Facebook Fan Page for Feldenkrais Method(R) of Somatic Education

Image by divamover via Flickr

Please allow me to toot my own horn.

Back in 2006, almost as soon as "geezers" (i.e., non-college age people) were allowed on Facebook, I filled out a profile and started a group, "Feldenkrais Method(R): This Stuff ROCKS!" As Facebook has evolved, it became obvious that the party was moving to Fan Pages. So, I began the transition to a fan page a couple of months ago. I hope to phase out and eliminate the old group by July 1, 2009.

Here's the power of social media: I sent out a message from the old group to the members via Facebook, and saw a jump in the number of fans on the new fan page. I also posted a "welcome" video.

Social media is here to stay. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. may disappear or morph, but the fact remains: people will connect, research, and make decisions based on the information they receive via social media web sites. Facebook is a good "gateway site." If you don't have a profile on Facebook yet, it's time. I'll be your friend, I promise. Just search for facebook.com/marybeth.smith and "friend" me. Let me know who you are in the message attached. Then, go to the Fan Page for "Feldenkrais Method(R) of Somatic Education." Click "become a fan." You're in!

More social media posts to come. I'm a maniac.

YOU are the Brand

Image via Wikipedia

If you want to grow your practice, the most important task is to build trust and a good reputation. You can and probably should do this around the "brand" of The Feldenkrais Method®. Also consider that initially your clients and contacts will remember YOU more than the name of the method, technique, or modality you use. Then, you, your name, and your reputation become a brand that either supports or diminishes the brand (and the work) of the Feldenkrais Method.

One business blogger says that by 2011, 90% of our business will come from digital or word-of-mouth sources. The "new world" of social media and Web 2.0 is no longer new -- it is here and growing. You might be reluctant to get involved with social media out of fear that it will take up too much time, or because you don't understand how it works. I'm here to help.

Take a look at this a short PowerPoint presentation by Grace Rodriguez of AYN Brand in Houston, TX. It's the best overview I have seen that clearly explains what is going on, why it is important, and how to get started. If you're already dabbling in social media but don't quite know what to do next, you'll get clarification here. Then, let's talk about it! Leave a comment on this blog before you go. You're already on your way!

(better view: click the "full screen icon" at the bottom of the video window.)

AYN Brand : Branding 2.0 Workshop

View more presentations from Ayn Brand.

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Your Personal Marketing Plan

Image by divamover via Flickr

As Feldenkrais teachers, we love exploring options and having many choices for action. However, when faced with the questions, "How can I build my practice? How can I get more clients?" the options seem infinite (they are!) and overwhelming (they don't have to be).

My friend Grace Rodriguez is a marketing and branding professional in Houston, Texas. She has developed a simple template for thinking about and planning for growth. Click the title to read "How to Write a Simple, One-Page Marketing Plan."

I am taking her advice to heart. Here is a tool for deciding what to do, and when to do it. A simple action plan is reassuring, encouraging, and will move you toward creating the kind of practice you want. I will be sharing more from Grace in future posts.

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Your Online Listing with altMD.com

Image via CrunchBase

You may be checking in here for the first time because you read about AltMD.com in the Spring issue of InTouch. If you missed the article, you can read it by clicking here.

I've been listed on altMD.com since February, and I'm excited about the potential. Have a look around the site: http://www.altMD.com

You can have a look at an example (yes, it's my listing) at this link:
http://www.altmd.com/specialists/The-Feldenkrais-Center-of-Houston

And you can take a short video tour of the website by following this link:
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stU0lXRkBIR1pYQFtZWVlaU15Q

If you're an FGNA member, you'll receive information soon about how to access and activate your site. If you're not an FGNA member, this might be a great excuse to join! You can still have a listing on altMD.com, but you'll have to do a lot of the work from scratch.

There's not really any action to take at the moment, if you're a Guild Member. However, have a look at the example, and imagine what you'd like to have on YOUR pages. What I have listed there is what works for me, and it might not be your style. When your site is activated, it's as easy as typing an email to edit your site and make any changes you would like.

Come back here often for additional practice-building support, and future tutorials on making the most of your altMD listing!

