She’s bringing Godin back.

by Allissa on September 2, 2010

in Stuff I like,The Business Side

-or- absence makes the brain get calmer.

It’s been awhile (a while?) since I’ve thrown you a Seth Godin bit. Sometimes he can overwhelm me and I shut down and stop hearing the message. I have to take a short break and come back to his stuff with a fresh, open mind.  This post welcomed me back the other day. It  is quite brilliant and so very applicable to our industry.

Better than nothing (is harder than you think)

Most of the time, particularly in b2b and luxury sales, the competition is nothing.

“I will buy this treat or I will buy nothing, because I don’t really need anything.”

“I will buy your consulting services, or I’ll continue doing what I’m doing now on that front, which is nothing.”

None of the above.

“I will vote for you or I’ll do what I usually do, which is not vote.”

“I’ll hire you or I’ll hire no one.”

While you think your competition is that woman across town, it’s probably apathy, sitting still, ignoring the problem… nothing.

Stop worrying so much about comparing yourself to every other possible competitor you can imagine and start comparing yourself to nothing. Are you really worth the hassle, the risk, the time, the money? Or can’t the prospect just wait until tomorrow?

Most of the time, the alternative to getting massage = DON’T get a massage. Even when people are in pain. The tendency is to ignore the nagging pain, insomnia, whatever, and just wait it out. You’re probably not losing traffic to the bodyworker down the street. That’s rare. What’s truly common is losing business to the clients’ own complacency.

What’s the solution here?

Remind your clients how much they love you. Remind them of how they feel when the leave your office. How to do this? You send an email newsletter. Or get active on facebook. Or a postcard or note to the non-techy’s (puh-lease, make sure the card encourages them to subscribe to your email list. Keep at it). Try a really sneaky headline, something like “HEY, you’re neck hurts from sitting at that computer, remember how we fixed that 3 months ago? Get in here already!” Okay, maybe try something a little less obnoxious. (FYI- I’m totally using that in next week’s newsletter, but my clients are used to my humor, that may not work for you.)

Create a sense of urgency. “Your kids are back in school and I’ve got some morning appointments open! Don’t miss out!”

Make it easy. Be clear about how a client can get in touch with you. Make the phone number BIG and the email address an easy link. Oh, return their call/email quickly.

AND there’s another lesson in Seth’s post. Did you catch that? I’ll help you out.

“”I will buy your consulting services get my marketing & business crap together, or I’ll continue doing what I’m doing now on that front, which is nothing.”

or “I will actually follow through on that crazy Allissa’s suggestions, I could even come up with my own nifty idea, or I’ll continue to do nothing and blame a crappy economy/stupid clients/bad luck/ for my business’s stagnancy (failure).”

Which option will land you more clients this month? Your call.

OH! if you come up with you’re own nifty idea, will you share it with us in the comments? Pretty please? Be part of the solution.

1 more thing.

This is Kat. Her blog about being in massage school is inspired, this is my favorite post so far.  You’re going to laugh out loud, for real.

Consumed while writing this post- Soup. Veggies from the garden share & ramen noodles. Classy.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Opportunities. Threats. Peacocks.

by Allissa on August 31, 2010

in Massage,The Business Side

-or- In Which She Gets Real, and Gets Cocky.

There’s been a bunch of SWOT-ing going on. Last week I started a good, hard look into my business with a list of my Strengths and Weaknesses.

Of course, Kelli over at Massage Therapy World is already into her analysis (she’s got a CHART, are you kidding me?) and I’m just busting out part 2 of my SWOT, the Opportunities and Threats.

Here we go:

Create a list of Opportunities for you outside your current business

  • Learn new modalities to improve deep tissue work. I love doing it but am concerned about blowing out my body.
  • Get structured about selling product in the office. Whenever I have certain items on a shelf, they sell themselves. Why not increase what I carry and offer? If it’s product I use myself, I’m just spreading the love. Word of mouth with the topic on hand, really.
  • Subletting the space. I have a second treatment room that is only rented for 3.5 days a week. Get aggressive about finding a renter for the other 3.5 days. Further, get more rigid about MY schedule and sublet my room when I am not using it. This would also require me to learn to share. We’ll see about this.
  • Have workshops in office. I’ve got space for 6 people seated, 4-5 if we need to move around. I had a small breathing class in here last winter, people loved it (Except me, I was far too antsy to lay on the floor and ‘full wave breathe’ for 20 minutes. Go figure.)
  • This here Blue Streak project. What (if any) part of this will become a source of income? hhmmm… (relax, the wit and charm will always be free. and plentiful.)
  • Teach couples massage. I used to do a class at a local enrichment program/night school. The schedule got too cumbersome and I turned it over to a friend. But what about 1 couple at a time? Offer an in-home lesson with each partner practicing on the other as I teach basic massage skills. Maybe a 3 hour package? Promote it with a special gift certificate around christmas & valentines day?

