5 Effective Ways To Get Your Name Out There

450745155This blog post is about 5 Effective Ways To Get Your Name Out There,

Basically, it’s the ingredients to create your ultimate marketing mix.

After defining your goals, objectives, strategy, and tactics, you can now learn about the best way of getting your name and your business to clients.

1. Advertising is the face of marketing and both are often used interchangeably. Advertising is marketing, but marketing is not advertising.

Advertising is how you reach new clients and communicate with current and previous clients. Advertising can include online ads, direct mail, ads in the local paper, flyers, business cards, etc.

2. Sales Promotions are also common tools to increase sales. You see these most often as discounts for services or packages.

3. Public relations is very similar to advertising in the sense that it is a form communication to your clients.

Unlike advertising, public relations is non-paid and is used to primarily influence opinions and beliefs. This includes holding informational events, passing out educational materials, speaking at community events, etc.

4. Personal selling is the face-to-face contact with prospective clients and current clients during services. It’s goes along with networking, giving talks or hosting events at your clinic.

5. Networking is one of the most common and popular ways to receive new business referrals. It is through word of mouth.

Networking and putting your name out there with your clients, colleagues, friends, and family members is a great way to build your client list.

Not to mention the support system you’ll gain.

There you have it!

A few essential marketing basics that every LMT should know.

If you find that your marketing efforts aren’t getting the results you want or need, don’t give up!

More often than not, you will make some mistakes to learn from.

You can always re-evaluate your plan and make improvements.

I look forward to hearing your feedback on how you implement this new knowledge and tools.

What I Learned From A Doctor – It May Surprise You!

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In my career as a massage therapist I was fortunate enough to work under a doctor for part of my career.

I learned a lot about what was expected of me as a therapist: treatment protocols, common surgical interventions and post surgical care.

The real lesson I learned, and that I want to pass along to you, is a doctor’s bias, perspective and opinion about massage therapy as a treatment modality.

This can have a huge impact on your business.

I know that not all of you accept PIP or Labor and Industries injury clients.

Not all of you take private health insurance and you probably don’t have a schedule full of injured clients challenging your knowledge of surgical interventions and post-operative care protocols.

But I do know that the medical community is moving toward involving more complementary care providers like chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopathy and massage therapy in primary care treatments.

For massage therapists, getting referrals from doctors may not be your first thought when you think of growing your business, but it is easier than you think.

Here’s something VERY important to remember when speaking about getting referrals from doctors: They see a lot of clients – every day.

So if that is so important to think about, why don’t massage therapists see many more referrals from doctors?

Two words – education and understanding.

One of the best ways to get referrals from doctors is to first figure out why most of them don’t refer to massage therapists…and then change their minds.

Or rather, shift their perspective!

Most doctors don’t have a clear understanding of massage and how it can help their patients.

So it’s understandable that they’d be hesitant to refer their patients for massage therapy.

After all, would you refer a patient to a practitioner of a modality that you knew very little about?

To remedy this situation, make the time to create a good rapport with these doctors and to educate them about your practice.

Allow them to experience massage firsthand.

In my clinic, I will walk the doctor through an initial visit, including a massage treatment and a report of findings.

It’s the same thing I do with EVERY new patient.

This really helps them feel confident when they refer patients to you. They know exactly what their patients will experience, and how they will be treated.

And this makes them more likely to refer.

One of the roles of being a massage therapist is properly educating the public about what we do and don’t do.

Let your local doctors know what massage therapy is and how it works!

Taking the time to educate them about massage and how it can help a large variety of patient symptoms is well worth your while.

Another reason doctors may not refer is that they fear that they will lose their patients and their practice will slowly fade away.

IMPORTANT – make sure you assure the doctors that you reach out to that you want to work together as a team.

Let them know that when they refer a patient to you, you will require the patient return to the referring MD for a progress evaluation after seeing you a specific number of times.

Sending the patient back to their medical doctor helps to establish trust with the referring MD.

The doctor will understand that you are not interested in taking their patients. But, that your main focus is taking care of their patients.

By creating this system of checks and balances, you show referring MDs that you have an open channel of communication about patient care.

This also allows the doctor to see the potential benefits of massage therapy. For example, let’s say that a doctor sends you a patient who has had asthma for twenty years.

After twelve treatments from you, you send the patient back to the medical doctor for a follow-up.

Upon seeing a dramatic improvement in the patient, the doctor will realize that massage therapy — and you specifically — have been instrumental in helping this patient to feel better.

By following some of these ideas and insights, you should be well on your way to building new patient streams through MD referrals.

MD’s are one of the largest groups of healthcare providers and they see many patients in the course of their practice.

Some they know how to help and others they may not.

By using the tips that I’ve given you and becoming the go-to massage therapist of choice, together you and your networking MD’s are sure to make a difference for your patients, your clinic and the community.

