Massage clients are looking for a chance to relax and recuperate. As such, it’s vital to create a massage room that is calm and relaxing. The goal is to make clients feel at ease and to reaffirm that they are entering a safe space where they can leave all their worries behind.

Creating a relaxing atmosphere will require a room design that appeals to all the senses. From pleasant lighting to music and smells, not only will these things make your client more relaxed but it will help you as a massage therapist, too!

By designing a tranquil massage space, you can help your clients to reap the full therapeutic benefits of their massage session.

How to create a tranquil room

Space

The layout of your massage room is the basis of creating an inviting environment that clients can immediately feel relaxed within. Some tips on creating a positive flow of the room include:

• Strategically placed mirrors, fans and fountains to create movement
• Soft angles and edges with nothing sharp or pointed
• High, lofty ceilings
• Soft, muted colours including wall paint and furnishings
• Positioning the massage table so that the feet and head are not directly facing the door

Any awkwardly placed furniture or disharmony in the flow of the room (such as clashing colours, prints and decorations) can promote stuck or unsettling energy and make it harder for clients to relax.

Music

Music can add to the ambience of your massage room, soothing your client and promoting deeper relaxation.

When it comes to the best music for massage sessions, make sure that you select playlists that are designed for massage. This can include relaxing spa music, soft instrumental music, meditation music or nature sounds including running water, ocean waves and bird song.

In order to fill your room with even sound, choose nicely-designed speakers with high sound quality to help set the mood.

Temperature

Temperature plays a crucial role to the comfort of your client. Studies have shown that colder temperatures in an office can cause distraction among employees. On top of that, cold ambient air results in the tightening of muscles – which is exactly opposite to what you want to achieve as a massage therapist.

In order to make your space more relaxing and soothing for the client, ensure your massage room is set to a warmer temperature. Always check with your client if they’re happy with the temperature setting and adjust as needed.

Interior/Colour

Colour, style and decoration choice heavily influences the ‘feel’ of a room. Too much clutter and colour can have your client feeling overwhelmed and unable to relax.

Your massage room needs to feel like a tranquil escape. A retreat where your client can fully let go and melt into the moment. So when considering the interior of your massage room, always stick to soft, neutral colours and keep the space roomy and airy with minimalistic furnishings, indoor plants and decorations.

Some of the best colours to choose for your massage room include earth tones, blues and greens.

Lighting

Have you ever walked into a room filled with harsh artificial lighting? Even natural light – if unfiltered – can be too harsh when it comes to the purpose of inducing relaxation.

Choosing the right lighting for your massage room will make all the difference in the atmosphere of your space and the comfort of your client.

Adding ambient lighting such as lamps or dimmable lights will provide a warm, comforting setting.

Benefits of creating one

The atmosphere of your massage room plays an important role in ensuring clients arrive and leave feeling relaxed.

When you step into a massage room, you should literally feel your stress and tensions fading away. Using a combination of the above decorative tips will help to create a tranquil massage room and provide relief for clients.

The major benefit of creating a massage room designed for peace and relaxation is that it allows your client to fully enjoy their treatment. Whether they are suffering from chronic pain or stress, or simply needing an escape from a hectic work schedule, providing adequate treatment is helped when the client is feeling safe and at ease. Their muscles will soften and relax, their mind will unwind and you will be better able to perform your treatment.

Relaxation helps your clients get the most out of their massage

Your clients come to you to seek relief and relaxation. When you design a tranquil massage room, you are adding to their therapeutic experience and respecting your client’s need for comfort.

When you’re designing your massage room, take into account all the senses – sight, sound, touch, smell. Incorporating elements of Feng Shui will help to create the most relaxing atmosphere.

Dreaming of having your own massage therapy business? Discover Massage Australia has a wide range of courses to help get you started.

The post How to Create a Relaxing Environment for Your Massage Room appeared first on Discover Massage Australia.

Just like any other job, you’ll need a resume for a job in massage therapy. This will detail your past education and relative courses in massage, as well as any related skill sets and work experience.

Having a well-crafted resume will open up your job opportunities and help you land your dream massage therapy role!

If you’re ready to apply for a job in massage, then try these tips to help you perfect your massage therapist resume!

