Well, the Summer has certainly come and gone.  Happy Fall to you and yours! I hope you were able to enjoy some wonderful time with your friends & family over the Summer, and that your massage business continued to grow as well. I know it’s hard work and can be overwhelming at times, but keep pushing forward and success will be yours!

This Summer flew by for me like never before.  We’ve been working so hard here at my massage studio in Seattle and all is very, VERY good! Emails have been continuously pouring in from so many of you wondering how the health challenge I’ve been promoting has been going. All I can say is my cup runneth over!

My Life is Forever Changed

If you’re new to my blog and training, you may not know, but earlier this year I incorporated the #1 health challenge based around healthy nutrition into my massage practice and it has been a complete blessing for my clients to improve on their health from the inside, out. As well as for my own health!  In addition, it has completely changed the direction of where my practice is going. We have gained so much credibility and notoriety in the Seattle area that we actually have airtime lined up on the radio for the next few weeks and we’re currently working on getting television news coverage as well.

This has completely changed my life! Over the last few months I’ve been able to help dozens of people with their health and in turn I am now generating a very generous additional income into my life as well. This is going to allow me to take vacations next year and start saving for my future, something I haven’t been able to do up until now.

I am working very closely with many different healthcare providers and small business owners.  Chiropractors, massage therapists, nutritionists, naturopaths, personal trainers and average people who are passionate about helping people are sharing this program with their clients, friends & family from the bottom of their hearts to help change the health of our nation, from the inside out.

What does this mean for you? Well many of you know I closed my doors on being able to offer personal coaching sessions last Spring as I just got too busy with running my practice and promoting the health challenge. Well, the last 90 days of the year are upon us and I want nothing more than to help you hit that homerun with your health, finances or both.

So here’s the deal, I am offering FREE PRIVATE COACHING sessions for a few select individuals who want to take control of their health.  There are 2 separate packages I am offering to you and my coaching services come included FOR FREE!  All I ask of you in return is to get started on the challenge!

Package #1:  Start the challenge to get fit, healthy or lose weight

• Personally get started on the 90 day health challenge to improve your health and own personal wellness.
• FREE 30 minute private coaching session with me via Skype or Phone to help you grow your massage practice
  
• Get your products for free by inviting 3 friends or family members to join you on the challenge

Package #2: Start the challenge to get fit, healthy or lose weight AND become a promoter in your community to help more people and earn income

• Personally get started on the 90 day health challenge to improve your health and own personal wellness
• FREE 60 minute private coaching session with me via Skype or Phone to help you grow your massage practice
• Get your products for free by inviting 3 friends or family members to join you on the challenge
• Also, become a promoter (like me and so many other healthcare providers) by sharing our message of life, health and prosperity. This will earn you an additional income and help your practice grow in your community
• Ongoing team training, support and mentorship to help you grow your business indefinitely
• Free ticket to National Success Training in Atlanta, GA 10/21-10/23 PLUS $100 travel voucher

Because I am offering up so much of my time I only have 5 spots available for each option (10 total). The deadline to take advantage of either option 1 or 2 is, Wednesday 9/28 at midnight PST.

My Reason Why

Many of you might ask, why am I so passionate about this program when I am a massage therapist? Well, I’ve been a massage therapist long enough to see what poor nutrition and lifestyle does to people. Not only that, but as an American, I can see with my own eyes what is happening to the citizens of our country because of our poor eating habits. My own grandfather passed away at the young age of 66 from a massive heart attack when I was just 11 years old. Our country is facing a serious health crisis and if we don’t get this under control,  we are going to begin seeing our children die before we do.  These are the facts! You probably have a few people in your own life that you love more than anything in this world and you want them to be around for a long time. Obesity is the fastest growing disease in the country. In fact, it just surpassed cancer to be the #1 killer. The worst part about this is the we are doing this to ourselves! We are choosing to eat foods that damage our bodies and in turn take years off of our life. This has to stop!

This is a Movement!

Since I began promoting this health challenge I have seen millions of pounds lost, people getting off diabetes medication, cholesterol medication, high blood pressure medication and so on. There is a reason leading healthcare providers and fitness professionals are standing behind these products, this program and choosing the be a part of a massive movement.  These products work, they are safe, they are the highest quality on the market at the least amount of money and they are saving people’s lives. I am grateful and honored to be a part of this and I want nothing more than to spread this amazing message!

