Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/121374
best practices Business side | Q & art | table lessons | savvy self-care Reach Your Target Audience ABMP's National Consumer Survey Data Can Help Photo by Barry Gutierrez Photography. By Les Sweeney, NCTM, and Kristin Coverly, RMT LS: I reviewed the results and am going to throw out a few statistics we learned and ask for your interpretation of them, as well as your advice to our readers on how to take action in their own practice. In addition, I will intersperse some trivia questions. KC: Sounds good (I think). LS: Where were the 1968 Winter Olympics held? KC: Maybe we should share some survey results before we sidetrack into trivia. Each issue, ABMP President Les Sweeney and ABMP BizFit Expert and Education Facilitator Kristin Coverly explore a topic relating to success in practice development. This issue, they tackle ABMP's recent consumer survey. Les Sweeney: We recently wrapped up the fifth edition of ABMP's National Consumer Survey, and I think there are some really interesting insights our readers will appreciate. Kristin Coverly: Absolutely! It's a wonderful opportunity to check in on how we're doing in terms of getting more members of the American public to become consumers of massage therapy and to better understand why they do or don't receive massage. 26 massage & bodywork may/june 2013 LS: No, this was an actual question on the survey. Just kidding. OK, for starters, 16 percent of American adults (aged 21 and older) received massage in 2012, which is the same percentage reported in 2010. How do you interpret this? KC: Overall, I'd rate that statistic as fairly good, considering the ongoing unsteady feelings about the US economy and the cautious way consumers are spending their discretionary income, but I think all of us would like to see that number move upward. And in 1968, the Winter Olympics were held in Grenoble, France (thank you, Google). LS: OK, would you think that the frequency of visits by those people increased or decreased from 2010 to 2012?