If Clients Could Speak. (oh wait, they can. and DO.)

One of my clients recently told me about an experience of going to another massage therapist, and why they chose to not return. Over the years, I've often had clients share feedback of why they didn't stick with previous MT's they had been to. I'm sure there are similar stories out there from clients who had been to me in the beginning of my massage career... before I realized some of the things I might be unconsciously doing that was hindering me building my business.

So I put together a quick list of the common reasons I hear from clients of why they moved on after previous massage experiences.

Room was too cold. 
Remember, while the temperature may feel fine for you (or even warm for you while you're working) your client is laying on the table with only a drape and is getting their bare skin exposed to the air. Add some refreshing massage creme and you have a perfect recipe for a cold massage! It's hard to relax when you're cold. While a blanket and heated table can help to keep them cozy while covered, each body part being exposed while being worked on can be very uncomfortable if the room isn't sufficiently warm.
The take away: set your temperature in your space with your client in mind, not yourself. Check in with the client on temperature. Ask "are you warm enough?" rather than "are you cold?".

MT talks too much.
I can't even begin to add up how many clients have told me over the years that what they love about our sessions is that I don't talk. (I do have clients with whom I do talk, the important part is that I leave it up to them).
The take away: let your client set the tone for how much talking will happen in their session. Don't speak unless your client speaks. If they ask you questions, keep your answers short to allow them to choose to go silent if they wish. Clients might not know that they have the permission to be quiet and just journey inward. (and they'll never know if you keep talking...)

Too much pressure / too little pressure.
Clients have told stories of getting practically beat up in a session, and the therapist didn't check in on pressure once.
The take away: check in on pressure at least once. (not constantly, we don't want to break the flow of the session). Also check for non-verbal cues of going too deep. Are they tensing up? Wincing? Give the client permission to give you feedback on the pressure. A large percentage of getting a good session is communication between therapist and client. We, as MT's, need to make sure our clients know that this is their session and we can and want to customize it to them. Sometimes it takes more than just a "let me know if you want more or less pressure" at the beginning of a session.

MT didn't feel present.

"It didn't feel like she wanted to be there".
The take away: your clients can feel when you're not loving what you do or where you work. Have a lot on your mind? Running through your grocery shopping list while effleuraging their quads? Getting angry as you think over that comment from your MIL while taking an elbow up their erectors? Yikes! Your clients can tell. As a client of mine recently said "you can't fake being present".  While I'm certainly guilty of not always being 100% present (life happens! It's understandable that sometimes your mind will wonder when you have a lot going on outside of the massage room). But for the most part, try to clear your head before you start your session so that you can really focus on your client. This is their hour. Be fully present for them and they will notice, and will likely become a regular.

Not given full time. 
If you advertise $1/minute and charge $60, you better give 60 minutes! it's ok to do shorter time if it's known that you only do 50 min hours, etc. Or "an hour is approximately 60 minutes on the table". However, if you advertise it as $1/minute, and only give 52 minutes while charging $60, clients WILL notice.
The take away: this is about managed expectations. Lots of spas offer 50 minute hours, and it's not typically a problem because they're upfront about it. Clients know what to expect.

Massage felt rushed. 
"The whole session felt rushed and they skipped over several areas".
The take away: this has nothing to do with amount of time on table. A friend and colleague of mine who works as a large spa that only allots 50 min hours has said that the time limit doesn't have to hinder the feeling of a slow and rhythmic massage to the client. Focus on slow, broad strokes and being present. It's still possible for clients to feel like they received an amazing massage in 50 minutes.

