One of the best ways to start and build a massage practice (besides using a website which I wrote about last week ) is to create a network of referrals.

All of your clients should be referring their friends, coworkers and family members to you. The way to actually get them to do this is to just kindly ask them. Most are more than willing to help. They will automatically refer people to you when they also feel like they have received a special session.

You can also set up a referral reward system like if they send you 3 new clients, you will give them a free half hour massage. I have heard of many massage therapists doing this but I actually have never really needed to do that. I think it just makes for a cleaner relationship if they refer people on their own because they want to.

Asking for referrals from others seems to bring up a lot of fears in massage therapists. They don’t want to seem like pushy sales people. They don’t want to be bothersome. They don’t want to be rejected or seem foolish. The thing is that people want to help you if you are helping them. Women in particular seem to be skeptical of asking for what they need. But in business, asking is how you create relationships and get what you want.

Some massage therapists seem to attached or identified with their practice. They think if they ask for what they want, the rejection will be too much to bear. When you identify with your massage practice in such a way rather than see it as a business with needs, you limit your opportunities.

Your other referral source is doctors and other health care providers. The best way to create a referral network with this group of people is to get to know them first. Find out about their practice , their philosophies on health and healing. Would you go to them yourself or send your mother to them? If you respect them as a health care provider and start sending people to them or even going yourself, you increase your chances of them referring to you without even asking. If you wouldn’t go to them for care, why would you want to see people that they refer to you? Creating a relationship with people before you ask them for referrals increases your chance of getting them to refer to you without your even having to ask for referrals!

Some ways to ask for referrals are:

I have a few openings in my schedule on this and this day if you know of anyone who needs to come in.

I am building my business and would appreciate your referrals.

I prefer working on only people who have been referred to me by people I know and trust.

It takes time to build up a referral network but it is well worth the time and effort. If one person refers one person who comes once a week for a year - well you can figure out what that would mean for your massage practice.

Julie Onofrio
Founder www.thebodyworker.com

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