You must have a focus in your career as a Spa Therapist!  You simply cannot move through each day without a professional growth plan.  You will find yourself working for mediocre businesses, doing mediocre work, and feeling less than satisfied with  your mediocre career.
 
Why not set your goal at becoming the best therapist in the business? 
 
If this is too lofty for you, what about simply becoming the absolute best therapist you can be? 
 
The first thing you may need to do is examine your behaviors.  There is always room for one more professional to claim the title of "extraordinary spa therapist", but what actually entitles you to that position?  Well, we at Spas2b believe there are 5 key components.  Why not pick up the miles of slack that are laying around out there, and grab up what can so easily be yours?  It is a industry-wide, ongoing opportunity, and your gateway to commanding higher rewards at the spas of your choice.  Doesn't that sound good? 
 
This path is wide for those who demonstrate pride in their profession, and integrity in their person.
  
Behavior #1:  Set an Example

Therapists behaving badly is so boring.  But therapists setting an example for other therapists to emulate, is refreshing and contagious.  Here are some ideas: Show voluntary acceptance of management decisions; always demonstrate a desire to please; keep your promises; respect processes; show concurrence; meet challenges with enthusiasm; be fully present; recognize the efforts of others (peers, management & customers); inject a positive energy into new company initiatives; share the glory; cut out back talk and over-talk; work hard; welcome greater responsibilities; smile and laugh freely.  You'll see that these positive behaviors are much more nutritious to the soul, than negative ones.
 
 
Behavior #2 - Become the Expert
 
A great therapist takes personal initiative to self-educate.  Higher educational achievements will literally be your strongest, singular advantage for the life of your career. Knowing more than most , provides you with the right to position yourself as an expert, and the unique opportunity to use that knowledge to help others. Consider taking on some of these challenges:  Always send your client out the door with a take-home "wow" with your personal stamp on; offer to provide in-house client workshops on a variety of subjects to heighten your image; offer to provide one-on-one consultations to hot business prospects; do treatment and product demonstrations at community events on behalf of the spa; become the spa media spokesperson; become the lead staff trainer & mentor; become the head trade show attendee who brings back cutting edge information.  The opportunities for your to acquire the title of "expert" are endless.    
 
 
Behavior #3 - Improve your Performance 
 
Understand the spa metrics (key performance indicators) that apply to your position, and know where you can improve your output.  You may think your service and product sales are good, but could they be better?  As a therapist you will want to know at least some of these KPI'S, so start with a couple, and build from there.  You may need the assistance of your Manager to help you compile these reports:  Your daily productivity levels (actual vs. maximum potential); your average ticket selling price (your retail and service sales combined, per client); your retail to services sales ratio (what percentage of service sales you sell in retail); sales per hour (how much you generate in revenue per hour); average hourly service price (the average service revenue you bring in per treatment hourly); your rate of client retention (how many clients revisit you within a certain period of time); your client request rate (how many clients request your services).  If you want to be the best, you MUST know where you stand.
 
 
Behavior #4 - Develop your Specialty
 
What if you were to study what's missing in your world of business, and within yourself, and blend those findings together to design your one of a kind professional niche?  And then what if you were to aggressively and persistently market it as your specialty, never deviating from it?  Now that's focus...and it works.  Your specialty might be any number of things, but it must be something that you are considered the "master" at.  So when a staff member; management; or client needs this special "thing", they come to you and you alone.  You may be the master at waxing; new treatment design; microdermabrasion; product merchandising; infant massage; high end product specialist and sales closer; french manicures; advanced therapeutic facials - and the list goes on.  Whatever it is, you must love it and live it.
 
 
Behavior #5 - Help grow the Business
 
An outstanding therapist supports the business by helping to improve it's image; boost awareness in the community; gain new clients; and retain existing ones.  All of the 4 points mentioned above, lend themselves to this optimal outcome.  It's personal and it's professional.  If you're in it only for yourself, it will become obvious and all will come crashing down.  As an employee, you must dedicate your time and spend it well, with personal gain being a bonus of the business' gain. 

If you should move on, you can do it knowing you built your professional self, the spa did not built you, and you are not taking their trade secrets, you are leaving with yours.  No job should be viewed as an interim position to gather whatever you can and then apply it later for your personal or professional gain.  But if you have developed your professional profile and given freely of it wherever you are  employed, you have earned and are entitled to the position of "extraordinary spa therapist". 
 
Go out on this limb, it's where the fruit is!

Bringing the Classroom to You! Spas2b is proud to announce the launch of our NEW! Distance Learning Programs! www.spas2b.com, Leslie Lyon, President Spas2b Inc. llyon@spas2b.com, 1-519-585-0626 

Classroom Course Dates: 
4-Day Spa Management & Operations
October 6-9, 2008 
5-Day Spa Start Up, Management & Operations
October 5-9, 2008    

Spas2b is a full-service Spa Development, Consulting and Training company based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Spas2b draws on the extensive experience of its President, Leslie Lyon. Leslie has evolved with the Health and Beauty Industry for more than 30 years and has participated in many aspects of the Spa trade. An Aesthetician and Electrologist for 25 years, today Leslie enjoys her profession as an International Consultant, Educator, Key Note Speaker, Published Columnist and Freelance Writer