I think one of the best ways to build a practice is to really take care of the clients you already have. By that, I mean going beyond just providing excellent hands-on service.

Here are three easy ways to do just that:

One

Whenever a client talks about a friend or family member dealing with (fill in the blank) you can pretty well safely assume that s/he is looking for some help for that person. So, give it to them!

* Either inquire a little about the condition/situation and share your insight, or offer a piece of self-care advice for your client to pass on to the friend.

* Explain how you can help this person and then ask your client if s/he would like to give the friend your business card. (Give ‘em two, just in case.)

Two

Give first-time clients ‘goodie bags’. It can be an actual bag or it can be as simple as an envelope, file folder or presentation folder. Inside include a few business cards and brochures of reflexology and/or your business. Add in any of the following:

* discount coupon for a friend

* small foot chart

* toe separators or a small container of the foot scrub you used in your session

* reflexology bookmark

* hard copy of one of your key past online newsletters

* supportive/non-supportive steps for good health

* resources specific to client’s situation.

Ensure that your business name and contact information is on as many items as possible.

Three

Send a hand-written card of appreciation to clients that refer someone to you. Send it by snail-mail! It’s such a treat to receive something of value in the mail these days and so much more personal than a text or email. In order to protect confidentiality, do not name the new client.

Keep a record of clients who refer to you and how many people they have sent your way. When they reach a certain threshold (five? ten referrals?) comp their next session. I call this a WOW! experience. When they go to pay and you tell them the session is on you, they usually say Wow! And they likely will talk it up with others afterward.

These are easy ways to let your clients know you value them. Try it. It’s as simple as one, two, three.

The author, Isabelle Allende, once said that “The end doesn’t justify the means; the end is decided by the means. If we’re petty and greedy and shallow and put our need to win ahead of our humanity, then nothing good will come of our careers.”

We need to support each other.

As bodyworkers, we need to stop thinking of other practitioners as competition; instead, to see ourselves as part of a community working to improve the health of our friends and neighbors. Only healthy minds and bodies can build strong, healthy communities. And, as the saying goes, “It takes a village.”

We’re all in this together, so let’s start working together. Let’s focus first on helping to improve the quality of our clients’ health, not our client base. Ultimately, that will build our clientele.

When I first graduated from the Florida School of Massage in 1989, many naysayers predicted that it was impossible to build a practice in Gainesville – there were just too many licensed therapists in a town that boasted one of the top two massage schools in the country.

I thought about that. There were a lot of therapists in the city, and, I thought, that meant the community was likely more educated about massage and bodywork than one that didn’t have many people practicing in it. Therefore, I decided that having a lot of therapists around could be an advantage – I wouldn’t be starting from scratch to explain the benefits of my work – I just had to demonstrate that I was the best person to turn to. It was up to me to rise to the top, to STAND OUT IN THE CROWD.

There were thousands of people living in Gainesville back then. They all had bodies and therefore, they all needed bodywork to stay healthy. That meant there was a very large pool of clients to share with other professionals. That was – and still is – my perspective. I have my specialty; others have different approaches, skills and trainings that might be better suited in certain situations. We are a citywide team.

When I started out in 1989 in Florida, I brought a specialty to my practice – my training and six-year expertise as a reflexologist. That allowed me to stand out. And allows me to continue to stand out. When people talk about reflexology, my name is the first one people think of.

Have you found your niche? What interests you enough to stay engaged, to keep delving deeper into understanding the body, to stand out as the ‘go-to’ person in your community?

If you think reflexology might be your pathway to success, please check out the information regarding next year’s certification program. Feel free to contact me for a personal consultation on whether reflexology and the Academy’s program are a good fit for you.

Others have helped me over the years, and I’d consider it a real privilege to help you.

In interviews conducted by Til Luchau with 2500 massage therapists, a couple of surprising beliefs revealed themselves regarding the likelihood of building a successful bodywork practice or not. I noticed also how the success ratio rose when participants had an open mind regarding their businesses.

My own experience perfectly aligns with Til’s discoveries. When I was attending massage school in 1989, I had a very clear vision of how my professional career was going to go. Yep! I was going to go immediately into private practice in a beautiful spa-like environment that I would create (of course). And then….

I got offered a position with a local chiropractor that would guarantee me a monthly paycheck and provide me my own room in which to build a private clientele. I turned my nose up at it. That was not what I wanted!

Fortunately, for me, one of my massage school instructors intervened and told me straight up that I would be stupid not to jump at the opportunity to support myself completely with bodywork right out of school. Not wanting to be seen as stupid, I accepted.

And that move turned out to be an important and probably the best move for me. Not only was I able to support myself completely doing reflexology and massage, I got to put my hands on a lot of people with a variety of physical challenges, build my confidence and experience, and network with other practitioners in the community. I also got to test reflexology’s ability to influence musculoskeletal pain, as the doctor allowed me to decide what approach to take with each of his patients.

What I learned from those four years with the doc was, number one: to be open-minded and flexible with how I would go about realizing my vision. I learned that I could keep my eye on the end goal (of being in business for myself) and allow life to present me with the stepping-stones that would get me there. In hindsight, I realize now how much more prepared I was, after a few years under my belt, to run my own therapy business than when I first graduated school.

And that leads to the second and the most important distinction, and the one that surprised Til from his interviews.

Right out of school, both reflexology and massage, I thought of myself as a practitioner – a reflexologist, a massage therapist. I really had no idea that if I was going to open a business, I would have to shift my perception of myself from that of a practitioner to that of a business person. I had to move from managing a ‘product’ (my hands-on services; i.e. perfecting and improving my techniques, practicing good therapeutic communication skills, adding to my education, etc.) to managing the ‘company’ that managed the product. Those are two very different hats to wear, and I really didn’t understand that concept when I started out.

It took time, but I get it now. I can comfortably identify myself as a businessperson whose services (I prefer ‘services’ rather than ‘products’!) I manage are a:

* hands-on reflexology practice

* teaching academy

* professional writing career

Too often I witness reflexologists and massage therapists cower when it comes to placing a value on their time and services. Well-intentioned, caring people who are willing to jeopardize their ability to support themselves (and sometimes a family) rather than charge what their work is worth; what they are worth.

A businessperson talks to clients about business (the price of a session, scheduling recommendations, consequences of late arrival or cancellation, etc.). A therapist talks about the therapeutic services (choice and benefits of the model of bodywork, influence of repeated actions on anatomy, lifestyle changes, referrals, etc.).

The roles cannot be interchanged, and one person can adequately manage them both.

Both skills can and must be learned.

If you look at your own work situation, where are you strongest? Where do you need to put some attention? And are you willing and ready to do so?