Cold Weather Add-Ons

Well, we're officially in the Winter season in the U.S. ... although it's raining here in Michigan today, when it's normally snowing by now.  But, it's still chilly!  

So it's a perfect time to consider some ways to keep your clients cozy on the massage table.

Here's just a few ideas:

• Table warmer.
  I LOVE my table warmer from Earthlite.
  (And so do my clients! They comment on my heated table all the time.)
• Flannel sheets.
• Add in hot towels.
  One of my favorite MT's begins the session by placing a dry towel under my feet, and then wrapping each foot in a hot towel.  She leaves my feet wrapped until half-way through the session when she's ready to work on my feet.  Nice and cozy during the session, and added bonus of having the client's feet fresh and clean when you're ready to massage them.
• Add in hot stones.
  Amazing what a few strategically placed hot stones can do for warmth and relaxation.
• Heated herbal rice/flax seed packs.
  My favorites are from Mother Earth Pillows.  I like to use the large rectangle pillow on the back with some compression before starting the session.  Then I'll move the pillow to their feet while I massage their back.  It's a great way to add in some cozy!
• Paraffin dip for the hands and feet.
  This can be a great add-on service that you can charge more for.
• Add in a steam treatment before the massage.
  The Steamy Wonder is a great way to add value to your services and charge more.  It's a decent investment, but can be worth it if you use it often.  This is on my wishlist.  *hint*hint*

While some of the above ideas require some initial investment, many of them can be easily implemented into your current sessions without much money or time.

What ways do you like to keep your clients cozy during their massages?

Tweetable: Consider some ways to keep clients cozy on the #massage table.

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.

www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Customer service photo: freedigitalphotos.net

Just Be Yourself

Just a short and sweet post today.

I recently got some advice from my Dad that I thought was pretty valuable:  Be yourself.

(And this is coming from someone with an old-school handlebar mustache.  As you can see, my Dad is awesome!)

For one, if you are anything but authentic, the people you are trying to impress will see right through you ... eventually.  And for two, if it isn't the real you they are impressed with, what's the point?

If your clients know you as bubbly and super sweet, then why would you try and be snarky with your marketing just because it's working for someone else?  Is that really who YOU are?  Your marketing is an opportunity to share a glimpse of your personality with clients and potential clients.  Of course, it should portray professionalism.  But it should also feel real.  Especially in such a personal service such as massage.  If you have to try and be something or someone you're not, you're doing it wrong.

How do you put your personality into your marketing efforts?

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.

                                                           authentic photo: freedigitalphotos.net

The Forgotten Chest [Video]

Here's an interesting video of different techniques to work the chest using Mother Earth Pillows.

What do you think?  How much work do you do on the chest?  Do you agree it's an often forgotten area?

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.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com   

Series: How To Set Your Massage Referral Program on Fire / Part 10

Last week's referral tip was about troubleshooting.  Now we're to our last post in the series!

Referral Fire Starter Tip #10: What NOT to Do.

We’ve spent some time talking about how to fix some of the things that can go wrong with your referral program; now, let’s discuss some things you’ll want to avoid at all costs. Any one of these pitfalls can sabotage your referral success:

1. Not following up. We talked earlier about the need to actually do something with the names and numbers you collect. If you don’t use them, it’s the same as sticking quarters in the ground and waiting for them to grow into dollar bills. You need to follow up and connect in some way with these referrals!
2. Not automating your process. Your referral process should run as smoothly – and as automated – as possible. If you’re collecting referrals electronically, there should be an automatic process for them to get forwarded on to you. Don’t let your referrals get bogged down at any point; a kink in the hose means a kink in your business.
3. Not keeping it simple. The more complex your process is, the more time and energy it will take to administer it. If you have to choose between keeping it simple or making it really cool, go with simple. Your referral program should be a money maker for you, not a resource swallower.
4. Not telling people about it. No one is going to go out of their way to take part in a program they don’t know about. Take every opportunity to let people know how they and their friends can benefit from your referral program.
5. Not paying attention to changes around you. If your client profile is changing, or your market is changing, or the products and services your clients are demanding are changing, you need to be aware of that. Your referral program won’t rescue you from being behind the times in other areas of your business.
6. Not valuing referrals and treating them like gold. The highest compliment a client can pay you is to refer a friend or family member to you. If they do and that friend has a bad experience, it reflects poorly on them. When someone sends an acquaintance your way, you need to go above and beyond to make sure that referral has a great experience. Not only will that make you look good, it’ll make the original client look good, too.

