ATSuccess 1st Fortnight - June 2014 • Use Your Summer Well

Recently, I felt I wasn't doing enough for you all in ATSuccess Basic, and then it was time to post this summary of my answers to your questions for the last two weeks… 2,420 words. Hummm... That is 200 words of advice on your questions every day: I'd say that's enough. What do you think? For those not in my ATSuccess group - here's a sampling of the encouragement and advice you can have access to. Not just any marketing program - a program full of Alexander Technique teachers who really get it. Maybe it's time for you to join? Click here now to find out how to join ATSuccess. Anyway - read, discover and grow… *** My Personal Perspective Every time I undo another of my stressful thoughts - "I should be taking a day off" - I am always left with the same thing: how spectacular my life is. Not the one I imagine - the one right in front of me. My silent trees, the air just right, my kettle clicking to tell me my tea will be ready soon. Everywhere support, freedom, love. I fill with joy at the wonder of my perfect life. How To Get Focus and Clarity I think of ATSuccess as being under what we do, rather than being another thing to do. Sure there is the "to do" stuff, but much more important is the knowledge that there is a community of people cheering for your success, willing to share how they are managing, and supporting you to renew your focus again and again on the one thing that will flow into supporting the rest. Financial health is not to be underrated - once you achieve that, there is more ease overall. Glad you shared how it is for you - I bet you are not the only one. Hang in there: focus is key, clarity the objective. How To Trust The Information My experience of this whole approach to creating your biz, is that I had to hear this stuff again and again - in my case for nearly 3 years - before it started to sink in and effect the way I did things in BodyChance. It's slow (for me) but each year, looking back, I certainly an advanced on the previous year. Getting the ideas inside my head was my beginning - believing it, trusting it. That comes before implementing it. Advice on Your Website and Facebook Pages Once a person gets to your website, they are already halfway decided to come, so knowing about you is a big part of their decision making. You are selling YOU, not Alexander Technique: do they want to have YOUR lessons? Of course, being niched goes without saying. I am talking now about the niched person at your niched website. For your Facebook Page - it makes no sense to use it if it is packed full of people who would never take lessons with you (friends, other AT teachers etc.) Make sure your Facebook Page has ONLY people who are candidates for lessons? Adds to your avatar can take people out side of Facebook to a website page of information: inviting them to join your list is the holy grail outcome for now! By have some CTA there, so you catch some people at least. How To Use Facebook - Simply Use your Avatar to boost Likes to your Facebook Page. Then use your page to distribute News Feed appeals for people to get more information from you (aka Join My List) or announce special interest workshops (Life Coaching?). Make sure you get past students into Facebook - so your News Feeds CTAs will reach them when you have an exciting new product to lure them back into a higher end service… How Good Is My Blog? I guess I have more of a question than a feedback - how does your blog resonate with your audience? I love your writing, and your points are SO GOOD - really clear, and flow really well. The only question that niggles at the back of my mind is: do THEY read that? Do THEY get that? Is this talking to THEIR needs? I can't answer that question, and maybe you can't either. Certainly no-one in ATSuccess can know this. Ask those all around YOU. There. Be asking THEM. Building Your Mail List Facebook is there waiting to support you building your MAIL LIST. Get to be proud of your numbers! 82 right now, right? Get to 200 and let us know when you reach that target. Next, 500. Start to analyze the % optin to courses you get from the original numbers - anyway, we will Skype this through on your next session. Working With Others I have serious reservations about you bringing others into your biz at such a nascent stage. Working with a team is essential eventually, and it comes with it's own set of learnings. When you get there I'll introduce you to Nancy, and she will ensure you navigate this, but that is a few years away yet I guess! *** ATSuccess Facebook Group [NOTE: The rest of my blog contains personal advice for members of my ATSuccess Group in Facebook. Sorry, but this is inappropriate for non-members. You can join the group by becoming a member. Participants of enjoy the protection to express private opinions openly to the group. It gets interesting. Being within a walled garden - knowing who else is there - creates a context to take risks. In ATSuccess no-one cares where you trained, they only care you succeed at it.] [show_if not_contact][login_page][/show_if] [show_if has_one="Lite,Basic,Pro,Apprentice"] *Basic and Pro ATSuccess Membership As I explained to Cecile once, I can't help with last minute stuff at the Basic level. 