Your duties and responsibilities

It’s important to understand what you will be doing and what you’ll be responsible for in your new job so that you can tailor your resume accordingly.

Massage therapy is an important field in healthcare, and while it has a more accessible barrier for entry compared to other jobs within the industry, you still need to be able to perform specialised duties and responsibilities.

When drafting your resume, consider including these common duties and responsibilities in a massage therapy role:

• Collaborating with clients and creating customised treatment plans
• Coaching clients on specific exercises, stretches and relaxation techniques
• Maintaining treatment records
• Recognising health issues that need a referral to another healthcare provider
• Documenting all treatments
• Exercising care when dealing with patients with injuries
• Maintaining confidentiality and sensitivity regarding a client’s medical history
• Knowing which parts of the muscles to target
• Maintaining massage room cleanliness and following proper hygiene

As a massage therapist, you need to highlight your ability to choose the right massage modality for each client and to clearly communicate to your client the treatment they need and why.

What education or training do you need to include?

There are many different types of massage to be qualified in, but generally, you will need to be trained in a number of massage modalities. In fact, the more types of massage you can perform, the more likely you’ll receive better job opportunities.

To demonstrate your ability to perform massage, you should include your past education and training on your resume.

Having industry-recognised massage courses and provider training listed on your resume will show potential employers that you have the relevant experience to work as a massage therapist.

For example, if you’ve completed a massage course with Discover Massage Australia, you should include your relevant training by including this on your resume. Some examples of relevant education and training include the Certificate IV in Massage Therapy Practice. With this qualification, your education and training will allow you to work with health or aged care services, as well as in a wider range of beauty or spa facilities and professional sporting clubs.

In addition, with the Certificate in Whole Body Massage, afully industry-based approved massage course, your training in a comprehensive massage system including full relaxation body massage can gain you employment in health care clinics, massage clinics, day spas, multidisciplinary health and wellness facilities, aged care facilities, sports clubs and resorts.

What skills should you include?

Massage therapy is a unique role that requires a combination of soft skills and physical skills.

Some massage therapy skills that employers look favourably on, include:

• Customer service: the ability to interact with and build rapport with clients, as well as demonstrating a high degree of empathy and professionalism.
• High attention to detail: Being careful about detail when performing tasks or maintaining massage rooms.
• Organisation skills and the ability to maintain a clean and usable workspace
• Time management: Always being prompt for client appointments and returning calls/emails. Ability to map out your day in a realistic and achievable timeline and stick to it.
• Physiology: An understanding of the function of organs and tissues inside the body and how related diseases or injuries can affect parts of the body.
• Kinesiology: A knowledge of how parts of the body move and interact and being able to advise clients on how to properly stretch or adjust their form to improve injuries or pain.
• Physical stamina: The ability to work long hours on your feet and perform hours of massage without fatigue.

You can also translate experience into skills to make you a desirable massage therapy candidate. For example, if your past work experience was in an unrelated field, you may still include important skills such as working as an intern at a massage clinic, customer relationship skills that you developed in a retail role, or inventory management skills gained in a warehouse or supermarket role.

Gain a massage therapy job with confidence!

A massage therapist’s resume is often brief; highlighting relevant skills and courses in massage therapy. When writing your resume, be sure to reference any relevant training or education as well as transferable skills that you can apply in your new role.

Discover Massage Australia is here to help you on your journey to becoming a successful massage therapist. To build your resume and experience, check out our full range of massage courses on offer to keep your career moving in the right direction.

The post What Should Be On Your Resume For A Massage Therapist Job? appeared first on Discover Massage Australia.

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1. What massage techniques are you most skilled in?

Massage clinics, spas, and other employers will offer a range of different massage services to fulfil client requirements. Explain the types of massage techniques you’re proficient in. Keep in mind different employers will have stronger demand for given techniques. For example, a clinic with a strong rehabilitation focus might value deep tissue massage competencies. Retreats and spas might be seeking employees with hot stone and other relaxation-focused techniques.

2. How do you decide which massage technique to use?

To put it another way, “Can you give an example of how the right technique gave a client relief from the symptoms?”

