I had another blog all ready to go on this subject, and after a couple of my mentors disagreed with me about it, I decided I’d just throw it out there to the people who count: YOU.
This weekend I had dinner with a therapist friend who works in a spa, and she was distressed about the high-pressure selling she’s expected to do. The spa management had gone so far as to have “prescription cards” printed up, and I mean that literally; they actually had an “Rx” printed on them. The management wants therapists to hand those to every client they see, filled out with the recommendations of the products that the client “needs” to purchase.
I’d like to know how you feel about that. I feel that there’s a power differential at work here, and that a client may buy something just because she perceives the therapist to be an expert, and is probably unaware that the therapist may just be trying to meet her daily sales quota.
Lest I sound too huffy about it, yes, I do retail in my office. I sell ice packs, BioFreeze, and essential oils. The therapists in my office are strictly prohibited from trying to sell a client anything unless the client asks. ONLY when a client asks, “Do you have that oil you used on me for sale?” is a therapist allowed to sell. If the client doesn’t ask, they’re not going to hear about it. Our products are on display in the lobby in plain sight, and I feel that’s enough. Yes, I do realize how much money I’m losing by not requiring my therapists to sell X number of products a day, and I honestly don’t care. I’m not rich, and probably won’t be, if that’s the way I have to get it. I hired my staff members because of their ability to do bodywork, not because I was looking for a salesperson.
When I interviewed therapists for my article on working on cruise ships that appeared in the print version of this magazine in August 2008, many of those who commented were also distressed by being expected to sell, sell, sell, and berated by management if they didn’t. Those who didn’t meet or come close to meeting sales quotas weren’t invited back for another cruise.
I’d love to hear what the people in the trenches think about this.
Peace & Prosperity,
Laura Allen
February 10th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
I totally agree with your thoughts on product selling. I am a new therapist myself, having graduated in the last couple of months. A friend of mine recently went on a cruise and her friend purchased her a hot stone massage as a birthday gift. I already told her about the jobs on ships being “slavery” but she accepted the massage gift and said it was a very good massage; however, when she was dressed after the session, the therapist came back and proceeded to tell her what she “needed” to buy for the “problems’ in her body! She was very insistent upon her buying these items, but my friend did not have much money and could not afford them. The therapist then tried to guilt her into buying them by saying “what? You don’t CARE about your BODY?”. It was a very bad experience that ruined what could have been a decent massage session. I have started my own practice and refuse to try to sell anything to my clients. Like you, if I decide to sell a few items, they will be visible and if clients want them, they will ask for them. Thank you for shedding a little light on this matter. Hopefully some of those high-pressure spa managers will read it!
February 10th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Personally, I’ve worked at places that push you to sell, and places who insist you don’t bother. I think it’s best to “feel out” when an opportunity to advertise is, just like with anything else. As therapists we have to be very in tune to our clients needs and wants. If they make it clear that they’d like you to suggest something or if they express particular interest in something you’re using, then by all means share it with them. The whole point is not necessarily to do with your personal gain, but rather sharing something with your clients that you truely believe will benefit them. Your honesty will not go unappreciated, so when you do suggest something, they’ll know that it’s good because you don’t just try to sell sell sell to them constantly. Finding that middle ground is important so that you’re not shorting yourself (or your clients) or pressuring people to do something entirely unecessary.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
This is one of the most important discussions we can have as massage professionals. I am curious that your mentors thought otherwise. I have written about it a few times on my blog and will continue to do so to hopefully educate people as to just what this means for the individual massage therapist and the whole profession.
Selling products is very controversial because of the things you stated. First off massage therapists don’t want to be sales people. If they did they would start their own business. Most just want to do massage. They are not good sales people usually and when the added pressures from management force them to sell it makes it worse like in your example.
There is also the fact that selling products to clients creates a dual relationship and the fact that people may also buy things just to please the massage therapist and it will jeopardize the therapeutic relationship that does occur. Many massage therapists and spas are willing to compromise the therapeutic relationship in order to make a buck.
No matter how people want to explain it or rationalize it selling products will influence the therapeutic relationship. To me that is the most important part and I don’t want to jeopardize it.
It is very sad that others in the massage profession will just to make money. It affects us all in some way. There are much better ways to make money in providing more and better services and getting repeat clients and a steady flow of new clients.
February 11th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Thanks, Julie. I was a little shocked myself that my mentors think it’s okay to require their MTs to sell products. I hear this from therapists who are in distress about it all the time and I can only recall one person ever telling me that they enjoyed the selling…that was a male therapist on a cruise ship that goes between the Hawaiian islands who said he was a good salesperson and enjoyed all the extra money and extra days off he got for doing it.
February 20th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
I try to treat people as I myself want to be treated; however, I keep in mind that some people absolutely LOVE to buy! For me, the best way to do that is, as someone said earlier, have the products on display and as someone else said, get to know your client. If the client expresses an interest, then it is ok to go ahead and tell them about the products. I have learned that if I ever go into a spa or other such place that has lots of products, my first conversation with the therapist is to say something like: I do not want to be sold to. Should you try to sell me anything, I will not tip you. So if your management insists that you try to sell me something, go speak with them before the massage and pass along my message. I think if more people would say this then those management people would start to listen (and I do it at any place, not just spas —I found that even the clerks at check outs in such places as Cracker Barrell Restaurant are pushed by their management to sell things!) However, what happens is people steam inwardly and do not say how they feel about these practices so the management does not really know!
In my shoppe I carry products. I give free samples with no pressure of those things that I have samples of if I think the product will benefit someone. The therapists in my shoppe are never required to sell anything but I sell to them at cost so that if they believe in a product, they will do the same thing that I do. I personally cannot sell something that I do not believe in but even when I do believe in it, I am quick to tell someone that simply because it works for me does not mean it will work for everyone!
Perhaps in the spas it will one day develop into a questionnaire that the client can fill out that has a question such as, May we tell you about products that we think may be of interest to you or would you prefer for us not to mention any of our products! Until then, let’s encourage our clients to speak up for themselves if they visit other places that try to sell to them and let’s do it ourselves every chance we get!