by: Elizabeth Fletcher Brown, LMT
One of the biggest mistakes massage therapists make in trying to promote themselves is that they are mostly doing it the same way as every other therapist. The problem with that is, it then makes their services indistinguishable from every other practitioner in town, and they have thus created for themselves a little problem called.... competition.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think that a little competition is all that bad. However when it comes to directly competing with other therapists in getting new clients there will always be someone who is cheaper, has more experience, knows more massage techniques, has a more convenient location, a nicer office, has better connections in the community, is better at networking.... and so on.
When we feel like we are competing with other massage therapists it can create a sense of struggle within ourselves. We may find ourselves getting caught up in poverty consciousness and lack. We may even find ourselves living in a constant state of comparison. Sometimes we think that we have to lower our prices to stay competitive, or accept clients that we don’t especially enjoy working on. Has that ever happened to you?
But the good news is there is a solution. And that is, to promote yourself in a way that immediately separates you from the competition in the minds of your prospective clients. It also means setting yourself up to stand apart from all the other therapists in your area.
But in a town full of massage therapists, many of whom are masterfully skilled in their craft, how do you separate yourself from the competition and stand out from the crowd?
How do you set yourself up as being unique, special, one of a kind?
How can you have clients coming to you rather than you chasing them?
How can you charge more for your services and have clients willingly pay?
How can you do all of that and at the same time have more joy, fulfillment and satisfaction in your massage career?
It begins by deciding to take an innovative approach and see things from a different perspective. It begins when you allow yourself to fully be who you are - quirks and all.
When you bring all of your strengths, talents and passion to your work... When you let your uniqueness shine through... When you fully embrace all of who you are and allow yourself to integrate that into every aspect of your business you will have eliminated the competition, because there is nobody in this whole world exactly like you!
This may sound simplistic….. but it WORKS!
It’s also important that you fully believe in yourself, and trust that what you have to offer will be of value.
So stop right now and think about what it is that truly makes you unique as a massage therapist. What specific strengths, talents and abilities do you possess? And how can you integrate these into your massage marketing plan?
To your success…
This article was adapted from the free 28-page workbook, 8 Steps to an Outrageously Successful Massage Practice. Available from http://www.MassageBusinessCenter.com