You are creating packages and pricing for your massage therapy practice. You have services and products to sell in several prices ranges and you aren?t sure where to start.

Should you present the least expensive service first, the mid-priced product second ending with the most expensive? Or start with the mid-priced product? It seems like starting with the least expensive service first makes sense, because you don?t scare the prospect away with a high-ticket item.

But that?s NOT what you should do.

What you should do may go against what seems like common sense, but is proven to not only sell more products, but in the long-run results in clients spending more money overall.

The key to making more money overall and selling more massage therapy products and services is to sell the most expensive item first. Robert Cialdini gives an example in his book The Psychology of Persuasion of men?s clothing salesmen. If a man walks in and asks to look at suits, sweaters and other accessories you should always present him with the suit first. After deciding on a $500 suit, a $200 sweater or a $150 belt seems inexpensive and he is more likely to buy all of them.

And because he just decided on a nice suit he realizes he should have high quality accessories to go with it and is more likely to spend more.

Another example Cialdini gives is a strategy used by car salespeople. They first sell you on the price and style of the car. They make the car easy and affordable to buy. After you?ve agreed on the price and type of car, they then offer you smaller items to add on. Upgraded seats, a nice stereo system, etc. What?s a couple hundred more dollars to the $25,000 you are spending on your new car? All those accessories add to a nice chunk of profits in the end.

Offering the most expensive product first is called ?the contrast principle? and automatically triggers certain responses in humans. It?s psychology.

Failing to use the contrast principle and selling the inexpensive items first will not only make the more expensive items seem and feeeeeel more expensive, but it actually causes the contrast principle to work against you ? it causes the more expensive item to seem even more expensive that it actually is.

This principle works so effectively because of the mood or atmosphere created in the beginning. When used effectively the mood you create is leveraged on the secondary sales items.

Let?s take a closer look at why this principle really works so well. You can try this experiment yourself. Get three buckets and fill them with water. Fill one with hot water, one with very cold water and one with lukewarm water. Put your left hand in the hot water and your right in the cold water. After a minute or so take both hands out and place both hands in the lukewarm water at the same time.

When you feel is truly amazing! Logically you know the lukewarm water is one temperature, but both hands are experiencing something very different. The hand in the hot water feels like the water is very cold, while the other hand is feeling warmth.  Because of what they experienced before they were merged into the cold water.

What?s important to take away for your sales copy is to know what impression you want to make with your reader. Whether you want your product to seem expensive or inexpensive ? the perception is influenced by what you present first.

About the author

Founder of A Marketing Connection and The Copywriting Institute, Kelly Robbins, MA, is an award winning author, copywriter and healthcare marketing coach/consultant. Kelly is a blogger for both ChiroEco and MassageMagazine and is the author of Marketing 101: Why Successful Alternative Healthcare Practitioners Specialize as well as co-author of The Practice Evolution Success Kit. She also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, a free e-zine on healthcare marketing tips. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, ?5 Critical Mistakes Healthcare Marketers Make that Lose Sales

In my new book due out October, 2009, Massage Therapy: What It Is and How It Works by Cengage Learning, one of the things I do is develop an idea called ?The Three Paradigms.? It was borne out of long, deep discussions in which I partook in 1990 as an original member of the Job Analysis Advisory Committee (JAAC), formed by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). The JAAC ultimately led to the formation of the first National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) and I served on that board as a founding member for almost five years. At that time, we presented the essential conclusions of our discussions in a brief article entitled, ?Three Paradigms, Five Approaches? in the Massage Therapy Journal, Summer 1991. It was co-authored by Carl Dubitsky, OBT, LMT, Patricia Benjamin, PhD, Raymond Castellino, DC, RPP, Jeffery Maitland, PhD and myself, Steven Schenkman.

Almost twenty years later, based on my own experience, observations, and thought and after years of further dialogue and discussion, I have greatly expanded on that initial idea in my book. I have always found ?The Three Paradigms? so central to understanding the scope of massage and yet no one ever took them and ran with them. That?s one of the things I try to do in my book. For years I?ve discussed them and often used them as the foundation of lectures and classes I taught.

