During your massage therapy training program and throughout your professional career, you’ll want to maintain happy and relaxed clients. Massage therapy can be fun and inviting, and it’s important to keep a sense of professionalism and confidence to relax your clients and make them want to come back for more sessions.

Here are 6 tips to put your clients at ease. These are useful skills that you can use throughout your massage therapy training courses or career.

Maintain a peaceful and clean environment.

A calm, clean setting is one of many reasons clients will come to you for massage therapy. The goal is to help your clients feel better and relax. Sometimes the massage oils and lotions you use can get messy. Before the session starts, be sure to have clean towels, tissues, and wipes on hand. Gently place them next to your client so they’re aware they can use them if needed.

Keep yourself presentable.

Clients and patients will expect to see a clean environment, but it’s also important to remember that you represent your profession and the environment in which you work. Make sure to have fresh breath, a washed face, and clean hands. Having breath mints and hand sanitizer on-hand throughout the day will help you stay approachable. If you have long hair, pull it back so it doesn’t get in your way.

It’s also a good idea to keep both your fingernails and toenails trimmed for appearance. If you wear sandals, patients might be looking at your toenails while they are lying down during the massage. To not distract them, make sure you keep your toenails short and presentable.

Be upfront about underwear policies.

Some clients aren’t going to know whether or not it’s appropriate to wear underwear during the massage. In most spas, it’s up to the client to decide whether or not they want to keep their underwear on. Be clear about the protocol in your spa. If a client has problems in their lower back, hips, buttocks, or groin, you may want to suggest that tight-fitting underwear can get in the way of your work, whereas thongs or briefs are acceptable for working around. Let your patients know ahead of time so they can plan accordingly.

Gently let your clients know if tipping is appropriate.

According to the Natural Healers’ tips on putting your clients at ease, clients will not always know when it’s appropriate to tip. You can inform your clients in numerous ways about tipping. You might politely address the client at an appropriate time about what your tipping suggestions are. If clients schedule online, you could make it clear in their confirmation notice or email how much a tip should be if one is required at all. Make sure to kindly let them know about tipping before the session so there is no confusion. Because different work settings have different tipping standards, see which one would best fit your needs:

Offer suggestions to self-conscious clients.

Some clients might be self-conscious about their bodies for reasons ranging from acne to excessive hair growth. Make sure new clients know about techniques like Thai massage where they can keep their clothes on.

Along with being courteous, kind, and on-time, these tips will help you keep your clients relaxed and happy. Following these tips may even help increase your tips and increase the number of referrals from clients who are satisfied.