How do you build a massage clientelle?

Question

I recently got certified and I am looking for ideas to get my name out there. Thanks.

Answer 1

I used to be a licensed massage therapist. I worked for a Chiropractor for a while and also had my own business in a beauty salon.

If you are not fortunate enough to be exposed to these opportunities, you can take out small advertisements in your local newspaper. Make sure you say how much you charge per hour and what type of massage it is that you do.

I offered gift certificates during the holidays, and that was an hour massage for twenty five dollars at the time. Of course prices have gone up.

You should network with other therapists, and advertise in beauty salons, the yellow pages, and let local Chiropractors and other therapists know that you are open for business.

You could also offer chair massages as a start and let people know that you do full body massages.

Sometimes local sports teams also are looking for a team therapist. Keep your eyes and ears open !

Answer 2

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

A few free resources – check out the sources box for links:

1) Create a blog pertaining to your field

2) Use Yahoo! Local & Yahoo! Groups – Be sure to read the TOS for each one!

3) Write articles pertaining to your field and/or expertise.

4) Advertise on Craiglist

Also, consider signing up for an affiliate program. These programs enable you to advertise on other's sites (your affiliates) and once a sale is made to you, your affiliates & the program are paid a commission.

I listed a few handy sites & articles relating to marketing, promotion & advertising. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* 301 Do-It-Yourself Marketing Ideas: From America's Most Innovative Small Companies by Sam Decker
* Off The Wall Marketing Ideas: Jumpstart Your Sales without Busting Your Budget by Nancy Michaels, Debbi J. Karpowicz
* Success Beyond Work: What Prosperous Massage Therapists Know--Minimum Work, Maximum Profits, and a Sellable Business by Colleen Holloway
* Marketing Massage: How to Build Your Dream Practice by Monica Roseberry

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 3

I was a professional massage therapist for 15 years. I think the best thing to do is to start off by working for an elegant salon where the clientele has the bucks to make massage a regular part of thier routine, Slowly you will build your own clientele.

If you are in a city like NY or LA where there are a lot of celebrities, the best palce to work is where they go for their beauty treatments. Having a famous clientele puts you on the map. What city do you live in? email me through yahoo.

Answer 4

You wouldn't happen to live in the Atlanta area would you?

I know a few places that are hiring!

Other than that, the best thing that has worked for me is NETWORKING. I couldn't have gotten the kind of clientele I did without having other great professionals referring to me.

You need to network with several different types of people too. A couple of chiropractors, personal trainers, nutritionists, acupuncturists and even other massage therapists.

Be careful about placing ads. I always got a lot of wierdo calls, and even a few i didn't realize were wierd until they were on my table (don't be afraid to end a session and charge full price if someone acts inappropriately) This is why it's good to work for an established, reputable clinic, salon, or gym until you can build up your referring network. Let someone else do the screening for you.

Best of luck, it's an amazing, fully rewarding career!

Answer 5

. If you have a chair, you can put up flyers at some of these same places offering to bring massage into the office. Offering some enticing discounts (reduced price or free massage for a referral) will usually snag you a few more people, as do gift certificates. And, if there is a local massage group or alternative medical community that you can tap into, do it! You will be networking with people of like minds. Massage therapists won't necessarily refer people to you, but doctors, chiropractors, and other healers certainly will.

Answer 6

When I lived in Boston, I worked at a large nightclub. Every Sunday was Gay night and they packed in about 1000 people. Mostly guys. A newly certified massage tech from a local school asked if he could set up a table and charge like 10 bucks for 10 minutes or something. He gave out a bunch of free massages to the staff to get the ball rolling and before we knew it, it was a weekly thing. He got more than a few clients from this and I am sure if you took a similar approach you could too. Maybe a gay club is not the best place to start but think concerts, or festivals or town fairs, anywhere you can pass out your business card. If you need cards printed, go to vistaprint.com for the best deal on business cards and other promotional marketing tools. trust me my wife works there, and it is cheap. You can upload custom artwork for free and on the back of the card you can write in appointment times, etc. look into it, it helped my business.

Answer 7

My sister spent months building up her business and the way it seemed to work the best was through word of mouth. Some small amount of advertsiing may be a good start like in a local paper, but try and use friends and family to get ther word out there. This may mean giving a few free massages as well!!

Answer 8

First, congrats on getting your certification.

Your best means of getting your name out there is through the people you touch. If you provide them with healing, wonderful massage, they will talk. How to get those people in to start with? First, get some of your friends to come in. Make sure you put your business cards at establishments where someone who's spending money will pick them up (restaurants, coffee shops). If you have a chair, you can put up flyers at some of these same places offering to bring massage into the office. Offering some enticing discounts (reduced price or free massage for a referral) will usually snag you a few more people, as do gift certificates. And, if there is a local massage group or alternative medical community that you can tap into, do it! You will be networking with people of like minds. Massage therapists won't necessarily refer people to you, but doctors, chiropractors, and other healers certainly will.

If you're not a member of one of the major organizations (AMBP or AMTA), join!! They'll send you some helpful guides on how to build your business.

Best of luck along your path!

Answer 9

you do.

I offered gift certificates during the holidays, and that was an hour massage for twenty five dollars at the time. Of course prices have gone up.

You should network with other therapists, and advertise in beauty salons, the yellow pages, and let local Chiropractors and other therapists know that you are open for business.

You could also offer chair massages as a start and let people know that you do full body massages.

Sometimes local sports teams also are loo

Answer 10

effectively in an hour.

After getting associated with a gym. I went and offered a free massage to each of the personal trainers at the gym. After those initial massages the referals kept coming. If a trainer gave me many referals I would often reward them with a free massage (say for every 5 new clients).

If there was a gym memeber that was a competition winning bodybuilder...(Mr. New Jersey) ..I would give them a free massage. It would only be for a half hour. The others often think what the winning guy does is gospel. I also would give chair massages at the local and state-wide bodybuilding comp. Before I knew it I was requested by people in the bodybuilding community who didnt even belong to the gyms I worked with. They know I understand what they want to achieve & they knew