Send regular clients a birthday card that offers 10% or $5.00
off their next massage. Also mail a "Thank You" postcard with
a discount to clients who refer new people to you. —Mary
Jane Ashton, Fort Worth, TX
We send birthday postcards offering a 20% unlimited
discount during the client's birthday month.
We are seeing a lot of return on this offer! Some clients only come in
during their birthday month, but they send in referrals during the rest
of the year. It's a good way to maintain the mailing list and a very
good way to gently remind our clients we are still here. We feel we get
much more response from mailing to our existing clients than from running
newspaper ads. —Melissa
Greiner, CMT, Ebensburg, PA
I
sent out the Mini-Vacation
postcards. Then I put up a shower curtain
with a beach scene for one window, another shower curtain with
shells for the other windows. I brought in a beach chair and umbrella
and hung pictures I brought home from Hawaii. I put a beach towel over
the blanket for the table and play ocean surf and Hawaiian music. I
put warm stones in their hands and one under their occiput. When it
is 10 degrees outside, this looks and feels great! My clients loved
it.—Suzanne
Daigle, Georgetown, MA
I
had postcards and stamps left over from an event. So when I gave a
talk to 180 people, I included the stamped postcards with my business
information in the packet I handed out. I asked the audience to use
them to write with any feedback or questions. I received about 10%
back, and all of those contacts were "business-building" in
some way. —True-ly
Tiger-lilly, Salisbury, MD
Promote your services to wedding parties! Send the Spring
Promo postcard to brides who are clients or acquaintances offering her
a package of gift certificates for family members and helpers. Also,
get names of brides-to-be from the engagement announcements in your
local paper and send them a postcard with a congratulations message, “Good
for one free 20-minute massage.”—Debbie
Kacic, LMT, Medina, OH
Here's
a way to reach new people if you work with or refer to other health
care practitioners. Ask them to include a postcard with your personalized
information in packets for new clients. On the postcard, offer a discount
on the first session. In return, you can include their business information
with whatever you give your new clients.
Personalize postcards for a targeted professional group. For example, to market
to a group of lawyers, you could say, "Prosecute stress. Get a
massage." For policeman, "Arrest your tension." For medical
professionals, "Vital signs need a boost?" Hand them out to
groups of professionals in your community in combination with a brochure
of your choice, such as Chair
Massage for You or What
is a Massage Like? Add clear contact information to both postcard
and brochure.
Get
together with one to three of your trusted associates. To begin, one
of you sends out a postcard mailing announcing a special offer. If the
response is more than you can immediately handle within two or three
weeks, then refer your clients to the other people in your group who
will honor YOUR offer. Later, someone else in your group sends a promotional
to his or her clients, and will repeat the referral set-up. Keep taking
turns. This will help you build a support network of associates who
your clients will get to know, and who can back you up when you are
sick or want to take an extended vacation.
Reward
and motivate your most regular clients with postcard announcements and
specials. Your established clients are your best source of income. To
make the most of your marketing dollars, target your regular clients
with frequent mailings. Do larger mailings that include both regular
and infrequent clients less often, perhaps once or twice a year.
When you sell gift certificates, include several copies of your business
card as well as one or two massage brochures
in the envelope. You may even want to include your bio. Find out something
about the gift recipient from the giver and select brochures targeted
to the recipient. This makes the gift seem more substantial, more like
a packet than a piece of paper. Plus the recipient gets to learn more
about you and about massage. That may help them feel more comfortable
making their massage appointment (and hopefully come back again on their
own as a repeat customer). —Debbie
Heffernan Benko, Gaithersburg, MD
At a health fair, client education brochures provide something you
can give potential clients to think about after you talk to them. You
can also see which brochures go first which can give you an insight as
to the concerns of potential clients and the
approach you should take with them. —Anne
Ledbetter, Ballwin, MO
Laminate
copies of the brochures you use, front
and back, with your personalized information on it, to post in the offices
of other health practitioners or other sites such as health food stores,
fitness centers or day spas. —Sylvia
Meister, New Market, Ontario
Make
a colorful flyer on one-third of an 8.5" x 11" page announcing
your specials. Then insert them in your most popular brochures.
If
you can, get the addresses of gift certificate recipients. Then do a
follow-up mailing to the receivers with a brochure or card that allows
you to introduce yourself to the recipient. This can boost the return
you get on your gift certificates.