Then,

List the things outside of your control that could harm your business. (Threats)

  • The still-stumbling economy? I just don’t know. I’ve been fortunate (and also busted my ass) and have had decent growth over the past 24 months. But I have noticed some clients booking maintenance massages a bit further apart. How concerned should I be about this? If I’m still getting new clients regularly, it all evens out. Seems all I have to do is take a long weekend off and 11 (exaggeration) clients I haven’t seen in 2 years want to come in. hmmm… I guess that 10 days out of the office in September will be interesting…
  • I could get hurt, or just plain burn out with the hands-on work. That would suck.
  • The new MT down the street is pretty good. Her marketing is more full-spectrum than mine. Entirely possible that I’m losing potential new clients because she’s got a fancy sign right on the busy route that advertises her ‘$49 intro’ pricing.

That’s all I’ve got. I might need help coming up with more threats.  I’m so deep in this business, and I don’t have a clinical mind, so I don’t know that I can be objective and clear. I may need to pull in some help.

We’ll see what happens when I make a fancy chart and start to pull it together.

(Oh, FYI-Kelli and I will be irrelevant soon. We just met Kat, a massage student and writer who is funnier than a hat on kitten and has cool videos on her site.  I still have this awesome blue hair, I don’t know what Kelli’s gonna do to keep up…. But when Kat’s ready to go, you’ll hear about it here and there.)

This week’s (motivational?) rant. C’mon. You knew it was coming.

Last week someone said to me something like this: “You have so much more time than I do, I have a 40 hour/week job plus kids plus massage clients, plus blah blah blah.”

Initially, the personal nature of the excuse pissed me off. My feisty peacock response lit right up. In my head was the, “Listen, I went to school & built my practice while <<insert your hardship here>>. Don’t tell me I had more time. Don’t tell me you can’t make it work. I did. It was damn hard, but I did.”  But the peacock is over-zealous. She is protective of pride and image and not all that useful in growing functional working relationships. She doesn’t give a flying leap about Sprezzaturra. She wants credit and props and street cred and a medal and a trophy and a sticker that says “I DID IT!!!” to smack right on her forehead so everyone she meets will say “Wow! you did it!!” and “My, don’t you look pretty today!” So I shut her down quick and moved along.

Now that I’ve thought about it more, taken my reflexive emotions out of the equations (you know, made it less about me and more about her), I am so sad. I am sad that my friend can’t see past where she is. I am sad that she really does think that her current situation limits what she can accomplish long term. I’m sad that she ALLOWS IT to limit her. Mostly I am sad that there is not much you can say to shake people out of that PLACE. Such talk will only trigger their defense mechanisms so they shut you down. Or lead to more spiraling self-pity. Or just piss her off so she doesn’t have drinks with me anymore.

I console myself with the knowledge that 5 years from now, she will have seen the light. She will have recognized that she has a CHOICE about how she allocates her resources (aka. spends her time). We’ll be having drinks and I’ll say, “How wonderful that you achieved  <<insert goal here>>! Here’s to you!” and she’ll say “Yeah, remember when I couldn’t see my way out of the hole? That was stupid. What a waste of time.”

And then we’ll need refills.

Consumed while writing this post: Tomato soup. From a straw. (I had a cavity filled today.)

Image: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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{ 5 comments }

Sprezzatura, Onions and SWOT-ing the demons away.

by Allissa on August 24, 2010

in Stuff I like,The Business Side

Prologue

For about a year, I’ve been enamored with the notion of Sprezzatura, that is, the air of performing a task, your craft, with ease and grace and little effort.  I first learned about it in a book I came to love/hate. Then Seth Godin wrote about it, too.

I’ve always felt like such a clusterf#@k, getting nervous before a new client or speaking up at a meeting. I would blush and my heart would race if I was put on the spot in class and couldn’t come up with an answer fast enough.  I felt that all the nervousness would be banished if I could cultivate this smoothness, this presentation of cool confidence. I though I could be the Fonz.

Here’s the thing: I can’t do it. I can’t fake a level of self-assurance I don’t have.  And really, I don’t want to, it’s exhausting. I could be spending that energy challenging myself in a more productive way. There are things I am really great at and comfortable doing. There are places I shine. And there are things I know I must do to move forward with my business (and life in general) that give me night terrors.  Why pretend it’s all a cinch? It certainly doesn’t serve you at all to have me faking awesomeness and ease that doesn’t exist. We’re here to learn from each other.

Story

Last week Kelli Wise of MassageTherapyWorld showed some serious cojones and started dissecting her business for all to see.  She’s looking at losing 30% of her client base due to a change in an insurance company for whom she is a provider. Rather than wallow and/or freak out (well, after freaking out), her 1st move was to start a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis on her business, and she’s been kind enough to let us all see her results and encourage us to do the same exercise for our businesses.

I immediately posted on Facebook that I was following her lead and you would see some results of that this week. Then I got distracted by a few last minute clients. Then I had a long (diabolical plan-creating) dinner with my friend Greg. Then I spent a day seeing clients and working on some tasks for my massage organization responsibilities (more on that another time). Then I plopped in front of Saturday night’s House marathon and prepared for Sunday’s committee meeting for said massage organization.  After Sunday’s meeting I took a nap and had a lazy dinner. I got too little sleep but started Monday with high hopes and even higher expectations.

