Like it or not, as Americans, we have been bred to compete. It has been in our DNA since the founding of our country. Of course, it hasn’t always been a virtue, but the nature of American society is to “be the best”—which usually means striving to be better than others. This is a fascinating drive we possess, because practically none of us will ever be the best—at anything.
Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary defines competition as “the act or action of seeking to gain what another is seeking to gain at the same time and usually under, or as if under, fair or equitable rules and circumstances: a common struggle for the same object especially among individuals of relatively equal standing.”1
Why compete? Well, it depends on the setting. Usually, our instinct is to think of athletics—we compete to win, to finish first, to defeat our opponent. In most sports, we do not hold finite or violent goals. In a 5k run, we do not need to vanquish our opponent—winning might mean finishing first in our age classification, or beating a certain time.
Is business competition any different? Wolfgang Kasper, an economics professor at the University of New South Wales, Australia, explains: “Economic competition takes place in markets—meeting grounds of intending suppliers and buyers. Typically, a few sellers compete to attract favorable offers from prospective buyers. Similarly, intending buyers compete to obtain good offers from suppliers. When a contract is concluded, the buyer and seller exchange property rights in a good, service, or asset. Everyone interacts voluntarily, motivated by self-interest.”2
This type of competition constantly occurs around us, as we are reminded on TV, the internet, and social media—Apple versus Samsung, Progressive versus Geico, DirecTV versus DISH, Chipotle versus Qdoba. We are constantly being pitched and sold in an effort for a company, product, or concept to “win” our attention (and business). It never stops. And it occurs in the peaceful, loving, holistic world of massage, too.
WHAT?
Sorry, we’re afraid so. But that’s OK—there are good sides to competition. A marketplace establishes value, and in most cases benefits the consumer, forcing the competitors (sellers) to improve their product/service to attract the buyer.
This happens at schools, spas, franchises, ABMP, even right down to the little ol’ independent practice. As a therapist, if you do not acknowledge there are competitors to your service, then the first step to is to freshen your perspective.
There are two basic types of competition for massage and bodywork professionals:
(1) massage and bodywork competitors, and (2) the rest of the places your clients can spend their money.
Category #2 is quite broad. Let’s start with actual competitors: who they are and what you can do to stand out in the field (hint: do not literally stand out in a field).
Your Actual Competition
There are 328,000-plus massage therapists in the United States. Not all of them are your competition, but Susie in the office building a half-mile down the road probably is. It’s helpful to have an understanding of how your practice matches up against hers.
A common exercise in business planning is called a SWOT analysis—SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Use this process to take a good honest look at your practice. You need to be able to accurately analyze your own strengths and weaknesses before you start looking at the competition. It’s a fairly simple process—identify each of the following for your practice:
• Strengths—internal advantages and unique talents.
• Weaknesses—areas for improvement.
• Opportunities—new opportunities in your practice and the profession, including continuing education and new client markets.
• Threats—competition and other obstacles you face.
Once you’ve completed your SWOT analysis, go through the discipline of identifying all possible competitors you can think of—this may require some research. After you do that, whittle down your list to who/what you feel are your key competitors. For each of these competitors, complete a Competitive Analysis Form. List their strengths and weaknesses in important areas—including services offered, pricing, office location, marketing, and training—and then compare your practice to theirs in each of these areas. Recognize that you might not know all of this information for all of your competition; just be sure to make a good-faith effort to gather what information you can. Your goal here is to identify opportunities for growth and improvement in your own practice.
ABMP members, download Competitive Analysis Forms from your member account at www.abmp.com/members/business-management/bizfit-resources.
Let’s return to our definition of competition and our commentary about competition making things better. Rather than thinking of competition as a negative force, we can—and should—use it as a positive motivating tool. If I get tired in kilometer three of that 5k and my buddy beats me, I shouldn’t think about how to trip him up, but rather, how to increase my late-race strength and stamina.
So take that data you’ve collected through your competitive analysis and think about what your strengths are versus the competition—what do they do better, and should you consider doing it? Or, maybe you should ignore what their strengths are and “zig” to their “zag”? Are they cheaper? Maybe add time to your session rather than cut your price? We at ABMP live in this world, too—just because something’s cheaper doesn’t mean it’s better (hint: ABMP membership is the best deal around, hands down).
How to Stand Out
How do you stand out in the field? The best way to rise above the competition is to put your heart and soul into doing something you love. Figure out what type of massage and bodywork you really want to do, who you want to work with, how you want to work, etc. Then, focus on doing those things really well and let go of anything that doesn’t contribute to that path. Here are some other ways to distinguish your practice from the competition.
Your Work
Offer a modality your competition doesn’t or be better at a modality than your competition is. This means continuing education, focus, and practice. Once you’ve found your specialty, communicate this additional training and expertise to clients.
Your Website
Do you have one? If the answer is no, start building one immediately. Many clients looking for a therapist these days do so online. ABMP membership includes a free, easy-to-create website: log in to your membership account on www.abmp.com to access it. How are you describing your practice and work to current and potential clients? Your marketing language should be benefits-centered, compelling, descriptive, and understandable. Keep your website pages decluttered and organized, and use photos and video to introduce yourself and your work. Your goal is to have your practice stand out from your competition for anyone who’s looking for a therapist online.
Your Client Experience
What’s it like to receive a session from you? Put thought and effort into making the entire process as easy, convenient, and professional as possible. Evaluate every phase and aspect of the client experience from beginning to end: scheduling, office location, parking, room cleanliness, amenities, payment collection, and rescheduling. Even an easy upgrade (yes, it’s really easier than you might think) like offering online scheduling can set you apart from other therapists in your area who are still playing phone and email tag with clients.
And Now for the Rest of the World
Also known as, “Mary the Pro LMT versus restaurants versus movies versus cell phones versus getting your dog washed versus Starbucks versus happy hour versus yoga, etc.”
This is a totally unscientific estimate, but we believe that more than 95 percent of all massages in the United States are paid for out of pocket—meaning, not through health insurance or another third party. Which means all those other things are your competition, because unless you’re a benevolent billionaire just doing this because you love helping people relax, you’re doing this to earn a living. And all those other things are ways people may choose to spend their money instead of taking care of themselves and getting massage and bodywork.
So how do you compete with, in essence, the rest of the consumer society? By focusing on yourself. Running an ad saying, “Starbucks is dumb” or “Boycott Applebee’s” won’t get you a new client. Your job is to be an advocate for wellness, not against all other forms of disposable income use. But you do need to make sure that your services are ranked higher in your clients’ minds than a good number of those others—and that’s where you appeal to your client’s sense of self, along with their inevitable concern of aging and slowing down. Take it from Les—his massage therapists make sure to check in with him about his latest dumb semi-athletic endeavor, and then discuss how his massage session can be a useful tool to keep the ol’ sports car running (truth: it’s a jalopy and they’re doing their best to keep it on the road).
What’s the moral of the story? Embrace, rather than shrink from or ignore, the fact that you have competition and lots of it. Then, use that to hone your practice, make smart choices, and—ultimately—grow.
Notes
1. Merriam Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, accessed November 2016, http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/competition.
2. Wolfgang Kasper, accessed November 2016, www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Competition.html.
Les Sweeney, BCTMB, is ABMP’s president. Contact him at les@abmp.com and read his occasional blog posts on www.abmp.com. Kristin Coverly, LMT, kristin@abmp.com, is the manager of professional development at ABMP and creates resources and teaches workshops for therapists across the country. Both are massage therapists with business degrees who care about you and your practice.