So what do you say? Are you up for the challenge?

First things first, fill out the form below and I will get in contact with you within 48 hours. We will discuss your questions and figure out which option is best for you. There is no obligation to do anything, this is simply an application to learn more about the health challenge and what it can do for you and your life!

Click Here to Complete Questionnaire Form

This amazing company, ViSalus is backed by a $1.6 BILLION publically traded company, has seen 3000% growth in the last 18 months and has lost nearly 10 million pounds. It truly is a movement in the health industry!

I can bet money that right now, you have someone in your family that you are worried about. Someone that you know needs to lose weight, someone that you love dearly. It’s up to us to take a stand against obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and help lead others to a better life full of great health.  Now is the time to make that commitment to yourself, and help others do the same.  If not now, when?

In love and health,

Ann Ross

P.S. Take a few minutes and watch Dr. Cheryl Townsley ND as she goes into detail what her healthcare practice experienced after starting the 90 day health challenge

Click here to view the embedded video.

Have you ever taken the time to notice all of the opportunities that are all around you?  I believe it’s human nature to sometimes feel stuck or like a victim of our life circumstances.  Life can be really hard sometimes and we end up only seeing the bad, not the good.  But what if you focused on seeing the opportunities that are all around you?  What do you think you would see?  Ironically, even when those opportunities present themselves, and we know they are destined to be life changing or a positive influence, we tend to let fear stand in the way.  What if you pushed past that fear and JUMPED at opportunity, instead of running from it?

I wanted to share with you my experience with opportunity and to help inspire you to see all of the opportunities that are currently in your life.  Whatever they may be, I encourage you to push through the fear so that you can allow yourself and your life to evolve into something beyond what you ever dreamed it could be. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

For those of you that have asked for more information on the health challenge I am promoting and changing lives with, we are having a very special webinar tomorrow evening, July 27th @ 10pm est/7pm pst.  Register ASAP so that you can get more information on what our culture is all about and learn what we are doing to change the health of our nation!  

Register here:  Free Webinar 7/27 10pm est/7pm pst You do NOT want to miss this!

All my love and support!

Ann Ross

Well what an amazing month it’s been!  The last 4-6 weeks of my life have taken a 180 degree turn for the better!  I”m sleeping 1-2 hours less each night, I have more energy, I am down one clothing size, I have lost 10 pounds and I have lost nearly every ounce of body fat on my torso from the sugar addiction I was feeding into all winter (or should I say my entire life).  The best part is that I am helping others do exactly the same thing!  

May 8th was my 32nd birthday and I knew this year had to be different!  A few months ago an opportunity landed into my life that I know without a shadow of a doubt was not just an opportunity, but a gift!  The 90 day health and wellness challenge that I joined with has already changed my life and thousands of other health care providers all across the nation.  My health is better, my clients health is improving and I am securing myself financially with an additional income stream.  I would be doing you a diservice by not educating you on what myself and thousands of other healthcare providers are taking part in and transforming our health, wellness and finances with.  I invite you to partner with myself and offer you the greatest give of life, health & prosperity!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Make sure you get started ASAP because I will be offering 1 hour of  free massage business coaching as a bonus when you partner with me. ($120 value).  This is something I have NEVER given away before and don’t know if I will again.  Furthermore, I can’t offer this free coaching indefinitely and will need to limit this to only the first 10 people that join the challenge with me.  Call or email me with ANY questions so you can get started right away.

For more information about the challenge specifically visit http://www.YourLifeBeginsNow.com  Click on “90 day challenge” to watch the presentation of the challenge itself.
Call me at (425)501-8712
Email me at : AnnRossViSalus@gmail.com
Or, Fill out the form below to ask your questions and I will get in contact with you

Much love, health & success,

Ann Ross

Join the Challenge: Click the Banner!

Watch The 20 Minute Training Webinar Below For an Important, Life Transformation Announcement!

Get Started Now Website:

http://seattlewellness.bodybyvi.com

Need More Information?