2/3 days is my response time. Also, Basic level is about giving out general advice - if you want my proactive advice specific to your biz on a regular basis, then Pro is the place for that. Dana - I think you are great! Keep going for it!Why Give It For Free? The reason you have a free start is that your purpose is not to make a sale, it is to establish a relationship. How would your girlfriend have thought if you had proposed: Let's go have a coffee, but only if I can give you a kiss (make a sale) first? Do I Charge Or Give It For Free? Here's the thing: my first mentor - Brendan Nichols - makes around a million dollars from 5 day coaching group. How he gather folks though his list - 20 years in the making - is by staging huge events (200+) that are billed as expensive but sold cheaply (bring a friend for $5 extra; early birds; special package etc.) His main purpose in staging the big events is to funnel people into his Wealth Mastermind group - which costs $12,000 last time I entered. So the model of cheaper/larger funnel gathering activities makes sense when you are working to move them into an established, money-making back-end. Put ALL that together, then having a no resistance start (free, cheap, whatever) makes sense. Without it, it makes no sense at all. Gather Testimonials You want to integrate gathering testimonials into your workshop. At the end you say "I'm finished now, but if anyone has time to stay over, I'd love you to write something that would encourage others to come along and experience this too." and you hand out a form with a heading that clearly describes what you will do with this: "Your feedback about my workshop will be used by me to let others know about what happens in my workshops" and a place to put their name, Profession/Hobby/Type of Yoga (optional?) and location (optional?). Often the best testimonials come when they are still all flush with enthusiasm (chemicals) that prompt them to write glowing feedback. Video Education Here's a set of videos I highly recommend watching for those who have products to launch, lists to build, excitement to create... http://www.productlaunchformula.com/allaccess.html Selling on Facebook NOT I understand the owners POV. Contribute - put posts there NOT about your workshops, but about your ideas. Think of it like a conversation happening on the verandah as you walk past. The first thing you do - according to them - is "Hey high. I teach this too. Come to my workshops." Maybe I am missing something here (?) but I think the studio owner IS DOING YOU A FAVOUR by pointing out your inappropriate behaviour. I'd write back saying: "I want to thank you so much for being honest with me. I am new at this, and feel passionate about this, and I realise now what I really want to do is contribute ideas and content that will be helpful to people..." Along those lines! Charge More, Teach Less and Be Better At It Love it! Actually, I had a friend in London (years ago now) who was giving 40 lessons a week for £30. One day he decided to give 30 lessons a week for £40 and it worked out PERFECTLY. Go for it. Being Honest Totally with you on this. Personal disclosure is a powerful to connect with people, no question. *Testing A Biz Name - HOW? Lucy - pen a blog with the title "Power of Poise" and take note of how the hits compare to blogs posted at similar times. Pen another blog - same slot a week later - with your current biz title. Do that a few times with other possible biz titles. Notice what happens. Make sure you post the title if your blog to a New Post - have you got a Page with decent numbers? Then spend $5 with each News Post to boost how many people see it. Facebook will let you know via it's page Insights how each of the News Posts compare. This is rough - but will give you some idea of the pulling power of that phrase. BTW the Facebook post only works if the people who liked your page are prospective students! *Victoria's Revamped Blog I guess I have more of a question than a feedback - how does your blog resonate with your audience? I love your writing, and your points are SO GOOD - really clear, and flow really well. The only question that niggles at the back of my mind is: do THEY read that? Do THEY get that? Is this talking to THEIR needs? I can't answer that question, and maybe you can't either. Certainly no-one in ATSuccess can know this. Ask those all around YOU. There. Be asking THEM. Find a way to interact with them. Have you found a