UpClose & Personal - Ralph Stephens

The professional image surrounding a massage therapist and their practice is one of the most important aspects in achieving success. After all, you are trying to get a total stranger to trust their body to your hands in a very intimate way. Few people are likely to do that if they do not trust you. It is hard for people to establish a trusting relationship with a stranger who is asking for their money. People are much more likely to agree to accept your services if their first impression is that you seem to be very professional. You must look and act like someone they can safely trust with their well being for a few minutes to an hour or more.

You may only have a few minutes of initial contact with a person and the opportunity to hand them a business card. What is going to make them call you? What is going to make them call you over some other therapist? What is going to convince them to get into your chair at a health fair or a mall in that few moments of opportunity before they wander on? The number one thing is the professional image you project.

Professionalism is not about wearing a business suit. It is the entire aura around how you present yourself. First impressions are very powerful. Bad first impressions are almost impossible to overcome. A huge part of professionalism is creating a positive first impression. For better or worse, appearance plays a huge part in first impressions. What is the first impression people will get from you and your practice? You are representing your practice everywhere you go. Everyone needs the services you have to offer. Consider this and always be ready to act on an opportunity to promote your practice and help someone. Here are some things to check and consider as you work to develop your professional image.

Long hair, beards, unusual hairdos can be ok if they are stylish or well kept. Dirty, messy, scraggly, unkempt are not acceptable.

Do you present a clean, neat appearance? A polo shirt can be very professional, especially with your name or the name of your business embroidered on it. Shorts can also be very professional in appropriate climates as long as they are of modest length. Denim cut-offs are never appropriate. It is impractical to work in a full business suit. However, for your first presentation to a company, a bank or a school it may be best to wear one. It is generally best to overdress for sales presentations. A very successful sales person once told me he always tried to be just a little better dressed than his clients. Not too much, just a little better and he always made sure his shoes were clean and/or shined. Make that good first impression at your sales presentation, then return; looking sharp, but functionally dressed to do the work.

Once you have your wardrobe in order, the next area to check is your equipment. It should be clean and in proper working order. Your should be very familiar how to set up your table or chair and how to adjust them. Fumbling around with your equipment is very unprofessional. If it looks like you don't know how to use your equipment, why would anyone believe you know how to properly address their body?

Some massage chairs require a lot of fumbling around to make the required adjustments. One adjustment requires that you make two more. Avoid these products. Get a chair that is light to move around, easy to set-up and quick to make all the necessary adjustments. If all the adjustments of your current chair are wasting valuable time and making your clients stand around, consider the Golden Ratio QuickLite Chair. It is the lightest and quickest chair available, with the easiest and most logical adjustments.

Have your things organized. Don't be digging around trying to find a business card or your schedule book or anything else. Being organized is another very important aspect of your professional image.

One more thing, what is the image your promotional material projects to the public? Your cards, brochures, ads, logo and business name all should work together to present a professional impression. Remember that the primary purpose of a business card is to get someone to call you later. Your card should be simple, easy to read, and very clear who your are and what you do. It should not tell every detail about every thing you have ever studied. Use general terms that anyone can understand. Everyone knows what massage is. Very few people know what neuropsychosomatic integration is. If they have to think very hard to remember what your card is about, they will not, they will throw your card away.

Consider these things and check out your professional image. Since we never see ourselves as others see us, ask several people to evaluate you. Don't ask some slob, and don't ask someone too close to you. As you improve your professional image, your practice will improve and give you more opportunities to serve more people.

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