Conclusion

As you can see, creating a strong referral program isn’t rocket science. In fact, the more simple your program is, the easier it is for you to administer and for your clients to understand.

But don’t be deceived by the simplicity; referrals are the lifeblood of any serious businessperson. Having clients who constantly feed quality leads your way is like having a sales force of hundreds of additional people – without having to pay them a salary or benefits!

Keep the tips and suggestions in this series on-hand to make sure your referral program is as successful as possible. And when in doubt, go for the most simple solution you can design. That approach is sure to keep your program operating smoothly and easily.

Series wrap up:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9

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.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Series: How to Set Your Massage Referral Program on Fire / Part 8

Last week's post was about making it easy for your referrers.

Referral Fire Starter Tip #8: Moving It Forward

You’ve got a stack of names and contact information... now what?  How do you connect with those leads and turn them into clients?  In tip #2, you mapped out your referral program that included a planned process of reaching out to those referrals.

1. If you're getting addresses for your referrals from clients, mail out a postcard offering a discount or special for them to try out your services.  Be sure to include that their friend thought they'd be interested.
   Don't email.  If you don't already have an established relationship with them and don't have permission to email them - then don't.
2. If you're not collecting mailing addresses, have referral cards to hand out to your current clients.
3. Report Back. Your client will likely want to know how it went when you contacted their referral. Drop them a line by email or in the mail that says, “Thanks for referring Joe! We met last week. I truly appreciate your trust in me.” Then you can inform them how they can claim their referral reward. Short and to the point does the trick.

Effective communication at every stage of the process will smooth the way – communication with your new prospect, communication with your staff (if you have staff), and communication with your original client. Letting everyone know what’s going on and why may seem like overkill, but it really makes everyone feel like part of the process.

Series wrap up:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

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. www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Selling With Heart

This post a while back from Living Earth Crafts of Taking the 'Sales' out of Retail was a great reminder for me.  As a massage therapist, I got in to this line of work to help people, and in general I am turned off from "selling" and I don't think of myself as a salesperson. 

This line in particular struck me as crucial: try making it less about sales and more about the client’s health.

The fact is, clients see us as experts and are looking to us for help.  If we keep this in mind, selling actually transforms to simply helping our clients (which is what we're trying to do in the first place, right?).



Here's a few tips to help:

• Be passionate about what you're selling.
  Only carry products you truly believe in.  Have your heart in it.
• Be knowledgeable about the product.
• Show your client how this product can help them.
• Be honest.

Here's a few products that I have available for purchase for my clients because I believe in them:

• Mother Earth Pillows
  Seriously. I just love these. And so do my clients.
• Sombra Cool Therapy
  I actually had a sample jar from a convention that I started using in sessions, and clients loved it so much they asked me where they could buy it.  So that was just a natural progression to having it available for them!
• CranioCradle
  For clients who I think could benefit from this - I send it home with them to try and tell them they can pay for it at their next session or bring it back if they didn't like it.  No one has ever brought it back.
• Theracane
  These are great to have handy at the studio for myself, too!

*BTW, I'm not an affiliate for any of the above companies.   I will not benefit at all if you purchase from them, I'm simply sharing because they are products I carry in my massage studio and feel good about selling them!

What products do you love and have available for your clients to purchase?

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.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

                                                           shopping cart photo: freedigitalphotos.net

Series: How To Set Your Massage Referral Program On Fire / Part 5

Last week's tip to set your referral program on fire was to give great service.  That brings us to #5 in this 10 part series.

