I’m going to tell you a story. This is not a story about some secret sauce and getting a six-figure income. It is a story about how an everyday massage therapist took charge of her business, learned to rebook massage clients, and made a big shift, very quickly. By the end of this article, you will learn some important skills to make an impact in your business and take steps toward much more success in rebooking massage clients.
Jess is a client who started her massage practice right out of school when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Many of us can relate to the struggles of starting a business coming out of massage school, and several of us can relate to the struggles of starting a massage business after leaving another industry.
Not to mention the whirlwind that socked the massage industry during the world-wide pandemic.
Jess had all the cards stacked against her. In 2021, Jess listened to a podcast where I shared my opinions about memberships, ideal clients, and other massage-business-related topics. Jess reached out and we and began dissecting what a typical week looks like in her business. What we uncovered was surprising to both of us.
As we talked on, here is what was brought to light:
Like many massage therapists, Jess was not given an extensive education in business ownership, sales or marketing. Every day was a hustle. Working together, Jess and I were able to increase her rebooking rate from 30% to 85% in less than 90 days.
I would like to share the foundational behaviors that helped Jess learn how to rebook and retain her clients. Implementing these important pieces can start to move the needle in the right direction with your client retention and rebooking.
Retention is the ability to keep your existing clients coming back. We’ve all had clients who rebook every month, and I’m sure we’ve also had clients who come back only once you’ve reached out to them.
I’m going to share with you the most important things you need to understand and implement to keep clients coming back.
The 5 Foundations of Rebooking Massage Clients
1. Massage is preventive. Take into consideration the annual checkup from your primary care physician. Why do you need to see your physician annually? Because it’s what you do to prevent illnesses. The good news is you can apply that same concept within your own practice starting today.
The absolute and most fundamental concept that must be believed within yourself, is that you are the professional and you know what is best for your client. You received your diploma and have the experience to give your clients massages that will leave them feeling much better than when they came in.
A repeating issue I see is that massage therapists don’t always take the extra time to spend with their clients to ask the right questions to open a crucial space so that they rebook with you.
Allowing clients to dictate when it’s time for them to come in won’t get you the retention and rebookings that you need to build your business.
2. The extra five minutes. In order to increase your retention, you will need to break down your entire approach to the client experience. Are your clients currently going to your website to book an appointment when they are ready?
A more productive approach that will help retain those clients would be beginning the conversation before they ever leave your office. That extra five minutes with your client creating their wellness plan, making it necessary to come in twice a month, will then create space for you to begin retaining clientele and making more money for you and your business.
By demonstrating that you are the professional while encouraging optimal wellness, they will then see the value that you are providing. Your clients will thank you for taking that extra time. Now, you are beginning to run your business as a business.
3. Establish a solid set of behaviors. When you demonstrate customer-service focused behaviors, you are changing the game. Very few massage therapists have a set of behaviors they live by in their practice. Those that do create clients for life who feel heard, cared for, and respected.
At the end of the day, the goal is to make sure that your clients choose to always rebook with you, because you are their trusted choice.
Rebooking is a topic that is brought up a lot. There is one rule that I believe to my core; to ask a client to rebook, you must earn the right.
4. Be consistent. Create a step-by-step process that you follow every single time, no matter who is in your office for a session. First we’ll look at a not-so-great scenario, and then at how to improve that scenario.
Your current session process might look like this: Your client walks in, and you exchange some chit chat, then begin the assessment. As you begin the massage, you’re checking the pressure and going through your regular process. After the massage is finished, you head to the front and ask, “When would you like to come in next?”
Most of us would say that is perfectly fine—but let’s toss another scenario out there.
Your client walks in, you greet them warmly and exchange some chit chat, and begin the pre-session assessment.
Your assessment includes plum lines, a range of motion demonstration, an explanation of what the upcoming massage session is going to look like, and what to expect.
Performing a personalized session based on the pre-session assessment demonstrates your commitment to excellence.
At the end of the session, you take time to debrief the session with a post-session assessment going through the plum lines, a range-of-motion demo and getting their feedback on the differences the last 60 minutes made.
5. Make the sale. Finally, let your client know that to keep their body optimal, you will need to see them again in two weeks, and follow up by asking them which day and time will work best for them.
This was a simplified example of demonstrating core behaviors and having a step-by-step process that can be followed to increase massage rebookings and take your business to that next level. Once you master these two things, you will then have earned the right to ask your clients to rebook with you.
When you act in your client’s best interest, rather than relying on them to book when they are past the point of maintenance, your client, you, and your business win.
About the Author
Chad Ever is the owner of LMT Websites and Co-Founder of Massage Core Academy, both designed to meet the unique business needs of massage therapists. He is also an NCBTMB Approved CE Provider serving the demand for real world business education. In addition to supporting the massage industry, Ever lives in Michigan with his wife, Amy, and McNab Collie Sadie.