Learn The Art of Blogging

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

PHONE-TASTIC! The Art of Converting Enquiries Into Appointments

You’ve run a newspaper ad, handed out flyers, done letterbox drops and placed your yellow pages ad! Now the phone is going to ring off the hook, right? Well, maybe….and if it does, ask yourself if you are ready to turn the enquiry into a ‘sale’.

You know the calls, the ones asking how much you charge, or what type of massage you do. You give them an answer expecting them to say “great, I’ll book in now”, but somehow this doesn’t happen. As one therapist put it recently “it doesn’t matter what answer I give it’s always the wrong answer!”

So how do you get around this dilemma. How can you increase the chance of turning every enquiry you receive into an appointment? The answer is to remember the station everyone is listening to – WII-FM (that’s What’s In It For Me)!

Now humour me for a minute. The latest big business approach (e.g. Telstra), is to use an automated system to identify the caller, why they are calling and direct them to the right place to service their enquiry – all done electronically. By carefully asking specific questions, the robotic voice can direct the caller through a channel which ultimately leads them to the outcome they called for. As a massage therapist, imagine the power of doing this but with a real person, talking to a potential new client who called you for a specific reason. They have a ‘problem’, it is up to you to uncover it and offer the solution they want. Now don’t worry, this is not as tricky as it sounds. As in our automated example, all you have to do is ask questions.

You want to find out:

-The name of your caller.
-Why they are ringing.
-When they can come for a visit.

It is perfectly appropriate to assume that they want to come. You are a massage therapist and they have rung you for a reason. So expect an appointment!

Let’s look at two scenarios, the first is a call going nowhere, the second is a call that uses WII-FM elements.

Therapist: Good morning Mazing Massage, Helen Speaking

Caller: Hi, I saw your ad in the yellow pages and just wondered how much a massage costs

Therapist: $70 for a full body massage

Caller: How long is that for

Therapist: 1 hour

Caller: Okay thanks I’ll give you a call back.

Done, finitio. Your expensive yellow pages ad got an enquiry, but didn’t turn into an appointment, now what? Let’s look at the same call again.

Therapist: Good morning Mazing Massage, Helen Speaking

Caller: Hi, I saw your ad in the yellow pages and just wondered how much a massage costs

Therapist: Sure, can I ask your name?

Caller: It’s Sally, I was just wondering how much for a massage.

Therapist: Hi Sally, our rates vary a little depending on treatment and duration. What seems to be problem?

Caller: I injured my shoulder playing tennis yesterday, I can barely lift anything today.

Therapist: It sounds like you really need to get that seen to. I’ve had a cancellation this morning at 11, 1 hour for $70, we can get some mobility happening and relieve some of your pain today. Does that suit you?

Caller: Thankyou so much, that sounds perfect.

Asking for your callers name instantly allows you to personalise the call, followed by a question regarding what is their reason for calling. Questions beginning with the words what, when, where, who, and how are best for obtaining information. These questions are referred to as ‘open-ended’ questions. Some examples include:

- What have you been doing that could be causing that pain?
- When did you first notice the pain?
- Where are you feeling the pain the most?
- Who have you seen in the past to relieve your injury?
- How are you currently managing your pain?

Each of these will encourage a conversation which will allow you to build rapport with your prospect. This builds trust which is crucial to the overall process.

Vitality Option: Spend 5 minutes writing yourself a simple script that you can use next time someone calls. Your script should find out: The name of your caller, their complaint, whether they live locally and how the found out about you. As you develop your conversation skills you will find your enquiry conversion rate steadily increases. Let me know how you go!

What You Didn't Learn In Massage School

We are delighted to be able to offer a free 4 hour workshop this coming Saturday, December the 8th to ten lucky participants, to be held at Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast. This pilot program will form the basis for ongoing training to equip massage therapists and health practitioners with tools they need to confidently promote their practices and effectively attract the clients that they want.

Are You Ready to Grow Your Health Practice with Confidence?

At this 4 hour workshop you will:

· Clarify Your Direction
· Identify and Refine Your Target Market
· Avoid the 7 Most Common Pitfalls
· Learn How to Promote Your Practice with Confidence
· Learn How to Create Campaigns That Work

If you a have any questions or would like to register, please email me directly at krishna@vitalityoptions.com.au I look forward to meeting you!

