This space (when used properly) was designed for me to talk to you. And by you, I mean, our ABMP members, members of the massage profession in general, and occasional visitors who wonder what I do all day (that means you, Willie). Many times things come up in the profession that are news- or comment-worthy (see here to review). But I also feel one of my mandates is to engage my fellow professionals in building up their career muscles. After all, there are only so many bad decisions made in the field that necessitate comment, right? And they only come around every 6-8 weeks or so anyway :-) . So let’s get back to working on our fitness (BizFitness, if you will). One comment I hear from therapists on occasion is that “the market is saturated” or my recent favorite, “you can’t throw a rock without hitting six massage therapists.” My suggestion: don’t try this at home; whomever you hit, whether in the field or not, won’t appreciate it. I don’t believe the market is “saturated,” but the fundamental challenge of standing out in a crowd and making yourself desirable exists. But that’s not because there are lots of other massage therapists. That just happens to be the nature of this field; massage is not government-mandated. No one’s required to come to you. Your job is to help develop their interest. In most cases, people choose massage; that means they had a choice. Not between therapists usually, but whether to get massage or bodywork at all. Here’s today’s exercise: I am a potential client, and am open to conversation about massage. Why should I get massage or bodywork, and if so why from you? Best answer gets special mention in the next post. Ready, go!