Re: how to attract new clients

[a7x2121]

I have just finished my massage course and am starting to set up a massage business from home. Do any of you have any advice on how to go about attracting new clients? I'm very nervous that noone will come so any hints or encouragement you can offer would be very welcome.

Frangipani Girl (Australia)

 

[Willow Born 2.2.10<3 (:]

Hiya!

First of all "good luck" with your new business!

When I first started out I e-mailed all my friends and told them, I offered special introductory discounts and designed some A5 posters (2 on an A4 page) for them to put up in their offices and give out to their friends. If anyone is a referral from a friend, then the friend gets a complimentary massage. I've only been up and running for about 2 months and have already got 6 regular, repeating clients (I can only work part-time on the massage front).

Also get some business cards printed so you can give your details out to anyone who shows an interest! Write to local sports clubs or children's nurseries - young mums always need some relaxation!

The other thing is you need to be patient! Hang on in there and eventually it will fall into place.

[sm=xmas-smiley-005.gif]

BT
xx

 

[Arroz con pollo]

Hi Frangipani Girl

Here are a few ideas that I havefound helpful:

Contact some local interest groups or clubs (WI, round table, sports clubs) and see if they would like you to do a talk and maybe a demostration. If you are feeling realy bold, pop into your local radio station and see if they would like to interview you. I did this once, and the phone was ringing before I got home!

Business does take a while to pick up, but hang in there, it does get going eventualy.

Health & hapiness

Waywood

 

[Febe]

Tell everybody you know and meet, have cards ready to hand out with your details, do a leaflet drop locally, but don't expect too much from that.

Don't bother with advertising in local papers, waste of time as I know.

Contact local sports centres, osteopaths, chiropractors and chiropodists etc for room rental.

Give free treatments (you can give that up eventually!)

Try local schools (teachers are our biggest clients). Local businesses, hairdressers who might promote you etc.

Stick with it. You need a lot of patience to get a lot of patients.

 

[lonely_soul]

ORIGINAL: Bouncy Tigger


I had thought of something like that, but I haven't found out how to solve the confidentiality issue. "hi, your friend such-and-such came thanks to your referal..." but maybe such-and-such would prefer it not to be known that s/he came for a treatment? ?

Artemis

 

[qrepsuxkihginyexx]

Hi Artemis

If the friend did not want anyone to know then they would not refer anyone

 

[Perl Rodriguez]

I get lots of referrals and don't seem to have a problem with it. Though some don't tell their friends, for whatever reason. In fact I am not sure our business would go on without referrals. Most who come in say 'my dad came', 'my friend came' etc etc....

 

[BagGaiuioe]

Thanks everyone for your help with this one. It's given me some great ideas to get started. I'll let you know how it progresses.

Happy New Year to you all.

 

[danac7202]

Hi Paul,

I meant it the other way round... "my dad told me about you" is Ok for the client to say, but as a therapist I can't say to her dad "your daughter came". Hence I can't give her dad (or whoever) a free treatment as a reward.

Artemis

 

[soby H]

You will probably find you get more custom from word of mouth (i.e. friends, family and previous clients) than you might from advertising locally in a local paper. I advertised Massage treatments in Rotherham and Barnsley recently from which I only received about two or three calls, for a cost of over £45!!!

Good luck,

Russ

 

[Hathlolojof]

Hi there

A tip for printing. You will not find cheaper printing than from Vista. They are overseas, you design your own cards and they send them straight to you.

Try them from this link because you will get an extra discount because you have come through me.

http://www.vistaprint.co.uk/frfuk?frf=645959350529

Much Love and good luck

Tracy

 

[Keptin!]

frangipani - unless your massage course was at least 1000 h long - you might think about doing some advanced workshops or learning other therapies.
The more tools you have on your hand - the more likely you will attract larger crowd.

Think about gradually building your own website - clients don't use yellow pages anymore.