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Bodywork Buddy Blog

Bodywork Buddy: business management software for the solo therapist that keeps you organized and makes tax time a breeze.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

10 Simple Ways To Wow Your Clients


Sure, you’ve honed your skills and offer a stellar massage.
But sometimes it’s the little things that stand out in a client’s mind differentiating between a great massage and an exceptional experience.   Pay extra attention to the little details and you’re sure to make a memorable impression.

The following are just a few ideas.  This is by no means the extent of what you can do, but rather a starting point to springboard your creativity.  The possibilities are endless!



  1. When a new client is filling out your intake paperwork, offer them a warm herbal neck pillow.  
    online scheduling for massage therapists
    Mother Earth Pillows have beautiful herbal flaxseed pillows that can be heated in the microwave or a hot towel cabinet.  They feel great, and smell like heaven.  Your client has only been in your studio for 2 minutes and already they’re impressed.
  2. Have eye drops in single use vials (found in any pharmacy) available in your massage room where your clients get changed.  Clients wearing contact lenses will really appreciate this.
  3. Put something pretty on the floor under the face cradle.  (I have a pretty bowl with rocks)  Granted, most clients have their eyes closed at this point.  But for those that don’t, they will take note of your attention to every detail.  (It’s just a simple bowl of rocks.  But the effect?  “Wow!  You’ve thought of everything!”)
  4. Put a drop of essential oil on the corner of your face cradle cover where your clients will notice the fragrance.  I’m fond of Olba’s Oil, which is a blend of eucalyptus, peppermint, spearmint, and clove.  It works great for keeping the sinuses open.  Just be sure that your client has no sensitivities to scents.  Also make sure the oil is in a place on the cover that will not come in contact with your client’s face or eyes.
  5. Use a mini-crockpot or bottle warmer to warm your massage cream and oil.  This is especially nice in the winter in cold climates!
  6. Use hot towels or wash clothes to clean their feet.  Don’t have a hot towel cabinet?  Mini slow-cookers and rice cookers work great for this and are usually less than $15.
  7. Keep some stones in the fridge or freezer for those clients who tend to run warm.  (Menopausal women will love you for this!)  Place a cold stone under their neck while supine to keep them cool.  Cold stones are also a nice touch on the sinuses for anyone with allergies and sinus pressure.
  8. Put an herbal eye pillow over their eyes while supine.  This little trick works wonders to encourage clients to relax and quietly drift inward to receive the most from their massage.  
  9. Take notes to remember important information about your client’s preferences and dates in their life.  Ticklish feet?  Your client will be impressed that you remember after only having seen them once before.  Next time Sandy comes for a massage, ask her how her daughter’s wedding went since you saw her last.  These things make a lasting impression!  Keep records of your sessions and make a note of these details.  Scan each client file before they come in that day to refresh your memory. (*Shameless Plug* This is easy to do with Bodywork Buddy Massage Software).
  10. Offer your client hot tea or cocoa after their massage.  You can use to-go cups and lids so they can take it home with them.  If you don’t have a water dispenser with hot water, you can purchase a Hot Shot Water Dispenser for under $20 - all it takes is 1 minute and you’ve got a cup of hot water.

Try implementing some of these ideas and see what kind of reaction you get from clients!

Do you have your own creative finishing touches you add to your sessions? Comment here what has worked well for you.


Cindy Iwlew is co-founder of Bodywork Buddy Massage Software, a complete online management solution for independent massage therapists that includes online scheduling. She continues to operate her own private massage practice of 13 years, and has been an associate instructor for Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy since 2007.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com










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40 comments:

  1. I'm so curious as to what your bowl of rocks looks like!

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  2. I leave my clients a hot steamed towel on a tray to use after the session, along with a dry towel on which I leave a little "thought card" (Zen cards, or Louise Hay's Wisdom Cards) and a piece of chocolate. I also provide a bottle of water. Thanks for the tips! I would also love to see your bowl of rocks :)

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    1. oooh, I love the steamed towel and zen card, Tiffany. *and of course, the chocolate. Chocolate is ALWAYS a good idea ;-) Thanks for sharing!

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    2. I added a pic of my pretty rocks up above :-)

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    3. Forgot to add - the heart shaped rock says "serenity".

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    4. I love your Ideas thanks for sharing!!

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  3. About no. 2 Eye drops. As a former contact lens wearer, please make sure you offer two types of eyedrops. A straight saline solution (for contact wearers) and eye drops for non-contact lens wearers (ex. "Clear Eyes"). The non-contact lens eye drops contain chemicals that can damage contact lenses (and the eye).

    A generic saline solution (safe for all contact and non-contact wearers) can be purchased at any department store or pharmacy.

    I would also go one step further. If you offer saline solution for contact lens wearers, why not also set out contact lens cases so your clients can take their lenses out? You can order a bunch for a small price from companies like Universal or Massage Warehouse. The client can soak their lenses, get a great treatment, re-insert clean lenses, then take the case home as a "thank-you" gift.

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    1. Thanks for the important tip regarding eye drops. And I LOVE the idea of sending lens cases home as a thank-you gift! Very thoughtful.