For the purpose of this blog, I wanted to briefly touch upon an aspect of ?The Three Paradigms,? which opens up an important way to understand and view the entire field. When correctly understood, these three paradigms provide comprehension and insight into the full scope of massage therapy practice and its many positive, healthful benefits and outcomes. They are as classified as follows:  1) Relaxation and Stress Reduction, 2) Remediation, Therapy and Pain Relief and 3) Holistic or Integrative. These Three Paradigms together form an overlapping continuum of potential practice and treatment beginning at the most basic levels of touch, leading to the most comprehensive and advanced levels of therapeutic treatment and holistic care practiced in bodywork today. The idea of different paradigms in massage therapy is one that is intimately bound to the length and depth of successful education and training, continuing education, professional development and the extent of a therapist?s practical experience.

In Taoism, an ancient Chinese philosophy, there is a fundamental principle that reflects and gives explanation to the inner process of what takes place, either consciously or unconsciously, during the process of learning and becoming a massage therapist. It is the principle of ?Li (pronounced lee)? precedes Qi (pronounced chee).? It means that Li, the underlying notion or the idea of any ?thing? must first exist before it becomes manifest into material being through Qi, — the energy or vital force used to bring it into reality. In short, — idea precedes manifestation. For example, before a skyscraper can be built it first comes into existence as an idea in the mind of its architect who then puts all the detail down on paper to create blueprints of the building. The blueprints are then brought to life through the energy or Qi of the builders who turn it into a three dimensional physical reality. So in a sense the Li of anything is really like an invisible blueprint. This parallels very closely how in massage therapy the depth, quality and the extent of how ultimately what manifests through a massage therapist?s hands will be a reflection of how well they have developed the ?Li?s? of understanding their paradigm of practice and the particular bodywork or massage therapy modality used to facilitate that practice.

As massage therapy students evolve into professional practitioners, they absorb and then integrate their training and practical experiences into a kind of ?blueprint of understanding.? With the right attention and efforts, this understanding grows into a comprehensive framework or paradigm that equals the efforts practitioners have made to embrace their education and hone their technical skills. In the end it?s the clients and patients who become the fortunate (or unfortunate) recipients of the paradigm of practice that emanates as intention (or LI) through their massage therapist?s hands.

Discussion: I would love to hear more of people?s thoughts on this important idea of the direct connection between the depth and quality of practitioners? understanding of their work and how it impacts their level of competence, excellence, sensitivity and palpatory skills and the overall results of their treatments in whatever of the Three Paradigms they practice from.

Recently Sheila Walker posted the following thread on hydration and posed this question to me:

“Dear John,
It seems we?ve become a society obsessed with the notion of hydration, as witnessed by the blooming bottled water industry. Seems as though, everywhere you go, you can see people with their water bottles in tow. Could you please share your thoughts on how relevant our fascial system correlates with cellular hydration and therefore how to improve the effectiveness of keeping ourselves truly hydrated?”

      As Sheila has observed, everyone is walking around with their cute little water bottles, guzzling copious amounts of water.  This is about as effective as pouring water over a stone.  The surface becomes wet, but the water never penetrates to the interior. 

     The “stones” I am referring to are the collagenous restrictions of the fascial system that do not show up in any of the standard testing now being done.  The “ground substance” of the fascial system, the environment of every cell of our body, should be a gelatinous to a fluid state.  When we undergo trauma or a “thwarted” inflammatory  process, the ground substance dehydrates.  As the cellular environment, the fascial system, hardens it produces crushing pressure on the cells and blocks the flow of water, nutrition, oxygen, hormones, and/or medicine into the cell’s interior.  These fascial restrictions also block the excretion of toxins from the cell. 

     So, unfortunately no matter how much water you take in, in the presence of fascial restrictions, it doesn’t get to where your body needs it the most.  This is why I say, without Myofascial Release, the intention of drinking plenty of water is good, but it is as effective as pouring water over a stone!  Myofascial Release enhances cellular function and the effectiveness of good massage, bodywork, and energy techniques.