Employers love to find out how you’ll make decisions in practical situations. They have more confidence in evaluating you as a prospective employee when they have real-life examples from you. Make sure you have a few examples of your best client success stories prepared. Be ready to explain how you achieved the outcome with a level of detail. When preparing your answer, consider what you did best in the scenario, who you worked on, and how it helped the client so you can highlight your competencies.

3. What is your working availability?

Massage therapy tends to be more in demand after standard work hours, in the evenings, and during the weekends. With the exception of employers like hospitals and medical clinics, you might be working mostly during the afternoons, evenings, and weekends.

Check the employer’s website to get an idea of their opening hours, and ensure your answer matches their likely expectations in this regard. Demonstrate a willingness to be flexible where possible.

4. Are you good with people? Can you give me an example that demonstrates this?

Massage clinics seek employees with soft skills like communication and an ability to build client rapport as well as core skills like massage techniques. Successful communication is essential because you need to obtain and share information to perform the best you can for the client. Prepare at least one example on how you’ve navigated client communications and explain the best outcome you’ve achieved in given scenarios.

5. How would you handle an inappropriate client?

With this question, the employer wants to know you can follow the business’s rules and apply sound judgment. They want to avoid risky employees who could cause reputational damage or other types of liabilities. As such, a good way to answer this question is to let the interviewer know you’ll use your best judgement and follow any of the clinic’s standard guidelines with clients who behave inappropriately or make inappropriate suggestions.

6. Questions you should ask the interviewer

Asking questions of the interviewer is vital for confirming they’re the right employer for you. The last thing you want is to accept a job where the expectations don’t match your own. Ask the interviewer how many clients you’ll be expected to see in a day. For example, six clients a day might be great for you, or you might be looking for a less demanding schedule than five clients who all want deep tissue massages.

Ask the interviewer how much time is allotted for each client. A standard approach is to allocate five minutes for client intake and 50 minutes on the table, and then another five minutes for the client exit. You’ll want to verify you’ll have enough time to provide clients with a quality service.

In addition, find out what the employer’s policy on massage therapists and clients who come in when they are sick. Ideally, the employer will be reluctant to proceed with the appointment. Spending time in an enclosed room and physical contact with someone who is sick is the quickest way to pass on anything contagious.

The Importance of Being Prepared

Understanding where the employer is coming from with a question is key to effective interview preparation. Employers want to know your massage techniques match the skills they’re looking for. They also want reassurance you can work during the required hours. You should also be prepared to talk about your soft skills, especially client communication and management of inappropriate clients. Finally, always prepare a few questions to ask the employer to show your interest. Your questions also help to clarify your own understanding of their expectations and ensure it’s the right job for you.

Discover Massage Australia has been teaching students to become thorough, confident massage therapists since 1997. With us, you’ll learn the skills you need to build your career in a fun and friendly environment. With the right massage therapy qualification, you can enhance your chances of success in any interview. Our team is here to help you prepare for your next job interview with guidance on the right massage therapy course for you. Check out our full list of massage courses to help get the skills you need today.

The post How To Answer The Top Massage Therapist Job Interview Questions appeared first on Discover Massage Australia.

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Small businesses, including the self-employed, are crucial to Australia’s economy. As of 2019, companies with fewer than 20 workers accounted for about 2.3 million small businesses that employ about 4.9 million people.

Why self-employment is ideal for massage therapists

Starting a massage therapy business gives you far more flexibility than working for another company. It also allows you to choose your clients and develop specialties as you see fit.

Starting a business is time-consuming, and without business experience and commitment, you may struggle. Before you embark on this new path, ask yourself these questions, and if the answers are no, self-employment might not be the best option for you — at this time.

• Do you have a business plan?
• Do you need funding?
• Are you able to put in long hours if necessary?
• Do you have the equipment and supplies you will need?
• Do you already have the skills you need?
• Do you have the required certifications and licenses?
• Do you have support, such as a mentor or business community, to help you or answer questions?

Don’t rush into your self-employment

With proper training, massage therapists provide comfort and peace of mind, which is another reason self-employment is a good choice for people in this career path. When one works in the corporate world, there is a lot of pressure to perform faster and more efficiently — it’s often life on a cost-cutting treadmill. When you work for yourself, you can set the pace that ensures serenity for both you and your clients.

