Six Habits Massage Therapists Want To Have

There are good habits, and there are bad habits; and there are certain good habits massage therapists want to have or consider adopting.

As a society, we're so focused, it seems on breaking our bad habits, which apparently are numerous. As we all know, bad habits are so easy to develop, we don't have to put any effort into their development.

Good habits require effort, but when it comes to business and growing a business, it's good to focus on acquiring certain good habits.

These are a few vital good habits massage therapists want to have, or at least consider adopting when dealing with their clients.

• Always ask your client prior to beginning the session if there are any areas of concern, and what they hope to achieve from the session. In addition to having defined goals for the sessions, if you have a clear idea of what they want, if it's unrealistic, you can address that before the session; and instead, steer them toward a more realistic goal.


• Ask for the sale. Meaning: After you client gets off the table, you want to book their next appointment. Don't wait for them to ask for one. Don't assume they'll book one when they "need" it. Have your calendar out with your pencil poised, and ask, "Is this a good time for you next week?"


• If a month has passed since you last heard from a client, call them to see how they're doing. Don't just wait until they "need" you. If you don't keep in contact, they may forget how amazing you are, or some other therapist may pay more attention to them which will be their gain and your loss.


• Call your client the next day to ask how they're feeling. Set aside a time of day when you call your clients from the day before. It's an important habit to have. It lets your clients know you are concerned about them beyond your table, and it allows you to preempt any dissatisfaction they may have had with their session.


• Set aside a time and day every week to organize your finances. This, for independent contractors and self-employed therapists, is an essential habit to form. Take care of your bookkeeping while it's fresh in your mind, and avoid at all costs trying to figure out what happened eleven months earlier on the eve of April 15th when you need to file your taxes.


• Hand out your business card to every new person you meet (unless you feel they would not be a good match for you and your business). You never know who will appreciate your services, and you never know with whom they'll share your card. Word of mouth is one of the strongest marketing tools available to you.

Despite the long held belief that it takes 21 days to acquire a habit, according to the article "How Long to Form a Habit?" on Psyblog, a study done by Pillippa Lally and her colleagues from University College London determined that the habit one desires to adopt takes anywhere from 18 days up to 254 days, depending on the particular habit.

Whether it takes 21 days or a thousand days to acquire the above habits, they're certainly valuable to consider.

Naturally there are more good habits massage therapists want to have, but the above-mentioned habits are but a few that can almost immediately improve the success of your business; yet, they are good habits often forgotten or ignored.

Do you have any good habits you've adopted that have helped improve your massage or bodywork business? Have the habits I suggested resonated with you?