a product, because its likely
that in the future she will buy it again.
However, initially, retail will not fly off your
shelves unless you educate clients about
your products.
Once you have fully addressed your
clients needs and presented how the
products can be beneficial to her, its time
to ask for the sale. This is a step that is
Once you have fully addressed
your clients needs and presented
how the products can be beneficial
to her, its time to ask for the sale.
often overlooked, left out or even forgotten,
probably because it is the most intimidating
part of the sales cycle for most people. Yet,
it is also the most crucial step, because it
completes the transaction.
At this point, you should feel confident
asking for the saleassuming you have
matched your client up with the right
products based on your initial conversation
with her. Try creating a simple script or
written process you can practice. Learn the
entire sales process until it becomes natural.
Following these simple steps will help you
incorporate retail sales into your practice,
in order to benefit clients health and boost
your income.
Felicia Hayes, L.M.T., has been a massage therapist
since 2003, as well as a continuing education
provider since 2008. She owns Hayes Therapeutic
Massage and Bodywork and More Massage Tools
(moremassagetools.com).
16
IT GETS LONELY
OUT THERE
M any massage practitioners lead rather
solitary lives. The nature of this field is
that while practitioners work with a variety
of clients, their focus is, and should be,
client-centered. They most likely handle
business operations by themselves, if
self-employed; or those tasks are done
by office staff if the practitioners work
Humans tend to function better in
groupsand collaboration is key
to a thriving, fulfilling, long-term
career, particularly for those who
are self-employed.
at a company. Even practitioners in clinic
settings often discover that very little case
management occurs. This can lead to a
deep sense of isolation.
Humans tend to function better in
groupsand collaboration is key to a
thriving, fulfilling, long-term career,
particularly for those who are self-
by Cherie Sohnen-Moe
employed. Consider partnering with other
practitioners on a regular, occasional or
even one-time basis. Its a lot more fun,
productive and cost-effective to share the
load with your colleagues.
CREATE SUPPORT SYSTEMS. Join a
Mastermind group; apprentice with
another practitioner; find or be a mentor;
engage in peer supervision; or share
office-management tasks. Its vital to have
ongoing support. You might consider
developing a mix of formal and informal
support systems.
Get together with colleagues on a regular
basis to talk about business challenges,
brainstorm ideas and get support. These
informal meetings can help ease the stress
of running a practice and are usually a lot
of fun. Also, you might find someone in the
group really enjoys doing a certain task
continued>>
17
you dislike, and you can help that person in return. For
example, maybe a group member loves to decorate, and
youre a technology wizard; you could set up her social
media accounts or help with her e-newsletter, while she
could give your office a makeover.

The support you give each other could

also be on a smaller scale, such as two
of you might set up a time to work on
your own projects, but do it in the same
space.

SHARE OFFICE SPACE. This can

significantly reduce overhead: You only
need one waiting room, and you can
split the cost of a front desk person. Its
a lot more enjoyable to have colleagues
around, and it increases your personal
safety. A side benefit is it can increase
the number of clients you see, as a
result of cross-referrals.

PURCHASE OFFICE SUPPLIES AND RETAIL PRODUCTS

IN BULK. It could take a long time to go through a
case of products by yourself. This is when cooperative
purchasing comes in handy. You get better prices when
you buy in bulk, and most distributors require minimum
purchases.

MARKET COOPERATIVELY. This often increases success,

reduces risks and costs, saves time and effort, and makes
marketing more enjoyable. Pooling resources helps
you afford more imaginative, elaborate, expensive and
long-term marketing projects, which can include simple
activities, such as you and a colleague placing each
others brochures on your front desks; to more weighty
activities, such as joint advertising, co-sponsoring a
fundraiser, submitting proposals to corporations for
your services, sharing a booth at a health fair, or giving
presentations to the general public. (Public speaking is
much less intimidating and more impactful when done by
two peopleand its one of the best ways to promote our
industry and your practice.)
Cherie Sohnen-Moe (sohnen-moe.com) is an author, business coach,
international workshop leader and successful business owner since
1978. She is the author of Business Mastery and Present Yourself
Powerfully, and co-author of The Ethics of Touch.

18
20
SERVE
CLIENTS BY
SERVING
YOURSELF
by George Davis

I m always sad when I hear of a

massage therapist whose career
has been cut short by body
issues: carpal tunnel syndrome,
painful hands or a bad back. We
were taught proper body mechanics
in massage schoolso why does that
happen?

Ive run marathons for years, and I cant

help noticing that being a massage
therapist isnt that different from being
a runner. During daily workouts and
long weekend runs, runners put focused,
repetitive stress on their bodies. Massage
therapists do the same thing all day long,
day after day, client after client.

So, how do we keep from hurting

ourselves and still serve our clients? By
taking care of ourselves the way runners
do. Heres what my sport has taught me
about self-care.

1. DONT ALWAYS PUSH YOUR HARDEST.

At the starting line of a race, the gun
goes off, and you take off like a bullet.
At mile 18 you start to poop out. At
mile 23 your bodys had it and you
quit. Youve pushed too hard and your
bodys finished before the finish line.

Theres a perception that a massage

therapist has to push hard to do deep
continued>>

20
 work, but pushing too hard doesnt
always yield the best results. Finding
the perfect spot in a taut muscle band,
taking clients to the edge of too much
and holding them there using pressure
that can be easily sustainedlike a
running pace you could hold for an
entire marathonis, in my experience,
the most effective way to help your
client and reduce your own risk of injury.
healthy. Those things dont seem like a
big deal until one day, you look back at
all the steps youve taken for the past
26.2 years. Then its a marathon.
George Davis is a massage therapist and
educator at Hawaii Bodyworkers Retreat
(hawaiibodyworkersretreat.com), a six-day
continuing education and Hawaiian vacation
experience.

2. GET AS FIT AS POSSIBLE. Most

endurance athletes do more than run
they swim, bike and lift weights, because
the greater your fitness, the better
prepared you are to excel in your sport.
Massage is an endurance sport, too.
Regular, strenuous exercise within your
capabilities is excellent cross-training
to keep you in top shape for the daily
stress you encounter as a therapist.

3. CONTROL YOUR BREATHING. This

prime rule for runners also holds true for
massage therapists. Utilize your breath
to keep you relaxed and in the moment.
Also, when you take a deep breath you
notice things, like your shoulders up
around your ears, or that youre putting
too much pressure on your thumbs or
hands.

4. WATCH YOUR FORM. As massage

therapists, we know what were
supposed to do, but we get tired and
lose our form and technique. It happens.

Do what runners do: Every so often,

do a quick scan. Look at how youre
working. Take a walk. Take a deep
breath. For endurance athletes, training
is cumulative: We dont realize the
effect of the per-workout effort until
we cross the finish line.

Massage is no different. Its the little

things we do every day to work smarter
and more efficiently that keep us

21
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22
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