Step 1: 
Step 2: Watch the Overview(click watch the overview video)

• http://www.Overview.ViSalus.Com

Additional Resources

• Company Stats, Facts & Figures 
• Visalus Compensation Plan

Real Life Stories…Life Transformations!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’m so excited to share this opportunity with you.  Make sure you fill out the contact form above RIGHT AWAY so that I can answer all of your questions and get you started on your own path of health, wellness and prosperity!

Blessings, love and health,

Ann Ross
(425)501-8712

I know many people may think I’m crazy, but giving my services away for free has actually been one of my most successful marketing campaigns since I originally started by massage practice.  Many would say I’m cheapening my brand and that the people looking for a free massage are only looking for just that…a free massage.  Of course there are always going to be those people looking for something free or the next best deal.  But what about everyone else? What about all of the potential clients out there that are looking for a massage therapist they can create a relationship with and trust to solve their specific problems?  Trust me when I say those people are EVERYWHERE and I know just how to get them through my door and onto my massage table.

My very first taste at giving my massage services away for free was in the fall of 2006. I was fresh out of leaving my full time corporate desk job and was ready to take my massage practice to full time.  I was determined to never go back to the corporate world.  The scariest part was that my safety net of a steady paycheck was gone when I left that job.  But steady paychecks are never worth it if the job supplying them makes you miserable.  And so I did what any other terrified, new business owner would do…I hustled my ass off! 

The concept of “sampling” and “trials” has been around as long as business has been around.  Think Costco and their sampling of dozens of food items at any given time.  There is a reason why they have always offered samples and probably always will.  Who wouldn’t want to try something before purchasing to be sure you are going to like it? And this is exactly why I began offering my massage services for “free”.

If you know anything about me you should know that I value my time and my creative talent as much as the next therapist.  I am here to earn a good living  and create a good life for myself.  l would never just blindly offer my services away for free without creating some type of “event” or reason behind giving the free massage.  In offering my services for free it provides an opportunity for those seeking a massage therapist to schedule with me without risk, and no money out of their pocket.  Offering a sample of what my massage service can provide is what I consider a win/win for both parties.  The “hesitant to spend money on something” client gets to experience a sample of my massage completely risk free.  And I, the amazing massage therapist with holes in my schedule and gaps in my day gets to fill my schedule with potential clients looking for a massage therapist.   

The first free massage event I did in 2006 was a huge success for me and taught me the value in exposing my business to so many in need.  An idea came to me one day to send a letter to each of the schools in the Seattle School District and offer a complimentary 30 minute massage session as a way of thanking those members of the community for their hard work and dedication.  School had just started and I was sure the teachers and staff members were stressed out and overwhelmed with the start of the school year.  My sister and her husband are both elementary school teachers so I have a special place in my heart for those that work with our youth.  In addition to each complimentary 30 minute massage, each faculty member had the option to upgrade to a 60 or 90 minute session at a discounted price.  The complimentary massage session also had an expiration date (very important).  I mailed out each letter one by one and waited a week or so before I saw the results of my special invitation   It was incredibly thrilling for me when my phone started ringing about a week later and dozens of people started scheduling with me. 

Success?  Well not quite yet! I had to turn these prospects into actual clients.  Step 2 of your free service promotion is to give your new client the best massage they’ve EVER had.  Schedule in enough time to have a very thorough consultation with them.  Aways be warm, friendly, inviting and positive.  Listen to what their issues and needs are and deliver a massage that addresses those issues.  If time allows maybe throw in an extra 5-10 minutes on top of the free 30 minutes to wow them even more.  Schedule in enough time to discuss your findings with them and the importance of incorporating regular massage therapy into their life.  If my clients try to tell me that massage is too expensive I suggest ways and ideas to budget massage into their monthly or quarterly budget.  We talk about regular massage being just as important as going to the dentist or getting the oil changed on your car.  Remember, you aren’t here to just give a free massage.  You are here to give a sample of what you can do to help your potential client live a better life.  Offer them some sort of discount for scheduling their next massage before they leave and follow up with a handwritten thank you card.  The idea is not to constantly be reducing your rates and giving coupons or discounts.  It’s about offering some sort of special or deal to encourage your first time clients to reschedule with you.  After 2-3 massages with you they will be hooked and beging incorporating massage into their regular routine.  Trust me on this!