John

The other day I was talking with a friend about certain back issues he was having. When I suggested  to him he get a massage he told me ” I can’t  get a massage, they are for rich house wives.” My  heart stopped and my jaw must have hit the ground because he had to ask me if I was ok. Of course I was, just in a little shock and very confused.  How many other people thought this about massage therapy? A massage does not have to be this long, dramatic day to the spa with your friends.  Massage is about healing and body working, which of course can be done in many different ways so find the one that works for you. Of course all massages should be relaxing but it should also be effective. If you want a spa treatment go to a spa, if you don’t, don’t go to a spa! There are plenty of other options out there for you so find the one you want.  Please please please do not get caught up in the idea that massages are only for the wealthy. We are all human, we all get stressed out, work hard, face challenges and get aches and pains. We are all deserving of massage.

Bee Healthy. Bee Happy. Bee Well…

Hi Susan,

You recently asked the following question regarding thwarted inflammatory processes.

?Hi John,
Just finished Myofascial Release Women?s Health (http://www.myofascialrelease.com/seminars/sem_women.asp), and STILL processing! All good! Could you further explain ?thwarted inflammatory response?? In the Kinestheology world the psoas muscle is most affected by lack of hydration.

Thanks! Blessings,
Susan Simmons RN, LMT?

            I am glad that you enjoyed my Myofascial Release Women’s Health Seminar.  As you know, inflammation is an important part of the healing process.  The inflammatory response can be stopped or thwarted by physical and/or emotional trauma or anti-inflammatory drugs (iatrogenic or physician induced). This can stop complete healing.  Myofascial Release stimulates the completion of the inflammatory stage and allows for complete healing. 

            I am sure that most therapists realize that the psoas complex is in a chronically contracted and dehydrated state in too many people.  From a Myofascial perspective, the fascia, our body?s only whole body system, can become fibrous and dehydrated anywhere it has been traumatized.  The routines or protocols that we were taught are too generalized (one size fits all) to be meaningful.  Myofascial Release therapy is individualized to each patient, thereby allowing one to find the exact areas that are restricted in that person for maximal effectiveness.   

            For more information on thwarted inflammatory responses, you can go to John?s new Therapeutic Insight article on the Massage Magazine website.  Just click on the following link:

http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=7057&catid=62&title=therapeutic-insight-the-myofascial-release-perspectivewhat-do-you-believe

In addition, if you have any questions, insights or comments, feel free to add them at the end of John?s ?Therapeutic Insight? column.  Just scroll down below the article and click on the ?post your comment? tab.  It is always interesting to hear others responses and experiences on this topic

Sincerely,

John F. Barnes, P.T., L.M.T., N.C.T.M.B.

Hello all,

It’s been a while since my last post and it’s good to return.  I just returned from a beautiful and tranformative two weeks in Peru.  The focus of the journey was a combination of exploring some indigenous cultures and spiritual awakening.  Of course, you can’t go to Peru without visiting Machu Picchu and our group spent two days there. But one of the most powerful parts of the journey came near the end when I traveled to a small island in Lake Titicaca called Amantani.  Our boat was greeted by a group of the most heart-centered people I have ever met– men, women and children alike– and I lived among them long enough to get a sense of life there.  Their lives are based on the value of community and living in right relationship with both self and community.  Joy seemed to radiate from the eyes of these sweet people and I was so  moved by their generosity and their strong connection to nature.

I’m always curious about how different cultures care for their elders.  It was immediately clear that old age does not equal debilitation on Amantani.  Several older adults helped to carry our gear from the boat to the house by tying a large cloth around the gear and hauling it on their backs up a path.  I DO mean up, too, as the terrain is really hilly and the elevation is somewhere around 13,000 feet!   I saw old women herding sheep.  People walk everywhere– there are no cars.  Food is fresh and prepared simply.  At the end of my stay I asked our guide about the elders.  Elders who have needs are cared for by families as I assumed was the case.  But the thing I made note of is that she said they just don’t have many debilitating diseases such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.  She said people there don’t expect to get sick in old age.

