Give your LMT a more active role

/Home/Chiropractic Treatment Modalities and Procedures/Chiropractic Treatment - Massage

Give your LMT a more active role
July 2006
By Damien Berg
Chiropractic Economics

Massage therapy provides needed services to your patients and also adds revenue to your practice. But are you using your massage therapist to his or her fullest?

Providing various types of therapeutic (and even relaxation) massages is the primary responsibility of a therapist. But if you engage your therapist in a more active role in your practice, you will develop a valued asset over and above the therapy he or she provides.

A word of advice: When you hire a massage therapist, be clear about your expectations for the job, preferably through a written job description. Unclear expectations are a primary reason for job dissatisfaction and turnover.

Here are some ways to get full value and benefit from your therapist:

1. Offer free massages at offsite events. Take your massage therapist to your next offsite screening and offer a complimentary massage after a spinal screening.

Once you complete your screening and identify certain soft-tissue dysfunctions (such as active trigger points), ask your therapist to focus on those areas. This gives feedback and reinforcement to the potential patient for treatment.

Tip: Discuss with your therapist ahead of time the purpose of the massages.

2. Provide complimentary Îstress surveys.Ì Offer new patients a 20-minute massage Û a stress survey Û after the initial complimentary exam and consultation.

Give the massage therapist additional gift certificates to give to patients for complimentary 20-minute massages with each new patient referral.

Tip: Put into place an incentive program for each referral who becomes an active patient through the therapist.

3. Increase therapistÌs responsibilities. Train the therapist to work with patients in the education process and integrate them into the treatment plan by helping patients with hydrotherapy, electric stimulus, and ultrasound.

You can also utilize them to schedule new and returning patients.

Tip: Make sure these job responsibilities are clear when you hire the therapist.

4. Train your MT to offer products and gift certificates. If you carry products, especially rehab products, nutritional supplements, and gift certificate packages, train your therapist in the AIDA selling method to offer them to patients.

AIDA stands for Attention (the customer is drawn to the product); Interest (the customer wants to learn more about the product); Desire (the sales person shows the customer the benefits of the product or service); and Action (the sales person moves the customer from inertia to action).

When you train your therapist to use the AIDA method when dealing with your patients (in scheduling or buying massage gift certificates or products), you and your practice will show marked results in appointments and sales.

Your massage therapist can help your practice achieve its full potential. In just a few weeks, you will not only see an increase in your patient load, but a renewed working relationship for both you and your therapist.