The Second Challenge Facing You as a Practitioner of Barefoot Deep Tissue Massage

Ok.  We’re getting there.  So now, you’ve convinced some of your clients to try the Barefoot Deep Tissue Massage and they’ve even gone the whole 60 minutes without asking to switch to a table massage.  In the follow-up call the next day, they reported that they slept well and woke up feeling refreshed.  But…  They don’t reschedule for Barefoot Massage.  They ask for the table next time.  Or, worse yet, they don’t reschedule at all.  You never see them again.  What happened!?!?

Of course, there could be any number of reasons for this, but just in case it’s got something to do with your technique, here are a few pointers.

- Pressure and Movement is Amplified -

The biggest thing to remember in barefoot bodywork is that everything is amplified. Be careful how you use those feet! What may seem moderate to you, may feel much more than moderate to the client.  What may seem to you like a gradual increase in pressure, often times seems like a sudden, extreme increase to the client.  Be extremely cautious with your initial touch for each spot the whole session.  Also, if you need to move your other foot (your support foot), take your pressure foot off the client first.  Don’t try to shimmy or hop on one foot.  It feels terrible!

- Follow-Up Calls -

Make follow-up calls.  Ask people how they felt the morning after their session.  Ask them if the pressure was too extreme.  Ask them straight out if they got bruised.  It’ll show them that you care.  Just the fact that you’re asking the question will demonstrate that you’re serious about getting feedback ﾐ whether it be positive or negative.  Even if you really messed up and they never schedule with you again, at the very least, you can get some valuable information from them so you don’t end up repeating the experience with another client.  See if you can get the dissatisfied people to tell you clearly what they didn’t like about it.  Maybe there’s nothing you can do about it, but maybe there is.  Maybe they’ll have some very concrete information that will at least help you keep the next barefoot client.

Get barefoot work done on yourself from as many practitioners as you can find.  Make a mental note of what feels good and what feels bad and then keep that in mind in the sessions that you give.

Do some exchanges with other barefoot practitioners.  Agree beforehand that the sessions will be for the purpose of receiving feedback.  Ask for feedback throughout the session.  Don’t let your partner go to sleep!  (Refer to the section on communication in one of my previous articles (http://www.liasuzuki.com/Resources/Articles/couples_massage.html) for ways to get clear messages from your partner, making the sessions more constructive.

The main thing to remember is: Don’t give up.  It takes time to build up a clientele in any business.  And it takes even longer to build up a clientele for barefoot bodywork and massage.  Be patient.  Follow the advice above and in my other articles.  And your clientele should grow.  

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