Your happiness and well-being make you a better caregiver. Your clients feel it as you minister to their needs and address their pain. If you feel tense, this will be transmitted to your client, impairing the benefit they receive from the session. Removing tension from your life and taking control of your future can make you more content and enable you to provide better care.

The challenges of being self-employed

Many people choose self-employment without being prepared or understanding what is truly needed to be successful. Small businesses tend to be at higher risk of going out of business because they often do not have enough resources or money to see them through the lean times. When you’re the employee and the boss, this can mean you’re out of money and maybe even out of a job.

As a self-employed massage therapist, you go from having one boss to have lots of bosses — each of your clients becomes your employer. So, while you may not have a shift manager standing at the time clock tapping her toe, you will have clients that depend upon you to be prompt. Though self-employment provides you the flexibility to schedule sessions as you wish, you must have excellent time-management skills to ensure you stay on schedule, show up where you’re needed, and dedicate the time solely to each client’s needs during their session.

Should you work as an employee first?

One way to set the stage for a successful journey into self-employment is to start your career by working for someone else. Employment with other providers will give you exposure to running a massage business — both the good and the bad — and help you craft a business plan aligned with your personal goals.

A primary consideration for you should be the limited hours and skills a single person can bring to the table. If you’re working alone, the onus will be on you to meet all of your clients’ needs. If you’re working for someone else to learn the ropes, enrol in continuing education courses to improve your current skills and add new specialties.

Brushing up on your soft skills is crucial as a self-employed person. They include people skills, communication skills, listening skills, time management, and empathy. They have a direct impact on the way you work. Soft skills are transferable, so what you learn while working elsewhere will be valuable when you strike out on your own.

Do what’s best for you

There are few things as rewarding in a career as starting and succeeding in your own self-employment. Massage therapists are particularly suited for self-employment status because the flexibility means they can treat clients in the setting of their choice, schedule appointments around other commitments, and build up the business only to the size they can accommodate thoroughly and professionally.

Not everyone is cut out to be a business owner, but if you think entrepreneurism is right for you, brush up on your people skills and massage skills and put yourself out there. Good luck!

The post How to Successfully Manage Self-Employment as a Massage Therapist appeared first on Discover Massage Australia.

Are you ready for more clients?

When you first became certified as a massage therapist, you probably dreamt of flexible hours, good pay, lovely clients, and plenty of time off to pursue other interests. A few clients a week may have been ideal because it gave you plenty of time to gain experience in your new trade.

As you gained experience, you became confident and ready to take on more clients. You developed time management skills and can now service multiple clients a day. Perhaps your situation has changed, and you need to earn more money.

Whatever the impetus, you’re now ready for more clients but aren’t sure how to expand your business to meet your needs. In this article, we’ll give you several ideas to promote business growth and take you to the next level in your massage therapy career.

How to attract clients

Of course, marketing is a proven way to attract more clients, and we’ll get to that in a moment, but what else can you do to attract new business? One of the best ways to generate further interest is to upskill through continuing education. The more specialty services you can offer clients, the broader the audience to which you will appeal.

You can also gain higher expertise in massage therapy services you already offer. For example, if you have a deep tissue certificate, you can pursue advanced courses. With each advancement, you broaden your audience a bit more.

As you market your business, you need to have a great story to tell. Talking about advanced certifications helps you stand out as you develop a marketing plan.

Ways to grow your business

Once you have a good story — and are working on a great story — what can you do to make sure people seeking massage therapy solutions know about you? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of things you can do to market yourself and your business.

Here are four ideas to get you started, but you are limited only by your creativity with marketing.

1. Create a website and blog

Having a website is the most-important component of your marketing efforts. It is real estate you own, where you can tell the story in the way you prefer. If you want people to know you are a massage therapist and a promoter of healthy lifestyles, you can create pages to focus on this.

If another business writes about you, such as Yelp or other directories, they may have their idea about your business and may tell a different story. Most people will confirm by looking for your website to see what you have to say but not always.

Your website also allows you to provide online bookings, reference material, education highlights, and more. This type of information helps people with the decision-making process.