I’ve thought about this a lot since my return and have formulated a question about it and would love to get your feedback on it.  I wonder how much of our decline in old age stems from the “learned expectation” in our culture that as we age it is a given that our health will deteriorate. 

I understand that the answer is complex, but an idea worth pondering I think…

To a healthy and well old age,
Ann

Hi there,

If you are reading my blog you are probably an advocate for quality of life of those at the end of life.  The doors for massage therapy in hospice have been opening the past few years, but proposed Medicare funding cuts for hospice could close those doors once again.  I have recieved the following information today from a colleague at the Suncoast Institute in Florida and want to pass it along to you so you can evaluate the situation for yourself and act if you feel so moved.

Hospice Needs Your Help

Over the past few months Hospice advocates from around the country have written, faxed, called and visited members of Congress urging them to help stop the Hospice rate cuts scheduled for October. Our efforts have paid off so far, as over 200 Representatives and Senators have signed a letter requesting President Obama to prevent the cuts from occurring. We must keep up the pressure as the President has not yet acted.

As tough as these cuts will be, the stakes may have just been raised even higher. This past week a new report detailed across the board Medicare spending cuts being considered in health care reform legislation. We are ready to do our share, but the combination of the rate cuts already proposed and these new Medicare cuts will be devastating to all hospices nationwide: we estimate a 6.4% decline in revenues if these cuts are enacted. We must work hard to prevent this from occurring.

You can continue to make a big difference. On Wednesday, we will participate in a national ?Virtual Advocacy Day? to urge the President to preserve hospice care and prevent these cuts. Please stand by as more information on how you can help will be sent tomorrow. In the meantime, here are a few things you can do today to fight these cuts:

• Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper )
• Send an email to the White House:
  http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
   
• Send a letter to the President urging him to stop the cuts:
  The White House
  1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
  Washington, DC 20500
  (Please include your e-mail address)
   
• Call the White House Comment Line:
  202-456-1111

 Visit:  http://www.capwiz.com/nhpco/home/ and our advocacy website http://www.thehospice.org/help/voice/stop_cuts.aspx  for more information

Many massage therapists have worked long and hard to pioneer our valuable place in hospice care. I think we all would hate to see our steps forward pushed back.  We have so much to contribute to hospice and palliative care and I, for one, want to see that continue to grow!

With kind regards,

Ann

Most communities have a Chamber of Commerce and many massage therapists are members just because we thought we should be. We see other businesses in our community with the chamber stickers in the window and think we?re not valid until we have one. The fact is not all chambers are the same and not all are an effective way to grow a massage therapy business.

Chambers of commerce come in all different sizes and have different types of benefits available to their members. But as different as they are, they all have one thing in common ? their mission is to connect businesses with each other. Their main purpose in the community is to help your business grow.

Joining a chamber of commerce sounds great, doesn?t it? It sounds like an easy way to connect with other business owners and the community. If only making money and connections were as easy as joining?

First things first, you can?t become a member of the Chamber of Commerce and then not do anything. You are just throwing your money away. You have to commit to being involved and taking the time to manifest the benefits available to you.

Here are a few basic things to do to maximize any chamber of commerce membership:

?    Investigate all the benefits before joining. If you are already a member take the time now to review the member benefits ? what haven?t you taken advantage of? Take some time to uncover the different marketing options available to you as a member. Ask the person that signed you up what the best events are for you to attend. Is free advertising included in your local paper? Are ribbon-cuttings standard procedures for new members?

?    Attend networking events. This doesn?t mean that YOU specifically need to attend every event. You may have someone in your office attend more frequent events, and you attend ones with the ?high-rollers? in your community.

?    Include educational articles in publications. Does the chamber have a publication they send out to members? Don?t necessarily jump right to advertising in the publication if they have one. You want to ask if they accept educational articles that would benefit all of their members first. It?s usually free to include these and they are read more often (and are more believable) than ads.

