Massage Therapists take the wheel... The Power Wheel!

A short time ago Salon Development Corporation and Michael Cole Seminars received a package. The package had come from a woman named Deborah Budd, a licensed Massage Therapist, and One on One Coach at The David Broadway Salon in Toledo, Ohio. The content of what she had created and sent to us was so amazing we immediately realized that we had to share it with the readers of MichaelColeSeminars.com.

As many know it was over twenty years ago that Michael Cole first created his now infamous Power Wheel for hair stylists. The Power Wheel, now featured in Michael’s new book, A Little More off the Top has and continues to provide a roadmap to success for thousands salon professionals the world over. It was after studying Michael’s text that Deborah Budd had the insight to take that same wheel and transform it into a highly specific educational tool for today's Massage Therapist.

Though up until this point the effects of her work has not been seen outside the David Broadway Salon, we at MichaelColeSeminars.com believe it has the potential to explode countless others. That is why we have decided to call this month Massage Therapy month. For all of you Massage Therapists currently working in the salon industry, we encourage you to study the new and innovative Massage-specific Power Wheel and then share with us the effects it has on you and your career.

Anyone of you looking to bring your professional life to the next level, this is just the thing for you. Feel free to read and work through each element of the Power Wheel with others in your salon or spa. Hint hint to the Summit salons out there. This would work really well at a staff meeting. Remember…nothing changes if nothing changes!

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to take action in spite of fear.

THE GREETING

When greeting a massage guest the point is to begin the process of lowering their tension and raising their attention. The greeting is where our guests make their first impressions of us, and once made, impressions are hard to change. So, it is in the greeting that we must become very aware of the ways we are communicating with our guests.

There are three forms of communication:

1. Verbal: Words, Tone of voice
2. Extra Verbal: Vocabulary, Sound appearance
3. Non-Verbal: Body, Facial Language

Elements of the Greeting

Each of these elements ensures that the comfort level between you and your guests develops faster.

Always be nice/polite

• Smile
• Perform random acts of kindness
• Address the guest by their name (NO “sweetie” “honey” “dude” or “bro”)
• Maintain eye contact (shows you are paying attention)
• Ask permission, give direction (very important when touching another person)

Example of a proper greeting:
While you are free to use this example, remember, it should always should genuine, like it comes from you. If there is language within this example that doesn’t sound like you, try incorporating language that does. Make sure though that it is always polite and professional.

New Guest:
“Hi, my name is Jackie and I will be giving you your massage today. Is this your first time in our spa? Welcome! Let’s walk back to my treatment room and we will talk about how you feel today and how I can help you. Does that sound ok?”

Repeat Guest:
“Hey (guest name), it’s good to see you today. How have you been lately? Follow me back and I’ll show you where we will be working today.”

How did those examples sound to you? Are you beginning to see things you can incorporate into your own greeting?

THE CONSULTATION

The point of The Consultation is to help your guest relieve tension and fell better about their body physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is the time to discuss with them the opportunity to add services and products that may be needed to create the feelings they have spoken about. The point is to STOP doing massages to clients and start working with guests.

• Addressing Particular Needs
• Releasing Negative Emotional Views
• Hydotherapy
• Redken Retail
• Body Treatments
• Exercise

Opening Statements

Part 1: Raise interest and initiate the idea of a particular feeling.
Part 2: Get permission to ask questions

Example of Opening Statements
Remember to be thinking about your own language and style as you read the example.

New guests:
“My purpose today is to give you relief in your body that you feel great about though the type of massage that works for you. So before I do anything, I would like to ask a couple of questions. How does that sound?”

Repeat guest:
“(Guest name), it has been a while since I have checked in with you to see if you would like to take your treatment up a notch or two. What do you think?”

Suggestions for Asking Questions

• Make them open-ended. Avoid questions that can be answered with just a “yes” or “no.”
• Keep your hands off the guest while asking the question.
• Position yourself so you are eye-to-eye level with your guest.
• Expand your vocabulary. Words do make a difference.
• There are two kinds of questions: “Want” & “Have.”

Want Vocabulary: Flexibility, Limberness, Looseness, Movement, ROM, Comfort, Ease, Posture, Speed, Flow, Tone, Strength, Energy, Activity, Health,
Recovery, Soft, Anti-aging

Have Vocabulary: Tension, Tightness, Ache, Pains, Numbness, Dry, Slowness, Knots, Fatigue, Weakness, Stiffness, Aged, Popping, Sickness, Injury, Surgery, Rough, Itchy

The Gap
What a guest is actually saying>>THE GAP>>What you hear the guests say.