I also want to give you some practical pointers on how to approach doctors and start a great relationship (or at least educate them on massage).

You’ll be able to read it in my next blog posts.

And it will be easier than you think!

Here’s to your practice success!

The Top 12 Tips To Work With MD’s

I practiced massage for many years in a medical office under a physician.

I found that many of my massage therapist friends struggled in speaking with doctors, and especially in how to ask them for a referral for a client, or for client referrals in general.

I know just how important having a steady flow of qualified clients can be for small businesses, and I want to share some of my insights after years of practice, trial and error.

Building your practice is done through direct marketing efforts, word of mouth from existing clients and referrals from other healthcare practitioners in your city, community or neighborhood.

I want to share with you the top 12 tips that helped me, my friends and colleagues to get referrals from other healthcare practitioners.

It is easier than you imagined! 

Tip #1 – Identify healthcare practitioners with whom you can build referral relationships

All healthcare practitioners can be a resource for you. Here are some you may want to consider:

> Acupuncture Practitioners

> Gynecologists

> Family Practice Doctors

> Nutritionists

> Naturopathic Doctors

> Chiropractors

> Doulas

> Mental Health Counselors

> Psychiatrists

> Physical Therapists

> Personal Trainers

The list is endless.

 

Tip #2 – Target niche referrers

If you specialize in women’s health issues, you can contact OB/GYNs, doulas; if your focus is depression or anxiety, you can contact mental health therapists or counselors. Targeting personal trainers and/or health club managers might be a smart move if weight loss is one of the areas you focus on.

 

Tip #3 – Try the reverse referral technique

One way to initiate a relationship with potential referrers is to begin referring to them and then initiating contact after you have established yourself as a strong referrer. The potential referrer will already by appreciative of your referrals and be more inclined to meet with you to build a stronger relationship.

 

Tip #4 – Ask for a second opinion from the practitioner

Other practitioners are interested in helping people to become healthy just like you are. If you feel that a patient is not responding to treatment in a way that you anticipated and you need to ask for a second opinion regarding his/her health situation, why not contact another practitioner (even if the patient is not theirs)?

You can do this by phone or by sending a personal note (on your clinic letterhead) and saying, “This is the patient’s current condition, I would appreciate working with you to find a better solution”.

This builds trust between both practitioners and as a result of this collaboration the patient receives a higher level of medical care.

 

Tip #5 – Educate by example

Reach out to practitioners you are interested in building a referral relationship with and extend to them a gift certificate or an invitation for a free massage at your clinic. This is your chance to show your professionalism and explain how massage can help and it gives them a chance to see your clinic and have a full picture of who you are.

 

Tip #6 – Make your treatment plan & progress report speak volumes about your credibility

When you’ve been working with a patient for a while and you are seeing results, ask the patient for permission to send a treatment plan and progress report to their primary care physician in order to keep the doctor apprised of their health condition and subsequent improvement.

This can also be sent to a Naturopath Doctor, Acupuncture Practitioner, Chiropractor, etc.

When you send the MD/Practitioner a treatment plan/progress report along with a cover letter explaining why you are sending it, stamp the envelope “Patient Records: Confidential.” This way, the doctor/practitioner is legally required to open the envelope and read the contents. What you include inside determines whether or not they read on. If you present the materials succinctly and in a professional manner, you are taking a huge step towards a positive professional relationship.

Your treatment plan/progress report should clearly show that you have followed logical steps to objectively diagnose and plan treatment by focusing on factual data and the complete picture.

Why?

Because objective data wins over opinion 99% of the time! Here are the four components of a professional treatment plan/progress report :

> Treatment you plan to provide and why,

> Frequency and duration of treatment,

> Specific treatment goals and anticipated outcomes,

> Objective measures for treatment effectiveness.

 

Tip #7 – Take your report a couple of notches up by adding supporting materials

Your treatment plan/progress report should include the applicable supportive documentation such as treatment history, patient re-exam results, and functional rating index. The reason why this is important is that it follows the model familiar to the activities of the healthcare referral structure.

One additional piece of supporting material that could be included is a medical journal article that talks about how the issue that is your specialty is effectively treated by massage. Let the research speak for itself.

 

Tip #8 – Assure the referring practitioner that they will not lose credibility in their patients’ eyes if they refer to you

One of the concerns other practitioners have about referring to practitioners/specialists they do not know yet is that they do not want to send their patients to a practitioner who might overcharge for unsubstantiated care.

Then the patient may fault them for the referral, which then damages their credibility in the eyes of the patient, thus jeopardizing their relationship with their patient. Sending a treatment plan/progress report (as mentioned above) will help reassure the practitioner that the patients he/she refers to you will be treated in a professional manner by someone who knows what they are doing.

This is where your treatment plan/progress report can be so helpful. It will show that you are treating the patient for a specific ailment (your specialty), not for overall health concerns.