Mail
a packet to new clients when they schedule. Include a welcome postcard
or greeting card and the brochure, What is a Massage Like? or
another brochure that addresses a topic they mentioned when they made
the appointment. Also include your brochure or business card with your
hours, rates and cancellation policy.
When
starting up a massage business, plan to send a brochure and gift certificate
to local doctors, dentists and chiropractors to give them a chance to
experience your work.
Attach a sparkling ornament to a gift certificate.
Just punch a hole in the corner of a seasonal envelope and use a ribbon
to attach. Slip your gift certificate in and you have an especially
appealing gift. Flat metal ornaments are light and easy to handle. —Kathy
Kyar, Des Moines, IA
As
a favor to my clients, I let them know
that they can call me ahead for a beautiful gift
certificate package for their loved ones. When
they let me know, I wrap a gift certificate of
their choice in a box with a bow, which is ready
for them to pick up at their convenience. (Note:
Get the message out to your clients ahead of
time with a newsletter or postcard mailing, in
a special email message or by promoting it on
your Gift
Certificates Promotional poster.) —Christine
Heffner, Orlando, FL
Make a binder showing a variety of gift certificates.
You never know what will prove irresistible to a
client who is thinking about a gift for a loved one,
but hasn't decided what to buy. They may look
over the one or two designs you've had for years, but
something in a different color or design may spark their
interest, even if it's not your favorite. Attach your "Gift Certificates
Promotional" poster
to the front of the binder, insert the gift certificates
in page protectors, and put the binder out for clients
to look at while they're waiting. —Mary
Jane McDermott, Rural Hall, NC
Offer
massage packages to businesses in your area to use as thank-you’s
to customers. I struck a deal with the car repair shop down the street.
They buy gift certificates from me for chair massage and give them
to their customers as a thank you. The customers redeem them while
they are waiting for the car to be done. —Julie
R. Jones, Griffith, IN
Try
teaming up with a salon nearby to offer “A Day of Beauty” with
massage, facial, and manicure or pedicure.
Sell a special gift certificate that you don’t normally use, so
that when any of the practitioners see it, they will know that the customer
is coming in for the special “Day.” —Mary
E. DelGrande, Athens, NY
I
donate gift certificates to various charities every year. Single gift
certificates are not always redeemed. That is a missed opportunity
for a potential new client. If they do come in, sometimes one massage
is not enough to persuade them to become regular clients. I am now
giving out packages of three massages, to be used by one person. Three
sessions seems to be enough to convert the gift recipient into a regular
client. —Debbie
Heffernan Benko, Gaithersburg, MD
Trade
your gift certificates with those of other
business people—for
example, other bodywork practitioners, yoga
teachers, florists or hair stylists. Use them to thank employees or as
a seasonal bonus, or thank other practitioners who refer to you or provide
you with a service. —Karin
Olsen, Shelton, WA, (kbizconsulting.com)
Make
a gift certificate display for Valentine’s Day. Put Valentine
sweetheart candies next to a sample of the Sweetheart
gift certificate for an attention-getting display. —Pauline
Leblanc, Glenview, IL
Add
your name and number to your Gift Certificates
Promotional poster. (Note: this can be especially
useful if you work in a multi-specialty environment
or display the poster in a location other than where you work.) —Nancy
Jones, RN, BSN, NCMT, Gibbstown, NJ
If
a holiday is coming up, I keep gift certificates
in a pretty basket on my table, and as clients come or go, I suggest they
buy one. I also take them to presentations on reflexology, and home parties.
When someone says, “this would be great for my mother,” I
say, “Great,
here’s a gift certificate.” —Joyce
Dupak, Midland Park, NJ
Teach
massage classes in your community. People
will get to know you, and, at the end of the class, you can give the participants
gift certificates or coupons for a massage with you. —Sherry
Bloxam, Northport, WA
As
many of our customers have discovered, ideas for boosting business by
partnering with other businesses are endless. Find a nearby business
that would like to offer chair massage during the week of Mother’s
Day to generate more foot traffic. Or talk to shop owners who might like
to trade their goodies for massage. Then include the treats in gift certificate
packages your clients can purchase.
Is
there a business nearby who would sell your gift
certificates while you're doing what you do best?
In businesses such as drug stores, boutiques or coffee
shops, you could create a small, attractive gift certificate display.