If you are a natural storyteller, consider having a blog on your website so you can share personal experiences with clients. These stories help people connect with you and feel more confident about your skills.

2. Set your business up for online maps

Everyone searches for businesses online in their own way, but the fastest method for an in-person service like massage is registering yourself on the various online maps platforms. Search your business on Google My Business, Apple Maps and Bing Places are essential ways for you to ensure the information these platforms show is accurate and up-to-date, as well as attract new business. It can be time-consuming to set up, but it is well worth the effort. You can even upload photos or make daily posts like you would with other social media accounts. One limitation is that you must have a physical location for the business.

3. Promote yourself locally (and beyond)

Taking a step offline, it’s important that you remain front-of-mind with anyone in your local area looking for your services. If you have a budget for advertising (a good sign that you’re ready for growth), you can promote yourself through posters, local advertisements, direct mail marketing promotions and more. The most important thing is to weigh up how far someone would be willing your travel for your services, with a good rule of thumb being around 20 minutes for a local service, and focus on those areas. For the online side of things, if you’re already involved, you can also do this on local social media groups to help you find new clients by sharing content about the benefits of massage therapy.

4. Sponsor your services at events

Another way to get people talking about your expertise is sponsoring at local sporting events or other community events. If you have it on hand, you can develop some assets for signs and posters to be presented at the event, with your logo, website, or phone number prominently displayed. What’s more, if you’re also available to volunteer at an event, check with the event managers if they’re happy for you to wear clothing branded with your logo.

How to inspire loyalty with current clients

While you’re working on expanding your client base, don’t forget your current clients. It costs less to keep a client than to find a new one. Encourage your clients to book more sessions by mentioning new skills and qualifications you’ve added to your repertoire. You could even encourage multiple bookings and prepayment by offering ten-pack sessions at the price of nine, for example.

Conclusion

Massage therapists are in high demand, so there are unlimited opportunities for you to grow your business, expand your skills, and make more money. Unlike baseball fields, it’s not a matter of building it, and they will come. With your massage therapy business, you need to tell people who you are, where you are, and make it clear that your skills make you stand out from the competition.

The post How to Grow Your Massage Business appeared first on Discover Massage Australia.

Many people today are seeking new careers, and it’s a great time to do so. Never before have there been so many options for learning at home. College courses, certifications, continuing education, and recreational learning have all grown to meet the ever-increasing demand of people who are at home caring for children, working remotely, or just beginning their career.

Today, people are getting jobs in specialities you might not have believed they could learn from home. You could become a massage therapist or even earn a certificate as a mechanic for big rigs using a computer anywhere there is an internet connection.

Organising your environment for learning at home 

Unlike learning in an education setting, many people do not have a dedicated area of their home in which they can learn without interruption. Without a quiet, stress-free place, you may not enjoy the experience as much as you could.

Taking an online course in pursuit of a new career is an exciting time—you are about to learn something that can change your financial picture for the rest of your life. To make sure you get off to a great start, create an exceptional learning space.

Optimise your work area

Find a space and tailor it to fit your learning style. You don’t need a proper desk; some people are comfortable sitting up in bed or on a couch with a laptop; others prefer a porch swing. It doesn’t matter where the space is, as long as you are comfortable there, and it enhances your learning.

It’s okay to be casual, but remember that if you’re taking a live course, others can see you. Put your best foot forward by dressing and acting as though you’ve come to learn. Don’t let others set up your learning area; you need to choose what is most comfortable and conducive to your learning. Just be sure you have a quiet, bright place.

Create a schedule you can keep

Most of us fare better with a bit of structure. Knowing what needs to be done and when helps us to organize our day and stay on track. Some online courses offer live broadcasts, so the schedule is predetermined. If you are using recorded sessions, set aside the same block of time each day.

Minimize distractions

Ensure the learning area is free from distractions such as televisions or other things that might vie for attention during the course. Settle the kids or get them out of the house, quiet the pets, and draw the window shades. Don’t just clear your immediate area, consider the entire surrounding environment and eliminate anything that might interfere with your concentration.

Take occasional breaks

Give your body a break now and then. Sitting in one position for long periods can cramp muscles and watching the computer can cause eye strain. Get up and walk around, make a cup of tea, or take the dog for a brisk walk to loosen up.

