Differentiate Yourself

One of the most effective means to attract new clients, especially in a highly competitive market place, is to differentiate yourself and your practice. Take some time to contemplate what makes receiving a massage from you different than a massage from anybody else? 

If you are asking why differentiation is so important, just look in the phone book.  You will find many Massage Therapists advertising.  Why would someone call you versus someone else?  It is a good thing that Massage Therapy has become so mainstream and the industry has evolved to be able to support so many of us.  It is wonderful that so many people are now seeking the benefits provided by Massage Therapy.  Now, we just have to find a way that those people who are seeking are finding you. 

As you look through the advertisements and business cards of other Massage Therapists are you finding common language?  Do some advertisements stand apart from the rest?  What can you offer or advertise that is not being addressed yet?  How can you present yourself so potential clients realize that you are different, and may provide a service that they are looking for? 

If you have been trained in specific work and modalities, the answer may be easy.  If you present yourself as a general Massage Therapist, defining your differentiation may be more difficult. 

Are you specifically trained in additional modalities?  If yes, you might consider promoting that on your business cards, flyers and advertisements.  I have worked with Massage Therapists who are struggling to build their practice, only to find that they are trained in specific work or a particular modality that they don’t even mention in their literature.  They tell me they are concerned that they may “scare off” or repel potential clients by being too specific.  But when I question them further they admit that they would prefer to work with a targeted group of clientele, and that they have to attract that clientele somehow, while in the meantime their practice is floundering.

Targeted marketing is designed to attract those clients that we are trained to work with and to do the work we prefer to do.  Some of us are so concerned about building a practice, that we do anything we can in order to attract as many potential clients as possible.  We make our marketing literature as general as possible thinking we will attract more people.  But the reality is that often we attract fewer clients, and not always clients we want to work with because of our generalization. 

Take another look through those yellow page advertisements.  How many mention “chronic pain”?  You will probably find quite a few.  But now look to see how many mention Carpal Tunnel, a differentiation or more defined type of chronic pain.  If I was suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, I would be more likely to call someone who mentioned this in their ad rather than someone who was more general.  Will this turn off some clients because they don’t have Carpal Tunnel Symdrome?  Possibly.  But it will attract more of those that do. 

We must realize that not all clients will be attracted to our work, and that is okay.  We should spend our time, effort, energy and money advertising to attract the clients who need the work that we want to do, or the types of clients we want to work with.  Other folks will find us naturally and we can choose to work with them, but our energy should be spent attracting the market we want so we can build the practice we envision.

So what do you do if you haven’t specialized and your work is what many people would describe as general Massage, or Swedish Massage.  You can still differentiate yourself and your practice.  We must realize that regardless of what we call it, we all do different work, and a massage from you is different than a massage from anybody else…even if you don’t know it.  One of the best ways to find the words to describe your differences, is to ask your clients.  You can ask them what they like, and why they come back for your work.  Listen to what they have to say.  Take notes, and see the words in writing.  Be humble, but believe what they tell you.  Then, when you are developing a new yellow page ad, flyer, business card, etc., or when you are presenting yourself to a potential client, use these words to describe and promote your work.

One of the things we don’t always realize is that clients come back because of the experience as well as for the massage.  Don’t take for granted that you have created a one-of-a kind experience for your clients.  This can be defined by your environment, setting, music, aromatherapy, lighting, ambiance, amenities, etc., or a different service that most therapists don’t offer.  If this is what brings clients back to us, then this is also what will also attract new clients to us.  Can you encapsulate the experience that clients will have into words that you can use in your literature, or on your outgoing voice mail box, or in your 30-second “elevator speech”?  It may not be easy, but once you are able to do this, your message becomes much more powerful and attractive to potential clients.   

As you determine your differentiation, also consider if you prefer or are more effective working with particular types of people.  For instance, do you enjoy working with the elderly and doing geriatric massage?  Then why not market yourself as such?  Yes, you will not attract the younger clientele, and thus limit your market, but you will be attracting the clientele you seek with a more powerful and effective message.

Targeted marketing and showcasing your differentiation can be scary.  It is a leap of faith.  Take that leap and have confidence that you have a lot to offer your clients, and you will attract the clients that fit best with your modalities, interests and practice. 

Join us for a roundtable discussion on this topic.