Referral Fire Starter Tip #5: Gather Client Testimonials
One of the most powerful tools you can have at your disposal when working to gather referrals is client testimonials.  Last week I wrote about easy ways to get testimonials from clients, but this post is more about why you should be using testimonials.  Testimonials from satisfied clients work in a few different ways to strengthen your referral program:

1. They make the existing client more committed to you. If their name and/or face has appeared on your website, in a direct mailing piece, or in a newsletter, they are going to be much more invested in your success. They’ll want you to succeed and be willing to help make sure that happens by referring friends, family members, and acquaintances to you.
2. They hold more weight with referrals. When a potential client sees a whole page full of quotes and testimonials from existing clients, it further cements the idea that you’re someone they want to do business with.
3. They help with “cold” leads, too. The next best thing to a direct referral is a “cold” lead who sees page after page of satisfied, smiling clients. Why do you think so many plastic surgeons and weight-loss experts use before-and-after photos? THEY WORK!

Gathering client testimonials can be a little bit daunting, unless you know exactly what you’re looking for, and in what format. Here are some tips:

• For websites, video testimonials are great, but not necessary. A text quote is fine, and as many people are hesitant about appearing on-camera, they’re often much easier to get from your clients.
• If you use online scheduling, many of these services include collecting reviews or testimonials from your clients.  It doesn't get any simpler than this!
• If you don't use online scheduling, make it easy for clients to give you a testimonial by having a questionnaire for them to fill out. The better sense they have of what you need, the better they’ll deliver.  Create a simple questionnaire with questions like: "how do you feel when you need a massage?"; "how do you feel after a massage?"; "what do you like most about Cindy's massages?"; "would you refer a friend to Cindy? Why or why not?".  Remove the questions, string the answers together in to a paragraph - and there you have a testimonial.
• Make it a habit to ask for testimonials. Once someone refers a few client your way, follow up. Say, “You seem to really like our services – and we love you! Would you be willing to record (or write) a short testimonial we can use in our marketing materials?”
• Edit judiciously. Some people will go on and on. It’s great that they’re so excited, but the reader or viewer just wants the main points. Cut where necessary.
• Reward them for helping you out. If you’re using their image and/or words to get more business, they should be rewarded for doing so. But don’t make it a straight, “Give me a testimonial and I’ll give you a free treatment;” that could be seen as bribery. Instead, send them a small thank-you well after the fact, or put them in a drawing to win a larger item.

Testimonials are a great addition to any marketing program, and will make your current referral program even stronger.

Exercise for this week: gather at least 2 testimonials from clients!

Series wrap up:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

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.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Client Acquisition [Infographic]

As a follow-up to this recent business tip article on massagemag.com, here's a nice little infographic to illustrate just why an existing client is easier to reactivate than acquiring a new client.

According to this, it's 6 to 7 times more costly to acquire a new client than to retain an existing one!

What do you think?  How much focus do you put on retaining clients versus gaining new clients?

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.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Using Cold Stones In Your Massages

Do you use cold or cool stones in your massages?  Not quite sure what to do with cool stones?  Here's a cool video (pun intended!) with some ideas:

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.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

How Effective Are Groupon Promotions? [Infographic]

The great Groupon debate continues!  I've seen many threads on Facebook discussing the pros & cons of daily deals for massage businesses.
Here's a cool infographic on some of the facts of Groupon:






Have you ran a Groupon?  What was your experience with it?  Would you recommend it to other MT's?

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.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Easy Ways To Get Client Testimonials

Have you been wanting to get testimonials from your clients,
but aren't sure how to go about doing it?
Here's some simple ideas on how to make it happen:

•Abundant testimonials are actually everywhere. You might not need to actually ask for testimonials. If you listen, you will find out that great testimonials are part of everyday conversations with your clients. Did Joan just mention that she's never felt better after her massage?  Did Robert email you to thank you for the relief he's gotten from low back pain from your massages?  If it sounds and looks good, then you can probably use it. Be sure to get permission from the person. I've actually seen my name and words on a company's Facebook page that they never asked my permission to use.  Not. Cool.
• Change the wording. "Testimonial" can be intimidating. Your client might think they need to write a flowery, long-winded account of your services.  Honesty is all that's needed.  Words like review, feedback, comments, etc all take the pressure off.

• Make it easy for them.  Have a feedback form or guestbook on your website.  Leave a feedback journal in your massage room.  I've even seen a massage room that had a beautiful glass vase full of notes left by clients.  That way, people can leave you comments when they're still drunk from their massage.  *Tip: put a few notes in there to start, so no clients feels like they're the first to leave a comment.
*Shameless plug: Bodywork Buddy just added a feature that automatically emails your clients and asks them to leave a review after their massage.  You then have the option to publish it to your online scheduler.  It doesn't get any easier than this, seriously.



