This Week in ATSuccess

The advice flows thick and fast in our Facebook group! To help people catch up I publish these weekly summaries of my answers to the multitude of questions that teachers and trainees are asking. Being a member of my coaching groups opens you to the collective wisdom of Alexander Technique teachers and trainees around the world - plus my own advice of course. Ask any question, any time. All available for less than the price of one Alexander lesson once a month. Click here now and join us all. On Taking A Leap Into A New Biz I hear you. Just know what you are leaping into - have a plan, and share it with us, and stick to the principles of it, even as it shapes itself. And your primary principle is this: did I interact today in any way with prospective students? Income is generated from there - that is the nexus. However long you are in this nexus - each and every day - decides how many students you will eventually get. It all starts from there, regardless of the niche or strategy you are following. Contact - direct or indirect. As a discipline, you could share each day how you interacted with prospective students… On What Is A USP (Unique Selling Point) Have you heard of "1,000 songs in your pocket"? This is the famous USB that Apple used to help convince people to buy a $400 iPod when mp3 players of the time retailed at $149. With iTunes they delivered on that promise. It led people to want an iPod - price was never part of the sell. That's why I am say - don't sell using price. Try for a USP in your niche that offers a simple, outstanding benefit that no-one else has thought of. On Finding Your USP USP is huge - a great one equals a biz insight that can create a billion dollar company. We are not working at that level, but having an effective USP indicates a level of biz acumen that ensures success. It's good to start broad - then drill down. Also - what problems are you identifying in that niche that you have a great USP answer for? Steven Shaw was a huge hit because his USP is swimming for pleasure, where the focus for swimming training had been on competitive swimming - how to get faster. Instead Steven was - how to enjoy it. On Using Facebook Groups of Friends It is easy to sort out who sees what on your wall once someone explains how that works. You set up different categories of groups, then using the little icon to the top right of each post, you select "Custom" and then choose the groups that can see each post. Ask your friend to show you how. On Taking On Too Much On I once used to worry that I was a "big eyes" - taking too much on. Then one day I was complaining that I never get my to do list done a mentor advised: "If you get through your to do list you are not living at edge of what you can accomplish." That immediately clicked. It's the priority of what you do, not the the amount of what you are aiming for. Pile it on! When you have focus, having greater choice usually translates into higher quality results. On Being Invited To Speak On TV Use all your academic prowess and creative thought to extract the essence of this extraordinary opportunity. What will be your main talking points? How will you make it easy for people to find you? What images do you want to encourage? How can you be fascinating? Write your script - frontside and backside - several times over so you extract from this opportunity everything it has to offer you. Personal Facebook Group Messages [NOTE: The remaining posts contain personal or specific information that participants feel is inappropriate for public scrutiny. You can join the group by becoming a member. One aspect of our Facebook group is that participants express things they would not share on a public Facebook group. Privacy and trust create the right conditions to take more risks.]

*On Using Your Facebook Profile For Your Business Lively engagement is the key Imogen - if you've got that, THEN it is better to have a Page. There's no one strategy for all here, and yours seems good. Stick to it. As for personal profiles being closed down because you use it for your business, my guess is that those profiles had no Mum, Dad and the kids postings - keep up your personal stuff, and make some it available to the "non-friend" friends. It humanizes you to your followers, and blocks Facebook's algorithm categorizing you as a biz page. I am sure robots make these decisions, not real people. *On Using Your Timeline For Your Practice Jennifer - my guess is that your timeline has not been focused to your niche since you did not have a clear one when you started. Is that true? Without that continuous daily focus, using your timeline to build your following won't work, I agree. I also had your experience. Basil has always writing about his music insights, but often in a personal "sharing" way. Like "in class tonight..." and a photo of him at the whiteboard. Then another photo of them at dinner together after. So there is a continuous focus in the posts. Ironically, it appears his more personal posts seem to get LESS shares than the music related ones, but then I can't read Japanese so I am only guessing... *On Announcing Workshops in Your Timeline Veronique - another good reason to ditch your Page, and make your personal timeline the place you celebrate being an AT teacher: talk about your workshop there! Try it out - make a personal post like "…thinking about x, y & z because of my workshop this Saturday…" Interest them with a truly honest snippet of truthful reflection. See if it gets any likes or responses? Then if someone asks, then put a link to the workshop. If non-one asks, leave it alone. Soft touching. *On Choosing a Niche To Research on Facebook It's good to start broad Imogen - then drill down as Dana is suggesting. Also - what problems are you identifying in that niche that you have a great USP answer for? *On Whether To Accept A Job In Your Chosen Niche Oh heavens to betsy Cecile - what's the doubt??? Is it money? (think of lead generation). Is it experience? (think of self-authorization) Is it time? Then how would I advise you? Let me review some things with you: This is your niche, right? This gives you a chance to develop lots of Aho-Alexander methods, right? This gives you a chance to delve into their minds, find out what makes them tick, right? This is a no-brainer, right? Wrong. You are asking. So what, exactly, is the doubt? *On Learning About Facebook Yes Victoria - I am walking the talk. Glad you noticed. What I love about this month is how it puts me on my own leading edge. I took about three hours and 3 drafts to get today's blog written, because I had to keep sorting through all the options and experiences I have had, trying to cook it down to it's essence. This month is for me to learn, you're just along for the ride! *On How To Use Surveys Ok Jennifer -next survey has a built-in "connecting" mechanism. It's design is part of an overall strategy - which your was - but somehow creating a link so the connect that happened by chance is not left to chance. Not sure how - just pointing to your learning. My 12 Point Survey was a way to engage and interest people In the work I was offering at ATSuccess. *On How To Use Facebook for YOU Susannah - aim to get them on your mailing list. Forget FaceBook except as a tool to get into the holy grail of marketing: being welcomed in a person's email in-box. THAT's the primary aim. Always remember that, then the strategy that matches you, your students and your constraints will gradually emerge. Be them and ask "Why would I sign up for Susannah's email list?" *On Being a Facebook Expert Just a note about FaceBook - in my posts I am painting large brushstrokes, but I do not consider myself an "expert". The person who is expert needs to be tracking FaceBook every day, and qualifying any advice they give with "at the moment" and I am not that focused! -- Any comments on all this? https://www.facebook.com/groups/ATCSProMembers/