I’m about to take on my first staff member - how can I best ensure their loyalty to me, as well as maximize client loyalty to my business, rather than the new therapist (and any other therapists that follow!)??

Congratulations. That is a big and exciting step. Well done for getting to that point.

Team Loyalty to Your Business

Have you ever worked anywhere where you really liked it? Where your loyalties were absolutely clear and you wanted to do anything for your boss to bring her business forward?

On the other hand, did you work somewhere where you felt taken advantage of?

Think of the differences of these two situations and you’ll be able to continue acting in such a way that your employees want to be loyal.

But I’ll be more specific as well:

1. Be aware of their value to you
   Not just what they earn you, but also how much more fun they make it to work.
   It is easy to slip into a mindset of how you could earn a lot more if you only did the massages yourself. The truth is you can’t, because your time is limited and you are much better off having someone to do it for you.
2. Provide value to your team members
   Treat them like you treat your clients, serve them with the best you have so that they can be great at their job. They want to be employed because they do not want to run a business. So be aware of this need of theirs that you are providing for.
3. Communicate openly
   Communicate your vision, make them part of that vision. If you hit a rough spot in your business life, also share it, rather than hiding it. You will get much better support if they have a broader picture of the business, rather than just doing their job.
4. Have clear and challenging targets
   Make sure your expectations (yours and your staff member’s) are matched. Train them in how you want things done and leave them room to add their own flavor.
5. Hire on attitude, not experience
   It is far easier to train someone with a great attitude to perform a great service, than trying to teach someone a positive attitude, no matter how experienced they are.
6. Get someone else if it does not work out
   That might sound a bit counter-intuitive to everything else I said before, but it gives it substance. Make them part of your family, but do not hesitate to replace someone, if the expectations are not met.

Client Loyalty to Your Business

There is no question about it, massage is a very personal experience and usually the loyalty is with a specific person, rather than with a business. By getting great team members, you can make use of that.

On top of that you can add things into your business process that makes the experience of being a client of your business special. Here are some examples:

1. Always being ready for a client when they come in, never letting them wait.
2. Sending a card for their birthday with a free massage
3. Sending a thank-you card after X times that they came
4. Following-up with a phone call to see how the massage was for them

I am sure you are already doing things like that. Think of how you can systemize them, so that all your therapists can provide that same level of service (beyond the massage) to your clients. That is another  services you can give to your team members, while delighting your clients at the same time.

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber is worthwhile reading if you want to get further into this.

Great question, I really enjoyed answering it.

Just comment if you have any other thoughts.

All the best

Alexander

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Setting up a new practice is always a time of uncertainty and change. The best way to get through that time is to get good support. Maybe you can find a successful practitioner in your area that is happy to mentor you. Usually, successful people are very happy to share as a way of giving back.

Your Follow-Up System

What you also want to do is build a system for the future. All current clients
become past clients if the relationship is not nurtured. So from now on,
finish all treatments by assessing what the best course of action is for your
client.

If it is coming back in a certain time, tell them and make an appointment. If it
is a matter of wait and see, tell them how long to wait and see (e.g. 2 days,
one week); and tell them that you will call to find out how they are. Write this
in your appointment book and call them on the specified day.

If they are healed and do not need to come back, tell them and write it into
your appointment book for a phone follow up in a time-frame that is useful
for your modality (maximum 3 months) and call.

Take the time each day to make the calls that are due and you will continue
to build your practice.

I do I encourage my clients to recognise that they play a part in their own healing, the responsibility for making a difference isn’t totally mine.

I do not really have a good answer for it, because I am not a health practitioner myself. But I know how important that is.

Here is what comes to mind:

If you are having bad experiences with people that do not want to take responsibility for their own healing, then you might need to build clarity on both your expectations, before your start treating them.

That is an excellent way to build trusting relationships and to weed out the clients that do not have the right fit for you.

You can even use that in your marketing and offer a free assessment for new clients. Assess their problem, but also whether they are willing to play a part in their own healing.

You might lose some clients that way, but gain a whole lot more by word-of-mouth from your satisfied clients.