So, after 8 weeks of running my “event” I looked over my books and tallied up my success.  About 50% of my new clients had upgraded, which meant I made money on my ”free event”.  About 75% of my new clients rebooked with me.  And many others referred  friends/family member and coworkers along the way.  After all was said and done I felt like my event was a huge success.  When I look back over the years since I did that first free massage event many of those initial clients have referred multiple clients to me.  Those referred clients have referred multiple clients to me and so on and so forth. 

The point I want to make is that EXPOSURE is key when you are building your massage practice. Sure you may have your pretty little website online and you may have your Facebook business page, but are you truly exposing yourself in a way that is beneficial for your potential clients? When running a “free” massage event make sure you are approaching your potential clients in a way that will help them realize the importance of incorporating massage into their lives.  Don’t just offer up free massage! Make it about offering those seeking massage the opportunity to receive a sample of what you offer risk free with no money out of their pocket.  If you approach your massage practice with posture, confidence and as a sought after healthcare provider, people are going to be attracted to you.  Schedule out at least an hour so you can take the time to get to know each client, give them a great massage and discuss long term care with them after the massage.  If you approach your business first and foremost from the aspect of healthcare vs. pampering it will be much easier to get clients to rebook with you. 

No matter what, always send a handwritten thank you card with a coupon for a discount off their next massage (always put an expiration date on coupon) and follow up if you haven’t heard from them within a few months.  In addition, make sure they know you have a referral rewards program (you do have one, right?).  Since I began practicing massage my greatest source of new clients has always been referrals from my existing clients.  If you are giving amazing service and taking care of your clients it shouldn’t be hard to attract referrals.  But make sure your clients know you are always looking for referrals and new clients.  Remember to approach this from a place of wanting to help as many people as you can.  Never come off as desperate or needy…that is such a turn off!

I recently ran another “free massag event” through the event page on Yelp and attracted 8 new clients in just 1 week.  Free advertising and 8 new clients to WOW with my amazing massage!   If you believe in what you do and KNOW without a doubt that you can WOW your free massage customers then you have nothing to lose.  Don’t think that the economy is causing people to close their wallets completely.  On the contrary, people are still spending money on the important things.  Massage is important if you approach it as important and offer your potential clients a ”risk free” incentive.  People want to spend money on massage, they just want to make sure it’s going to be WORTH their money.  Overwhelm them with your incredible massage and watch your practice grow by leaps and bounds.  Mine has!

To your success,

Ann Ross

P.S. Don’t be devastated if everyone doesn’t rebook with you or you never hear from them again.  Yes, you will give some free massages away.  Don’t focus your energy on those clients, get over it, move on and focus on the clients that do appreciate you most.  Those clients are sure to become your ideal client and will make your life so much more meaningful!

I was inspired to write this morning after waking up sick.  No fun!  The dreaded sore throat, congested head and low energy bug finally caught up to me.  I’m not one to get sick very often.  I’ve made it a point to keep myself very healthy so that I can devote myself to taking care of my clients.  I think the last time I had to cancel clients due to illness was about 18 months ago.  A big difference from my days of working my desk job where I would call in sick 1-2 times per month just because I could. 

Owning a massage therapy business is different though.  I remember early in my career the first and last time I stayed out too late on a Friday night and about died the next day after giving just one massage.  From that moment on I vowed to always go to bed at a decent hour and to be responsible when it came to alcoholic beverages on work nights.  I’ve had friends give me grief through the years when I didn’t stay out late enough for them or enjoy that extra drink that they wanted me to so badly have with them.  I could never get them to understand what it’s like to be a massage therapist.  They called me lame, while I saw myself as responsible and mature.  Nonethless, it was never easy!

I’ve sacrified a lot through the years to be the devoted massage therapist that my clients truly deserve.  Shortly after starting my business my number one priority (outside of family) became my business.   I’ve stayed home many friday nights because I had sheets that needed to be washed or billing that needed to be done!  I’ve worked evenings, weekends, holidays, through lunches, stayed late and came in early numerous times through the years.  I have a bedtime and do my best to take care of myself so that I can take care of my clients.  Creating an endless stream of clients was and always has been my number one goal!

