Frustrated

[Pompal 09.]

It's either conspiracy theory or I am not quite good at MTherapy. Though I am pretty sure I AM good. As I like it a lot, I enjoy my profession greatly, I take CE classes, I read a lot on MT topics, etc.etc, people come back to me BUT! I do not succeed at working for MYSELF.
I worked at a spa (till it was closed unfortunately), and I had a good clientele there. I work now at chiropractor's office, and I just come there whenever they have people for massages. I am pretty busy there. I do not manage anything there.
Massages at home, massage therapy office - nothing works!
At a massage therapy office, where they encourage to bring your own clients, I've had a couple of them for the past year (they return from time to time for a massage) and that's it. TWO people. They like my massages a lot, they say that they'll recommend me to their friends, and that's it.
I worked at a hair salon as a contractor - not much luck there, too....
I hate to sound as a loser - maybe I am? - but nothing seems to work to accumulate a decent amount of clients. Mail-in cards, coupons, discounts, you name it!

Is there anybody else out there with the same problem?

 

[Christopher]

I can understand why you are frustrated. Building a business of your own is a hard thing to do. And it is difficult to know why some clients come back and others do not.
As for whether you are any good or not. Why not ask someone who receives lots of massage whether your massage is any good or not. Maybe ask a few massage therapists in your area or state if you can give them a massage. That way if they like it you can rest assured that your massage is fine and it's just your marketing skills that need to be brushed up on?
Ask your loyal clients for a testimonial.
Who knows maybe you will find someone great to refer clients to (different specialities)... or perhaps you could even set up some arrangement to trade with them.
There is a reason the eforum.xxxline under massageplanet.com says "Therapists, if it's been more than two weeks, it's time for your massage." If we go too long between treatments we increase our risk of "burn out."
Do you have a website?
Consider "give to get" (have chiro hand out free 30 min. massages and make them available for "upgrade" to 1 hr for a very reasonable additional fee). Try marketing strategies or other promotions which can help get more people on your table... referral rewards?
How long have you been a MT?
I know it took me a very very long time to feel like I was making any progress with my business. I live in a very touristy area and that takes it's toll on the local economy and my bottom line several times per year eventually you learn the slump times of your local market.
Sometimes you have to do your own "word of mouth" advertising... until the word catches on that you've helped someone with their pain. And then they'll run around telling everybody how great they feel since you worked on them.
Try to think of yourself as more of a "best kept secret in town!"

 

[Gopher]

Building a practice is hard work. I can only tell you I worked part time jobs along with building my own office over many many years. Lots and lots of work, and I still am at one part time job.

Most everything I have done over the years is just to keep the office afloat.

I'd work days at other places and nights at my own. You have to just plan for the worst and stick it out. If you keep bouncing around it makes it a lot harder to keep clients coming in... so you have to find a location and stay put if possible. Which sometimes means you go without to make it to where there is a place for others to come.

I don't know if this will help your particular situation, but if it helps, I have been in healthcare since '91/'92-ish. Opened my private practice in '96. I went into for the long haul with not much to get me going and a bucket load of bills.

There were days when I was first in practice I'd have 2 a week. And, I'd drive 45 mins, just to see those clients and make it work with their schedule, because I knew that is what would eventually build the practice. I couldn't say... "oh, it's sunny out and they can come back some other day and work better with my scheduled." If it meant I was put-out, then so be it. I'd run from one part-time job, over to my office to see someone during lunch, and back to the part time job again with a minute or so to spare sometimes. I stashed a lot of peanut butter crackers for those kinds of days.

Wishing you the best. You may just have to look at it from a different angle... it's not you... it's just hard.

 

[Jakey]

Building a practice really has nothing whatso ever to do with how 'good' you do massage. It is a matter of how good you are able to talk about yourself and promote yourself and find people who match your unique style.

I have had the worst massages in my life with people who are the most successful in the area.

It also has to do with your beliefs about your self and self worth.

It has to do with how you take care of yourself in every way -physically, mentally emotionally and financially. It has to do with setting proper boundaries that support your business. It has to do with seeking out and asking for help in areas that you are weak in -like marketing, building websites. It has to do with getting the support you need to heal those parts of you that are afraid to market yourself and do the things you need to do to be successful.

It has to do with how much you charge and learning to set fees that support you and learning to earn your worth....

there is much more to it than having good hands or knowing anything about massage for that matter.

Julie

 

[qdb]

Building a practice is one of the hardest things you will ever choose to do. Period. This current economy, no matter the locale, makes it even more difficult because folks are in a panic about what's happening nationally with financial institutions, etc.

Take a deep breath and realize that you are going through the growing pains that we have all gone through in the first throes of our careers. It will change with time, honest, it will.

Good luck..

 

[theoneandonlycharlotte]

It is a matter of how good you are able to talk about yourself and promote yourself and find people who match your unique style.

:iagree: absolutely!

I was at a marketing class the other day and one of the speakers said, "If you aren't making money, when was the last time you picked up a phone?"

As when job hunting, you can't just put in one application and expect to get that job, or referrals for another job, or a different job altogether. It takes 10 no's to finally get a YES! So, each time you make the effort and hear "no", congratulate yourself because you are one step closer to getting that yes.

Massage is hands-on (duh), and you can't attract clients with a postcard. Don't give away massage, but you can offer a free demonstration with a pre-paid appointment. Get out and meet people, and when you introduce yourself say, "I'm YoYo and I'm a massage therapist" or, "I'm YoYo from [name Massage Therapy office]" it takes practice, but it gets interest and clients. Ask what they do, get a business card, and call them.

Make friends with local business owners, like a coffee shop, bookstore or somewhere else you can set up in the corner and do what you love to do.

As long as you're thinking, "It can't be done" ~ it won't be done. You aren't what you think you are, but what you think, you are. I learned that from a ex-convict. His advice in life: 1) Be nice. 2) Find someone in the same or worse situation than you & help them out. While helping them, you will find the answer to helping yourself.

In looking for places to meet people, check your local community college to see if they have a small business center. Ours offers tons of weekly FREE classes with scads of wonderful information ~ and you can get CEU's with it. Ok, oOk, it's only a .3 CEU, but the information is worth a lot more, and you get to meet people.