Start As You Mean To Finish

We cross the path of many therapists through our work and it is amazing how although each of their journeys are as individual as they are, the same issues continue to crop up. One of the commonly sited issues is that of the difficult in maintaining the same enthusiasm as you did when you first commenced training to be a massage therapist.

There are a number of reasons that this can happen. It may be that you struggle to get clients that are prepared to pay what you are worth or that things take longer to get off the ground than expected. It could be that you are waiting for the clients to knock on your door, or leaving it to them to make that next appointment when they are ready. Perhaps you are not having the ‘fun’ you expected and that it is all just a bit of a drag!

There is but one way to put an end to such obstacles and that is to start with the end in mind!

Clarify your vision – why did you select your chosen profession in the first place? Was it to help people, is because you have an interest in health, or like how the body functions? Whatever the reason, revisit it and form a picture in you mind of where you see yourself. Perhaps things have changed from your initial intention. No matter, now is the time for a new vision.

Write your vision down – once you have clarified your preferred end result, write it down. This could be a sentence, a paragraph or a whole page! The more detail the better. Writing your mental picture will help take it from a concept to something you can action.

Working backwards – list the steps to be taken. One by one, list the stages that need to be taken to reach your end result. Do not worry if this seems a long way off – just take this approach and you will have yourself a plan that can be implemented.

Take your first step! Commencing with the last step you’ve written, get started. Keep moving forward. Do not labour over the end result, but keep it in your sights. In the words of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, “obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal”. Steadily work through each phase of your plan and in good time you will find yourself where you intended to go.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help – if you are resisiting a phase on your list because it seems difficult, ask for help from someone who has already experienced it. Most people are more than happy to share their experience of how they have overcome any initial difficulties. (Remember Thomas Edison failed 1000 times before successfully inventing the light bulb.) Having a mentor can be truly inspiring.

Don’t give up! - Remember why you started along this path and keep going. This may go a little slow at times, just stay focused on your desired result and steadily move toward it.

Meet with likeminded people – seek out a group with similar interests to you and share your ideas, successes and failures. They will encourage, applaud and inspire as you walk alongside them.

If you would like to gain clarity of your vision, I highly recommend Mark Joyner’s range of FREE planning tools. He is the creator of Simpleology – The Simple Science of Getting What You Want, which is the most remarkable program of its type I have ever seen. Log on now and start downloading at www.simpleology.com

Are Your Clients Coming Back for More? Tips to Maximise Client Retention

Research shows that it can cost as much as 10 times more to establish a new client than keep an existing one. If you want your practice to thrive rather than just survive, client retention is the bees knees in marketing!! If you do not have a client retention strategy in place, then by the end of this article you will be able to implement one simply and effectively.

Understand your client
Providing a quality service goes beyond massaging a pain away or even relaxing your client’s muscles. By establishing both the more obvious and other more subtle factors that have prompted your client to seek your services you will be more likely to establish reasons for continuing.

Get to know your client
Building a great rapport with your clients will go a long way in retaining them in the long term. Showing a genuine friendly interest in them, especially on return visits will help to foster their loyalty. When you know what presses their buttons and makes them tick and connect with their hopes and dreams you are well on the way to developing a long term client.

Educate your client part 1
You have probably experienced clients who think one massage is the quick fix it for everything! Of course reality is that when a body is continually subject to stress, hard physical exertion or chronic injury, a treatment plan or maintenance program may be needed. Once you have established what your client expects, you can offer suggestions that will meet their expectations which may or may not require a treatment plan. It is your duty to inform them of what is necessary to meet their needs. If they just want to spoil themselves while on holiday, one massage is perfectly fine. If it is relieve symptoms of stress from ongoing work or personal pressures, then a monthly appointment may be more appropriate. Again, if they have a chronic injury or are under constant physical strain or a particularly sporty then a more regular massage may be required. Whatever the case, discuss their needs, show genuine interest and make appropriate recommendations based on their requirements. Not to do so is doing them a disservice. This leads to:

Ask for a follow-up appointment
Always (yes always) offer a follow-up appointment at the time of payment. Do not simply wait for your client to call! This simple step can easily double your appointment load in a short time frame. How soon the follow-up appointment should be will depend on the nature of the condition and the recommended treatment plan as outlined above. Providing you have discussed a suitable plan with them, asking for a follow-up appointment will be a perfectly natural progression.