All the while, “SWOT analysis” was in my calendar, getting repeatedly moved to ‘tomorrow’.  Right up until last night around 9:30pm when I got home, dropped some soup in a pan to heat and sat down at my computer to GET_IT_DONE.

Then I heard the dripping. Did I leave the shower on slightly? Is it just coming from outside (rainy all day here)? Investigation ensued. Water was dripping from the ceiling in my bedroom, onto the carpet. So I sighed, put a bucket under it, and left a message on the landlord’s voicemail. I’m pretty good at finding the positive in any given situation. So I was immediately thankful that: 1. It had just started to drip, there were no puddles or flooding, and B. It was in an area well away from my bed, clothes, far from anything that could get damaged.

I stirred my soup and sat my pathetic little self back down at the table to write. But the DRIPPING. Oh, the DRIPPING. You know what I mean, you can hear it in your head right now.  We’ve all been there. And then came the realization that I would have to sleep with that noise. That’s when I lost it. Lack of sleep + hunger + feeling stupid that I procrastinated this SWOT thing + life in general = that primal sob that starts at your gut and knocks the wind out of you and closes your throat except for the tiniest bit of space needed to inhale and sob again. It’s the sob that encompasses every lousy choice you’ve ever made, every hurtful comment you’ve wanted to suck back into your mouth, every time you tripped in public, every error you made that resulted in your kid thinking for half a second that you might not love them (and the same goes for your parents), every time you realized you had to break someone’s heart and that could have been prevented but you were selfish. And on and on and on. You know that sob. Your heart just ached a little bit recalling the last time you felt that way. We’ve all been there.

I’m not a ‘wallow in it’ kinda girl. I’ve got a turnaround time of about 6 minutes on any particular meltdown.  I can pull my shit together pretty quick. (I cannot, however, make my face stop being blotchy for several hours. I hate that.) I also think that stuffing this sob down doesn’t help anyone out. And the best way out is through.

So here’s the first part my SWOT analysis. Only it’s not just about my business, it’s about kind of about everything. I think that’s typical for a micro-business owner in such a personal industry.

The SWOT

Strengths

  • Very hard worker
  • Dedicated and motivated
  • Endlessly enthusiastic
  • Truly enjoy my clients
  • Love the hands-on work
  • Strong leader who makes boring work fun
  • Quickly adapt and respond in the face of any particular obstacle or crisis
  • Kick-ass sense of humor
  • Huge amount of love to give

Weaknesses

  • Procrastinate paperwork tasks and cleaning chores
  • Take on too many things that interest me and get overwhelmed (see above story)
  • Get complacent
  • Short attention span and lack of ability to focus
  • I am too flexible with both my work and personal schedules and allow each to seep into the other’s time and distract me
  • Have a hard time being present in the moment
  • Swear like a truck driver raised by sailors (I descend from both, it’s in my genes)
  • Stingy with my love, as if it will run out, or spending it will make me poor. Or weak.

So there it is. Holly Cole says:

I’m naked, shameless, and peeling back the layers, like an Onion Girl.

I’m with Holly. Sprezzatura be damned. We’ve all been there.

Kelli already has her part 2, Opportunities and Threats, posted. I’ll get on that, too.

Please do your SWOT analysis. We need to grow together. Be brave, email it to someone. Anyone who’ll give you props for doing it. Post it in the comments of Kelli’s blog like she’s asking.  Or send it to me. We got your back. And it would be great if you had mine, please.

Consider this: when one of us fails, we all fail. When our colleague down the street closes because her marketing skills suck, or his hand-on classes were inferior because his school was a diploma mill and he really coulda used a mentor, we all lose. That’s 2 potentially great therapists who could have been spreading the word of Great Massage and cultivating clients for all of us.

*Oh, if you haven’t read this Manifesto of Encouragement yet, please do. We all can use a cheerleader on occasion. Maybe print it out and hang it up. Fold it into your wallet. Or just email it to yourself so you can access it on that fancy smartphone when you need to.*

See you in a few days and we’ll talk about Opportunities and Threats. Baby steps.

(Consumed while writing this post: Hot & Sour soup last night, chicken salad sandwich today.)

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Choices, inspiration, and the dreaminess of Will Smith.

by Allissa on August 17, 2010

in Stuff I like,The Business Side

“Since I’ve been coming to see you, every part of my life is better.”

A few weeks ago, a client came in, sat down and said that. Damn. I like to believe I don’t need this kind of validation, but it sure is nice on occasion, huh? Really, he’s just a great client and I gave him a nudge to go see an acupuncturist, and that’s what made the difference. I started to think about who and what has made my life better.

What is in your way?

Then last week I posted a (rather wordy) article, and wrapped it up with an offer to help you come up with your USP, Unique Selling Proposition. I know that just over 100 people visited (read?) that blog. But not one took me up on my offer for FREE help.

Curious.  Why?  Is everyone reading this fully booked and busy? Does everyone know their USP already? I’m guessing not. So what is standing in your way? Is it you?

I can’t get inside your head. But it kept me thinking about what has moved, inspired, poked at me over the past few years. Maybe it will inspire you, too.

Since I read this email, every part of my life is better.

