Marketing in a Shaky Economy

I am so lucky to be a member of a very robust Chamber of Commerce here in Louisville, KY and I just got back from a Breakfast Networking Meeting where the featured speaker was giving a presentation on Marketing in an Economic Downturn. Shannon is a PR professional who makes a living helping small businesses thrive through creative marketing programs. Needless to say, with the current economic climate as it is, this meeting was packed with eager ears and pencils at the ready.

I thought I would share a few of the highlights of this meeting. Not because I think that this is new information, but because I think, just like effective marketing efforts, it never hurts to hear a good message more than once.

According to Shannon (and multiple sources quoted throughout her presentation), the biggest mistake a business can make is to stop marketing when things get tough. This is the time that business should stay top of mind and out in front of their best customers. Providing a clear and frequent message is key.

Another interesting piece of advice had to do with cutting prices. That can also be a big mistake. Intead of slashing prices, shaping the message and staying focused on the brand/unique selling point of your product or service should be the goal. Remaining true to your belief that your product or service holds value will keep loyal customers coming back. If you believe in the value of your product, so will they.

Shannon spent 20 mintues discussing the importance of maintaining a robust marketing plan in this tough economy and the message was loud and clear. Will you need to reevaluate your marketing programs? Perhaps. Will that mean cutting back on certain areas that aren't working quite as well as they once were and pumping that money into other avenues? Most likely. Is this going to be easy? Probably not. But according to the experts and the people who have had to lead businesses through other tough economic times, those who continue to market, will most likely be the ones standing at the end of this cycle.

"If you build it..."

My elements studio has been open for 10 months and I did something recently that although necessary, was very scary for me. I hired 3 new therapists all in the same week. I hired them hoping that we could keep them busy. Hoping that it was a "Field of Dreams" situation..."If you build it, they (clients) will come." It was August --- not the busiest time of the year for massage. People are focusing on back to school, last minute vacations, that last long weekend at the lake. Massage sometimes takes a back seat to all of this...heck, lots of things take a back seat to the immediacy of the end of summer and the start of the school year. But, I did it anyway and you know what. Its working.

The struggle to find the right therapists has been constant but it is not unique to me. I have spoken to a lot of studio owners and managers who face the same thing. They get a lot of people interested in working for them but it takes guts and patience to hold out for the right people to join the team. No matter how beautiful and serene the surroundings, the staff is the reason people come back. It isn't a big business revelation that if the experience doesn't live up to the expectation of the client, they won't be coming back anytime soon.

I've been blessed with a tremendously talented staff, from my front desk professionals to my therapists. And, I am once again counting on riding the current Field of Dreams wave...I'm on the look out for 2 more therapists and one more front desk person.
Wish me luck.

It was a Good Day to laugh

A lot of people search for the "perfect" career, one that they are passionate about, one that they look forward to doing for a long time to come. I was passionate about my previous 2 careers (one in broadcasting and one in recruiting) and when I went to massage school, it didn't take me long to realize I was going to be passionate about this as well.

In analyzing these 3 very different choices in life --- broadcasting, recruiting and massage --- I was trying to find a common thread that would give me some insight as to why I was drawn to these particular areas and it struck me yesterday, mid-massage, what it could be. Laughter. In radio, I spent most of my career doing "Morning Drive" shows --- a group of people getting up way too early to talk about our lives and maybe play a little music when we got tired of yapping. We laughed 1,000 times a day. Genuine belly laughs --- usually at someone else's expense, but laughter none the less.

In recruiting, I had the opportunity to meet such a diverse group of people. Employers looking for the right person for their company and Candidates looking to make a career change that could put them on that road to finding the "perfect" career. I was a matchmaker of sorts and I got to know my clients very well --- and although not quite as frequent as in radio --- I did share many a belly laugh with my clients.

In massage, it is amazing how many times a day I laugh. Yesterday, I had tears streaming down my face I was laughing so hard with a client. She was laughing just as hard and it was awesome. The tension that she held in her body prior to the session started to melt away as soon as we started laughing. It must have been a goofy day all around yesterday. Maybe it was the thunderstorms that broke the heat of the past week --- or maybe it was just something in the air, but I saw 5 clients yesterday and I laughed with every single one of them. It was great.

Not every day is like this, but there are enough that it makes me stop to ponder how powerful laughter is in my life. It makes me look forward to heading to the studio, to see these people again --- maybe to laugh with them, or maybe to just be quiet and still with them. All I know is that I am still passionate about my career in massage --- and laughter is part of the reason why.