Value Added: Voice Mail and Phone Callsby Sandra Bradshaw

Image by silas216 via Flickr

We're pleased to share this article from guest contributor Sandra Bradshaw. Sandra is a former special-education teacher, and has been a Feldenkrais practitioner since 1999. Located in Kelowna, BC, Sandra has a successful home-based practice. Click here to visit her website.

In an economic climate where people are counting their pennies, they want the best value for their money. An FI is expensive and in most cases can’t be claimed on medical insurance, so what are you going to do to help your clients get their money’s worth? The most obvious answer is to meet their needs. Of course this is simply good business practice and in hard economic times it is the businesses that meet people’s needs that survive.

A buzz phrase that comes up frequently in our present economic reality is “value added”. This means, the more I can anticipate and meet my clients’ needs, the more likely that we will have a lasting relationship. I am not talking about what you do on the table, but all of the other extras that add up to quality service.

As a Feldenkrais practitioner more often than not your first contact with a prospective client is a phone call. If you have a low budget operation like I have, that first contact will probably be a voice mail message. It is said that in the first 3 seconds of connecting with a new person you are evaluated and judged, and that first impression is virtually irreversible. When your voice message is their first connection with you it has to have a positive impact on the caller that will carry through to your return phone call.

Voice mail greeting

Make it short and to the point asking for a call back time when they will most likely be available so that you don’t have to play phone tag. Include something in the message that gives the caller a sense of who you are and how you view life. My “value added” phrase is, “And have a glorious day.” It might sound a little hokey, but people appreciate a warm fuzzy and it gives them a sense of me as an approachable positive person. I’m always surprised at how many people reciprocate the sentiment at the end of their message.

If you are going away and the office will be closed for a period of time, make sure that you have an absent voice mail message. Include the reopening date of the office so that they know when their call will be returned.

Answer voice mail within 12 to 24 hours

When you answer voice mail promptly you are sending a message that you value the caller and that s/he is important to you. This is already a “value added” tactic because it is adding to that first impression the person is getting of you.

A few years ago I was receiving treatments from an alternative health care practitioner who was slow to answer my phone calls. It would often be 2 to 3 days, or a sometimes even longer before I heard from her. Not only was she slow to answer my calls, she also had a long list of reasons for the delay when she finally did connect with me. It wasn’t long before I started looking for someone else who was more receptive to my needs as a client.

Make your phone calls when you have lots of time

When you are speaking to clients make sure you have lots of time so that the call is not rushed. Of course there are always people that will chew your ear off if you let them, so give them a 15 or 20 minute limit up front. That way they know that you are willing to spend a “value added” amount of time with them.

Listen, listen, listen

The experts will tell you that any time you are out networking 90% of your time should be spent listening and gathering information and 10% sharing your information. A phone call is no different. Be prepared to listen to the caller and if necessary make a few notes as s/he talks so that you can refer back to the conversation at the first appointment.

Have a list of questions

When you ask the right questions you can find out the callers needs quickly and efficiently. The caller will feel valued when you show an interest in their story.

Position yourself as a community resource

If you have your listing under massage, yoga or fitness the caller may be looking for one of those modalities. You quickly determine that they know what they want, and it is not a Feldenkrais session. Give them your 30 second elevator speech so that they know what you do and how it connects with the modality they are looking for, then give them some names of practitioners that are good in their field. Position yourself as a community resource that can give them “value added” information so that they will remember your name as someone that could potentially help them in the future. Make it your business to know who are the best Pilates, Yoga, Massage, Chiro practitioners, etc. in your community, and get to know these people so that they will also refer people to you.

Give the caller “value added” information

Once you have asked your questions and listened to your caller’s needs you are now in a position to give them some value added information. Most of the time a brief explanation of the Feldenkrais Method as it would apply to them is enough. However, from time to time you will have someone who wants more than that before they commit to an appointment. If the caller indicated that they would like more information get their email address so that you can send them additional information.

Last week I had a phone call from a woman whose son has ADHD. I quickly determined that this mother was looking for information, and that she was frustrated with the help or lack of it that her son was receiving through the school system. As a former education teacher, I have a lot of background in this area. I asked her questions about her son, about the school situation, and his program. I listened to her concerns. During the 15 minutes I spent talking to her, I outlined some of the things that I thought would be beneficial for her son, including but not exclusively the FM. I gave her names of other professionals in our community whom I have worked with that are not feldies, but their work philosophically aligns with the Method. I suggested a few strategies that could be implemented immediately into her son’s program without extra effort on the part of the classroom teacher. I got her email address so that I could send her some links to Feldenkrais sites that included information for ADHD and info on a seminar that will be taking place in town next week that has relevant information on ADHD. She phoned me three days later to make an appointment for her son. She said that she had been impressed by the depth of my knowledge, and was confident that what I had to offer would benefit her son.