18 months ago, a friend of mine wrote this email.   It’s a sales email, sort of.  Take a moment, go read it. It would be cool if you watched this video he’s talking about, too.

So this shook me a bit. I printed it out, hung it at my desk and read it daily. I watched the video at least twice a week. And I ruminated. It’s not new information; most of it is stuff you’ve heard before, right? Dream big, work hard, etc. Maybe it spoke to me because it came from an entrepreneur I respect.  Maybe the student (me) was finally ready and the teacher appeared.  Maybe Will Smith was just dreamy enough to make me pay attention.

But I FINALLY paid attention. I started to recognize the significance of my choices and, more importantly, the power I have to make them. I moved from a tiny basement chiro office to my own sweet place. I sublet space to another therapist now and I’m meeting my client goal numbers. I still find myself getting lazy and complacent. I struggle to maintain good organizational habits and to remember to market and learn even when I’m busy. But I now I see those tendencies sooner, and kick my own rear a little faster. I decide who I want to be, what kind of businesswoman I want to be, and I make the choices to reflect that.

What’s it gonna take for you to pay attention and get out of your own way?

NEW offer, since the USP was far too boring.  Email me (bluestreakblog ‘at’ gmail ‘dot’ com) to tell me what YOU want to work on, what you need to be nudged about. I’ll ask you a few questions. You answer. And then I’ll set up a plan to nudge and inspire you (via email) on a regular basis for the next 2 months.  This offer closes at noon on Wednesday, August 18.

What is your choice?

(Consumed while writing this post: spaghetti and sauce with meatballs and all sorts of veggies. Thanks, Mom!)

Photo credit: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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The What and Why of Medical Massage

by Allissa on August 11, 2010

in Massage

-or-  Allissa wanted to know what medical massage really is, but didn’t want to do the research so she begged Mr. Stephens to guest-post.

(When you’re done here, Kelli Wise over at Massage Therapy World has some great thoughts, too.)

By Ralph R. Stephens, BS, LMT, NCTMB

Just what is medical massage and why should I study it? This is a common question asked by many therapists considering their continuing education options.

Medical massage is not a unique method in and of itself. Instead, it is a combination of advanced soft-tissue techniques, organized to address the particular complaints or needs of each individual being seen by the therapist. In reality, it is more of an orientation whose focus is to work with clients that have medical or rehabilitative considerations. This approach is a synthesis of education, training, experience, dedication, humility, and intuition. Medical massage is not relaxation or stress reduction massage.  It is tissue and body region specific based on the individual’s complaints, primary pathology, and the therapist’s findings. Medical massage is seldom a “full-body” treatment, but it could be.  It is usually a focused treatment on the lumbar-pelvis region, or the cervical region for example.  Often sessions are shorter and more frequent, sometimes as short as 15 minutes.   However, extended sessions (90 minutes) can be appropriate depending on the patient’s needs.

Medical massage does not have to be done in a hospital.  It can be done in your private office or even on-site.  It does not have to be a referral from a physician, but it could be.  It does not have to be covered by insurance, but it could be.  It is not the venue or who pays the bill; it is the nature of the treatment that makes it medical massage.  If the treatment is specifically focused on the pain, complaint, injury, condition, or need of the patient and is not a choreographed, one size fits all, or non-specific, full body, relaxation massage it could be medical massage.

To make it very simple, medical massage is a term being used to differentiate advanced, condition specific, individualized massage from general relaxation massage. The medical massage therapist has advanced training in anatomically specific assessment, palpation, and treatment of soft-tissue. Many existing modalities of soft tissue manipulation and body/mind support effectively support these goals. Medical massage is a very clear term that is not confused with relaxation massage or adult entertainment.  The term is clear to the public and to other health care providers.

The protocol for medical massage is:

  • Taking a complete, detailed case history (patient intake)
  • Assessment of posture, movement, and soft tissue
  • Treatment of abnormal tissues
  • Re-assessment
  • Additional treatment.

The most common forms of assessment are:

  • Posture and gait assessment
  • Orthopedic muscle testing
  • Range of motion (ROM) assessment
  • Palpatory assessment of soft tissue (examination)

Based on the findings, a treatment protocol (treatment plan) is developed for each individual.  This is really fun, challenging, and exciting for the therapist.  No more boring massage routines done almost the same way over and over.  Every treatment is slightly or maybe dramatically different and changes as the patient’s condition improves.  This reduces therapist burnout and helps prevent repetitive strain injuries.

A medical massage treatment is any one of or a combination of 9 massage types:

  • Neuromuscular
  • Connective Tissue
  • Myofascial
  • Periostial and Segmental Reflex (Russian techniques)
  • Lymphatic
  • Stretching and Movement
  • Joint mobilization
  • Orthopedic
  • Sports  (but not Event Sports Massage)
  • Some might argue that cranial sacral could be done in a medical massage depending on the application.
  • Note: Trigger point therapy is part of several of the above technique types.

Each of these massage systems are very specific and can be easily combined by the therapist to make a powerful therapeutic impact. Obviously, no one instructor or class will teach all of these massage techniques at once.  It is a career-long study.