Don’t sit at your computer to stretch, leave the room so your eyes have a chance to switch between up-close reading and looking into the distance. This type of activity can help relieve aching eyes and stave off headaches.

Give your tech a quick test

One of the most frustrating experiences with at-home learning is having tech difficulties. Set up and test systems before the course begins to minimize the possibilities of problems.

If attending a live course, download any software needed several days before the class. Install the software and perform a test call to be sure your internet connection is fast enough, there are no issues with the microphone or speakers, and your computer can run the software.

Use online resources

As you embark on this new adventure, keep in mind that you are not alone. Millions of people across the globe are e-learning too, and many of them have shared their experiences online as personal blogs. These stories can help you feel connected to other students sharing your experience much like when you share a classroom.

You can find resources for everything from setting up your computer to the best way to take notes. Make the most of your worldwide classroom and use the web to find resources that will maximize your learning.

The Whole Body Course from Discover Massage Australia

Online learning is a great way to launch a new career. Our online Whole Body Course was created especially for at-home learners. It is hands-on, practical, and comprehensive, with exclusive one-to-one video coaching sessions with the course director, allowing you to come away with all the skills and knowledge you need to start a new career as a massage therapist with confidence.

What’s more, students will also receive direct, to help you keep improving your massage skills.

You will never regret your investment in lifelong learning. With in-home training courses, you can deepen your knowledge, sharpen your skills, and create new opportunities for yourself and your family.

You can learn how to become a Massage Therapist from your home with Discover Massage Australia’s Whole Body Massage Online Course.

The post How to Make the Most of Your In-Home Learning Experience appeared first on Discover Massage Australia.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits that come with completing an accredited online massage course.

Learning at your own pace

As humans, we all learn at different paces – and that’s totally okay! When you complete an online massage course, you’ll be able to learn at your own unique pace, taking the time to go back over any modules and videos that you feel you may need to brush up on. Not only will this result in you achieving deeper learning and memorisation, but it will also take away the stress of constantly feeling like you need to struggle to ‘keep up’ – you’ll be able to take your time and learn your own way!

Discover Massage’s Whole Body Massage Online Course consists of 15 video training modules with a multiple choice quiz for each video module, as well as a student log book to document your hours and client signatures. Learning online in this way means you’ll be able to revise any video modules you felt didn’t ‘sink in’, or where you’d like to perfect your technique even more.

Flexibility with your time

Studying an industry based nationally recognised certificate online massage course gives you the valuable opportunity to learn at times that truly suit you. Whether you’re working around other jobs, university, or family commitments, you’ll be able to focus better and commit yourself more thoroughly to your online massage course when you’re studying at times that suit you.

Work from wherever you want

In an even further offer of flexibility, studying massage online means you can work from any location you please! Whether you have a home office set up at home, you want to study during your lunch break, or you want to study on-the-go during your commute – online massage courses give you the opportunity to learn and absorb your new knowledge wherever you like.

Cost-effectiveness

Online accredited massage courses are cost-effective as you won’t spend money on commuting to a location or having to take time off work (whether it’s annual leave or unpaid leave). When you enrol in Discover Massage’s Whole Body Massage Online Course, you’ll receive a one-time $29 discount on either our Premium Massage Table or a complete Starter Pack with everything you’ll need to practice your newfound skills. Just use code FC8YKP6C to claim your discount!

More one-on-one time with your instructor

Rather than learning face-to-face in a group scenario, studying an an industry based nationally recognised certificate online massage course will actually give you more one-on-one time with your instructor, as you’ll be received live feedback and coaching, as well as online support. The Discover Massage Whole Body Massage Online Course includes unlimited Zoom or Facetime video face-to-face coaching with our Course Director, as well as excellent continuous coaching with our friendly and knowledgeable staff. You’ll be able to receive the answers to any questions you might have quickly and easily. At the end of the course, you will organise your final facetime coaching call so the course director can improve your massage skills.

