Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/81195
Others feel that offering discounts cheapens your business in the client's mind. While this may be true for some of the lower-priced deal websites, there are also a number of higher-end websites that cater to only the most exclusive businesses. ONCE THE CLIENTS COME IN Once you've got these new clients in your clinic or studio, it's your chance to wow them—I call it "service vetting." If they are looking to build an ongoing relationship with a therapist, they will be interviewing you, and they will continue to try deals until they find the perfect fit. Susan Epperly, a clinical massage therapist and co-owner of Tiger Lily Studios in Austin, Texas, has successfully used a number of Daily Deals to grow her practice. "Be open to working on clients from all walks of life, even those whom you think are not your 'ideal clients,'" she says. When it comes to turning discount voucher clients into long-term, repeat clients, the most important strategy is to "give 'em all you've got." Offering a deal will put new clients on your table, but that really only provides you with an opportunity to audition for those clients. You want them to leave thinking (and talking) about the exceptional value they got and their eagerness to return. "A deal gives new clients an opportunity to try out an MT's services at a discounted introductory rate. Over 60 percent of our discount voucher clients, after having tried us out, have returned for additional sessions at our full, regular rates." WHAT TO OFFER? To get started, I suggest creating an offer for one of your lower-priced services, such as a 30-minute massage, or a package of a 30-minute Swedish massage with aromatherapy and a foot bath, for example. Your account manager will try to get you to offer a higher-priced service because they make more money, but my suggestion is to keep it at something that retails for less. That way, even with the price reduction you will not lose much, plus you will still get new clients. Once clients love you, or even at their initial visit, they can then choose to upgrade, or add services or time, and you will not be obligated to split the revenue for it. See if you can create a package similar to this "Pamper Party": Total Package Value—$84 ($54 for a 30-minute massage, $15 for aromatherapy, and $15 for a foot bath). Customers pay $44, which is 50 percent off. When they come back, they know your regular rate is $54 for the 30-minute massage—not a big jump from what they paid for their deal certificate! One of my colleagues, Paul Brown, and I were involved in an online discussion on Massageprofessionals.com/forum giving advice to other therapists about offering deals. "I did a Groupon voucher as a solo practitioner last November and sold 200 vouchers for a half-price hour massage session," Brown wrote. "The first thing I did was limit the hours that I accepted [deal] clients—[I] eliminated evening and weekend appointments for them so I could continue to see my existing clients. I offered a small discount on their next massage if they booked one right then at the end of their session within two weeks. This helped me convert many, many of these clients to become regulars. Finally, the voucher expired, and I have been booking some of the expired voucher clients using the voucher as a gift-credit applied toward a full-rate session instead of for a full session—one of the expired certificate clients booked a two-hour session with me recently and paid the difference—which means I made money off of that voucher. Other clients are doing the same thing. Almost 30 percent of the vouchers expired, so that's cash in my pocket for no work. Granted they will have to be honored as coupons if they decide to book a session, but that means that I make almost all of the money I would have made on a massage session," he says. "I rebooked 20 percent of the clients—that's a fantastic return on my investment, and I look forward to these new clients for a good long time to go." Celebrate ABMP's 25th anniversary and you may win a refund on your membership. ABMP.com. 95