“Lib” from the UK asked a good question on the Ask Eileen page:

“Hi Eileen,
In the UK, schools run pamper nights to bring the ladies in and make money for the school. The night consists of [a] retail stall as well as a range massage therapy: massage, reflexology, etc.
Having done this occasionally, the question is, why don’t we get business from the night? (I’ve tried special vouchers.) Any ideas?”

Well, Lib, without knowing any details, my first thoughts are: 1) The ladies coming to your pamper nights don’t understand the value of what you are offer and 2) whatever you’re doing for follow-up contact isn’t teaching them the value of what your school/students offer.

“Make Spa Nights Pay off: Why Make Massage Marketing Efforts if You Don’t Get Clients?” continues »

Your Ideal Clients are your bread and butter … and sanity.

When you talk to your Ideal Clients, keep in mind:

1. You have to know who your Ideal Client is.
I know I’ve said this a million times before, but after some conversations this weekend, I feel I need to bring it up again.

The more focused your marketing is, the better response you get from the clients you feel called to work with.

So take some time and really think about who you want to have on your table or in your chair day after day. Write it down. Make those thoughts concrete.

Sure! You can have more than one set of Ideal Clients. Just remember that each set has different needs. Plan on different messages for each set.

2. You have to know what they want to hear.

“How to Talk to Your Ideal Clients: 5 steps to keep in mind” continues »

Ideal Client Defined
An Ideal Client is one who suits your Ideal Practice.

An Ideal Client is one who would benefit most from your particular skills.

An Ideal Client is your path to happiness in your work.

It’s Best to Focus
Many massage therapists or bodyworkers who are just beginning to market their practice find it difficult to focus on just one (or two, or three) specific type of clients. When you ask a therapist new to practice who they want to work with, the answer is “Everybody.”

“Ideal Clients Defined: The best way to focus your massage marketing efforts” continues »

Fact: Valentine’s Day is second only to Christmas in terms of gift certificate sales. (Followed by Mothers’ Day.)
Fact: 80% of people are more inclined to use a service when it is recommended by a friend.
Fact: Gift certificates are incomparable tools for introducing yourself to new clients and encouraging those new clients to rebook.

Fact: It’s the New Year and it’s time for your massage / bodywork practice to adopt new, healthy, profitable marketing habits.

When you go through the effort of promoting your gift certificates, you want your efforts to pay off.

Selling certificates is one thing.
Getting the certificate recipients to use their gift is another.
Encouraging new clients to rebook with you is something else altogether.

Selling Certificates

“Natural Way to Get New Clients to Rebook: Marketing your massage gift certificates in the New Year” continues »

Last week I spoke with a charming new massage therapist. She was just about to sign a lease for her first studio when it was discovered the space next door was also to be leased to a massage therapist.

Her husband, bless him, was all for finding another spot and/or reading the landlord the riot act.

The question was whether to continue in that space (which she liked) or to move on.

I say, if you like the place stay where you are.
You know as well as I that massage therapy practices are not like grocery stores or hamburger stands. As a rule, most people don’t haul in to your parking lot on the spur of the moment expecting to find what they need.

“Is Your Neighbor a Competitor?: 3 reasons not to sweat it” continues »

This was the last week of our marketing consultation/brainstorming sessions.

I talked to twenty four massage therapists of all stripes, bodyworkers, energy workers, skin care specialists, and a new CEU teacher. I now have a general idea of your general situation and the general challenges you face. Generally.

Here’s an overview of five basic topics that came up in most of our sessions.

Your clients want to hear from you.
I am here to tell you that your clients do want to know what’s going on in your practice. They do welcome reminders that you exist, that you haven’t seen them in a while, that you are continuing your studies, that you have gift certificates for sale.

“Five Marketing Basics You Need to Understand: Massage marketing consulting sum-up” continues »

I had another great day brainstorming with the massage therapists who signed up for the marketing consultation/brainstorming sessions with me.

One of the folks I was talking to made me feel especially optimistic … and proud (there’s going to be a little back-patting here, but just a little). She said I could share her marketing experience with you.

Krissy is down in the Ft Worth,TX, area. She rented one of those reader boards with a black background and yellow lights.

“Brevity Sells: That’s it. That’s all I have to say. I’m done now.” continues »

Alarming, dismaying, disheartening … Well … maybe it wasn’t that bad. But, lordy, it wasn’t good.

Maybe flabbergasting?

I had breakfast* with my friend, former housemate and current customer last weekend. A year ago she moved her practice from one town to another.

In preparation for the move, she got 200 “I’m Moving” postcards with a message printed on the back.

While we were discussing her severe client fall-off over the past year it came to light that …

“Horrifying. And True: A massage marketing AAAAAIIIGH!” continues »

You can spend $500 on a newspaper ad and maybe get 10 clients. Or you can spend $100 on an ad in a high school flyer and get 10 clients.

As I said in the last entry, you need to know whom you’re talking to. Once you know whom you’re talking to, you know what to talk about.

And when you know whom you’re talking to, you’ll know where to find them.

Yes. It will take more time and effort than just writing a check to your local paper. It will also attract the kind of clients you want to work with.

When you run a general ad in a general publication — local newspaper, Val-Pak, Yellow Pages, Google key word “Olympia” — you’re going to get lost in the shuffle. It’s better to focus your money and efforts on the specific group of clients you are looking for.

“Save Money, Find Better Clients: Eileen showers some brainstorming notes on you” continues »

You need to know who you’re talking to.

Even before you get started on any sort of postcard, email, letter, business card — any sort — you need to know who you’re talking to.

Whenever I do a massage marketing consultation or brainstorming with one of our customers (you), my second question is, “Who is your ideal client?”

Usually your first answer is something along the lines of:
… Cash paying client, disposable income financially sound single persons, or dual income family, health and wellness minded, self care oriented …

… Female, 35-65 years old, Ethnically Diverse, $45,000 plus annual income, No children OR Independent Adult Children, Degree’d with BA or Higher and/or Business Owner …

… I would prefer a mix of clientele. I also like having the long term relationships with clients who use massage for health maintenance or prevention …

Those are good answers. They are a good beginning. But you have to get more specific.

“Who Are You Talking to?: Sending your massage marketing message to the right client” continues »