To quote my two favorite medical massage colleagues,

“Medical massage therapy procedure consists of mobilization of skin, fascia, muscular tissue, trigger point therapy, and post-isometric relaxation techniques. Each of the above mentioned modalities is equally important in order to reach sustained and rapid results. For many decades, massive utilization of medical massage has proven to be a safe and very effective method of treatment for support and movement system disorders, inner organ disorders, stress management, etc.”

-Boris Prilutsky, MA & Ross Turchaninov, MD, PhD

Medical Massage is an advanced discipline of massage therapy/bodywork.

What distinguishes medical massage therapists is additional knowledge of techniques, injuries, pathologies, medical terminology, equipment, and procedures.  This expanded knowledge is generally taught in post entry-level continuing education programs.

Why study medical massage?

To help you learn more and better ways to help more people efficiently and effectively.  Medical massage courses will improve your palpatory literacy.  You will gain a better understanding of soft tissue dysfunctions and injuries, from a holistic, soft tissue perspective.  While medical massage addresses specific areas, it also recognizes the interconnectedness of the entire body.  “Where it hurts is where it ain’t” – Ida Rolf. You will learn to find and work the other side of the pain along with how to lengthen and strengthen specific muscles to bring the patient’s body into better alignment and functioning.

As the massage field becomes more competitive, with more and more therapists entering the marketplace, you need the skills that set you apart and make your services more essential and valuable to the public.  Relaxation is wonderful and people will pay for it when they have the disposable time and money available.  It will be cut from their budget when times get tough.  They will also be easily lured to a cheaper venue.  However, if you are providing pain relief and performance enhancement, you are much more unique.  Relief from pain is a necessity.  People will pay more for it and will be much more loyal to a therapist who is actually helping them.  If you can help people get out of pain, you will get busy rapidly and stay that way, because you will never run out of people in pain.  People in pain know other people in pain and your practice will grow by referral, the most effective and cost efficient form of advertising.

(Consumed while writing this post: breakfast smoothie made with bananas , pear juice and supplements.  Later over organic O’s, almonds, raisins, and Naked Juice Mighty Mango juice.  Finally, 88% organic dark chocolate and macadamia nuts.)

More about Ralph

Internationally recognized instructor, therapist, and author; 2008 Inductee – Massage Therapy Hall of Fame; all around nice guy, great dance partner and cool enough to hang out and drink scotch with Allissa. Ralph is known for sharing his 24 years of experience in an entertaining, inspiring style that makes advanced techniques fun to learn and easy to remember and apply. His goal is to help you help more people.

If you want to help more people, grow your practice, increase your income, improve patient loyalty, and move beyond the relaxation routine, medical massage training can be an excellent investment that can bring a huge return in your job satisfaction and your income. Check out his continuing education schedule here.

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{ 4 comments }

In which she makes the rules and breaks the rules.

by Allissa on August 9, 2010

in Stuff I like,The Business Side

Warning. This post has a bunch of links. Read once through. Then read again and click away. You’ll get more out of it that way.

Wow, Allissa, you got a lotta rules. -Words spoken by my step-daughter when she was about 12.

We walk out of massage school all shiny and fresh and full of enthusiasm.  We know that we are supposed to be polite and professional to clients and potential clients. We know we should charge clients when they fail to show up and cut their time when they show up late. We know we should always carry business cards, be prepared to promote ourselves and expound upon the benefits of massage to everyone we meet. We know better than to massage a client who clearly had a drink at lunch.  The list of what we know is long. (Of course, the list of what we don’t know is longer.)

These are more guidelines than actual rules. -A friend of mine says that all the time. Unfortunately he usually says it when I’m pointing out the speed limit or the proper way to fill out a deposit slip. He thinks he’s really funny.

The thing is, we get out of school and start practicing for real and it all changes. We adapt, and what we know adapts with us.  We may forgive the chronically late arrival, and even learn to compensate for it in our scheduling, because the client is otherwise fabulous.

We decide to not confront a client when we find ourselves in a grey area of suspected alcohol consumption.

I have business cards, but after reading this, I don’t stress when I run out. I just say “Google massage & Plainville, MA, my name’ll come up.” In fact, I say that when I hand people a card, too. Because the card will get lost. They’ll spell my name all wrong (thanks Mom & Dad), but if they remember massage & my town, or even a nearby town, they’ll find me.

Hold up, crazy girl. -The voice in my head.

Am I suggesting that we throw out intake forms and start dating clients? No. Calm down. High ethical standards are imperative. But sometimes rules are tools. And healthy boundaries are flexible and permeable.  And what we know changes. Daily.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record , the best way to make a go of this business is to be yourself.  The easiest way to cultivate a clientele of people you actually like is to be likeable and personal yourself.  Yes, I want to be a great (appropriate) version of myself for clients.  Clients don’t need to know that my dishes are stacked up or I hate my little brother’s girlfriend. (That was just an example. I only have an older brother and his wife is lovely. Also, she reads this blog.)  Has my wacky sense of humor or tendency to forget first names lost me a client or two? Maybe. I consider it culling the client herd.

