Massage Apparel
Promote your business easily and without having to initiate conversations by wearing massage apparel. A therapist shared that she generates interest and new clients simply by wearing an engraved name badge with her name and the title of "massage therapist." I have heard numerous stories of getting new clients by wearing a shirt with a catchy phrase about massage or classy graphic image. A therapist reported that people always approach him whenever he patronizes his favorite restaurant wearing his custom designed polo shirt.
If they are attractive enough, your clients will wear your shirts and in essence become long-term walking billboards. A sports massage therapist related how she originally printed up T-shirts intending to sell them. Now she gives them to clients and wears them around town and whenever she is at a sports event. Her shirts are emblazoned on the back with an appealing petroglyph hand design with her company name (Hands On Therapy Massage), her name (Marlee Sondgrath, LMT) and phone number with area code (see photo). Over the front left breast is a miniature petroglyph hands emblem with her company name. People approach her asking questions such as, "Is that you?" "Can you recommend a good therapist?" "Is that your massage therapist?" This opening allows her to talk about massage and pass out her business cards.

To find a local supplier for customized apparel look in the phone book under Screen Printing or Uniforms. One of the major national catalogs for apparel is Valentino T-Shirts, Aprons & Uniforms (800-448-7017). The companies that manufacture apparel specifically for massage practitioners include: Stress Away Systems (800-562-1944); BBTEES (888-522-8337); Hand Picked Products (800-998-0695); Holistic Modalities (800-689-6066); and the AMTA (847-864-0123).

Incentive Programs
Incentive programs are designed to reward loyal clients and inspire referrals. They are also a great venue for encouraging new people to utilize your services. Traditionally, incentive programs involve some type of fee discount such as: 1) Prepay for five sessions and receive the sixth one free; 2) Get 20 percent off your first visit; receive a free half-hour session certificate for every referral. 
 
Your incentive program need not be limited to hands-on work. Consider giving away products, seminar registrations and adjunct services that are not too labor-intensive, such as paraffin treatments.
 
Choose products that align with your practice (e.g., self-massage tools, hot/cold packs, health-related books, music, pocket reference charts, ergonomic devices) and high-end personalized promotional items such as visors, clothing, tote bags and classy pens. Reduce your costs by purchasing products in quantity. Contact the manufacturers or major distributors of your favorite massage-related products and ask for their discount schedules. Further decrease your cost by joining with other therapists for volume purchasing. To find promotional items look in the phone book under Promotional Items, Premiums or Specialty Advertising. Some of the major national promotional companies are: Best Impressions (800-635-2378), [www.bestimpressions.com]; Promo Unlimited (800-748-6150); The Drawing Board (800-210-4431); and Nelson Marketing (800-982-9159).

Presto: A Thriving Business 
Marketing never ends; it is an integral component of your business. Use an assortment of approaches in an ongoing, consistent manner. Plan on investing at least 15 percent of your time in marketing to maintain your practice and more to expand it. If you are just starting out, you may need to increase it to more than 50 percent. While I still have not found a magic wand to wave away all your marketing woes, keep in mind that there really are no tricks involved to marketing. Marketing is not about making your competition disappear or putting on illusions. Successful marketing is simply sharing who you are in such a manner that people can make an informed choice about utilizing your services. 

Cherie Sohnen-Moe, MTJ business editor, healing arts practitioner, coach, and trainer, author of Business Mastery, and coauthor (with MTJ columnist Ben E. Benjamin,) of an ethics home-study course, can be reached at 3906 W. Ina Road, No. 200-267, Tucson, AZ 85741 (520-743-3936); sma@rtd.com, or [www.sohnen-moe.com].