Through all of these sacrifices I’ve grown to be a better person for myself.  Massage therapy gave me something to live for.  Something to focus my energy into.  I’ve gone through the occasional burnout like every massage therapist does.  Pushed myself past old ways of thinking to come out a stronger person through numerous challenges.  I’ve gained confidence and found my self worth along the way.  In addition, I’ve had the opportunity to work with charities in donating my services.  I’ve been blessed to share some of the most intimate moments of a woman’s life in providing prenatal massage.  I’ve been invited to baby showers and birthday parties.  I’ve helped dozens of car accident victims go through the slow process of healing over the years… from the physical to the emotional.  I’ve listened and offered a caring hand as my clients have shared their own struggles and pain with me.  And I’ve met some great friends along the way!  After 6 years of owning my business I look at my massage practice as one big family!  Each client I have is connected to another in some way.  

Most importantly, I’ve been a source of health for so many wonderful people in my community.  It’s an honor to be seen in such light! As massage therapists we truly are a unique group of individuals.  We are the special group of healthcare providers that get to know our clients on the deepest of levels.  We are allowed the time to sit, listen and truly focus on what is most important to our clients well being.  We are the group that gets to create meaningful relationships that in some cases can last a lifetime.

So I ask you, how dedicated are you to your massage practice?  How available are you? How focused are you? Do you appreciate your clients or do you resent them? Do you genuinely care about the well being of your clients, or are you just here to make money?  By no means am I saying to give up your life or sacrifice everything for others.  For we all know that in order to care and love others we must always love ourselves first.  But are there areas in your massage business that you can improve on?  Is there something that you could be doing to bring more awareness to yourself and stand out in your community? I bet there is!  There is always room for improvement and in order to be successful we must focus on improvement and growth on a regular basis.

Love yourself enough to focus on areas of growth and improvement each month.  Spend time at the beginning of each month reflecting on the past 4 weeks, love yourself in the present knowing that you’ve done your best, and focus your best intentions to prepare for the future.  If you are constantly doing the best that you can do within reason then you will be that much closer to accomplishing your goals.  Success comes in many different shapes and sizes and can never be defined by comparing yourself to others.  Focus on living the best life you can live and let that flow through to your massage practice.  The blessings and rewards that come from the energy you put forth are amazing! 

Much love,

Ann Ross

P.S. I’d love to hear your stories of commitment and dedication.  What have you done along the way to become successful?

Where does the time go? It’s amazing really.  We set out each year with a list of things to accomplish.  Before we know it, it’s December again and a new year is upon us.  I’ll admit, one of my biggest obstacles is learning how to stop controlling everything and just let life do it’s thing.  On the flip side, I believe it’s important to never lose control of life and consistently work towards growth in all areas.  Life is complicated, there is no doubt about that.

One very important lesson I have learned this year is that, when you are focused on something long enough, want it bad enough and consistently work towards making it happen, the universe always delivers.  2010 proved to be a year of shedding old, useless layers and emerging to finally realize my true potential.  I had the opportunity to share my story with Meagan Holub in her sequel to “The Magic Touch: How to make $100,000 per year as a Massage Therapist” and feel incredibly honored in doing so.  Her sequel “More of The Magic Touch: 8 Successful Massage Therapists Share “Out of the Box” Business and Marketing Secrets is available now from Amazon.com.

I thank you for allowing me into your lives in 2010 and am so incredibly excited for 2011 to be a life changing year for each of you.  I can’t wait to continue teaching you all of the things that have propelled me to success, so that you can do the same for your business.  Make sure you purchase “More of the Magic Touch” soon so that you can begin implementing all of the things each of us teaches in this book.  This information is priceless and will no doubt change your life!

Blessings,

Ann Ross

“More of The Magic Touch: 8 Successful Massage Therapists Share “Out of the Box” Business and Marketing Secrets

If you aren’t taking the time to create relationships in your massage business, you are most likely hindering the growth of your business.  More than just being a massage therapist, we are in the business of creating relationships with people in our community.  It’s important that you grasp this concept if you are going to succeed in business.  The most important aspect to creating a relationship is your first initial consultation with a new client.  When done correctly, this will create the trust your client needs to hire you and continue to see you for years to come.