Cookie-cutter massage. 
It felt like MT was just doing a routine, rubbing lotion on my body with their hands, or MT didn't listen to what areas I asked for more or specific work on.
The take away: Check in with your client. Listen. Watch for non-verbal signs of what their body needs. Remember that while you do massage all day, your client only gets a massage maybe once a month (maybe less than that!). Make it a memorable one, not one that would just blend in to your full day of sessions - all of them looking exactly alike. It's likely that we all learned a lot of different tools in massage school, and only use a handful of them regularly. Change it up a bit. Add in some different things that you don't do every single session. Feel like you're in a rut and need some new tools? Check out some continuing education. I find this is the best way to beat boredom in massage and to rekindle that spark; reminding me why I love massage in the first place. My clients also frequently comment on the fact that I'm always evolving and learning new things.

What reasons have you heard from clients on why they haven't returned to previous MT's? Or what comments have they made of why they've chosen your business? Maybe this post and your comments can help a newer massage therapist just getting started, or even help a more seasoned massage therapist make their sessions even better.

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 15 years. www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Advice From Strangers

When I was about 2 years into being a massage therapist, I had a stranger going through massage school contact me for advice on being in the biz. They found me through a live journal massage group (which reminds me, I think I have to log into live journal before they delete my username). I was flattered and confused at the same time. It seemed weird to be asking someone so new in the business for advice. It was a class assignment for her and she had a list of specific questions that she emailed me and I could answer at my leisure. They didn’t look too hard, so I did it. I remember trying to answer thoughtfully and I really hoped they were helpful. She, of course, thanked me, but I never heard from her again, so I have no idea how it went. 

Several years later, a massage therapist that I had received a massage from emailed me for advice on how to make it through those first struggling years of being self employed. I thought about this email for a long time and how to answer it. She wanted me to tell her what to do, and I just couldn’t do that. I didn’t know her needs well enough, and frankly it wouldn’t have helped her succeed. When you are self employed, you are the one that makes the decisions, and when you let others decide for you… well, you aren’t happy. I answered her the best I could, but I never heard from her again. I learned later that she gave up on being a massage therapist, which made me sad since she had only been at it 5 months. 

This very evening I had a sales call from my Alma Mater asking for a donation. The gentleman asked what I did for a living as part of their questionnaire and when I told him I was a Massage Therapist he immediately started asking me about it. He too, was thinking of going to school for massage therapy after his undergrad. It got me thinking about how often I get asked for advice from strangers and about what information they are actually looking for. 

These days it’s easy to find advice online, even hire a business coach to help you with all the technical details. There are blogs galore on how you should be and what you should do and how you are probably doing it all wrong. When I think about the advice I wanted when I was starting out, and the advice these strangers asked of me, I wondered what was it they really wanted to hear. 

I think I wanted to hear "we all screw up sometimes, but we learn from our mistakes”, and "even though it feels impossible to imagine this as your full time career, it is something you can do, so keep at it." So, here are some things that I’ve learned in the last decade or so that have helped me be a better massage therapist and a better businesswoman. These PRO TIPS come from personal, if sometimes embarrassing, experience and changed the way I practiced. Some of the lessons are more subtle than others, but all of them make me laugh when I think about them (even though they didn’t when they were happening). 

PROTIP: ALWAYS CHECK YOUR STOOL FOR DROOL

This is something I did not learn in school, or even given the hint of it occurring. If you have a stool that you put under the face cradle… there is a good chance that your comatose client will mindlessly drool and it will land right where you put your hand to move your chair, or right where you sit when you’re ready to do some neck work. Gross doesn’t even begin to cover it. I now keep clean towels near by and plenty of hand sanitizer (which came in handy when I was later surprised by the lovely odor of CHEESE FEET). 

PROTIP: TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE LATE ARRIVALS OR NO-SHOWS, UNLOCK YOUR FRONT DOOR

I work in a building with a back entrance for staff. After a habitually late client no-showed one day, I called to see what was up. It turned out I was in the back chatting away with a staff member and she was up front knocking on the locked door. We are all human and fallible, but unlocking the door is a no-brainer. We had a laugh about it and it worked out for me, but it reminded me to be present for even mundane things when I’m at the office and to laugh at myself every now and again. 