way to engage your readership and gather info about them yet? *Building A Maverick Business Hate to say this Angela - but this is exactly what I coached you on your first Skype session. You have to build your list by going DIRECTLY to the people INDIVIDUALLY and get them on side. I've watched you pursuing this "institutional" approach thinking (maybe I was wrong about that?) But no. Forget about the institutions (BMUS, SOR, HOSPITALS etc.) - go for the individuals who can pay. With a 44,000 base, there have to be enough! You need to find the passionate ones, who will pay you on their own penny, and use them to build an Authority/Celebrity culture around you. This takes time, but it can not be broken by anyone. It's solid, sustainable and secure. However, that is your secret attitude - it serves YOUR BUSINESS to stay genial and friendly in whatever way is appropriate for your own integrity to these institutional mutts. Reading Pamela's letter, she is saying: "I want to support you." It's obvious she is being as careful as she can, maybe hedging her bets for now? Which denotes respect towards you. I can read that in her letter. *Israelis Are A Niche!!! Oh Dana - Israelis are a community! It's a niche! It's what you are looking for!!! Really. They hold together wherever they are - in Mullumbimby NSW where my daughters live, there is a large, thriving Israeli community. They give each other tips, support each other, socialise lots - so become their new rage. If you enjoy teaching them (?) it's a no-brainer. *Can I Build My Niche On The Backs Of Others? I can't see how studio owners will welcome you poaching their clients. I wonder if it is about the studio owners? Isn't it more about those moneyed practitioners? Is there another path to creating credibility and contact DIRECTLY to them? I'd be thinking along those lines. I really think you need to go to Pro and join Peter, Angela and Jennifer In terms of the Yoga Studios - being present around town in Yoga Studios increases your credibility no question. I think that is a great idea. Be careful you don't create the perception that you are "aligned" with a certain Studio or type of Yoga - unless that is going to work for you. Yoga world is like AT world I guess - many camps at odds with each other, jealously guarding their "right" way. Stay neutral in that for as long as you can, or until it makes no sense to. *On the Rising Waters Of Yoga Fans Lisa's email is indicative of the future - the sooner you can offer a "body wisdom certificate course" that - long term - other Yoga trainings recognize (or create you OWN Yoga certification) the more integrated, financially supportive and influential your biz becomes. You're on the right path - it may be slower than you want, but check out exponential curves - you are currently on the long, flat lead up. One day the water will start rising. Fast. We must be in synchronicity - BodyChance just opened the first session of it's Yoga Clinic Month last night. Small too. Glad to read yours went well. *How To Keep Your Pain Clients Coming Back Absolutely David. The pain niche is a great one Elyse, providing you build it into a community of... Performers? Do you dare focus single mindedly on building a niche for performers (while never turning away from the other categories - just quit seeking them) and build a practise full of the people you love to teach? But performers love to... Perform. So you need context for that, and community/groups creates context, which then becomes it's own magnet to multiple your niche numbers and slowly edge the others out. There's a plan. *Website Advice Maybe it's Japan, but it took nearly 20 seconds for your website to show David. Speed of website is an active ingredient to how much engagement you get - look at how fast Facebook and Google are. Of course this is higher end stuff, but having a good ISP with a low number of virtual IP numbers on their server (ask them about that, not me) is one way to start. Actually - your website is fine as a CTA for musicians. The reality is: only 20% of all of a websites pages actually gets traffic - that's why the approach of making a blog your website works fine too. I wouldn't fuss too much fixing up your website - I would look at creating a more indirect pathway to you. Now it's come to my Monday class or buzz off. God knows how many people are going away because Monday doesn't work for them. You need to create a middle path - add an optin to an email list which invites people into your "Play Well, Hurt Less" conversation. If you are going to get technical - do THAT. *** Anything you want to bring urgently to my attention? I’m working to maintain a delicate pace - not too intense, not too relaxed. Keep the string taut, but don’t let it snap: that’s how we make our music! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ATCSProMembers/ [/show_if]