?    Encourage strategic introductions from the staff. If there is a specific business you want to form a relationship with, ask your chamber representative if they can sit you with someone from there or introduce you. Be strategic and network. Don’t waste your time with the people that don’t do anything but attend events. Move forward and be purposeful in your connections.

?    Get involved in a worthwhile committee, but be particular about which one. Larger chambers will have different ?levels? of committees you can get on. Be picky. Ask who the other members of the committee are. Are they the movers and shakers in your community? Are they business leaders you want to forge relationships with?

Don?t just become a member of your Chamber of Commerce just to do it. Be strategic, ask smart questions, and be picky about who you spend your valuable time with.

About the author

Founder of A Marketing Connection and The Copywriting Institute, Kelly Robbins, MA, is an award winning author, copywriter and healthcare marketing coach/consultant. Kelly is a blogger for both ChiroEco and MassageMagazine and is the author of Marketing 101: Why Successful Alternative Healthcare Practitioners Specialize as well as co-author of The Practice Evolution Success Kit. She also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, a free e-zine on healthcare marketing tips. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, ?5 Critical Mistakes Healthcare Marketers Make that Lose Sales

 ?Ms. N? received ?unsolicited mail? from my franchise company (to her it was JUNK MAIL) and wanted to know how we got her address.    I know this because she was kind enough to call me.

I LISTENED to Ms. N?.as a fellow massage therapist and gentle spirit I could tell she was passionate and I really appreciated her taking the time to talk to me.  I told her that our franchise sales department got the names but I was pretty sure it was from one of two national massage associations and that I would find out and get back to her. 

SHE SPOKE passionately ??.she could have easily just ?complained? to anyone that would listen and nothing would have been resolved.   What I liked about Ms. N is that although she was VERY PASSIONATE about not wanting unsolicited mail and upset about someone giving her name and address, she was professional, courteous and followed the Four Agreements (excellent read—if you don?t have it, I would highly recommend it)!    

THINKING and ACTING?. I am a consultant to the company that has franchised my business model and I own three franchises personally.  Ms. N.?s passion ignited something inside me??.so I started thinking, what can I do personally and in business to impact our environment?

Ms. N…….you REALLY made me think!  As a business consultant how can I impact our environment and how can the company franchising this business model also impact our environment. 

OUR MARKETING DEPARTMENT was already ahead of me?.they recently  signed a contract for our business cards and brochures which will all be printed on recycled paper. 

OUR MASSAGE STUDIOS are virtually paperless.  There is one intake form completed by clients that is then shredded and recycled. 

FILTERED WATER is provided for our employees (to decrease production of individual water bottles).   What I also realized after talking with Ms. N is that I too get JUNK MAIL?.often from the same companies over and over.  All I have done to this point is throw it away?..but now (thanks to Ms. N), I will call these companies and asked to removed from their mailing list.  

SO CHEERS TO AN EMPOWERED AMAZING WOMAN who will SPEAK HER TRUTH!!!

I may be showing my age, but I absolutely love listening to Prime Time Radio, a weekly radio program sponsored by AARP.  Last week they interviewed BillThomas, the founder of The Eden Alternative, an organization that is dedicated to transforming care environments in eldercare.  The program went from health care reform to the need for more geriatric specialists in the medical community.  He made one comment that really caught my attention. I’m wondering what  you all think about it.  He said, ” Aging is a women’s issue.”  He went on to explain that in the U.S. women are the ones who are dealing with many of the current cultural impacts of our aging population.  He noted the following points:

• Most of the “anti-aging” efforts are directed at women and that a woman is more inclined to fight the effects of her own aging.
• Women are the ones who handle most of the care of aging or ill relatives.
• Women are more apt to be the ones who take care of parenting issues related to grown kids (and their kids).

So, do you agree or disagree– is aging a women’s issue?
I’ll be really interested in your comments!
Ann