Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/135515
something to talk about [ "Tell your colleagues about the benefits of ABMP membership." "Tell your colleagues about the benefits of ABMP membership and earn $20 off your next renewal." Which statement makes you more likely to tell someone about the benefits of ABMP membership? The same goes for your practice. Giving someone a discount on his next appointment if his friend books an appointment with you just might inspire him to go the extra mile in directing someone to your website or praising your work. You might lose $10 on his appointment, but you'll gain that back, and possibly earn much more, by reaching a new client. We all know referrals are valuable. But how can you make it easier for your ambassadors to actually sell their friends on the fact that they need you? Offer Gift Certificates Consider creating gift certificates that are good for new clients only, and write your current client's name on the bottom as the referrer. If you get a certificate turned in, your ambassador gets the credit, whatever that means for your practice. (This idea is borrowed from "Your Best Year Ever" by Eric Brown. Get the full details in the January/February issue of Massage & Bodywork on page 64.) Give Consultations If a client has friends who are new to massage, offer to show them around your space, talk about what a session would be like, and listen to their pain or stress complaints. They can "Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends." Walt Disney come in alone or stop by with your ambassador before one of her sessions. You might even throw in a fiveminute chair massage as a preview, if that's something you're set up for. Hold an Open House This is the same concept as the free consultation strategy, but on a larger scale. It gives people a chance to see your space, and you can offer a brief presentation on the benefits of bodywork. If you'd like, offer new clients a discount on their first appointment, and offer every existing client that brings a friend the same discount. You could also partner with other local businesses to expand the guest list or have them provide food or drink in exchange for free publicity. Find the Experts In his book The Tipping Point (Little Brown, 2000), Malcolm Gladwell identifies types of people who help create what he calls a "social epidemic." There are connectors, those with large social networks; mavens, experts who love to share information; and salesmen, those adept at persuasion. Do any of your current clients come to mind when you hear these descriptions? Make it a point to give them what [ s_bukley / Shutterstock.com Give Something to Get Something they personally need to refer you to others. For example, give a connector some content to share, a maven specific understanding of what techniques you're using and why, and a salesman some incentive for every referral. More Mouths, More Words By making it easier for your clients to tell people about you, you are multiplying the voices out there singing your praises to potential clients. Consider how you can package that knowledge for your current clients, and incentivize them to share it, and you'll have ambassadors spreading the word about your practice to people you'd never reach otherwise. Go, give them something to talk about. Notes 1. Word of Mouth Marketing Association, "Wommapedia," accessed June 2013, www.wommapedia.org. 2. ABMP's 2013 National Consumer Survey, conducted by Harstad Strategic Research. Jed Heneberry is associate editor for Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. He can be reached at jed@abmp.com. www.abmp.com. See what benefits await you. 95