The beauty of this field is the ability to make it your own. Make that relationship with your clients so profound and beautiful that they don’t want to go to someone else. They choose you. Even when the guy down the street has a 2 for 1 gift certificate sale. They choose you. Even when a franchise opens up next door. They choose you because they love the way you set up Christmas decorations in your home office. They choose you because you sent a condolence card and a gift certificate to pass along to their mom when their dad died. They choose you because they feel the love.

We create these relationships not because we will gain financially (we will) but because we have a gift to share (we do).  That gift is not just a skilled petrissage, it is also the human element. That’s what separates us from the practitioners in white coats.

Your Unique Selling Proposition is all about YOU. Just like mom said, “You are special!” (And if your mama didn’t say it, I’m saying it. Hear it.)

So exactly what am I supposed to do with this? -That’s you.

Well, that’s up to you. I channel my wacky side into fun emails my clients will actually open.  Check out Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day this year.

My friend Dale created a BEE-YOOO-TIFUL website that makes me want to move to the pacific northwest, damn the rain, just so I can be his client. I whole-heartedly forgive him for wearing jeans to work. I want to be his best friend, sister, and also I would like to steal most of the copy and all of the love and thought that went into that site. It moves me. But it cannot be stolen, because it is all him and can never be me.

AND- he set his rules. He makes it clear what his best work is and how it is best performed. Flexible timing, minimal talking, discounts for mamas and soon-to-be-mamas. He gives a snapshot of his personality that is immediately endearing (see above paragraph).  If you’re not into him, you probably won’t waste $90 to figure that out. You’ll know when you visit his site.

What are you going to do? Who are you? -Me. Out loud this time.

What do you have to show me that the $39 dude can’t?

Special offer for the next 24 hours. If you are having trouble with this ‘being yourself, finding your USP’ bit, email me (just click the little envelope on the top left side of your screen). I’ll throw you some questions and then some ideas. We’ll work on it together.

(Consumed while writing this post: 1 grilled pork chop, sweet potato French fries and fancy salad greens with balsamic dressing. I’m trying to be a big girl and cook more.)

Photo Credit: Gregory Szarkiewicz / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Framing your art

by Allissa on August 4, 2010

in The Business Side

“Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more.”  ~Edward H. Harriman

A few months ago, Seth Godin wrote the following post.

Hardly worth the effort

In most fields, there’s an awful lot of work put into the last ten percent of quality.

Getting your golf score from 77 to 70 is far more difficult than getting it from 120 to 113 or even from 84 to 77.

Answering the phone on the first ring costs twice as much as letting it go into the queue.

Making pastries the way they do at a fancy restaurant is a lot more work than making brownies at home.

Laying out the design of a page or a flyer so it looks like a pro did it takes about ten times as much work as merely using the template Microsoft builds in for free, and the message is almost the same…

Except it’s not. Of course not. The message is not the same.

The last ten percent is the signal we look for, the way we communicate care and expertise and professionalism. If all you’re doing is the standard amount, all you’re going to get is the standard compensation. The hard part is the last ten percent, sure, or even the last one percent, but it’s the hard part because everyone is busy doing the easy part already.

The secret is to seek out the work that most people believe isn’t worth the effort. That’s what you get paid for.

It got me thinking, what is the last 10% in the massage experience? Is it the warm pillow under the head and towel on the back? Is it the phone call the next day, to check on a new client?  It could be the thank you note with a personal message after a client’s first visit, or when a regular refers a friend to you.  In my office, I think it’s the genuine, “I’m so glad you’re here!” when a client walks in the door.

Whether or not you believe that we are in uncertain times, your business will be served by follow-thru, by the effort that makes a client feel your service and skill is remarkable. It’s the difference between a stroke that ends at the insertion of the deltoid and a full-on effleurage that curves around the shoulder and envelops the arm from fingertips to clavicle.

It’s the framing around a commissioned piece of art.

It’s the difference that makes a client return to you, instead of trying that $49 joint down the street.

(Consumed while eating this post: Falafel, w/ hummus and tahini and everything else yummy.)

Photo Credit: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Business Prevention

by Allissa on July 30, 2010

in The Business Side

-or- How to lose clients and guarantee failure.

Special Guest Post by Marilyn Holt.

In massage school, we had a course called Business Practices. We discussed companies who seem to do their best to not keep your business. Our teacher called this “Business Prevention.”

I recently decided to get a pedicure from a local establishment. I’d been wanting to do something special for myself as well as something a little different. I’ve only had one “professional” pedicure before, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. Since this place offered a number of different spa-related services, I was especially interested in seeing how others run a spa. I had no trouble booking an appointment within 2 days of my phone call. So far so good. Nice website, too, with lots of descriptions of services, but no practitioners’ faces or info. However, I will probably never return to this place for ANY kind of service.

Here is my own personal experience with Business Prevention, and how you can run a business which will guarantee a non-returning client.

For those of you who are not professionals in the business of serving, is this an experience you’ve ever encountered? For fellow LMT’s have you ever experienced this when you have paid for services somewhere, whether for massage or some other service?

