Looking the Part of a Professional

By Cliff Korn, BS, LMT, NCTMB
May 29, 2009

Looking the Part of a Professional

By Cliff Korn, BS, LMT, NCTMB
May 29, 2009

This month, I'm writing about the phrase, "The clothes make the wo(man)." We've all heard this cliché many times, and it is a perfect example of a well-meaning, but overused platitude. Platitudes, by nature, are obvious in their meanings. Platitudes are defined as trite, banal remarks, especially when expressed as if they were original or significant.

Some good examples are: Patience is a virtue; Anything worth doing is worth doing well; Curiosity killed the cat; It's all in your mind; Happiness is a choice; If it's meant to be it will be; A stitch in time saves nine; The apple doesn't fall far from the tree; You are what you think; You are what you eat; and, coming full circle, You are what you wear.

Now, let's try to put these thoughts in context.

I recently did something that I would guess most massage therapists have done in their career - I exhibited at a Health and Wellness Expo. Chamber of Commerce-sponsored and community-based, the expo had good traffic on Mother's Day weekend, with its focus on women's health. The exhibitors were quite varied and ranged from food service establishments, travel agencies and financial planning consultants, to surgical centers and massage therapy establishments. In addition to the health center I worked at, visitors also were attracted to a chiropractic office and a community college massage therapy program offering chair massages. The chiropractic office and my clinic were housed in a good-sized exhibit hall and the massage students were prominently placed in the entrance hall. Interestingly enough, the students' chairs often were empty, and they packed up and left before the expo was over. The therapists in the chiropractor's booth likewise had time on their hands and ended up leaving early. However, for most of the afternoon, there was a line of people waiting to get into our massage chairs.

So, what made the difference? Was our location that much different that it was more convenient for passersby to queue up at our booth? I think not. The lobby location was much better for attracting attention. Was it obvious to those giving a casual glance that our therapists were more skilled and, therefore, more desirable? I think not. Skill level in massage is better felt than observed.

I'll never really know the answer to what made the difference, but I can certainly speculate. The students were obviously just that - students. Given the option, I believe most individuals capable of cogent thought will choose complimentary professional care over complimentary student care any day. If it were free student care v. paid professional care, I'd guess the students would have been a lot busier than they were.

The chiropractic office had what I thought to be a mixed message. The look and feel of the exhibit touted Reiki, yoga and massage therapy and (presumably) chiropractic care, but it was not possible to recognize who did what in the booth. All were in very casual street clothes with nothing to enable an observer to identify an individual with a mode of care.

Our exhibit, however, was stocked with six massage therapists (including myself) from my health center. We were all wearing khaki slacks and maroon polo shirts with a silk-screened business logo. It was readily apparent that neuromuscular therapy and other forms of massage therapy were what we were all about. People couldn't wait to see what we had to offer! My business partner spoke to the press about the benefits of regular massage therapy. And all of our therapists benefited from our participation.

As I see it, the difference was that we looked the part. We were what people expected to see from professional massage therapists, and they responded. So, what do you wear when you go to work? Are you a jeans and t-shirt therapist? Are you a shorts and tank top therapist? If you are satisfied and happy with the number of clients you see each week, then you are doing fine. If you need to pick up the pace a bit, why not try to upgrade the way you look to see if it makes a difference? I've been on the table of excellent therapists who appeared in everything from the stereotypical '70s Birkenstocks and tie-dyed muumuu to one fellow who actually wore spit-shined shoes, dress slacks and a short-sleeved white shirt and tie!

I propose some middle ground when making your apparel choice. I personally use the "golf course test" to determine appropriate appearance. Most golf courses won't let you play in jeans or without a collared shirt. That may be overkill, but what goes around comes around and clothes make the (wo)man! Your mileage may vary.

Thanks for listening!


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