Day Twenty - This Week in ATSuccess

This week, like every other, the members in my coaching group are continuing to focus on their business skills, and how those skills relate to their teaching skills. I think one of the big surprises when you start to work on your Alexander practise, comes when you realise that the service you offer is inextricably bound to the business you are creating - it's not possible to separate the two, as some of the comments I made this week illuminate… Why Belong To ATSuccess Coaching Group That's why it's important to be in here - it pulls you to where you want to go, by waking you up to what needs to be done. On What A Teaching Style is All About These are the activities I mean: simple everyday things that concern ordinary people. The truth is that this is not about 121 verses groups - it's more about doing what the teacher wants to do, or doing what the student wants to do. which way do you choose? This can happen in 121, it can happen in groups. It's about the relationship you have, the purpose you have, what you ask of your students up front, what you expect of them. These are the issues to re-consider. On Analysing A Marketing Message Also analyse your message to look for these two elements - moving towards (something you want) and moving away (from what you don't want e.g. pain). Then ask - what is the main motivator for people who come to you? Moving towards, or moving away? A marketing message is one or the other - and yours is all moving towards. However, I think you need some moving away language - it shows you understand and have empathy with what is driving them crazy. Make sense? On Being Overwhelmed By All That Needs Doing Ah yes. I do get that. What is wonderful is knowing that this is needed, realising that your business needs you to grow. So many AT teachers fail to realise how important it is to work ON your business, not just IN your business. So ask: what is the single most important thing I need to achieve for my business next? Make it one thing, not 10 things, and your overwhelm is less, your satisfaction increased. One step at a time. Means-whereby and all that. Why Join With ATSuccess For December I've been talking with a member about whether to join for December or not, and in answering her I realized it's a good message for anyone wondering if they will join this month, what with Xmas and crazy December distracting them... Are you thinking like that? Then this is for you. Staying here is about staying awake. The premise that "I have to read everything, do everything and I have not time" is not the premise to base your decision on. You never can do it all - there's always more. What matters most is this question: "What will keep me awake to my purpose? What will keep me thinking constructively about my business?" In the whole of December you may just get one idea from one blog, or from one posting in the hidden Facebook Group - and THAT will be worth way more than the $48 you pay for December. Don't feel you have to always be on, but remember to stay on enough to keep your growth alive. Yes it's good for me, but more important - it's good for you. One day, one blog, one idea - that may be enough to make it worth join here next month... http://atsuccess.com/membership-plans On What Place To Teach It's a good lesson about place - people don't expect to pay for things in places where they don't. If you do teach outside home, then make a partnership with someone who understands that making a living is not greed. If they get something for free, they expect more of the same. Consider joining - there is already a wealth of learning available in November's focus on how to teach groups, and it carries on in December on how to fill those groups. Sign up her now: http://atsuccess.com/membership-plans [NOTE: This second half of my blog is a paid area describing practical ways to implement what is being described in a Facebook group with 47 other teachers and students. You can join anytime to be part of their discussions.]

*On Building A Niche I will jump up with joy when you can tell us you have a niche you can commit to - I do hope the singers are a group you can get consistency with? The point is - results don't come in a month or 3 months - it takes a couple of years. And during that time - every second day at a bare minimum - you need to be doing something to build THAT niche. This is what works. It's a unity of purpose, a wholeness and clarity that doesn't require good weather all the time, but does require unrelenting focus. I know you have the passion and the energy, and what I think will make a difference for you is to harness that purpose to a specific niche (choir singers?) and stick to it for at least 2 years. Every day. It’s a sure way, that’s what I have learnt. *On What Keeps Your Niche Awake At Night Interesting Dana - who would of thought? Now you have an idea for an appealing blog... Are You Bored With Your Own Dance? Do You Want To Find A Way to Re-Ignite Your Creativity? If your student read that, I bet she's going to read the next line: "Creativity is the opposite of habit - yet is habit what fills most of your dance? The same thing over and over again so you are bored with your own performance? How do you get out of that? How do find new ways to do be creative? To be fresh and original? The breakthrough came for me in a dark basement room 13 years ago when I… Then ferret into your past and FIND A TRUE STORY from your experience that illustrates this very point. Write that up, then make your teaching points (which is the script for your class), then let people know you are having an Intro where you will explore "How To Transform Boring Dancing Into Thrilling Your Audience" and charge $60 for a one hour class. There! :-) (The last part is a little joke) *On How To Market With No Niche Yes Nicholas - we went with that one (AT is a pre-technique) originally in Japan, it works for a no-niche position. We had pictures of people doing all the activities that usually happened in class, explaining how AT is how you do what you do. *On AT And Computer Metaphors Yes Adrian - I've been playing around with that one for awhile. Go for it - it could connect really well in that niche, or not. You have to test it. Same thing I am saying to Angela and Aniko. I wrote a blog about the software thingy here. *On Finding A Unique One Line AT Description Angela - I love "Application specialist" as I am guessing that is a term radiographers are using in another context? As I said with Aniko and Dentists - find the language and examples that come from their everyday experience. *On Finding a USP Great Victoria - have you got a simple USP statement that tells people what they can get from YOUR Pilates that they can not get anywhere else? Look at your student's testimonials - the answer could be there... *On Early Morning Writing It's a niche ritual Julie - an earlier rise, a meditation on the work, then start the day. And it has the function of keeping you in front of your audience which we ALWAYS need to be doing. *On Victoria's Blog I also love that you use the BOLD type to be the inner monologue of the reader. What you wrote can be developed into a sales letter about your work. Here's what I would do: 1. Make ALL the bold statements questions the reader might be asking (you know them well); 2. Make more simple sentences. Sorry to say, but a sales letter needs to be easy for a Grade 8 student to read, Grade 5 even better. It's not about dumbing down, it's about being clear and simple. (I am not so good at that); 3. Include a CTA throughout (as you started to do) and end with a clear offer (you decide what). You still want me to post these together like this every week? https://www.facebook.com/groups/ATCSProMembers/