No ‘information overload’

With face-to-face massage courses, because the amount of time you can physically spend in class is limited, students can be subject to ‘information overload’. Large chunks of information are distributed in short sessions and students are expected to memorise them for future recall – unfortunately, it’s hard for the human brain to work this way! With an accredited online massage course, you’ll be able to ‘chunk’ your studies to ensure you’re digesting content in a way that’s appropriate and helpful for you.

Become fully accredited with the IICT or MAA

When you complete Discover Massage’s Whole Body Massage Online Course, you leave as a fully accredited massage therapist, ready to start providing life-changing massages to family, friends and clients. The course is fully recognised with both the peak industry association Massage Association of Australia (MAA) and the peak industry body, International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT).

The post Advantages of Industry Based Nationally Recognised Online Massage Courses appeared first on Discover Massage Australia.

Ways to get referrals as a massage therapist

1. Word of mouth

Effective word-of-mouth marketing can be one of your greatest tools to get more clients to your massage clinic. In order to do this, you have to maintain a good client-relationship with your existing customers.

To ensure that you’re meeting the needs of your clients, asking for feedback is crucial. You can easily ask for feedback from existing clients by providing feedback forms at your clinic or website, or by offering surveys on your social media pages. These client testimonials will prove invaluable for attracting new customers.

Your existing satisfied customers are your best source of advertising, since it’s highly likely they will refer their friend or family member to you if they’re impressed with your service. To make sure you’re doing everything you can to make your clients happy, pay attention to their feedback and let your clients know that you value them. People like to feel appreciated, so giving thanks or special treatment to them is important, not only for the comfort of the client, but for attracting more clients, too.

2. Email marketing

As a massage therapist, you should be utilising email marketing to keep your customers up-to-date with current happenings at the clinic, any running promotions, or relevant blog posts and industry articles. Email marketing is important because it’s a way to foster a community with your loyal clientele and also serves as a way to generate more leads.

Email marketing works by collecting the email addresses of your past and present clients, allowing you to keep them up to date with your services and act as an authority in your field. A weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly newsletter sent to your clients’ emails is an effective way to keep your clinic on the top of their minds, building awareness of your services and increasing the frequency of visits and referrals.

There are many affordable email marketing platforms available online. A lot of them are even free.To make your email marketing work for you, remember to make it unique and a full expression of you and your clinic. It is an intimate and effective way to make your clinic stand out.

3. Social media

Social media marketing is one of the easiest and effective ways to build the reputation of your clinic and attract more clients. It allows you to act in real-time with your audience, and tailor your services to a specific clientele.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are great for massage clinics, as they can also integrate with your company’s website making everything streamlined and easy for customers to access your services and make appointments. For an effective social media strategy, offer the opportunity for your clients to engage in your posts and react to them. You can make your posts conversational and spark engagement by appealing to your target-audience interests and creating posts or pictures that foster discussion. However, make sure that your social media profile is consistent with your brand.

Social media is also a great tool to network with other experts in your field, potentially resulting in new clients.

4. Networking with industry professionals

Essentially, as a massage therapist, you want to talk to and engage with as many people in your industry and related industries as you can. This doesn’t mean having to attend every networking event there is – you can easily build a network local to your clinic.

Other small businesses are facing the same issues as you and would be more than happy to chat with you. Think about those businesses within your industry such as chiro and physio clinics, local beauty salons, or yoga studios.These places are where many of your potential clients would frequent, and if you make yourself known and amiable to those businesses you can set up a successful referral program between yourselves.

You may even be able to suggest leaving your business cards at these establishments in return for using their cards at your clinic. This can encourage a healthy exchange of clients which can lead to more referrals in the future.

5. Offer a massage client referral program

Referral programs benefit existing clients by rewarding them for referring a friend. It is a win-win solution since it will boost your clientele, while rewarding your existing clients with discounted or free treatments. You could offer a greatly discounted or free massage for every successfully-referred client or allow clients to earn credits toward their next massage.

For a more personal reward, you can even present your client with a handwritten “thank you” card with a small gift inside such as chocolates, movie tickets, or coupons for any products you may be selling at your clinic.

Be rewarded as a massage therapist

To become a qualified massage therapist, why not sign up for an industry-recognised course with Discover Massage Australia today? We’re committed to providing a hands-on learning experience to our students.

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