I got an email recently asking for suggestions on getting in to see human resource directors. So I thought I’d call a couple business HR directors in the area. I want to know what it would take for them to meet with a bodyworker.
How Hard Can It Be?
Shouldn’t be a problem, I thought. I’ve met these directors. I’m not asking them to hire or contract with anyone. I just want information.
My parents knew their parents. We went to school together. We were in Girl Scouts together. They babysat me 35 years ago. This is a day-long project. Right?
Well, three weeks and dozens of phone calls later, I am still waiting for an answer.
Another Tack
In an effort to get some sort of answer to Beth (who sent in the original question), I called around to places that already had MTs contracted. The common thread was that the Human Resource or Activities Directors knew the massage therapists socially or professionally.
The Activities Director for the adult care facility down the street invited her reflexologist to come do her work twice a week. The State Tax Revenue office brought in a therapist who already had several of the employees as her clients. (I don’t know what the process was for this therapist to be contracted by the State; I’m still waiting on a call back.)
A therapist I ran into this weekend worked her way into a huge Tacoma law office by turning as many of the employees as she could into clients. After a year, with the backing of her clients, she finally got in to talk to HR and ultimately was contracted for chair massage twice a month.
What I Would Try
I’m going to continue to pursue contacting Human Resource Directors as my goat has been got. But what I’m coming to believe is that getting contracted or hired by a big corporation can be a full time effort. And a matter of who you know. And being at the right place at the right time.
If I were committed to practicing massage therapy or bodywork within a specific business, I would observe standard practice by writing letters to and requesting appointments with HR directors.
But my main focus would be on attracting the attention of the employees of that business. Flyers on windshields, sandwich boards, newsletters on the company break room, t-shirts, skywriting. Get their business. Then get your clients to go to bat for you with HR. Plan on it taking at least a year.
If I wanted to get my bodywork practice into any corporation or business, I would spend time at chambers of commerce meetings and at “leads” type groups. I would always, always, always have my current business card ready to hand out. I would develop and practice my Why Your Business Needs Me elevator speech.
Need Input
So that’s what I’ve got. What do you have to add? I can see how this could be an amazingly frustrating experience. We need to start exploring other ways to bring your services into businesses.
Oh, And …
Diana wrote an article this month Networking Groups: What they are, how to find them and why you should care. Give it a look.
All my best,
Eileen
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4 users commented in " Hello? Human Resource Directors? Hello?: A brief attempt to market massage to businesses "
I had considered this option a few years ago seeing as I was starting a clinic that was practically beneath a large office block with about 2000 personnel. However out of the five companies that worked from there not one would entertain the idea of having a massage therapist come in.
The most ludicrous reason given went like this:
“Since 9/11 that isn’t possible.”
“9/11, you mean New York?” I asked.
“Yes, since 9/11 we have to be much stricter on protecting information – it would be too much of a risk because you might see information that is on one of our employees screens.”
“Ok – I had envisioned they could come away from their phone and desks for a few minutes”
“Sorry that isn’t feasible”
So where to go from there?
Now returning to take back my old clinic I am challenging myself to tackle this potential source of clients again. I do recall that about ten years ago when I was offering women’s self-defence courses in the area I had a last minute cancellation from a group and was about to be left with an expensive rental bill for the venue. In a last minute attempt I faxed out to the large call-centres and hotels in the area offering discounted places to staff in order to at least break even.
I never managed to do that course but I had two companies come back to me asking if I would do a workshop JUST for their staff – I could even use their venues.
I discovered that most large companies nowadays have an ‘Events Manager’ type position who looks at things for staff to do (team building and morale largely). The best approach is to get in contact with these guys, not the HR Heads, (who have trained experts in the underlings to field off enquiries from our sorts!)
I am considering approaching the companies this time with a ‘De-stress Day’ (not distress!) for me I can teach yoga and taichi as well as shiatsu massage and I’m sure most bodyworkers out there know of exercises to reduce stress and induce relaxation? This might be one way in. How about offering just an hour or so after working hours in the boardroom? You could do this as a sort of free taster intro for staff. Once the foot is in the door you are in.
Oh, the whole 9/11 security thing. Some actions were, indeed, way overdue. Some were way over reactive.
So you’re pretty agile in the brain department. I never thought about contacting local businesses to try and cover costs for a canceled events. I’ll put that one in the tool box.
Good ideas. And it’s good that you’re willing ot be flexible about times and locations. That will help a lot.
I have a friend who has a part of her practice she calls “The Traveling Yogini” where she schedules with offices to do regular yoga classes. The response has been … tepid.
She’s finding that gathering enough classes and students to make it worth her while is a full time job. She either needs to hire someone to go to bat for her or she needs to pull back on the other aspects of her practice if she wants the Yogini to flourish.
I (and the Yogini) would really like to know how the “De-Stress Day” works out for you.
Hi! The first incarnation of BodyLogic was in the SF Financial district offering onsite massage. This was in 1997, before onsite massage was “cool”. My partner and I, all wide-eyed and excited about our new business, knocked on all kinds of doors and made 100′s of cold calls.
I do not remember ONE of those working out. I do remember my uncle’s financial adviser’s brother had a company in SF that we could talk to and another neighbor’s hair lady’s husband who had a marketing firm…turns out, that landed us in one large financial firm, the SF stock exchange and the chamber of commerce.
Leaving notes on my neighbors doors, 20 notes in all, yielded 3 new personal clients (friends of friends, etc).
So…10 years later, I still believe in friends and family first. As much as we all KNOW the corporate gigs would be good, unless that is your focus (corporate wellness and team building) the competition for attention and dollars is huge. But, if it’s your goal and your business niche, land one company and you’ll be rolling!
Thanks, Heather. I was wondering if you had any insight on this topic. I kept thinking of asking you but with one thing and another …
Yes, I do believe with most attempts on this scale it is going to be “who you know.”
… Actually, that probably holds true for just about any new venture.
Hope you are well.
Eileen
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