PROTIP: NEIGHBORLY POP-INS TO SAY HELLO ARE A MASSAGE BUZZ KILL 

(AKA WHEN IN A SESSION, LOCK THE DOORS)

I live in the type of community that doesn’t require you to lock your doors during the day. For years, I never locked the front door of my office (see pro-tip #2) even though I was almost always there alone… until one day a city pipe leaked in the street and the city waterworks guy came in jovially calling hello over and over again… and then proceeded to open every office door including my treatment room until he found someone. It wasn’t a crisis, but he just wanted to make sure it was okay to look at our building pipes… my client wasn’t too perturbed (I was able to save her dignity in time) and I received a heartfelt apology from the workers supervisor. However, I now lock the doors and put up a sign saying I’m in session… even if I’m not expecting anybody.

PROTIP: ITS BETTER TO JUST ZIP YOUR LIP

Sometimes your clients are talkers. In trying to keep my boundaries AND be friendly, I would share what I thought was a TINY tidbit about myself thinking ’they don’t really care, they will forget it in couple of hours', but I have found the opposite to be true. I had a client that asked me if I liked sports. No, not really, but I want to be friendly, so I say “I played basketball in high school, but I don’t really follow sports these days”. A year and half later I saw this client again and all he talked about was basketball and his grandkids… which would be fine, except he then tried to set me up with one (he had a flattering, but inaccurate inference of my age). Other clients will bring up topics (about my dog or getting stuck in a snow bank) that I never remember talking to them about. I see so many people during the day, I can’t remember everything I say. Being vague and non-committal might be the better option here… but really I think it’s best to just let them talk and you just zip it. Obviously, you have to have some conversation, just remember they won’t forget what you said as fast as you will.

PROTIP: NOT EVERYONE REMEMBERS TO SPRING FORWARD

I once had a client show up on time for an appointment… according to her watch. Unfortunately, the night before she had just flown in from the east coast AND Daylight Savings started, so she was an hour late. She was extremely embarrassed, and I wasn’t able to squeeze her in for a few days. I started calling people who were ten minutes late to their appointments to “check in with them”. Sometimes they were able to make it to the appointment for a shorter session time and that translated to productive time for me and a super grateful client for still squeezing them in when they obviously made the mistake. Sometimes it pointed out my flaws: "I cancelled that appointment and rescheduled… remember?!” and helped me make changes in my front desk procedure to make sure my schedule was accurate — which dramatically cut down on the desire to demonize clients in my mind and rue the day they were born. That’s never good for morale.

PROTIP: DOWNTIME IS GOOD TIME

Okay, this is more of an philosophical tip, but I swear by it. There are so many ways to use it. My favorite ways are: get a massage for myself; read massage therapy blogs/groups/articles; search the internet for cool things to get for my office one day; do chores that I bitch about never having time for; going to lunch with my sister; or watching that last episode of New Girl. All these things sound like time wasters or unproductive time, but when I’m busy I never get to do those things and I feel exhausted and drained and detached from my life. These activities all address some aspect of my whole person, not just working person. If I’m feeling overwhelmed by my day, having lunch with my sister (it can be a bag lunch at a park) will rejuvenate me when I’m back in the office. Downtime is good time, don’t waste it by fretting about it so much.

PROTIP: SPICY BEEFSTICKS ARE NOT A GOOD BETWEEN MASSAGE SNACK

Beefy, garlicky, and peppery do not go away fast enough no matter how much mouthwash or essential oils you use.  The smell just becomes weirder when you add peppermint to that combo. Trust me. Even if your client brought you the venison jerky, just save it for later… much later. 

P. S. Here is a bonus for you: 

PROTIP: THEY DON'T HAVE TO HEAR YOU, BUT YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU. 

It's just polite and it keeps you humble. This goes for clients as well as others that inspire or help you in life. I would be remiss if didn't thank Ginger Glomski for her more "colorful" PROTIPS which not only had me laughing, but inspired this post, and Cindy Iwlew for sharing her blog audience with me and giving me an opportunity to write for others. 

