Monthly Marketing Tip

This month, we will share with you a common mistake that both massage therapists and personal trainers make in marketing their practices.

The type of mistake many make out of fear.

You see, you may not realize it, but many personal trainers and massage therapists are afraid of not having enough clients.

So what do they do? They promote themselves to everyone. They act like a general massage therapist or a
general personal trainer.

What happens when you are a generalist?

You are competing with every other massage therapist or personal trainer in your area

You resemble your fellow therapists or trainers in the eyes of the potential client

Because you resemble your competitors, you have to compete on price

You make less money than you are capable of earning

You become a commodity

What is so deadly about becoming a commodity? A commodity is a product or service that is frequently desired but rarely needed. For example, an automobile commodity is cruise control. It is always nice to have on a car, but rarely needed. So most auto manufacters offer it as an add-on option.

When clients are looking for places to cut expenses, the easiest area for them to justify cutting back or eliminating are things that desirable but not needed. So they drop their regular massage appointment. Or they stop training with their personal trainer.

When people can’t tell what makes a personal trainer or massage therapist better than the rest of their competition, those prospects will make decision solely on price.

Don’t Generalize…Specialize!

Both Eric and I discovered early in our career how important it is to be perceived as a specialist.

Here are a few advantages you gain as a specialist:

Little or no competition for your specialty. You stand away from the large crowd of all of the massage therapists or personal trainers in your area.

You look positively different in the eyes of the potential client.

You no longer compete on price because you are different than your competitors

You make a lot more money

You become a valued and needed service for your clients.

Here’s one other major advantage we have seen for specialist. It is a lot easier to generate more referrals from your clients.

Why?

Because your clients can tell their friends, family, or coworkers what makes you special or unique. It helps them make a more compelling explanation why your massage therapy or personal training services are the best choice.

How To Pick A Specialty

Normally, you can pick a massage therapy or personal training specialty:

1) Where there is a public need

2) Where your personal strengths and interests lie.

3) Your target market has the financial means to pay for your services.

Here’s What We Recommend:

Find a specialty or niche that there is a strong public need and you would personally enjoy working with. After all, if you do not enjoy working with a certain target market (for example, children), it will not matter how much money you are making. You will hate working with that target market over time.

That’s all for this month. On behalf of Eric, we'll look forward to talking with you next month.

Seize The Day,

Help Your Practice

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