When the prospective client calls, have an established procedure to describe your work, fees, and location. Get their phone number and address for your records and just in case you need to reschedule.

When the client arrives for a first session, do you have available a client package of information such as a business card, a description of your rates and what Reflexology is, foot and hand Reflexology charts, and any other information that adds to your credibility? The overall impression of such an approach is stability and professionalism.

Are you listed in the “Yellow Pages” of your local phone book?

Consider your local marketing resources, such as, health food stores, smaller specialty newspapers for announcements & advertising (health, church, or community).

Demonstrations at the health food store, church group, singles group, senior citizens centers, libraries, and so forth can build your presence within the community.

Finally, how committed are you to establishing your Reflexology career? Like any other business it requires time, money, and effort. The beauty of a Reflexology business is that you can start small and build. There is a point, however, where you make a decision about your commitment level. Clients can tell if your practice is a serious professional pursuit or just a fill in.

To start your career as a certified Professional Foot Reflexology Practitioner, email me at -

Jack@JackMarriott.com

Universal College of Reflexology

Consider your work habits. Are you on time for the session with your work space prepared? We have heard reports of practitioners showing up late for the session then ending the session at the scheduled time AND charging a full fee.

Establish a routine for preparing for your work area: note taking, setting the room temperature, turning on lights, adjusting music, lighting candles, checking that the area is clean and neat, putting the phone on an answering machine or whatever else is involved in setting your work place. Treat the client with courtesy. Focus on them and make eye contact during your work.

Add value to your service by offering self-help advice. Not all clients want to work on themselves but for those who do, your self-help lessons convey the message that your goal is to work with them to achieve their goals, no matter who does the work.

Office ambiance is yet another issue. Working out of the den of your home, for example, can be cheap but does your work space match the fees you charge? Value is added to your service by your surroundings. One successful Reflexologist rented an office in a professional building (among other tenants are some 900 dentists) in the downtown, central area of Chicago for years. Value is added to his service with a session room that includes a top-of-the-line Lazy Boy recliner, a stereo, scented candles, and attractive windows that showcase bird feeders and birds drawn to them. The clients enjoy watching the birds and feel that it adds to a relaxing session. Good location, easy parking, good signs, and the availability of an elevator if the office has stairs all contribute to the ease which the prospective client can access your services.

What hours do your work and are you willing to make house calls? Try working at meeting your clients’ schedules, what about Saturday appointments? Do you consider working evenings to accommodate your clients? Also, what about house calls? Some people prefer not leaving their houses and prefer to receive a home visit.

Do you have good relationships with other professionals? A holistic doctor, and other wholistic practitioners such as acupuncturists and massage therapists have proven to be good sources of client referral. Keep them in mind when the client indicates a desire for services outside of your range. Know when to refer out to other professionals. Not only is this in the best interests of the client, but it is also a good professional practice. Straying into areas outside of your professional practice also lessens your credibility as a Reflexologist.

The questions to ask at the second session or the next day on the phone are “Did you feel better after the last session?” and “How long did that feeling last?” The goal becomes applying a sufficient amount of Reflexology work to achieve the level of adaptation necessary to effect a change in the body’s operating process.

Keep in mind an active picture of the client’s feet. This will enable you to note changes within the session and from session to session. Value is, thus, added to your service when the client sees that change has taken place. It also makes you a more credible practitioner by showing that you can objectively gauge the changes taking place within his or her stress pattern.

Pricing can be an issue. “No wonder this Reflexologist has so many clients. She only charges $15 a session. I could increase my client level if I was willing to charge less,” as one Reflexologist reported. Consider whether or not your fees match the locally accepted levels and your skill / experience / reputation level.  And don’t forget many people pretend to be Reflexologists or other therapists with little or sometimes no training and then charging a low fee.  Remember the old adage “You get what you pay for.”