I have just read an excellent article on How to Charge Your Dream Rates (and get away with it).

It is written for freelancers, but it applies to massage and other natural health therapists as well.  Take note of the caveat at the beginning : “If you’re struggling to make ends meet, I’d suggest building a stable financial base before attempting to charge your dream rates.”

Three steps are outlined:

1. Convincing the client that you are worth it.
2. Finding out whether the client can afford it.
3. Making sure the client does not think you are bluffing.

Whereas freelancing has that element of negotiating rates with each client and you might be more set in your rates, something important can be learned: You have to be certain that you are worth it to be able to communicate your rates convincingly - no matter what they are.

There is also an important tip with regards to step 2: If your clients cannot afford your rates, you might need to think about a better marketing approach that attracts the right clients.

Go to FreelanceSwitch.com for the whole article. It is well worth reading.

Advertising is really one of the last steps in the whole process of marketing. Before you even start thinking about advertising, it is essential to be clear on who your target market is, what they really want and where you can reach them best.

Then you can think about offers that entice them to try you out. That gives you the chance to start building a trusting relationship with them.

Once you know all these things, the best way to advertise is the most targeted to your target market. So if you are treating seniors, it would be far better appearing in a seniors magazine for your area, rather than the daily newspaper.

One example from earlier in this blog is the business cards the Physiotherapist handed to obstetricians, because her target market is new mothers.
Here are some more massage marketing advertising tips.

That is a big question. Here are some thoughts:

Do you know what factors stress you the most to bring you close to burn out?
If you do not, find them first. Really take some time to look at your life and identify what is hard and what is good.

Once you know them, think of ways to change those factors.

Here is an example:

If you are working 8 hours a day to make enough money to pay your bills, then either your expenses are too high (decide what you can do to reduce your living expenses) or you do not earn enough.

If you work 8 hours a day, you are great at attracting clients (assuming that you are self employed). That means you charge too little. Increase your prices to reflect the value your clients are getting from you.

If you are exhausted from the repetitiveness, think of other ways to use your skills and expertise to vary what you do.

Another stress factor might be that you are not attracting enough clients. One solution might be searching for employment where you do not have to worry about marketing or administration. Or you need to get some professional help with the marketing.

And possibly the most important factor is whether we enjoy what we do. Even though it might have been your dream once, it might not be any more. Maybe it is time to switch direction…

Someone shared his fear that it maybe a lonely existence working from home, as opposed to working in a Spa with support systems.

That is such a valid and important point. I have been working from home for the past 3 years and the biggest thing I am missing is the interaction with colleagues.

But there are ways to nurture that interaction through professional support groups. I set up some and found that 4-6 people are best. That is intimate and varied.

The Passionate Training also emphasizes that. Here is a brief outline of how we structure of our meetings. (more…)

If you have any question about massage marketing, just post it as a comment. I’ll be happy to share my thoughts on it.

And you know what we’ll do?

The best question will win a Passionate Training. We’ll hold this open until the end of February, so just keep asking.

Looking forward to your questions.

Alexander

I’ve been getting a lot of great questions about massage marketing. Rather than just answering individuals, I thought to share the answers with you in this blog.

Here is an email I received recently and my answer:

Funny, as I was thinking about emailing you. I’m not sure I should have got the training as I now realise it is for people who are trying to expand an existing practice. I am new and just starting my practice so I can’t really use existing clients, as I don’t have any!!

I am a Bowen Technique practitioner and I tell everyone I meet how wonderful it is, how it helped me and other people etc. They are really interested, take leaflets etc. and then never make appointments. Those that have made appointments then cancel. I ask whether it is because they don’t know the technique and they tell me no, they are just too busy and will reschedule. (more…)

Today’s massage marketing tip is on media releases.

All newspapers want good and newsworthy information. In Australia we have a range of free local newspapers that are especially interested in news from local businesses, no doubt with a view to getting advertising clients.

When you write a media release:

1. Make sure it is newsworthy
   Starting out, offering a new service, changing locations, a special event are good opportunities for a media release.
2. Include a great headline
   It is the headlines that grab readers. The paper might change it, but it is good to give them a great start.

(more…)