 

Tip #9 – Make sure your website is optimized.

If you already have a website or are looking for one, its IMPORTANT to make sure that you have your website optimized to be found online.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a necessity for every massage practice. 85% of website traffic comes from the search engines.

Every day prospective patients are searching for a massage therapist and if you are not doing SEO they will NEVER find you.

Whether your website is ranking well in the search engines or not, it is important to have ongoing SEO to maintain and improve your rankings. It is the best form of online marketing you can do for your practice, bar none.

If you are not doing any form of SEO, you are losing patients to your competition, and your website becomes a bit less valuable to your practice.

Check out more about how we can help with your SEO efforts.

 

Tip #10 – Remember to never overstep boundaries

Don’t tell the patient to stop taking their heart medication or stop the treatment advised by the other healthcare provider. If you have questions about a prescription or treatment given to your patient by another practitioner, you can contact the practitioner respectfully by sending a personal letter or picking up the phone.

This way you are approaching them as a practitioner interested in learning more in the interest of the patient, rather than as a critic questioning their techniques.

 

Tip #11 – Make it easy for others to refer to you

Make the information about your payment policies, insurance plans you participate in and the services you offer easily accessible.

You can create a brochure that has all this information and send to other healthcare practitioners who you are interested in working with along your treatment plan/progress report and/or your initial marketing packet. It is best to eliminate questions, surprises or misunderstandings from the get go.

 

Tip #12 – Ask around

Another good idea here is to ask the practitioner you are networking with about cardiologists, physical therapists, acupuncture practitioners, etc they trust and refer patients to.

This could be another window into contacting those practitioners with the name of the doctor or therapist you were just networking with. You can turn a cold call into a warm call and get a head start in the game of networking.

In conclusion…It is very important to build a referral network.

There are many ways to build these relationships.

Find ways that work for you and your style.

Make it a goal to connect with at least one new practitioner a week. Building a strong referral network takes time but it is worth the effort!

As always, I want to make sure that my wisdom is useful, applicable to your situation and challenges, and really works.

Your feedback is appreciated please leave any and all comments!

 

The 80/20 rule for your massage clients

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I want to elaborate a little further on online marketing and the importance of having a powerful online strategy.

One of the basic principles of marketing is to go where your customers are.

Eighty five percent of website traffic comes from the search engines.

This means if you’re not optimizing your page, customers will NEVER find you in the thousands of pages that show up in Google.

You have to develop a strong online marketing strategy to reach those consumers or you might be missing out on some huge profits.

Your website is a place to start because it serves at the digital information hub for you and your business.

But an online marketing strategy is more than just a website.

It’s interacting with your customers where they are the most and engaging with them.

Your online content and marketing should be done with a purpose and aimed towards your ideal client.

Think like your dream customer.

Where would they go if they need to find information and what would they be looking for?

If you’re not sure, follow the popular 80/20 rule: 80% of your content should be educational and 20% should be promotional.

Because of the fast-paced world that social media and the internet have created you’ll be left behind if you’re not providing your clients with something new and relevant on a regular basis.

In my next email, I will go over easy ways to do this by using social media.

Social media sites are not all the same and should not be treated that way.

I will help you figure out which one works best for your business and will help you get the clients you want.

DO you have your website yet?

Yes, great! I hope it’s woking for you and pulling in new clients your way.

No, well, then you need one! My company is offering to build you a brand new, beautifully designed website that can help you attract clients online, 24/7.

Have a look here, even if you DO HAVE a website.

We’re offering to build you a website for just $1. No strings, no joke!

Take a look here.

 

Marketing Basics Every Massage Therapist Should Know

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As I’ve learned in my career, there are a million things on our plate when we start our massage business.

But one of the most important things that often go overlooked or misunderstood is a strong marketing plan.

In my next three emails, I’m going to provide you with some marketing basics I think that every LMT should know.

Marketing defined is “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”

Most people think of marketing as one tangible thing that is easy to master.

The truth is that there are many facets of marketing that can make or break your business.

And I for one, want you to “make” your business!

Effective marketing is knowing these facets and knowing how to mix them the best way for your business.

A good marketing plan is knowing how to allocate your resources and get the most impact on promoting your business.

It includes your defined goals, strategy, and an action plan for achieving them.

But before you can start any marketing, it is imperative to develop clear goals and objectives.

A goal states your overall values and your mission. An objective is a measurable statement of your goals.

Good goals and objectives are tangible, reachable, and measurable.

For example, you might have a goal in your marketing plan about reaching new clients.

Your objective might be to earn 50% more new clients in the next three months than in the previous three months.

As your business progresses, your goals might change into retaining clients, getting a website, taking some CEU courses, etc.

Every business is different so set goals that work best for your clients. It’s important to think of the clients you want, not necessarily the clients you have.