Give your business friend a small cut of your sales, and make everyone
happy — including
your regular clients (and new clients!) who can stop
by and pick up a gift certificate without a wait.
If
you really want to accommodate new clients after the Christmas or Mother’s
Day holiday, consider adjusting your schedule to accommodate newcomers
for a month or two. For example, work an hour later one evening a week
through January or June. Make sure you are ready when new clients call
in to redeem their gifts. Whether you have a live person answering the
phone or a voice message, ask yourself if your greeting is welcoming,
informative and user-friendly. If callers have to press too many buttons
or can’t hear the message clearly, they may get frustrated and
give up.
The
AMTA 2005 Consumer Survey found that 73 percent of those polled would
recommend massage therapy to someone they know. Reward your clients with
a discount or gift certificate. They WILL pass your name on.
We
sent out over 100 Frosty greeting cards for the holidays. Our customers
really liked them. We used two personalized messages: "Gift Certificates
Available by Phone or in Person!" and "Use this card for
$10 off your next treatment." About 15 customers responded within
30 days for the 10% off and more have been trickling in as there is
no expiration date.
About
25 people responded to get the gift certificates—we sold more
than 40 of them! From our experience,
we get a much better return from sending specials to regular clients
than we do from newspaper and yellow page advertising. —Natural
Flow Massage, Lake Oswego, OR
For
referrals, our therapists hand-write
a Thank You card to the client who referred, and
give them $10 off to use the next time they come in. —Kerri Calver,
A Better Balanced Body, Encinitas, CA
We
used to send a gift certificate for a
free massage after a customer referred three people.
That got too costly so now we simply send a “Thank
You for Your Referral” card. Soon we may start sending a $10
off coupon clients can use in their next
session, or save up to use for a full
treatment. Our number one advertising is our clients! —Christine
Stites, Reconnect Therapeutic Wellness, LLC, Stratford,
NJ
It’s
worth your time to join small business
groups. Then GO to the meetings. It’s the best use of your time
and energy. Hand out your business cards and coupons and talk about how
you are building your business. You will get interest and referrals.
They will KNOW you. —Mercedes
Nepute, LMP, Tacoma, WA
We
print up specific business cards that say Referral Program on the front.
There is a line for the referring client to write their name, and a
space for the person who brings it in. Both get a $10 or $15 discount,
depending on the service. —Peter
Owen and Catharina Kiaha, LMT, Alegria Bodywork and Day Spa, San Antonio,
TX
Make
a travel kit of marketing materials to take with you wherever you go.
Include brochures describing the modalities or conditions you specialize
in, your business cards, flyers or postcards printed with your name and
business information as well as tacks or tape. When you meet people,
you can easily hand them your information. If you see a new bulletin
board or appropriate area in a coffee shop, you can post a flyer or leave
a stack of business cards or postcards.
Keep
a drawing going for a free massage (or massage for half-price!) in
your office. One way to collect your clients' names is to invite them
to drop their business card or another piece of paper with their name
into a fishbowl. —Sandra
Talt, Anchorage, AK
Add
your picture to every piece of marketing you do, like the Yellow Pages
and flyers. It replaces the image of "stranger" in people's
minds because now they feel they know you. —Dottie
Smith, Cleveland, TN
Always
offer more. Instead of pricing yourself
lower than others, offer extras, such as aromatherapy or flannel sheets.
Making your clients feel special is easy to do and it's guaranteed to
keep them coming back! —Jennifer
Talbot, Oceanside, CA
Take
a good look at the local population and location you are working in.
Who do you want to attract? Obviously, in the beginning working with
as many people as you can is good. Then, as your path becomes clearer,
start focusing on the kind of customers you want to work with: your “perfect
customer.” Think about how you should talk with your “perfect
customer?" What problems does your “perfect customer” have
(stress, pain, etc.) and how you can help them? What words do they need
to hear (relax, pain-free, mini vacation) that would prompt them to
get in your studio and on your table? —Tama
Bevan, Sitka, AK
People
love free stuff. They love to get a deal
and they are more likely to remember you. I’ve been handing out
$10 gift cards to people who refer new clients to me. Clients who bring
new people to me are paying me a real compliment and deserve to be acknowledged
and rewarded. —Donna
Kimmel, Huntingdon Valley, PA
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