We want to close that gap by Paraphrasing
“Let me see if I understand you correctly. It sounds like you want to feel more flexibility and increase your energy level. Do I have that right?”

The Recommendation
“May I offer a suggestion?”
Assist each client in developing his or her own personal treatment combination.
“There is more to accomplishing this than just receiving a massage. To create the feeling of flexibility and higher energy you want in your body there are other services we will need to consider.”

Asking for the Commitment

S.A.N.S. Smile, Ask, Nod, Shut up
“I have the time. Would you like me to do that for you today”?
Remember- Time is $$$$. Fit it in if you can
Performing more than one service in the same amount of time exponentionally increases not only the amount of money you will make per guest, but also raises the probability that that guests will become a repeat guest.

THE WORKSHOP

The workshop is not only about performing the agreed upon service, but also the opportunity to teach the guest about their bodies and how to take care of themselves when they go home.

Retail Presentation
“It’s important to me that you are able to take good care of yourself at home in these challenging areas we have found. May I explain to you what you can do to encourage the flexibility you want that I am creating right now?” (S.A.N.S)

What to do: Stretching techniques, Water intake

What to use: How to apply product, How often to use product, etc.

“The feeling that you are trying to achieve really depends on what you do and what you use.”

Describe Features & Benefits

Features (20% of the presentation): What it is, What is in it

Benefits (80% of the presentation): What it does, How your muscles feel, What it means, Pains & Gains

Vocabulary to use when describing Benefits
Relaxes, Penetrates, Melts tension, Softens, Tightens wrinkles, Hydrates, Silky, Cools, Reduces Inflammation, Relieves, Maintains, Prevents tension

“25% of the relief you are experiencing in your shoulders is from the product I used today.”

“The hydrotherapy treatment really allowed me to penetrate into the tension in your shoulders, allowing us to release a lot more.”

Sample Script Bites
For example your guests spends long hours in front of a computer and has tension in his shoulders:
“If getting a massage only once a month was going to work for you, we would probably have seen more result by now. If keeping the tension out of your shoulders is something you want more of, I think you may need to consider coming more often.”
“Be mindful that you don’t sit for more than one hour at a time so that you don’t hinder what you are working towards: to have less tension in your shoulders.”

Tie-Downs: The “Nod” & the “Yes Habit”
Put a question on the end of a statement that encourages a yes response:
Isn’t it? Does it make sense? Doesn’t it? Aren’t you? Shouldn’t it? Hasn’t it? Don’t you think? Are you comfortable with that?

THE CLOSE

“Here!”
Place the product in the guest’s hands as you explain how and when to use it.
“Here is what I used on you.”
“Here. This what I was telling you about.” “Do you have any questions about the products I used today or anything that we have talked about?” (S.A.N.S.)

Making a Pre-book Offering
“If you feel good about it now, you will really love it next time, because I can build on what we have done today. That is why it is important that I see you again no later than ________. And longer than that and will have to start over. I would like to work with you towards reaching your goal of building flexibility and energy. In order to do that I will need to see you about every two weeks, then we can move to a maintenance plan of once a month. There is a package that I offer many of my clients to save them some money. If you purchase three massages with me, the fourth one is free. This package will save you a total of $_____. All you have to do for this package is book the appointment today, because the times get taken fast. Doesn’t that sound like a great offer?”

THE FOLLOW-UP

For every one hour of downtime, spend ten minutes resting and 50 minutes engaged in follow-up activites that encourage growth which includes.

• Making Prebook reminder calls that prevent no shows.
• Making calls to remind clients that it's time to schedule their next visit.
• Making thank you calls or sending cards to all referral senders.
• Catching up on all performance journaling. (Measure what you treasure) Click here to learn more about our Jump Journal just for massage therapists.
• Cleaning and organizing your station.
• Making activation calls or sending cards to clients who haven't been around in a while

Everyone at Salon Development, The Summit Salon Business College, and Redken 5th Ave would like to thank Deborah Budd for sharing her creativity with us. We would enjoy hearing from massage therapist or any other salon professional that find this material to be beneficial. To learn more about the Power Wheel and The Power of I AM visit our U Mattter section.Comments and questions on this or any of our other material may be sent to peter@salondev.com or visit our Ask Michael page.

Special Thanks to Redken. Its ongoing financial sponsorship allows us much greater expression as we continue the quest to help salon professionals achieve prosperity. Thanks also to the following Redken Distributors for their continued support: Hair Cuttery, Columbia Beauty Supply (CBS), State Beauty Supply, Independent Salon Resource (ISR), Reliable SRG, RDA, Mid City, Marshall's, Maly's & Peel's! Michael would also like to give a personal thanks to Sacred Days for all it has brought to his life and to his teachings.

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