5 minute read
People power
USING PEOPLE POWER TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS
Magdalena Vonk shares her approach to attracting new customers through word of mouth and referrals…
IN the UK, the massage therapy industry was growing considerably prior to the pandemic. This has slowed down since early 2020. However, I strongly believe that with time this will change again, and holistic therapists will be in demand again.
As with all businesses, holistic therapy businesses need to invest time and money into marketing, but there are two inexpensive marketing tools that can help you to grow your business. These are word of mouth and referrals. I do not use the word free when I write about these methods as they require a considerable amount of your time in order to make them succeed and your time is valuable.
After the last two years it might be hard for you to think about growing the business. In times when so many holistic businesses have had to close or have suffered losses it is even more important to invest your time in trying to grow your business.
Word of mouth
In the past it was commonly accepted that word of mouth is a tool suitable for small companies and holistic therapists who are starting off and do not have a large marketing budget. In theory, word of mouth is the use of communication to convince friends, family, neighbours, and everyone else you meet to use your business.
With the development of social media, this method expanded to be much more than just talking about your services and sharing your business card with people you meet.
Organic and Amplified word of mouth
When we talk about organic word of mouth, now, we refer to a situation when your followers and clients become advocates of your business simply because they are happy with the services you provide and have a natural desire to share their support and enthusiasm.
Amplified word of mouth, on the other hand, occurs when a marketing campaign designed to encourage word of mouth is launched. In this article we will focus on the organic word of mouth and ways of promoting and encouraging it.
Word of mouth means a trusted business
According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family over any other type of advertising. Trust, therefore, is extremely important when people choose to buy from you. Businesses can now encourage that trust online via social media. As people often ask for a recommendation for various services on social media. Social media platforms like Facebook and apps like Nextdoor can act as a way to make it easier for clients to become your advocates.
How do you make it easier for your business to be “tagged” as worth recommending in this way?
Make sure you have an active social media site which can be easily tagged when people ask for a recommendation. Make it easy for your clients to recommend you. Recommendations from others on social media can increase individuals’ trust in your business and in turn significantly increase individuals’ intention to buy your services or products.
You do not have to post a lot on your social media site/s, however, it is important that you post quality content regularly e.g. once a week.
Share your clients’ transformations and reviews – ensure that you have your client consent before posting their comments online, though.
When you see clients, ensure that they feel a valued member of your community and not just another person going through your door. Think about this quote from Maya Angelou before you interact with your clients - “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” If you spend time on making sure that your client is happy with the service you offer, they are more likely to refer you to their friends.
Client Referral Program
This is seen as one of the better ways in which a therapist can grow their business. In this method, you use your existing clients to spread the word about your massage therapy business by offering them an incentive to do so. You might offer a discount or even a free session for every new client a client brings. In theory, this way of getting new clients can help you grow your client numbers and deepening the relationship with your existing clients. In referral programs your current client receives something back for their recommendation. This can, however, be perceived as being biased and therefore not as trustworthy and successful as word of mouth.
In the past I would use this method by giving my client a small business card which said:
“Thank you for being awesome!
30 mins free when you book 60 mins session”
(Limit 1 per person)
I would give my client two of those cards and asked them to pass on to a friend who needs a massage. I found it being somewhat successful and I did receive new regular clients from it.
Professional Referrals
Holistic therapists can often benefit from referrals from other practitioners.
It is a good practice to have a list of therapists to whom you can signpost your clients when their problem is outside of your scope of expertise and you cannot help them. Signposting list should include other therapists with different expertise e.g. TJM, sport therapist, reflexologists, as well as medical professionals like chiropractors, physiotherapists. Remember that developing referral relationships with other health care providers doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, effort, and the willingness to make prompt referrals for clients with issues outside your scope of practice. However, doing so will help you at succeeding in how to get more clients as a therapist.
The more you consistently, reliably, and professionally interact with them, the more comfortable they’ll feel putting their clients and their reputation in your hands. Other business owners can be a good source of referrals. Holistic therapists can meet other business owners either by joining a networking group or by creating one.
There are various networking groups across the country some of the better known include:
Chamber of commerce (look for one in your area)
Federation of Small Businesses
4Networking
The Business Network
No matter which networking event you choose, remember that you need to build relationships with people before they start recommending you. It might be useful to organise a taster session e.g. chair massage or short presentation of a case study of one of your success stories during an event you attended.
Remember that those who benefit from your services are generally willing to let others know about them. They can be a great marketing resource that’s there for the asking. n
iMAGDALENA VONK is a therapist and tutor in Cheltenham. Her passion is helping other therapists to get as much as possible out of their businesses. If you have any questions related to running a massage therapy business email her at