HOW TO PREVENT CLIENTS / CUSTOMERS FROM RETURNING (Or how to make your client or customer feel invisible and inconsequential)

  • Hire someone to be at your “front desk” who isn’t interested in advocating for the client, but just gives the excuse that “we’re running a little behind today.” Just because there’s a nice pitcher of water with lemon and tea on the little table as you come in the door doesn’t mean she has to ask you if you’d like some. Make sure they’re really young and like to chew gum. Cheap summer labor is good for your pocketbook. If the practitioners are running late, don’t offer this information to the customer. Make them ask. Make them ask twice. Act annoyed when they keep asking, especially if they tell you that they’re there for the first time, and so far they aren’t impressed, and that they’ll leave if they aren’t seen soon. It doesn’t matter if they are not relaxed any more. That’s not your job. They’re here for a pedicure. They should understand.

If you’re the owner of this business

  • Allow walk-ins to take precedent over scheduled appointments. You need business wherever and whenever you can get it. Scheduled clients have to just deal with it. They should understand. This is a business. Tell that girl at your reception area to tell clients that your practitioner is running late because “there were a lot of walk-ins”. You’ve got a business to run. With so many walk-ins, you can consider yourself successful. If new people don’t return, so what? You’ve got the steady people who will just walk-in, and your business will thrive. New customers can be so hard to manage because they just don’t understand how it is at your place.

If you’re the practitioner

  • Be a half hour late for your client, and don’t offer any explanation or apology, especially if they’re new to your establishment or services. And don’t introduce yourself. Don’t shake their hand when you finally come out to the waiting area to get them. You’ll only need to ask them their name if you don’t recognize them. Instead, ask them if they want to buy an additional something extra for the session with very little explanation as to why they need it and why it wouldn’t be part of the service fee. (Being new to pedicures, I didn’t understand why I would want to buy a pedicure kit when I was paying a pretty steep price already to receive one. Don’t they have the tools? Now it makes sense, having talked to others about it, but I might have jumped on this if it had been presented to me in a clear and friendly way, and not as our first conversation.) New people can be sooooo tedious!
  • Don’t talk to them during the session. Don’t ask them anything about themselves, and don’t bother being interested in knowing why they came to you and how you can be of service to them. They’re just another source of income. Get it done, get them out, get the next one in.
  • Hustle them into the room fast. Stick their feet in lukewarm water. Wait 20 minutes into the hour-long session before asking if the temperature of the water is OK or if I like they like the jets on or not. Criticize them for not coming more often for pedicures. Now you’ve got some extra work to do because they haven’t had pedicures very much before this. It’s better if you don’t talk to them. Don’t offer an explanation for your 30 minute lateness. Can’t they see that you’re busy?
  • When we’re done, just move them on with all due speed. Admonish them one more time for not coming more often to get pedicures. That will encourage them to come back, but don’t invite them back. Don’t waste your time on small talk by wishing them a good day. You’ve got a walk-in waiting for you. Your bread and butter. Who needs new people? They’re such high maintenance!!

******************
As I was writing this I could feel the theme emerging: How awful it feels to be INVISIBLE. And it made me feel so grateful that I work with other massage therapists who, if I am one minute late, or my client comes a little early, that they greet my client first and make sure I know they’re there and waiting. They’re offered water, and given the first sign that it MATTERS that they’re there, whether they’re my colleagues’ client or mine. I’m happy to be in a practice that considers that NORMAL.

Perhaps I’m spoiled by that “make them matter” professionalism. If so, other businesses could sure learn how to conduct their practices with impeccable friendliness. Not over-the-top phony stuff, but the real deal: “We’re glad you’re here. We hope we can help you with whatever you came to us to help you with. And we certainly hope you’ll come back.” By the way, we don’t take walk-ins unless it just so happens that a practitioner is available. Our scheduled clients are sacred to us. And we will always keep it that way. And if we somehow convey something different, we want to know about that right away.

Let us know your experiences.

(Consumed while writing this post: Gevalia ice coffee, extra cream, no sugar.)

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Cash, brains and having a toolbox.

by Allissa on July 27, 2010

in Stuff I like,The Business Side

Salvatore Vuono, freedigitalphotos.net

Last Friday I sat at my desk and counted my money. Organized the cash and the checks and the credit card slips. It was a pretty big deposit and as I sorted I thought ‘this was a good 2 weeks.’

Except it was only 1 week. One really great week. One very busy week with little time to breathe and less time to clean my poor, messy little apartment. (Seriously. I moved in 3 weeks ago and still don’t have a bureau. The clothes are everywhere.)

Dumber people would’ve taken a chunk and blown it on a many-course meal and wine at a fancy restaurant or bought some new duds. Smarter people would have bought a damn bureau already. Fearful people would’ve tossed it right into a retirement plan or paid off this shiny new MacBook*.

But I wrote a few rent checks, paid a phone bill, then shelled out some coin for a Practice Abundance Course. (The course is now closed, but check out the other stuff here, there’s a free e-book and a great blog.)

Why would I spend money on a business building class when my business is clearly booming? Because I’m smart enough to know that things change fast. If you’ve been in practice any length of time, you’ve probably experienced slow times that can’t really be attributed to weather or economic crisis or school schedules. No matter how great your skills and marketing are, sometimes there’s a lull.  I’m also smart enough to know that I don’t know everything. So I’m confident I will learn enough to make it worth the money.

