How to make your Thai massage practice stand out
There are tens of thousands of Thai Massage therapists in Thailand alone, and in other countries, their numbers are growing steadily. When clients remember you as someone who offers a unique service, they will return to you because you provide the best solution to their issues. And more importantly, they will happily recommend you to others because they know they are doing their friends and acquaintances a favour.
So what’s the secret to standing out, to never having to worry about competition?
Be More Knowledgeable
The most important way to stand out is to know more than others. Not only should you continually learn more Thai massage techniques, but you should hone all your practitioner skills. Practice better communication skills, develop good listening skills, and always try to improve your business skills.
Be More Flexible
Another way to stand out is to learn to be flexible. Every client is unique. Some like hard acupressure, some prefer stretches, some like whole body sessions, some like focus on specific areas, some like silent sessions, and some like explanations and guidance. You do not always have to please a client, as they may not know what they need most, but learn to offer unique sessions that provide a good mix of what a client needs with what they want.
Be More Specialized
A third way to differentiate yourself from other Thai massage practitioners is to specialize. Thai massage includes many modalities like Tok Sen, Herbal Compress, Fire Cupping and more. Instead of just learning one Traditional Thai massage sequence, learn alternate Thai massage modalities and how to combine them for unique treatments for specific areas like knees, shoulders, back, or hands. The more specialized you are, the more options you have to accommodate your client’s needs and the more comfortable your clients will feel with your abilities.
Be More Well-Rounded
You can also differentiate yourself from your competition by learning skills that augment your Thai Massage skills. For instance, you can learn Qigong and then offer your clients exercises they can do at home to make their massage last longer. Or you can learn more about breathing, posture, anatomy, lifestyle habits, or skills from other massage styles. Any or all of these areas will make you a more well-rounded, effective, and unique Thai Massage therapist, make you stand out, and reduce the effect of competition.
Be Less Competitive
Ironically enough, the final way to make yourself stand out from your competitors is to promote other Thai massage practitioners in your neighbourhood or city. First, think of the Starbucks effect. If you have an independent coffee shop near a Starbucks, you will have a much better chance to get new customers than a coffee shop located by itself. People wanting coffee will come to the area because Starbucks has such exposure in the market, and if the lineups are too long at Starbucks, they will look for alternatives. Starbucks will draw your clientele to the area, but if you can provide something better than Starbucks, you will benefit from the local traffic.
So, too, with Thai massage. It is tough to be the only Thai massage clinic in town. Thai massage is a new experience for most people in North America. So, the more people who experience a good Thai massage, the easier it is to attract customers. And the more Thai massage clinics in an area, the more potential customers you will have who may look to you if you set yourself apart using the first four suggestions.
But the more important reason to promote other practitioners is that competing with others often leads to unethical practices. Downplaying another practitioner hurts the reputation of Thai massage in general. Refrain from buying into the narrative that the lack of business is due to competition. You can thrive together with other practitioners. Alternative healing arts are hard to make a living at, and most practitioners have a feast-and-famine lifestyle.