Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1208028
Ta k e 5 a n d t r y A B M P F i v e - M i n u t e M u s c l e s a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / f i v e - m i n u t e - m u s c l e s . 15 I also stay in touch via monthly emails to keep my clients updated on deals, special offers, and customer appreciation. SUBLIMINAL SENSATIONS I offer them advice based on what they expressed before and during the massage, show them stretches, and refer them to other specialists (chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture, yoga, etc.) who might be able to help them. Many of my clients follow me on social media, so they get general tips from me there, and I'll [private message] or text them if I forgot something like a stretch or to share an article relevant to our therapy. The 10 seconds it took me to send that text later in the day really makes a difference when letting clients know I'm here for them. CHRISTOPHER WADE Client education starts during intake, before a client even gets on your table. It happens during the session (with boundaries) and continues when the session is over. They want to know you're confident in your skills, and the feedback you provide them is what keeps them coming back to you. It also keeps them referring you to their friends and loved ones. Education doesn't have to be overload. It's about building a relationship where you both trust each other. CHERRON LAMPKINS I work mostly with athletes. I always encourage them to try Tune Up Fitness balls. I show them how I use them personally and even loan them a set as a trial run before they buy. I also have a great working relationship with a local physical therapist, chiropractor, and personal trainer, all of whom I use myself. I am a firm believer in letting my clients know that I don't just preach these things but make the time to do them as well. You have to build a level of camaraderie and trust. MARCY BOWMAN I am not afraid to teach my clients self-care they can do at home and even have printed materials for stretches, hydration, and gentle exercises. I also provide numbers to highly reputable chiropractors, naturopaths, and doctors. I host a free class each week at my local library for 8–12-year-olds to teach them the power of breathwork, meditation, proprioception, and light therapy, and make this information available to my clients. Giving information to my clients as they request it and are able to digest it has not made them "go away." I believe I have a responsibility to share what I know, as long as it serves to enrich another's life; not because I want them to hear a bunch of words that make me sound like an infomercial. I care deeply about my community and my clients. I make a living doing massage, and I make a life giving what my clients and community need. LAURA ANN DETRIXHE The way I keep "talking" to my clients after they have left the table varies between posting on social media, giving stretching and strengthening tips before they leave the office, emails to clients with self-care recommendations, and blogging on my website. And I always send the free issue of Body Sense magazine that ABMP so generously provides! APRIL RENEE Before they leave, I go over specific exercises/stretches they can do at home and get their email to send them a specific home self-care routine. Then I send out emails once every two weeks to everyone on my email list with a new topic like "Stretches you should do if you sit at a desk" or "Fix neck pain with these 3 simple moves." They come to rely on me as their "go-to" for all things related to self-care, and that includes coming back for more massages! LEIA CROWE When a client is struggling with a particular issue, I often provide them with exercises and suggested stretches to take home with them. I love The Anatomy of Stretching by Brad Walker and The Musculoskeletal Anatomy Coloring Book by Joseph E. Muscolino. I use these books frequently to show my clients what we are working on. I feel it is crucial for people to not only feel, but see, the anatomy involved. I also follow up with an email asking them how their home care is going. I feel it is important to remind clients that we are not here to "fix" them, and it is only through their participation in their own healing process that true change takes place. LYNLEE BISCHOFF