Offering sessions to the front desk staff as a marketing tool 

BFL highly encourages practitioners to offer a massage therapy session to each front desk staff member.  The front desk staff is taught that part of their job is to understand and be able to talk about each practitioner’s work. The front desk represents our first line of marketing. They are the first person to interact with our clients.  It is the job of the front desk to match each client with the best practitioner possible to meet the client’s individual needs.   When a front desk staff person has personal knowledge of a practitioner’s work, s/he will be more confident in booking the practitioner with appropriate clientele.  It is in the practitioner’s best interest that each front desk person explicitly understands the practitioner’s work and knows how to talk about it.  BFL will provide space for practitioners to offer these sessions, free of charge.  These sessions may take place during a regularly scheduled shift, provided there are no full-paying clients trying to get in for a session.

 

Why giving a session to the front desk is so important

• It allows the front desk to talk knowledgeably about your work from first-hand experience.
• It helps the front desk staff to match appropriate clients to your unique style and skill set.  They can do tremendous marketing for you if they truly understand your work.
• It allows you the opportunity to develop individual rapport with each front desk staff member.
• It assists in the continuing education of the front desk staff of the many massage specialties we offer.

How to structure your offer of a complimentary session

1. Offer the front desk staff member your work.  Offer specific times when you are available.
2. Set goals for yourself about what you want to teach this client/staff member about your work.  Be an ambassador for yourself—this may be your only opportunity to demonstrate your skills to this individual. 
3. Treat the front desk staff member exactly how you would treat a first-time massage client.  Assume that they know nothing about your work or about massage in general.  
4. Take some time before, during and after the session to verbally educate the front desk staff member about your unique specialties and strengths.
5. When you are performing techniques unique to your specialties, be sure to point them out.  
6. Close your session with suggestions for further treatment, stretching, and other self-care measures.  This makes an impression and can help sell your work.
7. End by asking the front desk staff member to explain their experience of your work to you.  Make sure that they get it right so that this complimentary session can benefit you.  If they are still struggling with how to describe your work, help them find the right words.  If you do other types of work that were not included in the session (e.g., prenatal) make sure the front desk staff member understands that modality as well.