• Give a prompt. Clients sometimes struggle with where to start. It's better to ask questions like "how do you feel after your massage?" and "what do you like best about our services?".




Do you already have a system in place for collecting client testimonials?  What works well for you?  Do you use those testimonials on your website and other marketing?  (Because you should!)

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.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

                                                                             photo: freedigitalphotos.net

Series: How To Set Your Massage Referral Program On Fire / Part 3

Last week, I covered tip #2 of setting up a successful process to set your referral program on fire.  Now that you've got a process implemented, (you do have a process implemented, right?) let's move on to #3 in the series.

Referral Fire Starter Tip #3: Reward the Referrer

Many people will come up with a name or two if you ask them for friends or acquaintances who might be interested in your services. But promise them a reward of some sort, and they’ll suddenly think of long-lost aunts and former roommates who are in the market for someone just like you.

Before you sign away your hard-won profits, though, read these five tips for creating a great referral rewards program:

1. Reward based on QUALIFIED referrals. What’s worse than having no referrals at all? Having a notebook full of unqualified leads.  One mistake I had made when I first started my referral program: I didn't put any stipulations on gift cards.  (The thought hadn't even crossed my mind). That is, until I had a client buy several gift cards for friends, and then expect a free massage for referring those people.  (Before the referrals even came in to redeem their gift cards.)  While you may be thinking, "hey! you still got paid for those gift cards, so what's the harm?".  Well, the whole point of my referral program was to get new clients.  (As we all know, not all gift cards get redeemed!).  So while I may have made a quick buck selling those gift cards, that situation didn't accomplish my goal and therefore didn't warrant rewarding the client.
   
   
2. Reward related items. Offering a free oil change for anyone who sends five new clients to your massage therapy business? Umm, no.  (This one is probably a no-brainer.)  Make the reward fit your business model for continuity and branding; it’s just one more way to make your image stronger.
   
   
3. Reward quickly. Waiting a few months or even weeks can delay the action-reward cycle. When people are rewarded quickly, they are more likely to repeat the behavior so they can get rewarded again.
   
   
4. Reward intermittently, too. While it’s important to have a set reward schedule (for instance, $20 credit for each new client who schedules a session with you), it can be powerful to send “surprise” rewards as well. Once a quarter or so, send a thank-you email, coupon, or small gift as an additional thanks. These small surprises solidify your program in your clients’ minds.
   
   
5. Reward the referred party as well as the referrer. While it’s great to reward the client who refers new people to you, it’s equally important to reward the new client. Regulars will be much more likely to tell their friends about you if there’s something in it for the referral as well. You can offer $10 off for the new client as well as for the referrer. Then it’s a win-win-win for you, your current and your future clients. 

Do you already reward your clients for referrals?  What reward has worked well for your business?

Don't forget to check in next Monday for tip #4.

In case you missed the first 2 posts in this series:
How to set your referral program on fire / Part 1
How to set your referral program on fire / Part 2

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.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

                                                                       Incentive photo:   freedigitalphotos.net

Series: How To Set Your Massage Referral Program on Fire / Part 2

Last week I posted the first in this series to rev up your referral program for your massage business.  The first tip was to ask for referrals.  Did you ask some clients for referrals this past week?

Let's move on to the next step.

Referral Fire Starter Tip #2: Set Up a Successful Process

In an article in a sales magazine, a successful veteran sales manager stated that when his team received stacks of business cards and leads from the marketing team after a multi-day trade show, the leads often sat on the salesmen’s desks, or ended up in the garbage. What a waste! Hundreds, if not thousands, of leads – left to shrivel up and die. Just imagine the unclaimed revenue for that company…

If you don’t have a process set up to handle your incoming referrals, you might be committing the same referral crime. Here’s how to create a successful referral process:

1. Map it out. You ask your client for a referral, and you get one. Now what? If you get the name on a card or sheet, where does that go? If you get it via email, what happens with that information?
   A pile of papers scattered throughout your massage studio isn't likely to result in a fired-up referral program.
   
