Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1338685
L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 21 When you have a policy of adhering to strict confidentiality, it's better for everyone. Current clients feel safe. Prospective clients trust you more. And you can sleep better at night knowing you're doing everything you can to properly protect the privacy of your clients. FOR MORE LEARNING Catch Allissa and Michael on their weekly podcast, Massage Business Blueprint, available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and massagebusinessblueprint.com. That's clear, kind, and will likely earn you some serious respect. Often, we treat several people within the same family or group of friends, and it's common for someone to ask a question like, "How is Dorothy? Is massage helping her headaches?" These suggestions apply to those situations too. PRIVACY MISTAKES CAN HURT CLIENTS A client will be less likely to tell you about her postpartum depression if she's worried you'll tell her husband. A great massage therapist can be a useful resource in this kind of situation, but not if the client stays quiet. Another client simply won't tell you about his cardiac event and new medications if he thinks you'll tell the friend who referred him. In this case, the massage could actually become dangerous. DON'T DISCUSS CLIENTS AT HOME The details—even those you think are "vague" references to clients—do not belong at your dinner table. You may think you are being obscure enough to make it acceptable. But, over time, references to the same clients are enough to make a full picture. Telling your spouse or your kids that client information is private is not enough. It is your responsibility to keep a client's confidentiality. You. And the moment you overshare, you give that responsibility to someone else. These same rules apply with close friends. Your personal confidant should not be your professional confidant. So, how should you answer (and be genuine) when a friend or family member asks, "How was work?" You can say: "Great! Everyone showed up on time, and I remembered my lunch," "Hard. I didn't sleep well last night, and the whole day dragged," or "Challenging. But good." It is possible to be honest and still not talk about clients. We all need to vent and process both typical and challenging client cases. This is what trusted colleagues and mentors are for. And even then, you should keep confidential any identifying client details (especially if your colleague lives or works in the same community as you). CONFIDENTIALITY IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS Clients of quality will notice and respect your radical confidentiality. In fact, when a client knows you won't tell their sister about their pulled hamstring from a rather passionate weekend with a new beau, that client is more likely to send their sister in. Other health-care practitioners will be more likely to refer to you if you adhere to strict privacy standards. When you have a policy of adhering to strict confidentiality, it's better for everyone. Current clients feel safe. Prospective clients trust you more. And you can sleep better at night knowing you're doing everything you can to properly protect the privacy of your clients. Allissa Haines and Michael Reynolds are found at massagebusinessblueprint.com, a member-based community designed to help you attract more clients, make more money, and improve your quality of life.