Think about the times you have sought out the services of a professional, especially for health-related reasons. Most likely, you were looking to find the doctor, dentist, physical therapist or acupuncturist who possessed the most expertise and possibly specialized expertise with a particular issue or condition.
For most clients of massage therapy and bodywork, the process of finding a practitioner of healthy touch is often quite similar. Client seek out those massage therapists and bodyworkers that inspire confidence, whether via word-of-mouth, marketing materials, credentials or most often a combination of all of the above and then some.
Even though education is far from everything, clients will tend to be drawn to the massage therapist or bodyworker who has shown a professional commitment to his or her education. Practitioners of healthy touch who possess advanced credentials and certifications tend to be highly appealing to a broader range of clients.
It is not difficult, then, to make the connection between continuing education and increased success as a massage therapist or bodyworker. As you attain more and more knowledge through your continuing education classes, you should be able to attain more and more success in your career.
Besides the fact that a highly educated massage therapist or bodyworker tends to attract a greater number of clients, the practitioner who possesses advanced credentials, earned through continuing education classes, can also charge a higher rate for the increased value of his or her services.
Therefore, it is important to take advantage of opportunities for continuing education as a massage therapist or bodyworker. By strategically selecting the right continuing education classes, you can guide your career in exciting and successful new directions. By completing the right progression of continuing education classes, you can even begin to position yourself as the expert in your area when it comes to a particular niche of bodywork, such pain relief or postural alignment.
As you complete various continuing education courses, be sure to let your community know about your new knowledge and skills. List any certification or credentials you achieve through continuing education on your marketing materials, including your massage menu, your website and any social media sites to which you belong.
It is also a good idea to frame and hang your various continuing education certifications and credentials inside your practice space. Much the way a lawyer or doctor might hang his or her degrees on the wall of an office, you want to let your clients know they are dealing with a well-qualified professional, which will further boost their confidence in you and your services.
If you can, find a way to convey the fact that you are committed to continuing education. From your marketing materials to the initial conversation you have with new clients, make it known that you expand your education every year in order to stay on top of the latest advances in the field of massage therapy and bodywork.
Start today to develop your reputation as a consummate professional, by strategically enrolling in the right continuing education classes.
—Brandi Schlossberg