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  4. I have a Skypanel over the fluorescent light in the middle of my massage room. It's a high quality heavy plastic picture of sky and clouds that replaces the clear light cover using the light's frame. Many of my clients open their eyes at some point while supine, and they all love it. It brings the outside in by creating a faux skylight. And you can still turn on your overhead light if you wish. I never do as I hate fluorescents.

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    1. I love those panels! I was actually planning a post soon about those - thanks for sharing :-) Great addition to a massage room.

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    2. Is your fluorscent flat to the ceiling or is it a tube? If it's a tube, like mine, I am wondering how it is attached?

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  5. where can we find these sky panels?

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  6. I love to use a moist heated towel at the end of my massage. I place it over their face, folded covering the mouth and eyes, leaving the nose open for breathing. I place light pressure over the towel on the forhead, chin and temples. When taking it off it leaves a fresh clean feeling on the face. It feels amazing and is a great way to revitalize your client when the massage has ended.

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    1. that sounds divine! I may have to give that a try. Thanks for the tip!

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  7. I place a heated rolled towel under the client's neck when they are supine. I have found this simple touch is supremely relaxing for most people.

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    1. Nice! Thanks for the tip. Sounds simple yet with amazing effects.

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  8. Do you put water in the mini crockpot for heating your oils/lotions? This would really come in handy for a massage I do called Sacred Stone Massage where all the oils used are heated.

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    1. Hi Mary,

      Yes, I put about 2 inches of water in the mini crockpot and then place my bottles of oil or cream in there.

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  9. I always love to use a hot towel at the end of the massage.

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    1. Yes! Amazing what this simple addition adds to the massage.

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    2. I always offer a scent for aromatherapy ( scent on napkin attached to facecradle frame w/large black clip)scent of there choice.. I keep a large variety on hand, heated or not heated table.. You can get a nice table warmer on e-bay for $50.. heated corn bags for back or not..towel over their eyes.. or not.. it's all about choices..I have a ipod that has an assortment of spa music loaded onto it but occasionally I have request for certain types of music or client brings their own.. I keep a small CD player & many different types of music in my room for just such an occassion. I keep a "comment or suggestions" book on table right by where their belongings are located with a bowl full of assorted candies (including chocolate!). once in a while I get a comment on how I could "improve" upon their experience.. one recently was to add heated booties to my options (I knew they existed, even already had a pair for treatments.. but never thought to add them as a "complimentary add-on". WOW. what a hit that was this last winter!The reviews carry me thru in no-so-busy times which get fewer as the years pass. Oh.. I almost forgot.. I also offer scented or unscented oil or unscented massage lotion for those who have aversions to oils...always have some kind of padding on your table.. you can cover that padding with a plastic sheet cover to protect & put your table warmer on top of plastic.. no one likes a hard table to lay on...

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    3. I love the suggestions book! Lots of great ideas, thanks for sharing :)

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  10. Where do you get these heated booties? Are they machine washable? That sounds like a great idea!

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    1. Hi Julie,
      I've seen them at Bed, Bath and Beyond and TJ Maxx as well as catalogs for massage products - I believe Massage Warehouse? And yes - machine washable!

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  11. used heated rice packs on back when I was working legs. table warmer. can use a hotpot and heat water for teas as well as the hot chocolate.

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  12. I also do the booties. I do an oil on the feet, put on a plastic 'parafin' liner and then the warm bootie. I leave them on the whole massage and end on the feet.

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  13. any suggestions on how to implement using hot packs or warm towels/rocks without steaming up the room so much? i have no windows, no vent and it gets HOT in there and when you add any steam it's like a jungle! lol

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    1. Hi Cynthia!
      I use the Mother Earth Pillows (www.motherearthpillows.com) in my hot towel cabi, and put nothing else in there. (any moisture from wet towels might ruin the pillows, so I only use it for that). It doesn't steam up the room at all. Hope this helps!

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    2. Hi there just wondering on how one would use a crock pot or rice cooker to warm towels as oppose to a towel warmer. I'm having a hard time picturing how that would work lol do you wet the towels and put them in or do you wet the towels AND add water to the pot??

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    3. Great question - I just wet the towels (actually, I use washcloths to fit better in the rice cooker), and leave the cooker dry. Works great :)

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  14. My clients have gotten hooked on my aromatic foot scrubs. I always put a towel on the floor for them to step on following their session in case their feet are slippery from lotion. I also incorporate gentle but deep slow stretches of the hips and shoulders, all while encouraging them to exhale...they LOVE this. For my own massage, I prefer very low lighting, so I give the option to my clients, as well.

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  15. These are great ideas! Cool stones are nice for menopausal women, but also really nice in the summertime. I also use cool stones on the face and sinuses after the client has been in the face cradle or if they have allergies or other sinus congestion. It feels HEAVENLY!

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  16. Reiki!!!!! Lately, I have been really committed to finishing my last 5 minutes of massage to Reiki and my clients have been loving it and drift into the Alpha state which they swear It’s been an extra 20 minutes! How wonderful to gift my clients with Reiki and in their minds an extra 20 minutes of healing- I feel that all the bodywork really settles in and processes and gives them time to adjust and be I that peace.

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  17. When it is chilly out, I usually give a hot foot wrap ( lemon essential oil ) and or kneck wrap ( lavender essential oil ) depending which they need the most.

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  18. I like to add "cosy toes" to my massage. These are small heated stones they you insert between the toes.

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