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The Keys to Referral Building for Massage Therapists
As the owner of a professional massage practice, If you're ready to stop chasing prospects and prefer to have high-quality clients come to you, you don't need a huge budget or a complex marketing strategy. All you need is the proven business building block of referrals.
On paper, referrals sound too good to be true. Imagine being told there's a marketing tool you can use to build trust and grow your clientele, all via word-of-mouth from your existing clients. The best part? It's technically free! That, and the fact that there are practices built almost entirely out of referrals. So, as far as bang for your buck, referrals are about as good as it gets.
However, with great power comes great responsibility. Referrals can be an effective tool when done right. In this blog, we'll walk you through a step-by-step process so you can make referrals part of your process. Let’s dive right in.
Step 1: Deliver a Client Experience Worth Talking About
Let's start with the obvious—people don't recommend average experiences to others.
If you're going to start asking clients to refer friends and family your way, you better be offering the best possible experience for them.
It's not just about giving a great massage. You should be creating an overall fantastic experience, including:
- Helping people achieve specific goals
- Delivering noticeable results
- Maintaining a clean practice
- Keeping up on little personal details
- Tracking client feedback
- Adjusting your technique or approach as needed
- Creating a warm, inviting space
- Making clients happy
In other words, you need to create a fulfilling experience that puts your clients first and makes them feel seen, heard, and cared for. If you need to work on some of these, that might be the best place to start.
If you are creating great experiences and you're following up with them after sessions, helping them relax, and keeping everything you do professional, people will take note. That kind of service stands out these days. That's the kind of service that people will want to tell their friends and coworkers about.
That word-of-mouth marketing can build trust faster than any paid campaign ever could (and you can trust us on that).
Please note that it’s equally important to avoid bad word-of-mouth. The truth is, like bad news, negative word-of-mouth travels fast. While one happy client can lead to a few more new bookings, one dissatisfied customer can drive people away.
Do your best to consistently deliver excellent service for every single customer since your referral strategy starts the moment your client walks in the door. To build a reputation you can rely on, put your customer first.
Step 2: Make Referring Worth Their While
If a client is prepared to refer you to someone else, you want to make sure that it's worth their effort.
You can use a simple incentive to help nudge your client over the edge, such as a discounted session (like $10 off), a free add-on, or credit towards a future package.
You don't have to go overboard but make sure it aligns with your pricing and positioning.
Remember that you're keeping it simple for yourself and your client. So, don't go creating a complicated system with rewards points, unless you have a way to track it efficiently.
Whatever offer you decide on, get crystal clear on your terms. We won't assume that people will try and take advantage, but you should have a clearly defined incentive that is awarded upon the fulfillment of certain conditions.
For example, your client gets $10 off his or her next session IF their referral books, pays, and shows up to their appointment. You might even keep a simple tracking sheet or note in your scheduling software (like MassageBook) to log referrals.
If you're curious about how to word your terms on your referral card (or wherever you post your referral program), here's one example:
"Earn $10 off your next session when your referral books, pays, and completes their appointment. Just have them mention your name when booking!"
If you want to expand that or include some finer print, you might clarify that it's one discount per referral, and the discount only applies after the new client's first completed session. This keeps it fair and straightforward enough so that anybody ready to refer understands the terms.
Step 3: Give Your Clients Easy Referral Tools
Make sure you give your clients the tools to make referrals easy.
In other words, you don't want to rely solely on word-of-mouth, especially when creating print materials or easy-to-forward emails is easier than ever. Here are some ideas:
- Offer a referral card with all of your contact information
- Send a simple email message that your client can forward with your MassageBook booking link
- Create a simple incentive for both the referral and, if you’d like, your referring client ($10 off your next/ first session)
- Get printed or digital "bring-a-friend" promotional materials
These materials help to remove any possible friction in the process. After all, it would be a shame if your client did reach out to refer someone else but they didn't have an easy way to reach you!
You can increase your chances of success by reminding your clients of your referral program often. Keep your printed cards near where clients check in and out. You can also update your email signature to include a reminder.
If you're delivering a great experience, don't be shy! Most people will be happy to help you out, especially if they know they're helping a friend, too.
Step 4: Leverage Your Current Clients
If you've made it this far, you probably already have an established network of current and past clients. These are the best people to work into your referral program, as well as the most likely to refer others to you.
Start with your best, most loyal clients. These clients have been coming around for a while, and you probably know them pretty well. If you do, this makes it easier to ask if they know anybody who could benefit from working with you.
You may think this feels strange, salesy, or out-of-place, but it's not any of those things. As a reminder, you provide a valuable service that requires your specific expertise and improves people's quality of life.
However, if you're feeling somewhat apprehensive about this, you can alleviate some of the stress by using or creating a simple script. With the words already sorted out, you've got one less factor to be anxious about. No need to make it complicated or turn it into a hard pitch. Here's one possible way you can approach it:
"Hey, by the way, I'm trying to grow my practice a bit this month. If you know anybody who could use stress relief or pain management, I'd be honored if you'd send them my way."
Of course, feel free to tweak it until it sounds more like you, and then give it a try in the mirror before taking it for a spin.
Once you've gone through your most loyal clients and have gotten comfortable with your script, you can branch out to the rest of your client base with ease.
Say Thanks
If somebody does decide to refer someone to you, go out of your way to thank them.
Write a handwritten thank you note (as long as your handwriting is legible), shoot them a thank you email, or throw in an unexpected upgrade on their next visit. Gratitude goes a long way, and when people feel appreciated, it turns out they're more likely to refer again.
Step 5: Partner with Other Local Professionals
Don't sleep on the power of forming valuable connections with fellow professionals and businesses in your community.
Just think, if you can tap into a resource that already has the client base you're after, how would that drive your goals? The good news is, you probably don't have to look far.
Think about who's already serving the same clients you want to target, such as:
- Chiropractors
- Physical therapists
- Personal trainers
- Yoga instructors
- Health spas
Consider anybody in your area helping people manage stress, injury, or tension. There's a good chance these people would benefit from a capable massage therapist like yourself. Not only that but these arrangements help the other professionals look good in their client's eyes by introducing you.
How to Connect with Fellow Professionals
Build your list and reach out with a friendly message. If you're the person-to-person type, feel free to drop in with your business card and introduce yourself.
Go ahead and offer them a discounted session so they can experience your service firsthand. If they are interested, be sure to provide them with all of your positive client reviews and testimonials.
See if they're open to discussing your collaboration over coffee. Approach each meeting with the idea that you can find ways to help each other. If you can create a meaningful, valuable, mutually beneficial arrangement, it can become a solid method of bringing in new clients. Not every contact will turn into a partnership, but even one or two connections can be a game changer.
Either way, don't be afraid to be generous here. Make an effort to connect and help, and then follow up in the future. Whether it turns into a future partnership or not, you can never go wrong with being a positive force in your community.
Grow with Integrity, One Referral at a Time
If you can get this referral process right, you won't have to spend so much time and money chasing clients through more complex marketing positioning and ad campaigns that bring in so-so leads. Referrals are powerful, and they're simple enough that you can jump right into this method today.
Start by offering an amazing service, asking for referrals from your best clients, giving them the tools to easily refer people, and building partnerships with local adjacent businesses.
If you can do this, you can create a cycle of trust that feeds your business long-term and leads to clients who are happy to refer others (perhaps many others) to you. Granted, it may not happen overnight, but once you get the ball rolling, all you need to do is offer consistently great service, remind people of your program, and thank them sincerely.
Then, you can watch your practice grow, one happy client at a time.
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