As you can imagine, everyone has a list of things they never thought would affect the way they do business and perhaps even set a path towards success. So, go ahead, make mistakes; learn from them. You can do this. What are your PRO TIPS?

Erin Howk, BS, BCTMB

Pain Infographic

Face Cradle Cover Idea

Big thanks to Rebecca who sent me this great video showing how to wrap a pillowcase around a face cradle.  Great idea!

Do you use pillowcases for face cradle covers or do you prefer specific face cradle covers?

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 14 years.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com 

3 Easy Tips For Starting Your Email Marketing

Are you collecting email addresses from clients? Have you been wanting to, but not sure where to start? Or not even sure there's much benefit to having client email addresses on file? 

A while back, Hillary wrote this guest blog post about how she made $10,000 in one day. A huge part of her success was that she regularly emails her clients. And like I pointed out in this post, email marketing is a more personal way to connect with clients than social media.

So here's a few ways you can start to collect the email addresses from your clients:

1. Online Scheduling.
   Bodywork Buddy requires the client to enter their email address to schedule an appointment online. (I would imagine most online schedulers require this - as it's kind of a cornerstone to the concept of online scheduling!)  Bodywork Buddy also automatically sends email reminders to your clients of their upcoming appointments which helps to cut down on no-shows.
2. Health Intake Form.
   Make sure your health history form asks for their email address and states that they are approving you to send them emails.
3. Opt-in Form on your website.
   Include a newsletter signup or a "special offers" signup on your website.  (Mailchimp offers a great free program up to 2,000 contacts and lets you easily create a signup for your website.) Often times, prospective clients may be visiting your website but not committing to making an appointment yet. This is a great opportunity to get their contact information so you can continue to keep in touch with them and stay on the top of their mind.

Once you have gotten started on your list, you can start working to create email campaigns.  More on this in an upcoming blog post - stay tuned!  

If you're on Networked Blogs, be sure to add this blog to your list of follows (click follow in the Networked Blogs box to the right). Or you can signup to the right to receive each new post in your inbox so you're sure to get upcoming posts.

Do you have other tips for collecting email addresses that I haven't included here? Leave them in the comments below, I'd love to hear what has worked 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 14 years.  www.BodyworkBuddy.com 

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Toxic Attitudes

If we become so intent on proving everybody else is wrong, we lose the opportunity to learn from our own mistakes.

Today's guest post is an important topic that I think needs to be addressed. That's why I was so glad when Erin contacted me wanting to write about this. I've been wondering why massage therapists are required to take classes on ethics, yet there is never any discussion of the ethics of how we treat our colleagues online.
I feel it's increasingly becoming a problem. I wholeheartedly agree with this article and thank Erin for writing it.   - Cindy Iwlew

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

― Maya Angelou


I used to work in advertising. Well, to be honest, I made credit card applications. The literal application with the little boxes that you fill out and send back. I made the gradient down the side of the letter… cool huh? I didn’t get to make the bezel on the 4.9% or add the drop shadow, though. I hadn’t earned that right yet, and believe me; in the world of advertising, everything is a competition. 

I went to art school because I had been telling myself since I was 4-years-old that I was going to be an artist when I grew up. I spent my entire childhood trying to prove to myself and everyone around me that it could be done. The heartbreaking truth came when I did; I learned I hated it. It was so competitive it wasn’t fun. My colleagues were not the type to share tricks and tips, or even encourage me when I was struggling. That environment lead to me not asking questions, trying to prove to everyone I knew everything, when really I knew very little, and faking it until I either made it or was laid off. I was laid off.

On an instinct, I applied to a local massage school and passed with flying colors. I followed a whirlwind path of passion and joy for what I was doing. I loved every aspect and it led me to where I am today. I still make less than half of what I did as a graphic designer, so I often get asked why I would demote myself so drastically. I tell them it's because everyone is happy to see me and massage therapists are so nice. 

