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By Jean Bailey
The Power of the Written Word
I think we would all agree that the best way to get new customers is through word of mouth. Those conversations
your clients have while out there living in their own landscape are the best business endorsements. But
there are many situations in which you might need the written word to help tell your story. So we will explore
how to approach that blank sheet of paper lying before you, and help you build a road map for creating the best
possible description of your services.
This is an exercise that provides more merit than the obvious end product of creating a definition of your business.
The way you define something helps shape it and make it a reality both in your mind and in the minds of
those who read it—it’s a powerful tool on many levels.
Your written definition may appear in many places, but its most likely use is in your brochure and, if you
have one, on your website. My feeling is that websites are no longer merely for the technological elite but have
become mainstream. The Internet is where the curious now go for current information, research and entertainment,
and all three of these have merged in this evolving medium. But regardless of whether you want to soar
into cyberspace, you still need a way to inform people of your business, and this would most likely take the form
of a brochure.
Putting together a printed piece can be a daunting process: You must decide on your message, prioritize
what you want to communicate and try to convey it in the simplest, most direct and effective way. You may
face similar challenges even if you are just updating literature you already use.
There are many challenges in making this piece interesting and inviting to read. But for me, there are two major
starting points and processes in this writing exercise: knowing who your target audience is and understanding
their needs.
Who are you talking to?
The first process is to decide who your target market is—who do you want to reach with your well-chosen words?
Holding the concept of these theoretical consumers in your head allows you to craft your message
through their perception. Empathizing with and understanding the audience you’re trying to reach will determine
the language and the content of your brochure; everything flows from these decisions.
Ask yourself: “Who is my target audience?” Are you primarily focusing on clients who have had massages or
on those who are new to the experience? These are very different markets. You certainly need to address them
both, but do consider which one will comprise your primary audience.
The big difference between these two groups is what you are marketing. With a person who is familiar with
massage, you want to emphasize just what makes your service unique and distinguish it in some way from other
similar providers. Your point of differentiation could be the mix of services you offer, your particular expertise,
the environment you conduct the service in, or perhaps even location or price.
But if you want to focus on those who have never experienced massage therapy, there is good and bad news.
The good news is that there are a lot more of them. Current AMTA data reveals that only 59 percent of those
with a household income of $75,000 per year have not had a massage in the past year. (The U.S. Bureau of the
Census puts the median household income at $48,201.) That means you have a larger pool of people to pull from
and market to. The bad news is that you have to convince these people of the benefits of massage since they
have never had one.
An important issue in addressing either of these groups is your vocabulary. When speaking to novice clients,
you must use the simplest of language and explain any terminology that might be new to them. They may
not know what “deep tissue” is, for example.
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American Massage Therapy Association®