When that lull happens, I want to be ready. I want to have a full toolbox at hand. Moreover, I want to get better at the regular maintenance of my practice. That is, performing regular tasks in order to avoid or at least minimize the lulls. I’m not self-disciplined enough (yet) to market during the busy times as well as the slow times. I want to get better at that.

My question to you is this: What do you want to be ready for and what are you doing to meet that goal?

PS- Seth Godin has a great article about goal/limit setting here.

*I’m not dissing either of those options, it’s just plain smart to plan for your future and live debt-free. I just have a tendency to be fearful about how I spend money and have to temper that with good sense and a healthy dose of risk.

(Consumed while writing this post: rack ‘o ribs and bowl of watermelon. My keyboard is sticky.)

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Read this, be better.

by Allissa on July 23, 2010

in Stuff I like

-or- the reading that keeps me up at night

Kelli Wise has been giving away books all week and it got me thinking: What books do I use the most? Which have helped me grow as a practitioner and a businesswoman? So you’re getting a sneak peak into my bookcase. FYI-these are affiliate links. If that bugs you, go buy ‘em on your own and that’s just fine. ***Except I’m having trouble with the links so they may or may not work. I care more about getting you the info than about making 27 cents***  Either way, if you read any of these books, simply because I recommended it, send me a message telling me so, and if they were useful to you. (I like love more than $ anyhow.)

Learning to read

Love is the Killer App, Tim Sanders

This book covers everything from networking to compassionate leadership to the value of building happy relationships in the workplace. For me the greatest lesson was how to read, process, digest a book and then be able to quickly retrieve and use information when you need it. We’re not talking about historical dates or chemical formulas here. We’re talking Big Ideas, Do Great Things kind of ideas. Sanders teaches a method of note taking in the margins as well as the front and back covers of a book that makes citing and referring back easy. Sound boring? It’s not. I’ve got a lousy memory, but since I started using his methods, I remember bigger ideas from the books I read, I put theories together and see patterns.

Learning to listen

My Stroke of Insight, Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.

I happened upon this book a few weeks after taking on a stroke patient in a nursing home. I felt totally out of my league, uneducated and scared. This story is phenomenal. As a brain scientist, Dr. Bolte Taylor is able to describe how it felt to have a stroke and clearly define what she needed, (and how she wanted to be treated) in rehab. But this book is not just for stroke patients or their caregivers. She also describes the nirvana she experienced when she was able to quiet the left (logical, sequential) side of her brain and embrace the right (intuitive and kinesthetic) side of her brain, and how she is able to access that now, after recovery.

Learning to be me

StrengthsFinder 2.0, Tom Rath

Three things happened when I started using this book. Got friendly with my calculator and stopped feeling bad about  being slow at math. I put a name to the constant buzz, enthusiasm, carousel of ideas in my head. And I saw myself (a bit) more objectively and figured out who and what I needed to compliment my skills and my weaknesses*.  When you get this book it comes with an access code to take a ‘test’ online. It is a detailed assessment program to help you find your natural talents. The assessment will unearth your ‘Top 5 Talents,’ then the real fun begins. The book  has in-depth (but easily readable) descriptions of 34 themes/talents/strengths. It tells main characteristics, examples of such personality traits, ideas for how to channel those talents constructively. Example: one of my top themes is Activator. I get excited about new projects, want to start right away and learn by moving forward, plowing through.  This requires I keep myself in situations where I can be autonomous and have the power to make my own decisions quickly. (aka, having a supervisor slows me down.) This is great, but sometimes my tenacity is intimidating to others and I am misunderstood as volatile. Reading that changed me. It explained people’s reactions, and taught me how to temper that energy when needed. AND each theme gives tips on working with people who have that talent (perhaps one that I do not possess). Example: Harmony- people who look for peace and agreement as a way to move forward and be productive. I do not have this. I am annoyed by people who shut down exciting conversation and debate for the sake of diplomacy. But I’ve also taken the tips from this section about working with these talents, and it’s helped me a great deal when I’m trying to get a committee of 16 massage therapists to approve a budget or agree on a logo. Baby steps. We’re all in progress, here.

Learning to handle money

Self-Employed Tax Solutions, June Walker

I recommend this book to everyone in massage school and everyone else, too. I never loan my copy out for fear of losing it and the notes I’ve made but I’ve bought and given away at least 5 copies. I used it daily when I started my business and at least monthly now. It is THE resource for sole proprietors, independent contractors, freelancers and any other kind of self-employed  indie rock star. And if you don’t know what you are, buy the book. She’ll help you. She explains the rules of what you can deduct and what you cannot, she wades through the gray areas and, if you need it, shares her simple record keeping system, no computer required. Go to her website right now and sign up for her newsletter and read her archive content. Thank me later. (Oh, the 2nd edition has a different cover, be warned if you’re hunting in a store.)

Get moving, you’ve got lots to do!

*We all know by now that I need my Greg to do these things. But I’ll just repeating it anyhow to remind you that everyone needs a mentor, and you need to be a mentor. Hop on that.

(Consumed while writing this post: Kung Pao Chicken and a spring roll. For breakfast.)

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