Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/82405
BUSINESS SIDE The Three Most Important Things You Can Say When a Client is Leaving 1. Thank you. 2. Would you like to schedule another appointment? 3. I would appreciate you telling your friends and family about me. (Say this as you hand them a business card or two to share.) extended vacation, making a career switch, or retiring. You'll need someone to direct clients to, so don't wait until you break a leg to find a reputable therapist to recommend. A WORD OF CAUTION It's a necessity to be familiar with the professionals to which you're referring. If it's another massage therapist, trade sessions first. Ask about their education and credentials, and whether or not they have liability insurance. If it's a doctor or other health-care professional, they probably have a website or a bio page on the hospital's website. Ask around for references, if you haven't been to them personally. Call them, or pay them a visit and tell them you're looking for someone to refer to, and ask a few pertinent questions. Early in my career, I made the Chances are there are therapists in your town who specialize in something you don't, and vice-versa. If it's obvious your client would benefit from lymphatic drainage or orthopedic massage, or you have a client who is interested in shiatsu, for example, and you don't do that, don't be afraid to refer them to someone who does. If you have a niche practice, and you only do pregnancy massage or sports massage, refer the other people who call you to someone else. That will come back to you in the form of mutual referrals. Due to the fact my office is located on Main Street, we frequently get people who walk in the door hoping they can get a massage on the spot, and we usually can't accommodate that. If they're in pain, I will call another therapist or two in town and see if someone has an opening. Clients are usually surprised that I would suggest another practice, but they're also impressed I took the time to do that for them. They often end up coming back to my business anyway, because they remember and appreciate that gesture. Chances are also good that there are therapists in town who keep different days and/or hours than you. If you're making the choice to work Monday–Friday from 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., that cuts you out of the loop for office workers who keep those same hours. Refer them to someone who works evenings and weekends. If you don't do outcalls, keep handy the number of a therapist who does. If you're in the position of having all the clients you want, you can tell people you'll be glad to add them to your waiting list. However, if your waiting list is long, you should have someone to refer callers to. Why not help a new therapist who's just starting out and doesn't have a clientele built up? Finally, the day may come when you're ill or injured, or have a family member who requires your care. Maybe you're pregnant and need a few months off, or you're taking an mistake of referring someone to a psychologist I hadn't actually met, just because his office was around the corner from mine. The client had fibromyalgia, and the psychologist proceeded to tell her that fibromyalgia doesn't exist and the problem was in her head. That was a painful learning experience for me. Whether just starting out, or already a veteran massage therapist, there are ways to make the referral work for you to build your practice. Therapist's Guide to Business (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011), Plain & Simple Guide to Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork Examinations (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009), and One Year to a Successful Massage Therapy Practice (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008). Allen is the owner of THERA-SSAGE, a continuing education facility and alternative wellness clinic of more than a dozen practitioners of different disciplines in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. Visit her website at www.thera-ssage.com. Laura Allen is the author of A Massage Boost your practice with ABMP's Website Builder—free for members on ABMP.com 25