Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1515580
78 m a s s a g e & b o d y wo r k m a rc h /a p r i l 2 0 24 It's a reality that when you get out of massage therapy school, you become a spokesperson for massage therapy. All kinds of massage therapy. And all types of massage therapists. This is true even if you don't want to be a spokesperson and even if you don't think you should be. Every time you say, "I'm a massage therapist," whatever follows represents the profession. This is a big responsibility. How you conduct yourself and talk about massage therapy with friends, family, referral partners, and health professionals matters. It's also a reality that language and communication styles are always evolving. A "professional email" written in 2007 would sound uptight and stuffy nowadays. But a text message written last week by a 25-year-old massage therapist may be unintelligible to a colleague with no interest in texting. Communicating well is an art and a skill. Great communication will benefit your career, your business, and your general reputation. But if communication standards are constantly changing, how do we know what's what? Even if you are a longtime massage therapist, we can all benefit from a communication tune-up. I have a few core tips we should all revisit to be sure we are representing ourselves and our profession well. Essential Skills | Pressure Points of Business The Art of Professional Communication By Allissa Haines CONSIDER YOUR BOUNDARIES You decide when you will and won't respond to phone calls, text messages, and emails. It's perfectly acceptable to respond to business communications only during your business hours. If you choose this method, let clients know on your website and via your outgoing voicemail. If you accept text messages from clients, you may choose to have a standard reply you can quickly paste into a response that says, "Thanks for your message. I will respond during my next scheduled business hours; you can see my schedule online here" and include a link to your website. REMEMBER YOUR MANNERS Apologies for sounding like your first-grade teacher, but manners matter! When you are communicating about massage, keep in mind that phone calls and emails to other MTs, health professionals, and clients are not the same as texts with your friends. Location and privacy are important, so don't take a business phone call in the middle of the grocery store where everyone in the bread aisle can hear about your client's sciatica. Text message standards are more casual, but for emails, spell out full words. Avoid abbreviations and take the time to type out: • "Thank you" instead of "TY" • "For" and not "4" • Skip emojis • Use standard greetings and closings in all emails. KEY POINT • Even if you are a longtime massage therapist, you can benefit from a communications tune-up.