How To Think Stupid And Lose Students

Back in the naughts, my school was called ATA.

It was in honour of Don Burton, who claimed that "ata" was a Sanskrit word meaning "the art of the creative; the skill of the absolute." I could never confirm his story, but who cares? I liked it, and no-one else really knew anyway, and…

It was a stupid way for me to think.

Selfish actually. Thinking about me, not about my potential students. The name of your practise/biz/centre - whatever - is to help THEM. A good biz name will do three things:

1. It's easy to remember
2. It says who it is for
3. It explains the benefit

One of the best "graduates" of ATSuccess is our (soon-to-retire) Co-Director Peter Jacobson. The name of his business fulfils these three requirements…

TOTAL VOCAL FREEDOM

1. Easy to remember those words. (Just add a dot.com, and you've got his website.)
2. It's for people interested in voice, duh.
3. It's about TOTAL FREEDOM, and that is a benefit.

Getting the right name for your practise/biz/Centre - whatever - is no easy feat. It's the tip of an iceberg, a culmination of a long process of getting all your foundations right. A biz built on solid foundations can weather many storms.

What are those foundations?

FIRST, that you are doing something you love. Because it is no easy job to build a business. You will be discouraged, overwhelmed, confused - many, many times!!! Can you keep going? If it is what you love, YES. If it merely what you like, MAYBE.

"MAYBE" is a weak foundation for sustainable biz. Go for passion, go for 'YES!".

Musicians have an easier time with this - which is why our Alexander profession has so many of them as teachers. But "music" still involves a vast audience of potential students. In Japan, 6% of the population reported that they play an instrument. That's translates to almost 8 million people.

Can you fit 8 million people in your teaching room? Time for…

SECOND, figure out who you will work with.

How about singers? Singers are an odd bunch of people - if you've ever worked with them - often having egos bigger than Everest. They impinge on the space around them, becoming incredibly receptive and willing to play with you. Wonderful students - if you can manage the drama, and match the diva. Lots of fun for the brave. And finally….

THREE, how will you help them?

This is why I rage against "Alexander Technique" - BORING - and encourage ATSuccess members to come up with a new brand, a new "technique", a unique methodology that communicates Alexander's discovery in a way that RELATES to the audience you choose.

Hey come on, this is 2017!

Consumers almost expect the new best thing. Why don't you be that? It's more appealing, it's fresher, it is likely to gather people's distracted attention.

This is it in a nutshell:

DO WHAT YOU LOVE. FIND YOUR NAME. DESIGN YOUR SERVICE.

If this all makes sense to you then join - what could be my last ever - 60Day Foundations course starting in October. Together we break down these three steps, look at how you can deliver your service in groups, and start the ball rolling towards a lifelong sustainable career as an Alexscovery Teacher.

ATSuccess 60Day Foundations Course

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