Repeat business is what makes a bodywork practice successful, as is obtaining referrals from those happy clients. Getting new clients in the door is only half the battle. Here are a few tips on how to keep them coming back again and again:

 

Communicate long-term value

In order for clients to come back, they need to understand your service’s value to their health. Although a massage can do wonders for our mental and physical wellbeing, it is often looked at as a fringe or luxurious expense. If a massage therapist is able to properly communicate the value of continuous massage and other bodywork services, clients will feel empowered to spend their hard-earned money on those services (not to mention feeling great after each session).

 

Listen more than you talk

The last thing a client wants when they come in for a relaxing massage is to feel like a captive audience. If you have any questions about their health or wellness, ask those prior to beginning the appointment, and once you start, let them set the pace of conversation. Just because they felt like talking last time doesn’t mean they will this time. People appreciate being able to let go for an hour or so during their hectic lives and they will be back time and time again if they’re rewarded with that peace at your practice.

 

Be professional at all times

Professionalism is of the utmost concern in the massage therapist industry. There can be a lot of trepidation surrounding a first-time customer—where do I undress, how much should I undress, how do I communicate my areas of pain or the pressure I want, etc. Put their minds at ease by walking them through your process and open the lines of communication early.

 

Ask for the next appointment

It’s the end of your appointment and you’ve got a relaxed, glowing person standing in front of you. Something that is often overlooked, but extremely effective, is to simply ask for the next appointment. Thank them for coming in and ask them if they’d like to schedule their next session. Then you can simply follow-up with an appointment confirmation and reminder using MassageBook’s customer relationship management tools.

 

Stay in front of your clients

If you’re uncomfortable asking upfront, or if the client seems hesitant about booking right then, it’s important to have tools to stay top-of-mind. MassageBook offers email marketing that automatically send client reminders to book their next session and offers easy online booking for all your clients. MassageBook even has an “Autopilot” setting that automatically detects when a customer hasn’t received a service in a while and sends a series of emails to encourage a return visit. It’s an automated feature, so you won’t have to keep track of your first-time users’ schedules with pen and paper ever again.

 

Building trust and professional relationships can be a slow process, but with these techniques, you’ll be able to put a first-time client at ease and convert them into a loyal customer in no time.