During massage school, if you had a class on chair massage, it was likely a short lesson.
And if so, you probably spent much of that time learning how to set up and take down your chair!
Nevertheless, there is a lot of good that can come from using your massage chair strategically.
Not only can chair massage help you get more clients and expand your skillset, but you can also earn a little extra cash on the side.
Here are 7 ways your massage practice can benefit from using your massage chair.
1. Gives clients a sample of your magic.
A quick 5 or 10 minute chair massage is the perfect way to showcase your skills to a new client.
If your main business is in a table massage environment, a chair massage will let a potential new long-term client test your technique before committing to the time, and cost, of a full table session.
Even in a short period of time, you can work out a good knot or two in a chair massage client, which will make it hard for them to forget about you as they go through the rest of their day.
2. Keeps your work mobile.
Chair massage lets you set up shop in virtually any location.
If you ever get sick of the four walls of your massage studio, you can head out on the town and find people where they are. How about the local farmer’s market, your kids’ soccer tournament, the waiting room of your hair salon?
Pretty much anywhere there’s a 5 by 5 space and people passing by, you can set up ready to work. Just make sure your insurance covers you where you decide to work.
3. Helps you reach unlikely clients.
By making yourself, and your massage chair, visible in your community, you’ll likely spark some interest in clients who might not have considered getting a massage before.
And since a chair massage can be a low-commitment experience for the client, they could be even less resistant to giving massage a try.
4. Gets your name and your brand out into the world.
Even if you don’t massage every passerby where your massage chair is set up, if you have marketing materials displayed, you can still make an impact.
Be sure to provide plenty of business cards with your contact information and website listed.
It’s also smart to provide an email sign-up sheet so you can contact interested clients after your chair massage day. Then don’t wait long before emailing them!
If you’re not timely when contacting new clients on your list, they may forget they even signed up and you’ll miss your window of opportunity.
5. Keeps you busy during your slow periods.
If you regularly hit a slow season, or even a slow day or hour, you can set up your massage chair to drum up business and keep your skills fresh.
And even if a chair massage client doesn’t become a long-term repeat customer, at least you’ll be able to continue working a little during slow periods.
You could also try pairing your table massage practice with a corporate chair massage service, offering to provide chair massage at a client’s workplace to fill in the gaps of your schedule.
6. Opens opportunities for professional networking.
When you bring your massage chair from place to place, you’ll make business connections wherever you go.
This could be the owner of the grocery store you set up your chair at, or an employee of a huge local company who happens to stop by for a quick chair massage.
Everyone you interact with is an opportunity to grow your business, as long as you’re friendly, professional, and can give a good massage.
7. Earns you a little extra cash.
Whether you charge per minute, or work for tips alone, working with your massage chair opens more of your earning capabilities.
An otherwise idle lunch break could be a way of earning a little pocket money if you’re motivated enough.
You don’t have to have a full-fledged corporate massage business in place to earn some money from occasional onsite massage work.
To get the most earning potential with your massage chair, seek out chair massage training videos, many of which are free online.
About the Author
Amelia Wilcox is founder and CEO of Incorporate Massage, a national corporate massage company headquartered in Utah. She studied nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Utah and received her massage therapy training at the Utah College of Massage Therapy. She wrote “This is How Chair Massage Can Help You Land Corporate Clients” for the July 2018 issue of MASSAGE Magazine.