january 2014 marketing and planning

Marketing and Planning for the Future

Christine Baker Marriage & Michelle Ames

Make 2014 the BEST YEAR yet!

How?1. Strategy2. Time Management3. Marketing4. Education & Self-

Care

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Create a Strategy

1. What are your broad aspirations? (Feel Good)2. What are your solid goals? (Measureable)

* Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly? 2 years? 5 years?

3. Where will you carry out these plans? 4. How will you surpass the competition? 5. What will you need to surpass the

competition?

Tim

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Time Management

~ 8760 hours per year•2920 Sleeping•2920 Personal/Family•2920 Job

8 hours a day per category.

Time Management

Balancing:• Family• Work• Me

Time Management

Time Management

Your time is VALUABLE!

Time Management

Full Time/Part Time?• Based on goals

Time Management

No clients?• Still go to work!

Time Management

No Shows? • Policy in place• Charge on Saturdays only?• Early Capture of CC • Prepaid program?

Time Management

Back to Back APPTs•Manage Time•Manage Paperwork•Manage Yourself•Newsblast and FBK

Con

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Ed

uca

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• 36 hours every registration period• Not required in first three years after licensure• Up to 12 hours self-study• 0-36 hours through online CE (Must be approved NYS CE provider)• 0-36 hours through classroom CE (Must be approved NYS CE provider)

Continuing Education

• 1/12 CPR for Heath Care Professionals

• 1/26 Refresh Your Knowledge Series: Back

• 2/3 Basic Trigger Point Massage

• 2/3 Intro to CranioSacral*

• 3/9 Refresh Your Knowledge Series: Shoulder, Arms and Hands

• 3/23 & 24 Reflexology

• 3/30 Massage for the Post Treatment Cancer Patient

• 4/4 & 4/5 Intro to Cranio Sacral

• 4/13 Hot Stone 2

• 4/27 Refresh Your Knowledge Series: Head, Face and Neck

• 5/5 Sports Refresher*

• More in the works!

Continuing Education @ RMA

• 7/13 Refresh Your Knowledge Series: Pelvic and Abdominal • 8/4 Shiatsu Refresher* • 9/8 Law Refresher* • 10/6 Postural Analysis*• 10/17-10/19 Massage for People Living with

Cancer • 11/3 Intro to Infant Massage* • 12/7 Refresh Your Knowledge Series: Legs and

Feet • More in the works!

Continuing Education @ RMA

Mark

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Marketing

• Small businesses are built on personal relationships.• All traffic is not profitable traffic.

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• Surpass your Competition• Your Brand• Your Strategy

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Surpass your Competition• CEUs• Conferences•Networking• Stay current

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You are your brand

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Q: Do I need a brand if I work for a spa/salon?

A: YES!

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Become an expert in something – set yourself apart from the rest!

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Do my logo, collaterals, business cards, web site, etc. need refreshing?

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Engage in social media

…but do not let it take over my life!

• You need to have a Facebook page or a Web page or both• You need to post to your Facebook page at least 5 times a week (steal our content…that’s why its there)

• https://www.facebook.com/MassageMarketingRMA

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•NYS Trained, Licensed and Certified! … a PROFESSIONAL

•Do not cheapen your craft – add value to it!

Your time is VALUABLE!

Marketing

To Groupon or not to Groupon?

Orig-inal Price

Sold Price

Their Cut

Fees Your Cut

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

$60

$70$70.00

$35.00

$17.50

$7.50 $10.00

Financially detrimentalExample: $70 massage

Groupon will sell for $35Groupon will keep $17.50

You will “make” $10 (minus overhead, taxes)

Bottom line: You will net about $10 of an $70 massage, and you will have to honor ALL of the deals you sell

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Daily Deals: Groupon, Living Social, Amazon, Etc.

• Are these the clients you want to attract to your business?

• Will your regular clients be able to get in?

• Will you get a negative business reputation if new clients can’t get in when they think they should be able to?

• Many massage therapists feel that it cheapens the profession…and how will that help YOU in the field?

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Help

Your

Yelp

(a

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Your reputation is online, even if your business isn't. Take control of how the web world sees your business, and protect your bottom line. Check Yelp, Google, Angie’s List and more to see what is being said about you.

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How will I market

myself this year?

•Get a dollar store calendar and color!

• Craigslist – not a very good idea

• Be careful of fee-splitting (rewarding someone for sending you clients)

Marketing Ideas

• Postcards – send a January postcard inviting your clients to a healthy, happy and relaxed 2014 by scheduling regular massage• Introduction letters – send letters to local

doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, salons, etc. welcoming their client referrals• Read our monthly marketing ideas on our

website (members only)

Marketing Ideas

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Update my LinkedIn profile

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Take CE classes AND tell the world!!