Establish a client follow-up system
This is particularly useful for clients who have a particular condition. The best time to re-contact your client is 48 to 72 hours after the initial appointment to see how they are feeling. If you have advised the client that you will ring to see how they are feeling they will not feel pressured. It does not need to be used to secure another appointment (although is an opportunity to do so), and is an excellent way to show genuine interest in your client. If you receive a favourable response it is a great opportunity to obtain a testimonial Just a simple “do you mind if I use that comment on my website or brochure” is all you need to ask. Follow-ups can be done monthly or even 3 monthly depending on the nature of the clients condition. If you have established a friendly rapport with them, it will not be out of place to just call to see how they are doing, ask about their condition and schedule another appointment if required.

Educate your client part 2
Sending your client base a regular newsletter is a fantastic way to remind them you are only a phone call away. A newsletter will allow you to educate them on the benefits of regular massage and keep them informed of the services you provide.

Reward their loyalty
Surprising your regular clients with a gift or treatment bonus occasionally can bring joy to both the giver and receiver. Do not think of such things as unnecessary costs, but an investment in your valued clientele. Remember it is much less expensive to retain clients than to obtain new ones. A demonstration of genuine gratitude will be appreciated and often rewarded.

Client Retention Plan Checklist

Initial Assessment
* Include stress and emotional factors as well as any physical conditions in your initial assessment.
* Ask what outcome your client expects from your appointment this can include short and/or long term goals
* Suggest appropriate treatment plan depending on their condition and expectations (remember you are the expert)
Build Rapport
* Show a genuine interest in your client. Send birthday cards, ask after their families or interests, know what is important to them.
* Follow through on commitments such as sending them info you promised.
Follow-up
* Ask for a follow-up appointment after every massage
* Establish a regular follow-up strategy and let them know will keep in touch
* Send a regular but informative newsletter
* Ask them for feedback about your services and their experience receiving them
Reward loyalty
* Send birthday cards and thankyou notes if they refer a friend
* Surprise them with an occasional small gift or treatment bonus.

Our next blog will look at obtaining referrals and the power of word of mouth.

HOW TO CREATE MASSAGE ADVERTISEMENTS THAT REALLY WORK!

So far we have explored low cost ways to attract massage clients, which is particularly important when you are first starting out or operating on a low overhead basis. At some stage however, you may want to take your massage practice to the next level, or wish to attract additional clientele beyond these methods and may look to advertising to do this. Today we are going to explore the attributes of an effective advertisement so you know exactly what to include when planning your campaign.

The four elements of an effective advertisement are:

I.D.E.A.

INTEREST
The most important element in your advertisement is attracting attention. Your headline is the single most important element of your ad. Grabbing attention is best achieved by speaking your prospective client’s problem and using your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). When coming up with headlines, I’d suggest brainstorming a long list and then offering a sample to your target market to determine which they think would most likely attract them. If you haven’t yet come up with a USP, review our last blog about how to market your uniqueness before continuing. Attention can also be attracted using strategically placed artwork, or unusual artwork.

DESIRE
It is imperative that you build a desire in your potential prospect so that they actually want to use your service, or at least give you a call to find out more. After the headline, this is the second most important key to an advertisement that works. The desire element of your ad will stimulate an emotive response in your potential prospect and will offer a solution or ideal outcome that they will want to pursue. Always remember to talk about the client and what they will get from coming to you. Do not talk about all of the services you offer or how wonderful you are! They can find that out at their appointment! You need to get them there first.

ENTHUSIASM
The enthusiasm element is closely related to desire and will naturally lead them into reading the rest of your ad or find out more. If your ad does not build enthusiasm they aren’t likely to move the phase that you really want, and that is –

ACTION!
You have grabbed their interest, whetted the appetite and got them enthusiastic, so now is the time for them to act. You want the to pick up the phone RIGHT NOW and make an appointment. An irresistible offer with a limited time to ad a sense of urgency is highly recommended and will make a difference to the overall response. It is also crucial that it is easy to contact you. Where possible use a landline as well as your mobile and email address if you have one.