Here are a few ideas to get you started in offering a consultation that will help you achieve success must faster!

• Book out anywhere from 10-30 minutes on your first initial consultation
• Ask open ended questions so that your client can open up and talk about their needs and their life
• Discuss their goals and your goals
• Ask if they have ever worked with a massage therapist on a regular basis. (hint:  This is a great time to explain the importance of regular massage)
• Spend 5 minute at the end of the consultation talking about yourself as a massage therapist. Cover things like what to expect during the massage, the importance of communication and the type of massage therapy you provide (hint: let them know that you are unique for a reason).

This is a great starting point for your consultation.  Incorporate whatever you want to incorporate into “YOUR” consultation.  Remember, you are uniquely you and branding yourself is what is going to make you successful.  Creating relationships is one of the most important aspects of owning a successful massage therapy business.  Remember this, practice this and continue to grow your business with this concept in mind.  Your success depends on this!

All my love & support!

Ann Ross

I know the concept of massage marketing can seem overwhelming and daunting.  You aren’t sure exactly how to do it or who to market to.  I was there too when I first began.  What can often happen is that you get so overwhelmed and confused that you end up doing nothing to market your business and you end up just giving up altogether.

In my opinion, massage marketing is a combination of many different components when, presented professionally and consistently will no doubt create success for you.  Marketing is so much more than just putting an ad in a newspaper or the yellow pages.  It’s your brand, your unique skills and abilities all wrapped up and presented in a unique package with your company name on it.  It’s the feeling or experience that you create for your clients that sets you apart from every other massage therapist.  It’s about being magnetic and attractive and pulling your potential clients towards you.  It’s about creating an experience that creates a need in your clients to keep coming back for years to come.  It’s about always being that resource in your community when your clients need you.

Below are 5 marketing tips that I created and use on a regular basis to attract a constant stream of clients into my business…

1. Your Online Presence

The most important aspect of your marketing is hands down the web presence you create and portray.  The first time any potential client has an interaction with you will most likely be through your website.  Sadly, I see so many massage websites that don’t offer a professional, unique image.  Many are used with free hosting that only enable up to 5 pages and don’t offer the ability to build pages that are keyword rich.  I, myself made this mistake when starting out.  I had no idea that the different web hosting options available could make or break my career.  The first website I built was pretty and branded me well.  But it was nowhere to be found in the search engines.  Make sure you choose a web host that offers the ability to build as many pages as you need to create a content rich website.   The monthly fee you pay for hosting your site will make a huge difference in the success of your business in the long run.  If someone told you all you needed to do was spend $15-30 per month to host your site to make $5,000 would you do it?  Don’t let the fear of a monthly hosting fee deter you from creating a website that will help build your career faster and with more success.  You have to spend money to make money.  If you have questions on hosting and/or what service to use check out the post I wrote on recommended hosting.

2. Follow up ASAP when new clients contact you

This aspect of being a business owner is incredibly important if you are going to build a long term business.  If you do not return phone calls or emails in a timely manner you are treating your business like a hobby and that’s not cool.  Time and time again I hear studies of people calling massage therapists and only 10-20% of them actually call their clients back within a 24 hour period.  Some never even bother to call back at all!  I can’t understand why, as business owners one wouldn’t at least call their prospect back.  You are in the business of massage to make a living for yourself.  If someone has taken the time to call or email you respect that person enough to call him/her back and be the true leader that you want people to see you as.  Understandably, you might not be able to answer your phone each and every time, but you should be able to call people back within a 24 hour period (at most).  Try utilizing answering services such as Freedom Voice or My Receptionist to portray a more professional image for yourself.  The bottom line here is that you are running a business, make sure you treat it as such and respect your future clients.

3. Make each massage appointment an experience

Put yourself in your clients shoes.  Most likely there is a large number of massage therapists located in the same city as you.  Respect the fact that your client has chosen you above all others and go out of your way to offer an experience that far exceeds their expectations.  Create a seamless experience from the moment your clients land on your website, to the moment they call you and come to see you for a massage.  Always bring good energy to each and every session and be there to offer a place of healing for each person.  Every aspect of interaction with you should leave your clients at ease and with comfort.  We are in a unique position as massage therapists.  Respect your clients by providing them with an incredible experience and NEVER take their patronage for granted!