   Grab a large piece of paper or a mind-mapping software program and go step-by-step through your process. Start with the request for a referral and keep asking yourself “Now what? Now what? Now what?” until you’ve worked the entire way through your process and that referral has now been converted to a client.  Have a planned process to send each referral a postcard offering a discount off their first session, or some other enticing introduction to your business. 
   
   Also include a plan to easily track who referrals come from.  As I mentioned in the best thing I ever did for my massage business, this can be as simple as index cards in a recipe box.
2. Look for problems. After you’ve implemented your process according to your map, give it a month or so and then revisit it. Are referrals being held up at a particular step? Are things going off-track? Figure out where and why, and figure out how you’re going to fix it.
3. Refine. Times change and people change. You decide to close your Twitter and Facebook profiles. You revamp your entire massage business… As a result, you need to revisit and refine your process as your business changes and your client profile evolves. Everything might still be okey-dokey, but you may need to adjust things to accommodate how referrals are coming to you, or how you’re contacting referrals.

Processes can seem stilted and, for some people, boring. But getting it down and getting it right is a critical step to making your referrals pay off. 

Do you already have a process in place for referrals?  What has worked well for you?

Be sure to stop back next week for tip #3.

Series wrap up in case you missed it:
Part 1

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.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Series: How to Set Your Massage Referral Program On Fire / Part 1

Remember my post a few weeks ago about the best thing I ever did for my massage business?  Implementing a referral program really got the word of mouth advertising working for me.  I thought we could detail how to really get referrals working in your favor.  So this post is the first in a 10 part series on how to set your massage referral program on fire.  Every Monday for the next 9 weeks, I will have another post in this series.  Each week, work to implement ideas from the series and see what kind of difference you have in your massage business in 10 weeks!

No matter what the business, the number-one source of  new clients is through referrals.

Experts say that clients received via referral cost less to convert, are more likely to become regulars, and are more likely to refer you even more business! As a result, no massage therapist who is serious about growing their business can afford to overlook this lucrative source of new clients.

In this series, I’m going to cover ten tips that will have your referral program skyrocketing. Even if you just implement one or two of these suggestions, you’ll experience an almost immediate increase in the number of clients heading your way.

Ready to get started? 

Referral Fire Starter Tip #1: Ask!

It’s disappointing how many massage therapists tell me they don’t regularly receive referrals from their existing clients.  But when I dig a little deeper, the reason becomes clear: Most times, they’re not asking for referrals!

You might believe that if people are happy with your massages, they’ll naturally tell others. While this is sometimes true, it’s not necessarily so. There are three main reasons people don’t refer friends and acquaintances, even when they’re thrilled with the service or product they received:

1. Laziness. Most of us are lazy. We don’t go out of our way to do something unless there’s something in it for us.
2. They forget. Out of sight, out of mind. Once they leave your massage studio, they forget about you – unless there’s something that brings you to top-of-mind again.  (Which is why you should be keeping in touch with them in between their massage sessions.)
3. No one asked them to! It sounds crazy, but just asking someone to refer you can increase the amount of referrals you receive. All you have to do is ask.

While asking for referrals doesn’t have to be complicated, there are some guidelines that will make your request more likely to be successful:

1. Ask at the right time. Right after your client has received a great massage is the perfect time to ask for a referral. The experience is fresh in their minds, and they’re more likely to have a strong positive emotion.  You can imagine that asking for a referral from someone who hasn't gotten a massage in months is probably not going to have the same impact.
2. Ask when you’re having personal contact. When your client is in front of you or on the phone with you, or when you’re wrapping up a series of personal email exchanges is a great time to ask. That personal interaction increases the chances of a positive response.
3. Ask specifically. “Do you know anyone else who might be interested in our services?” is a great question, but even better is, “Who do you know who might also be stressed out and could use some relaxation?” is better.

Asking may seem uncomfortable at first, but practice makes perfect. Do it enough times, and it will become a natural part of your interaction with your clients– with fantastic effects.

Have you been asking your clients for referrals?  Did you notice an increase in your business once you started asking?

Stay tuned for next Monday's post for tip #2.  And if you're not already, subscribe to this blog via email or RSS feed so you're sure to see the rest of the series!

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. www.BodyworkBuddy.com