No Cold Bananas

  When I’m in the office, my preference is to bring my lunch to work rather than eat out (I’m not as good at this as I should be). Sometimes I make my lunch, but usually my sweet wife does. I usually bring along a banana, but I don’t stick it in the fridge with the rest of my lunch—I keep it at my desk. Why? Because if I get hungry mid-morning, it’s better to eat my banana than hitting the pretzel jar or Connie’s candy dish. But there’s another reason—I don’t like cold bananas. I like my banana to be room temperature. I don’t why, that’s just the way it is. And that’s just me.   What does this have to do with anything? Good question. But here’s what I think—if it matters to me, it matters. Just like your clients. Too hot? Too cold? Jazz instead of dreamy massage Muzak? What matters to your clients should matter to you.   If you don’t already, you should begin creating a dossier on your clients—likes and dislikes in the treatment room, before, and after, as well as birthdays, hobbies, kids, pets’ names—you name it. If your objective is to establish a meaningful business relationship with your clients, the quicker you embrace the fact you are in a service business, the better.   You can use an Excel spreadsheet, a notepad, or a more robust client-management tool. The medium can be helpful, but it’s the discipline that counts. Intake forms are critical, but so are customer notes. No practice should skip on either. Charting and notes are what make you a professional; understanding your clients (and delivering for them) keeps you in the profession.   Discover your clients’ “banana” preferences and use these understandings to make connections that help lead to client retention and practice success.     Follow Les on Twitter: @abmp_les.
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News

Ohio Adopts Interstate Massage Compact

The Ohio legislature adopted Senate Bill 56 on June 21, becoming the second state to enact the Interstate Massage Compact. Massage therapists will soon be able to obtain a multistate license that will reduce holdups and delays that often occur when moving to a different state.

US Department of Education 150% Rule Update

A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction that halts the enforcement of the US Department of Education’s new Bare Minimum Rule, also known as the “100% rule,” until the court takes further action. This is the first step in what could be a lengthy battle to ultimately delay enforcement of the rule, providing schools more time to adjust their programmatic standards, or overturn the rule altogether. Find out more and what your school needs to do to prepare.

Colorado Bill Requires Local Background Checks

Governor Jared Polis signed into law House Bill 24-1371, requiring local government (counties, cities, or municipalities) to conduct periodic criminal background checks for massage establishment operators, owners, and employees.

Blog

Perform Your Best with MassageBook

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MassageBook wants to help you focus on delivering exceptional care to your clients and building the practice of your dreams.

Julie Plachta: Serving the Underserved

Woman massages a client who is lying facedown on a massage table.

As we get closer to celebrating Massage Is for EveryBody, July 14–20, 2024, we wanted to share more of Julie Plachta’s story, which exemplifies the inclusive values of this campaign.

Benefits

Featured ABMP Discount Partner: Hyperice

ABMP members save 10% on all Hyperice percussive and heat/ice technology massage devices, including the Hypervolt, Vyper Vibrating Fitness Roller, and Ice Compression.

Featured ABMP Discount Partner: Yomassage

ABMP members receive 20% off Signature Yomassage, Mindful Touch by Yomassage, Barefoot Yomassage, Table Yomassage, and Yomassage Facials certifications.

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