Checklist:

Does your ad talk about ‘What’s in it for the prospect’
Does your ad make it clear what they will get?
Are you easy to contact, do you have a landline in your ad?
Does your ad have a sense of urgency so they act now?
Do you talk about the benefits to your client?
Have you tested your ad on a sample of your target market?
Does it look professional and well laid out?

Other things to consider:

Be sure to gauge where your calls are coming from, especially if you are using different methods to attract clients. Ask every new prospect how they found out about you. Be careful that you choose the right mediums to attract clients. For example, it is not much use taking an ad out in the seniors magazine if you are typically targeting an active sportsperson. Once you have found a method that is working for you, stick with it and increase it as much as your budget will allow.

The I.D.E.A. formula can be used for all of your advertising methods including articles, your website and online directory listings, business cards and brochures.

Feel free to email us with your ideas and we will be happy to provide an input and suggestions. Send to: info@vitalityoptions.com.au

Our next blog will explore client retention. How to keep your clients once you get them!

Marketing Your Uniqueness to Attract More Massage Clients

Many massage therapists find the notion of marketing extremely daunting. But it needn’t be. Marketing is simply anything that helps to attract new clients or keep existing ones. It can include anything from how you answer your phone, how you greet your clients when they come to your practice and how you present yourself in advertisements and brochures. Today’s blog will focus on fine-tuning your uniqueness and how that can be used to attract more of the right type of clients to your business.

There are three common mistakes that massage therapists make when setting out to attract clients. The first is that they believe that targeting everyone for massage will get them more clients. They believe that if the pool of people they are reaching is larger, it will mean more bookings. This is in fact a mistake. By being a generalist, you are not differentiating yourself from other therapists in the marketplace, which means that it becomes more difficult for a potential prospect to choose you. The second common mistake made by therapists is that they spend a lot of time and money adding new modalities to their treatment repertoire, and then promote the many modalities that they offer because they believe this will bring more clients. I want to emphasise that this is not necessarily the case. If you are spending all of your professional development time on massage skills rather than learning to market yourself than you will not end up with a thriving practice. The only time when more massage modalities is important is when it means better results for the client problem. More often than not, potential clients will not even be sure what the benefits of these modalities are, so it may not even mean anything to them. Telling your clients all the techniques you can offer is most likely to confuse them and may not result in a massage booking. The third common error is emphasising your company name or logo first in any promotional material. Now, with this in mind, take a look at the massage ads in your local paper or phone book. Notice how many of them list types of massage offered and put the company logo at the top. This is not focusing on the clients problem - it is focusing on the Massage Therapist. Now, this may be good for your ego, but will not result in more clients for you. Whilst it is true that your professional image is important, the focus needs to be on your clients problem and how you can help them. It is vital that you promote yourself from your clients perspective, not your own. So, what we are really saying is that marketing your uniqueness is not so much about you, but it is about your client and what matters to them.

In summary you need to:

Specialise
Be specific
Speak from the clients point of view
Speak to the clients problem
Offer a solution the clients problem
Show them how they can get it
Emphasis how you are a better choice the average therapist

When considering this list, think about the people you are helping most now, or would like to help. Who is your ideal client. Are you effectively helping people beat migraine, manage chronic pain or deal with emotional issues? Think back to the feedback you most regularly get from your existing clients. Is it your caring and soothing nature, you ability to get to the root cause of the problem, or the way they leave free of back pain?

Now you need to come up with your USP – unique selling proposition. It should speak to the clients problem and offer a solution. For example:

My name is John Therapist and I help people with chronic back pain. I do this with a range of techniques that have proven to be effective in treating back pain. I can be contacted 7 days so you can ease your back pain anytime.

My name is Trudy Therapist and I help woman experiencing hormonal symptoms. I do this with soothing massage and the use of essential oils reputed to assist menopause and premenstrual tension. I can come to you in the privacy of your own home at a time to suit you.