At that time, most of my networking with MTs was face-to-face at conventions and going out to purposely meet others in my community. Speaking to people face-to-face, I felt this connection to my peers. I felt I could ask anything and learn how to be a better massage therapist. I had never had a massage before entering massage school, so there was a lot I needed to know! I remember many trade hours with a particular MT where we talked with each other about how to handle client situations, address a certain issue, market to certain clients, and sharing what we didn’t understand or know. Not once did I lose out from those interactions. I learned from her experience and vice versa. We disagreed on some things, but we knew that we didn't have to mimic each other and were okay with that. To this day, both of us are thriving in our massage careers and attribute a lot of that success to our early years hashing stuff out on each other’s massage tables. 

Then came along internet sites like Live Journal, Myspace, Facebook and suddenly I was able to connect to hundreds of therapists, with exponential amounts of experience and education. It was AMAZING. Because there are no massage books in my local library, research had required travel, and money, and knowing where to start. Now, I could hop on to a forum and ask my question, and get 15 different opinions on the same thing. I know that these people are well-intentioned and educated, and I know I can take what they say and see if it applies to my situation.

Lately however, I’ve noticed a troubling type of commenter. The scolder. They rant and rave at a poster's stupidity for not knowing that ‘toxins’ aren’t real thing anymore. They waggle their finger for getting the precise Latin name incorrect on a bony landmark. They roll their virtual eyes at your loving nature bringing you good fortune because "this is science, dammit”. They will tout ‘evidence-based’ mantras at you as frequently as someone less ensconced in science will share ancient proverbs as life’s truths. I want to clarify: I love science. However, unless you're a scientist doing the research,  you're just repeating what somebody else told you and taking it on faith that it is accurate and true. Scientists set out to prove themselves wrong on a regular basis in order to verify their evidence stands the test of time. Lots of times, it doesn’t. Science based studies are often disproven at a later date with further study (for example, toxins, lactic acid, butter being bad). People are repeating misinformation constantly... even highly educated and well-intentioned people. Ironically, studies have shown that ‘evidence based studies’ are the easiest to debunk because their main source is metadata. Meaning, that the studies are based of collecting data from a bunch of other studies and compiling it, leaving out the studies that don’t fall within the results they are looking for.

The massage therapy industry is going through an exciting time of change. Laws in every state are different, education so varied, and new research occurring at such a fast pace that is not humanly possible for a person trying to grow their career to keep on top of it all. The only way to grow is to ask questions. It is also not possible for anyone response to a question to be ‘the right answer’. This business with the scolding and bullying is making me a little mad. It’s gotten to the point that smart, highly-educated, and willing mentors will not participate in the communities to avoid participating in the childish drama that ensues. This, to me, is the saddest part; that someone who has knowledge and the desire to mentor others is discouraged from reaching out to those seeking knowledge and insight into their profession. I have to ask: Is this how you would want to be treated if you were a seeker of knowledge? When medical practitioners look down on you and sweep you aside, how does that make you feel? That’s how beginners and learners and seekers feel when they are scolded by their peers.

I find it disappointing that so many people miss the opportunity to share insight, educate, and mentor the seekers. I understand it is done with good intentions, but please stop. I am on my own path with my own goals, and my own priorities. They are fueled by my life experience, equally valid as yours. Please don’t scold me for not being you. Quiet down a little, think about the discussion, and be willing to make mistakes. If you have information that I seek, and you’re willing to share in a giving manner…then let’s talk. After all, the reason science exists is because there is so much to the universe we don’t understand and we all want to know more. 

On a final note, I want to put out a heartfelt "Thank You" to those who have helped me grow and learn in the last decade or so. The openness and willingness to share your knowledge without condescension and judgement has kept me asking questions on a daily basis.  I would not trade my high paying career in advertising filled with doubt and toxic attitudes for my humble path of healing and light (and of course science).

Erin Howk, BS, BCTMB

image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net