| For those of you who are planning on going into | | | | The branding aspects are so important here, it is |
| the field of massage therapy, or if you are | | | | the very thing that will make you a successful |
| already in the field, you should make sure that | | | | bodyworker or massage therapist or it will drive |
| you present yourself in the best possible light. | | | | you out of this business. Most massage therapist, |
| Brush up on your people skills and learn how to | | | | do not consider the branding aspects and fail they |
| make a conversation open and pleasant. Learn | | | | miserably. The most successful corporations are |
| how to listen instead of talking and learn when, | | | | successful because of this element of branding |
| not to say anything. One of the secrets to being | | | | alone, their branding value, in many cases will be |
| an excellent massage therapist is by learning the | | | | much higher than their market value. Think about |
| importance of communication skills in your | | | | this way, what if you walked into a McDonald's, |
| massage business. | | | | one of the best known brands in existence today |
| But the biggest impact that you can make in your | | | | and it was dirty and not kept up, would you go |
| massage therapy business is learning how to | | | | back? This is precisely my point. |
| present yourself, in a professional and business-like | | | | When I first started my career as a massage |
| manner. I know that this may sound like | | | | therapist, I was working at corporations doing |
| common-sense but more likely, either you forget | | | | chair massages. One day while working at Yahoo, |
| about the importance of it or you forget that | | | | this was one of my biggest accounts, I all of |
| your massage business, even though it is a very | | | | sudden realized that the whole time I am doing a |
| nurturing, holistic and relaxed atmosphere, is still a | | | | chair massage, the customers, only view were |
| business. | | | | my shoes. They were good shoes, not dirty, a |
| Your business still must pay the bills, support | | | | little worn and had some signs of aging. But here I |
| yourself and your family and most of all, meet | | | | am working on Managers, Supervisors, Dept |
| the need, to have a steady stream of clients, | | | | heads and regular staff members, and I had |
| both old and new. In my 10 plus years of working | | | | some Rockports from Mervyn's, not quite the |
| for myself and various spas, I contribute most of | | | | professional, I am successful look that I wanted |
| my success just purely on my presentation alone. | | | | to put out there. |
| Here are some questions to consider. | | | | That very next day I went out and broke down |
| Â-How do you speak? Are you speaking in | | | | on a pair of $175.00 pair of ECCO's, it was a very |
| terms that your potential clients understand? | | | | steep cost at that time, but instantly when I |
| Â-Are presenting yourself in a professional | | | | returned to my corporate sites, I was getting |
| and clean manner? | | | | compliments after compliments on my shoes, |
| Â-Are dressed professionally? | | | | which directly increased my leads for massage |
| Â-Is your hygiene where it should be? | | | | services outside of the corporation. I also went |
| Â-Where are you conducting your business, | | | | out and got manicures every other week, my |
| do you have a clean and professional facility? | | | | hands were my money makers and I treated |
| These are just some of things that you need to | | | | them as such. Presentation to success; is what I |
| consider, the other thing is, how do you want to | | | | would tell every massage therapist out there in |
| brand yourself? | | | | the field. |