4. Be a leader in the massage community

This may seem scary if you’re a new graduate becase you may not see yourself as a leader quite yet.  But, there is a reason why we call our business a “practice”.  Each and every massage that you provide inches you closer to an expert in the field of massage therapy.  Each class that you take puts you in a position where you become knowledgable and a leader.  I recommend taking 2-3 classes your first year in business that are all focused within a specific niche that you are passionate about.  For instance, when I was first starting I was extremely insecure about pregnancy massage but I have a huge passion for learning about pregnancy and childbirth.  I took it upon myself to become certified in prenatal and postpartum massage so that I could brand myself as a leader in this modality.  It has helped my confidence and put me in a position where I am highly respected in my community.  Get out there, start learning and brand yourself as an expert.  We are responsibile for positioning ourselves as experts, nobody else.  Make sure you are taking the steps to become the expert you are destined to become.

5. Write articles, newsletters and ezines and circulate them online

As a business owner, you should be sending out newsletters and writing articles on a regular basis.  This again is another great example of being a leader, but it’s important enough to stand alone as it’s own topic.  When you write articles on specific topics and send out newsletters to your client list, you are providing important, valuable information to your community.  Not only does this brand you as a leader, but if a potential client comes across something you’ve written they are more likely to hire you as their massage therapist.  Try writing articles on EzineArticles and link them to your website.  This is a great way to get more traffic to your website and provide information that your clients need and want.

What I want you to take from this article today is the concept of creating a marketing system that starts with you, the unique leader in the massage therapy community that is ready, able and willing to solve the problems of your potential clients, and to create an incredible experience by offering top of the line value.  Everything about your business is marketing.  Stop looking at your marketing as putting an add up or creating a brochure that you hand out.  Your marketing begins and ends with you.  Create a process that incorporates all elements I’ve discussed today and more.  These are the top 5 “starters”…this is only the beginning.  Keep evolving and growing and success will be here before you know it!

Keep Going!

Ann Ross

A question that comes up often in my business is “exactly how do I go about target marketing for my massage therapy business?”  I understand where the confusion comes from and why many of you aren’t completely sure how to do this.  When I was just starting my business, target marketing was foreign to me too.  It seems we aren’t exactly sure who we are as massage therapist in the marketplace, and because of this we aren’t sure exactly how to get started target marketing to attract clients.

I tend to look at my massage therapy business and the way I market myself as a 2 part equation.  A: Your Brand + B: Target Marketing = C: Successful Business.

The 2 Components Of Marketing

1. The first component of target marketing is to develop your brand or, unique qualities as a massage therapy business.  Your brand is what makes you unique.  It is the sum of your qualities, your visions, mission, beliefs, values and unique attributes as a massage therapist and individual.  Everything that you bring to the “table” It may take some time to completely figure out your brand, but once you do you will be able to target your marketing to specific groups of people much easier
2. The second component of target marketing is finding and targeting specific groups of people in your marketplace that you are able to solve problems for.  Being successful in business is all about solving problems and/or offering a unique experience that a person is desiring for one reason or another.  A person doesn’t buy a hammer because they want a hammer.  A person buys a hammer to build or hang something.  The hammer is the problem solver.  The same is typically true for massage therapy services.  People will come to you for help with solving their unique problem or concern.  In this instance the massage therapist would be the hammer.  That doesn’t sound great, but you get the idea

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Knowing how to attract clients so that you are desired and needed is what makes a massage therapist successful (among other things).  The greatest way to build a business is to position yourself so that people are searching for you, instead of you feeling like a salesman and seeming desperate to attract clients.  Being a desperate business owner is unattractive and ends up pushing people away.  When you position yourself as a leader, an expert and an authority in your marketplace who is capable of solving unique problems, your life as a massage therapist will become so much easier.  Your phone will start ringing off the hook and your appointment book will be booked solid!

Take the time necessary to develop your unique brand, target market to the groups of people you desire to work with and I can guarantee you that you will watch your business grow by leaps and bounds.

To your continued success,

Ann Ross