4 Tips for Beginning Massage Therapists
Whether you are the manager of your own practice or an employee at a spa or hospital, you must strive to be the best massage therapist that you can be.
Nowadays, lots more people are seeking out massage therapists due to muscle aches, headaches, and various other health-related issues. In addition to this, some people simply enjoy getting a massage, which is why the massage industry has become so incredibly popular.
So, if you’re a massage therapist or are currently training to be one, you’ll want to check out these tips so you can build a business you love.
1. Prioritize SOAP notes
SOAP notes (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan) are key tools used by massage therapists. SOAP notes are important because they allow you to create a clear profile for each client, from their needs and progress to specific treatment plans.
Some therapists don’t pay much attention to SOAP notes, but as a true professional, you should be making them your priority. That’s why you should make sure you have a massage therapy SOAP note example on hand so you can learn how to create them for yourself.
2. Ensure good-quality hygiene throughout your practice
One of the biggest concerns that clients have when going to a massage practice is hygiene. If you don’t pay attention to this, you can end up closing your business right after you end up starting out. Don’t be afraid to ask your customers if they have any preferences when it comes to hygiene and make sure that you make an effort to clean up as you go.
It might even be worth hiring someone to come in on a regular basis to make sure your practice is clean for future use. This can also help to ensure that your customers that you care about their well-being and that you have what you need in order to gain their loyalty.
3. Focus on building customer loyalty
Due to the popularity of massage therapy, customers have tons of different options to choose from. They can go to local spas in their town or seek out practices that focus on healing specific problems, such as acute neck pain. Or, sometimes, they’ll even get referred by their doctors for treatment.
So, with all these different therapy options, you must focus on building customer loyalty to give your practice a shot at success. One bad experience will, more likely than not, cause a customer to never return – which means you and your team need to be on top of your game every day.
You can build customer loyalty by providing quality messages tailored around client needs, treating them with care and respect, and providing them with an incentive to return again in the future.
4. Use social media
Most massage therapists use social media to promote their work. It’s a smart business, as social media is a great way to spread the word about what you do. In fact, you’ll find that (once you’ve established popular Facebook and Instagram pages) a lot of your appointments will come as a direct result of social media.
