Building a Massage Practice in
a Hospital, Governmental or Academic Setting
"The
three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard
work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense."
—Thomas
Edison
If you have your sights set on working in an institutional setting
such as a hospital , university or governmental setting, adjust your
marketing efforts accordingly.
Some marketing strategies are the same no matter what type of practice
you're promoting.In any type of practice, giving free massage at the
beginning can build business quickly.The experience of receiving massage
is key to making clients out of curious people.
In an institutional
setting, it is just as important to get people on your chair or table,
and that's especially true for decision-makers. Get these people interested,
and they will grease the machinery you need to establish a viable practice.
In institutional settings, you really need to get your research on
massage together. Collect a packet of multiple copies of research articles
to hand out. Even better, have some copies of Touch
Therapy by Tiffany
Field of the Touch Research Institute or A
Physician's Guide to Therapeutic Massage by John Yates to loan or give to movers and shakers.
To get the word out about your service, attend
internal health fairs and other free outreach events with a massage chair, or substitute a
comfortable chair and supportive pillows. Then get your hands on as
many backs and shoulders as you can.
Schedule presentations on massage,
stress reduction or other related topics. This can provide you with
a way to reach people who may then book appointments once they feel
they know you.
Another avenue to educate potential clientele and get
your name out is to write articles for an institutional newsletter
about the benefits of massage.
Institutions normally have a complex system of hierarchy in which decisions
are made. Be prepared for your promotional
efforts to take time. But
if you offer quality, professional bodywork and persevere with your
promotional efforts, your practice should grow steadily and profitably.
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