Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Things on Your Clients
Did you learn something new recently, but you’re concerned about doing it perfectly on a paying client?
Don’t be! If you have regular clients, from my experience most of them are happy to assist in helping you learn a new technique. Often, they feel honored that you want to let them experience it first.
Most CE classes I never did incorporate all that I learned. I took the best parts that suited me and my clients and blended those techniques into the massage I was doing. CranioSacral class? I tried the 10-Step protocol on a few clients, but the work was too slow and light for my style. I took that amazing Occipital Cranio Base Release technique though and wow, what it did for my clients with tight necks and headaches was amazing.
Here are some tips on how to get your clients to be on board with you trying your new CE techniques.
Tell them before you go take the class how excited you are and that you can’t wait to learn something new to help them with their…..(fill in the blank).
Get your favorite people on your calendar for the week you get back from class.
Tell them when they come in how much you’ve learned and you can’t wait to help them with your new knowledge.
Once you get to the part in the massage where you’ll be practicing your new skill, let them know and ask for feedback.
For some classes, such as Ashiatsu, you may have to attempt the entire method on them. Tell them you won’t charge them EXTRA for being your practice person so they’ll realize the value of what you’re offering them.
Go ahead, get in there and practice on them…if they’re your kind of people, they won’t mind, they’ll be honored.
I can’t tell you how many people I simply put the book on their back while I looked at it as I practiced and tried to figure out how to do what I was attempting to do.
In today’s world, you may not be able to do quite the crazy things I did 20+ years ago, but, if you have the best clients in the world like I did, you’ll be able to do a lot.
Of course, don’t do these things on brand new clients, these tips are for your regulars whom you’ve built good relationships with over time.
If you want to learn helpful techniques, develop your skill set and be ready to help your clients the first day you're back in your clinic, sign up for one of my classes…I’ll be sure to help you get the most out of every minute you spend in class.