Simply Water

I was talking to a client the other day while he was waiting for his massage. He has a great personality and we started chatting about the bio and information books that we have in the waiting room. The tone of our conversation was very light and then he got real serious and said, "You know what really stuck with me the last time I read these books that you have out here? The fact that the majority of Americans are walking around in a state of dehydration." He then went on to say that after reading that stat in our information book, he realized that he doesn't drink enough water. He said he was raised on lemonade, sweet tea and carbonated soda. He never really thinks about drinking just water. So, we talked about little changes he can make to increase his water consumption.
I loved that he actually read the information book in the studio and that he was going to make a few changes to his life because of it. It was a great conversation and very unexpected --- especially because it happened so naturally. No preaching, no "you shoulds..." just a quick conversation that will hopefully make a big impact on his life in the future.

New Perspective

I recently had the opportunity to appear on a local Live TV morning news show to talk about elements here in Louisville. I have a media background so was sufficiently “nervous” about doing a Live Show. You never know where the conversation may go or more importantly, if the person doing the interviewing has a grasp of what it is we actually do. I was hoping and praying that he wouldn’t ask me 1-a question I didn’t have the answer to or 2-some ridiculous question that would lead us down a path that would be difficult to get off of once we were on it.

I have to tell you, I was pleasantly surprised with how things turned out. The interviewer did his homework and asked some great questions. I have been involved in massage for about 5 years (either as a student, assistant instructor or therapist/owner) and I sometimes forget that people are extremely curious about massage therapy. What it can do for the body and the mind. What I take for granted about massage therapy is sometimes what others want to know more about.

The other day, one of my therapists was waiting for a new client and she read in the notes that this was the client’s FIRST massage ever. She was so excited about it. She turned to me and said “I love it when I get to introduce new people to massage”. She KNOWS the benefits of massage on the body and the mind and she is also confident enough in her skills to know that her client will get the best introduction to massage possible in this visit. She was so excited to share this with her new client.

These two experiences happened within a week of each other and it was so refreshing for me. As the owner of an elements, I sometimes get caught up in the day to day dealings of running a studio. It is always great to have the opportunity to see the enthusiasm for massage from someone else’s perspective --- whether it is an interviewer curious about prenatal massage or a massage therapist who cannot wait to introduce and share the benefits of massage with her new client.

Wonderful Experience!

Today I had my first visit to Elements! What a wonderful experience it was. From Jodi's greeting, Mary's expert hands, and again Jodi helping with the next appt. Mary is a very, very talented professional. She responded to my requests perfectly, and even now hours later, I still feel the effects of her work. You are very fortunate to have her on your staff, and I look forward to our next session together!

-- David

Four Arizona Massage Studios Celebrate 'Best Of' Award

Four Arizona Massage Studios Celebrate 'Best Of' Award

Four Arizona Massage Studios Celebrate 'Best Of' Award

Elements Therapeutic Massage was voted “Best of Phoenix 2008” by azcentral.com. The voting began in February and ran for approximately two months.

Scottsdale, AZ (Vocus) June 10, 2008 -- Elements Therapeutic Massage was voted “Best of Phoenix 2008” by azcentral.com. The voting began in February and ran for approximately two months. The massage studios are owned by local entrepreneurs and located at the Scottsdale Promenade, Pinnacle Peak & Scottsdale Rd, Shea & 101 Loop and Arrowhead Ranch in Glendale. Every client receives a professional massage from a certified therapist designed specifically for their needs.

“Each location offers professional, affordable and convenient massage in an upscale setting which is comfortable for both men and women. Elements specializes in deep tissue, trigger point, sports massage, swedish, relaxation, prenatal and hot stone massage,” said Pam Crespo, owner of the Scottsdale Promenade location. “We are all very proud to bring elements therapeutic massage to the area. We encourage the community to come in and experience the elements!”

elements therapeutic massage’s certified massage therapists provide customized massage services to meet each individuals need. Franchising since 2006, elements therapeutic massage is growing rapidly with 42 open studios in 17 states, opening several new locations each month.

“With each new location, we are in a better position to help people live a better quality of life through the healing benefits that therapeutic massage offers,” said Michele Merhib, Founder of the elements therapeutic massage business model in 2000. “It is important in today’s fast-paced society that people take a regular mini-vacation, with a massage that can rejuvenate the mind and body.”

Studio Locations:

Scottsdale Promenade: 16255 N. Scottsdale Road C-5; (480) 998-2120

Pinnacle Peak & Scottsdale: 23425 N. Scottsdale Road, Ste A104; (480) 513-CALM [2256

Shea & 101: 9343 E. Shea Blvd., Ste 120; (480) 941-3077

Arrowhead Ranch in Glendale: 19420 N. 59th Avenue, Ste E-515 in Glendale; (623) 847-4050

Dove Mountain: 12130 N. Dove Mountain Blvd, Suite 144 Marana (520)-61606125