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ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS carry: 1. Business Cards – drive to your

site2. Gift Certificates

Gift Certificate Law• Gift certificates must be good for a minimum of 5

years from the date of issue.

• Upon expiration, gift certificate money collected and not redeemed must be surrendered to New York State.

NYS: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/ouf/giftcards.htm

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Gift Certificates – Our Recommendations/Ideas• Add the term “non-transferrable without prior

permission” to your gift certificates

• Number your gift certificates and keep good records of who purchased them, by whom they will be used, and how much they were sold for

• Some people put GC money into a separate account, and don’t add the money to their working account until the GC is redeemed

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January Ideas• New Year• Martin Luther King Day (1/20)• Chinese New Year (1/31)• Renew your health• Skiing• Shoveling

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February Ideas• Groundhog Day (2/2)• National Wear Red Day (2/7)• Valentine’s Day (2/14)• President’s Birthday (2/17)• Winter Break• Couples’ Massage• Hot Stone

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March Ideas• Read Across America Day (3/3)• Fat Tuesday (3/4)• Daylight Savings Time (3/9)• St. Patrick’s Day (3/17)• Newly Engaged

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April Ideas• Tax Day (4/15)• Passover (4/15)• Easter (4/20)• Admin Prof Day (4/23)• Showers for Wedding and Baby

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May Ideas• Cinco de Mayo (5/5)• National Nurses Day (5/6)• Mother’s Day (5/11)• Armed Forces Day (5/17)• Memorial Day (5/26)

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June Ideas• Flag Day (6/14)• Father’s Day (6/15)• End of the school year• Teacher Appreciation• Weddings• Births

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July Ideas• Independence Day (7/4)• Parents Day (7/27)

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August Ideas• Senior Citizens day (8/21)• Back to school• College Bound Students

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September Ideas• Labor Day (9/1)• Grandparents Day (9/7)• National POW/MIA

Recognition Day (9/19)• Rosh Hashana (9/25)

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October Ideas• Yom Kippur (10/4)• Child Health Day (10/6)• Columbus Day (10/13)• Boss’ Day (10/16)• Halloween (10/31)

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November Ideas• Daylight Saving Time

ends (11/2)• Veterans Day (11/11)• Thanksgiving (11/27)• Black Friday (11/28)• Small Business

Saturday (11/29)

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December Ideas• Cyber Monday (12/1)• St. Nicholas’ Day (12/6)• Hanukkah (first day is 12/17)• Christmas (12/25)• Kwanzaa (12/26)• NYE (12/31)• Gift Certificates

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Health and Wellness Observances

• Too many to list here! • See handout from NationalWellness.org• Annual Massage Therapy Awareness Weeks

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A Few More Things…• Update your website and social media sites – and keep

them updated and relevant.

• Have a Facebook business page? Does it link to your website? Does your website link to Facebook? They should!

• Are you using both sides of your business cards for marketing? If not...you're wasting seven square inches of prime marketing real estate! And while we’re at it, never be without business cards. You never know when you'll need them! (Are your business cards designed well? Do they have the right information? Are they easy to read? A second set of eyes is always a great idea before your reorder!)

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A Few More Things…• Do you tweet? Twitter limits you to 140 characters - which

can feel very stifling...but think about this...if you can't get your marketing point across in 140 characters, then maybe what you're trying to say IS too long. Today's attention spans are very short. Brevity is your friend. So tweet well...and tweet brief...and get your point across quickly.

• Why wait for clients to call you? Why not call them? Has it been awhile? Call to see how they are and suggest a next appointment!

• Did you know...photos and graphics make a bigger splash on Facebook than text and links? Consider saying it graphically…and make that graphic a 404x404 pixel square. It shows up better online.

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Don’t forget to take care of YOU!E

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Care

Education & Self-Care

• Practice what you preach – get regular massage.

• Guard your schedule – make sure you are honoring your own boundaries.

• Eat well. • Learn.• Exercise. • Meditate. • Have fun.

Research

• Stay Relevant• Know the Field• Determine Further Areas of Study• Be Better Able to Answer Questions• Contribute to the Conversation

• 2/3 Intro to CranioSacral*

• 3/3 Profitable Spa Party

• 4/7 Birthday Party and Exchange

• 5/5 Sports Refresher*

• 6/2 Client Stretching

• 7/7 Yoga for LMTs

• 8/4 Shiatsu Refresher*

• 9/8 Law Refresher*

• 10/6 Postural Analysis*

• 11/3 Intro to Infant Massage*

• 12/1 Tax Prep for LMTs

Learning, Growing, Networking

•Ask tonight•Email us at info@rochestermassagealliance.com•Call us at 585-943-4609

Questions?