Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72103
Lynda Solien-Wolfe, director of education for Performance Health/ Hygenic, makers of Biofreeze and Prossage, urges therapists to bundle a massage with a special product—an aromatherapy oil or a pain gel, for instance—and let the client take home what's not used in the course of the massage. "I was at a place the other day that charged $10 to add aromatherapy and they let you pick from three different scents," she says. "Something like that is nice, and you work that extra into the price. Then clients get something special in the treatment and they get to take something home." 5. HAVE RETAIL PRODUCTS TO SELL Many manufacturers will offer therapists a wholesale price on products, which they can resell to clients at a profit. Don't be bashful about that. "There's a lot for a massage therapist to retail," says Kelly Wilson, national sales manager for Universal Companies, a Virginia-based company that specializes in spa products. "What I'm always struck by is the fact that therapists are resistant to retail. I don't know if it's because they haven't been trained in sales. My own theory is that they don't want to jeopardize that bond between therapist and client, the hands-on healing special relationship. But as a spa-goer, I really want to know about the products. I want to take some of the magic home. I really want to buy the products and extend the experience." Be sure to ask the companies you deal with what special services or marketing support they can offer. Biofreeze, for instance, has a new "Where to Buy" web-based marketing program. If customers want to purchase the product but don't know where it is available, they can enter their zip code into an application on the company's earn CE hours at your convenience: abmp's online education center, www.abmp.comconnect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 85 website and it will direct them to the nearest businesses that sell it. That could be a great way to bring new customers to your business. "We've had massage therapists tell us that people came in to buy the product, saw how nice the salon was, and stayed for a massage," Solien-Wolfe says. 6. DON'T LIMIT SALES TO JUST MASSAGE PRODUCTS Branch out to any product that seems compatible with your business and your clientele, and that comes from a company with which you feel comfortable working. Think tea, for instance. Many salons, yoga studios, chiropractic offices, and other complementary