My name is Darcy Therapist and I work with stressed out people in the workplace. I do this with on-site seated massage that leaves my clients revitalised, refreshed and free of muscular tension. I only need a small area set aside or can massage right at your desk from 3 to 20 minutes.

Now you may be thinking that this is narrowing your market too much. Not so. Niche marketing has been proven to be most effective in developing a loyal clients and achieving referrals. When you develop a reputation for being an expert in your field it opens all kinds of opportunities. You will be seen as the person to see for a particular problem. It allows you to charge more for your speciality. You can also promote yourself using editorials in local press and through speaking engagements to your target market. It allows you to choose the kind of client you wish to work with and the ones you can help the most. It gives your work meaning and purpose. In saying this, you will not be turning your back on other clients, and you will find that you continue to attract other people. However you will have differentiated your self from the average therapist and this is what is important.

Once you have developed your unique selling proposition you can incorporate it into your advertisements, networking introductions and brochures. You will find your self more focussed and clearer in your direction. Just for fun, check out this website http://www.15secondpitch.com/ which will show how to easily create and simple marketing message which you can edit and adjust as needed. (I’d love it if you email me your pitch to krishna@vitalityoptions.com.au )
In our next blog we will build on this and look at what makes a good advertisement.

Low Cost Ways to Start Building Massage Clientele

Let’s face it, advertising is expensive! It is common for new therapists to put an ad in their local paper and wait by the phone to take all the bookings…..only to be disappointed. In later blogs we will consider how to write effective advertisements, but today we will focus on just a few inexpensive methods to attract clients and common pitfalls to avoid.

Build Win/Win Partnerships
When Vitality Options first began, we made a decision to partner with people who reached a similar target to us but were not a direct competitor. Keeping the W.I.I.F.M. principle in mind (that’s What’s In It For Me - from the partners point of view), we approached our local fitness club with an idea that would benefit both of us. Our first tactic was to suggest that they run a ‘member of the month promotion’ where we would give a full body massage to a member of their choice who had excelled in their training. They had not considered anything of this nature before and were just as excited by the concept. We did all of the ‘work’ for them including creating a poster announcing the winner and a certificate for the individual that had both ours and the clubs logo displayed. The second tactic we used was to offer the owners free massages so that they could experience our services first hand and recommend them to their members. This was extremely effective and was a fantastic springboard to getting our business up and running. These methods were instrumental in developing our client base and word of mouth referrals. Our statistics show that 50% of our clients come from personal referrals, and that these referrals are most likely to become valued repeat customers.

Use Your Business Card As A Tool
Your business card is arguably your most valuable marketing tool, so a little thought into its design goes a long way. Your card represents your business image so it should be clean, clear and present your massage practice in a way that instils trust and professionalism, but can also reflect a little of you too. You can include a testimonial on the back, invite action with a special limited offer, include a photo, or add a slogan that markets your uniqueness. Be sure to include your web and email address if you have one, and please, please use a landline number whenever possible, relying on a mobile number can reduce response. If you are looking for great designs that are free or very low cost, check out Vista Print for your business card needs.

Have an Irresistible Offer
A time limited offer can encourage prospects to take action today. We recommend value adding to your service, rather than cutting your price as this may attract only clients that want a discount massage. Vitality Options uses free detox sessions and extra massage time to promote ourselves. You can use your offer on your business card, in any correspondence or promotional activities.

The Give and You Shall Receive Principle
Although we don’t recommend price cutting, we do suggest offering freebies to qualified prospects who have a capacity to tell others or to generate community interest and encourage others to talk about you. You can also give free advice in the form of newsletters and email to qualified clients who have freely given their contact details to you.

Network, Network, Network
Reaching people face to face increases your exposure to potential prospects. Do not underestimate this. Your first course of action is to get to know them a little and allow them to get to know you. Be interested. You can then use your business card and irresistible offer to encourage action. Join your local business or health network or speak at your local community groups. We will explore how to talk about what you do in later blogs.

