Sorry for the long silence, but my ‘busy season’ has now started and I have less free time at the office these days. No complaints about that, but it does mean I don’t write here as often.
My clinic recently hired another therapist. We needed someone to cover the evenings that I’m not working, and we have enough new client traffic that having another RMT in the office is workable. Anyhow, the new therapist has joined in with our advertising and promotion methods, in an effort to get more new clients in the door.
Years ago, the very best way to get new clients in your door was to do a ‘meet and greet’ — take part in some event and hand out business cards, shake hands with people, and allow them to get to know you a little bit. Because they’ve met you, they will remember you next time they need a massage therapist, or they might pass your business information on to a friend, coworker, or family member. I have spoken to many RMTs who have been in practice much longer than I have, and they all say this was the number one way they got people in their doors.
However, times really have changed.
My clinic has taken part in a variety of ‘meet and greet’ events since we opened our doors in April 2007, including sporting events, a midwifery information session, and an open house we hosted. All the therapists in my office have also handed out business cards at various social functions. Now, have we had a lot of new clients call our office because of these events? Not really. A few have called, sure, but not nearly the number we were expecting. However, we do have a good number of new clients calling our clinic every week. Where did the vast majority of those people find out about our clinic? By searching online for a massage therapy clinic in their area and finding our website!
Why do I think our website has been such a success? First, because it contains good information about our clinic, including details on the types of massage we provide, our fee schedule, and some clinic pictures so people can see if the environment is one they might like to receive treatments in. Second, because it provides online booking, a very convenient method in today’s computerized and wireless world. People don’t need to attend health fairs, golf tournaments and marathons in order to meet local health professionals. They can just ‘meet’ them through their websites, and then book an appointment online without ever having to pick up a phone!
I do want to be clear, however: websites are very useful for meeting potential new clients, but the best way to bring in clients is still through word-of-mouth. Our new therapist used to work at a local gym, and has been getting a few people sent to her through old colleagues from that job. I also have had success with this, as a few of my own clients have sent friends and family to me for treatment. It probably seems logical, but if you keep your current clients happy, they will be more likely to talk about your services and send others over to see you too!
So yes, times have changed a great deal, but personal referrals/word-of-mouth is still key to building a thriving massage practice.