Free Articles
What reaches your local area, is credible and allows you to establish yourself as an expert? Answer – your local newspaper. Take a closer look at your local press and you will find it is full of articles submitted rather than written by their journalists. The key to using local press is not to talk about yourself but to speak directly to the reader and what they might be interested in. Don’t just speak about massage – your knowledge is broader than that. You could write about back pain, insomnia, stress and so on, there are any number of articles that could help to distinguish yourself as an expert in your field while including the benefits of massage and inviting readers to contact your for further advice. This approach can also apply to specialist health and trade magazines. You can also submit articles for free to online article directories. We will explore online marketing further in later blogs.

Ask For Referrals
The golden rule – if you don’t ask you don’t get. If you have been able to help your existing clients, then you are likely to be able to help their friends. 50% of our business comes from referrals, and most of these become repeat clients. It is perfectly acceptable to ask your established clients if they know anyone else who can use your services, and offer them your business card with a time sensitive offer on it. You could also hold competitions to promote referrals, or offer free massage after a certain number of referrals. We like to offer a gift voucher to clients as a thankyou for referring friends.

Markets
Community markets are generally inexpensive (as low as $20), and work in two ways. If you are set up for massage they allow you to generate income on the day, plus you are outreaching to the community and letting them know you exist. You could offer seated massage using a portable massage chair, or if you can screen your site effectively offer full body massage on a portable table. Be sure to have your business cards ready. Markets are also an opportunity to sell gift vouchers so be sure to have some prepared before hand.

I encourage you to implement some if not all of these methods and watch your client base steadily build. Please post your comments or questions below or email us directly at info@vitalityoptions.com.au

Our next blog will explore marketing your uniqueness.

Self Employed or Employee – That Is The Question!

When first starting out, many massage therapists have grand dreams of running their own massage practice. Dreams! I encourage them! Often this turns to confusion as questions arise as to whether it would be more beneficial to work for someone else or to try and build your own clientele. Today’s blog considers pros and cons of the following three options:

1. Working for someone else
2. Working for yourself
3. A combination of the two

Working for someone else
Working in someone else’s clinic can have some great benefits. Although your hourly rate will probably halve when working for an employer, you will not need the initial outlay and ongoing running costs. If first starting out in your massage career it is an ideal way to develop additional skills you may not have learnt in your initial training and gives you an opportunity to master your massage skills before stepping out on your own. It is also an opportunity to develop your resume. However if you have chosen massage therapy as your second, third or even forth career, then it is probably time to harness your life experience and go for it on your own. There is one important question that must be answered before you consider venturing out on your own.

Working for yourself
The question you must ask is "are you prepared to market yourself?" Once you have completed your training, obtained the relevant insurance and professional recognition, and put an ‘open for business’ sign on your door, it is not simply a matter of waiting for the phone to ring! If you are going to run your own practice, you will need to actively market yourself. This does not simply mean ‘doing a brochure’. You will need to have a consistent plan to ensure that you are constantly reaching new people and building a relationship with existing clientele. We will be exploring marketing fundamentals in detail over the coming weeks. In addition, there is substantial cost involved in setting up your practice and in ongoing expenses. It is important to allow time to build up your practice and ensure you have access to saved funds or another source of income to carry you through until you build up your client base. Typically savings equivalent to at least six to twelve months expenses would be required if you are relying purely on massage income. You may need to have another part-time job for regular income while you establish yourself. It is common for a massage practice to take three to five years to become profitable.

A combination of the two
Doing a little of both will help you to focus on building a massage career which is most likely what you are aiming to do. Ideally your employer will be able to mentor you and help you to learn from their past experience. Be clear in your own mind on the number of hours you would like to spend on your own business and take shifts accordingly. I would not recommend taking any position that involves you manning a reception area, but only being paid if massages are booked. Believe me, this is surprisingly common.

Working as a contractor
As a contractor you may provide services for other businesses and invoice them for payment. You negotiate your fee for service. These services may be provided to other massage practices and day spas, or for business to business services such as on-site workplace massage or corporate event massage. In Australia you would need to provide an Australian Business Number (ABN) at the time of invoice or that business must legally withhold 48% of your fee which is payable to the Australian Taxation Office. (For more information regarding Australian business taxation, go to the ATO Business Portal: http://www.bp.ato.gov.au/ or speak with an accountant.)

We invite comments and questions to this blog or directly at info@vitalityoptions.com.au

Stay tuned for our next blog which looks at low-cost ways to start building your own clientele.