Value added strategies are not rocket science, but they do take some thought to implement. Next time I will talk about some value added newsletters. See you then!

The Internet is for Sharing

Image by mSkeet via Flickr

Recently, a colleague, Robert Burgess, published a book: A Guide to Body Sense.

It contains 50 Awareness Through Movement lessons with excellent, clear drawings to accompany the instructions. The book is designed so that you could photocopy lessons and instructions f or clients after an ATM class orFunctional Integration lesson. I read about the book when he announced it on FeldyForum.

In the past, this information might have stopped with me, and with whoever happened to be reading the forum the day he announced it. However, social media allows me to share information, easily, about Robert's book with all my friends and clients, and potentially with all their friends as well.

This is the magic of sharing. Sharing is what makes a video or website or any other cool thing "go viral," that is, to spread across the Internet and be viewed millions of times. Social media sites make it easy to spread the word about t hings you love -- and the things you hate!

Take this blog post, for example. At the end, you'll see the word, "Share" in a button with a little "+" sign. If you click on that, you'll see a number of different sites to choose from: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Digg, and more! If you have an account on any of those sites, you can spread this blog post so that it publishes on that site as well, as in another location. That is, instead of reading this article here on my blog, and that's the only way people can read it, when you share something, others could read it on Facebook, or wherever you choose. Facebook and MySpace allow you to share articles, blogs, photos, videos-- almost anything you can think of!

Your Facebook page also has a feature up by your status statement (answer the question, "What are you doing right now?") that says, "Share a link." You can copy and paste the URL of a video, article, or blog post -- anything that has a web adress -- into that box. That's another way to share.

To get started sharing, you'll need an account with a social media site to be your virtual home-away-from home. Think of it as a place where you and your friends hang out online. I like Facebook the best. Many of my local friends as well as colleagues around the world are also there. Some people like MySpace. I also have a page on MySpace, just to have one, but I don't use it much. In my opinion, it's less useful for business, unless you are in a rock band, or would like to meet other 13-year-olds. I think Facebook is the best place to start, and you can branch out from there.

Accounts on social media sites are free. The site will ask you if you want to invite friends -- it's more fun if you do. Allow the site to tip-toe through your address book and show you which people you already know are already participating. Invite the people you like, the people you find interesting, and leave the rest. When you log in to the site, you'll be able to see what all your friends are doing, reading, thinking about, and you can select what you share with them.

Another way to share is through blogging. You'll notice that there are links in blue throughout this article. You can click on any link, and go to a website that will give you more information. You can do this manually, which takes a bit of time. I use a new tool called Zemanta, which helps me to link to images, articles, and blog posts that will enhance your learning, if you are curious to know more. Sharing things of value adds value to your presence and your reputation in social media.

The current "hot thing" in social media is Twitter. In 140-keystroke updates, or "tweets," you can update the world about what you are doing, and find out what is going on in the world! Share links that are helpful and positive and watch your followers list grow.

While it's great to use social media sites as a tool for business, to inform people about what you do, and to make contacts with potential clients, don't be tacky. If all you talk about is yourself, you'll be that creepy guy at the party that nobody wants to talk to. Share items that are interesting, that are funny, that are helpful and useful to others. You'll establish a reputation for being someone worth checking in on. So, next time you see a photo or video you like, or read an article that makes you say, "Oh, YEAH!" just click "Share." You'll be amazed at the conversations you start having -- conversations that build your business.

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Blogs, etc.

The Internet, "Web 2.0," and whatever the next iteration will be -- all are becoming increasingly interactive. "Interactive" is the modern word for "people talk to each other." Above all, the Internet is a place for conversations to take place. If we want the knowledge of the Feldenkrais Method to spread, we have to have conversations. Best of all, we need to stimulate other people to have conversations about us.

If you are shy, a wallflower, or otherwise uncomfortable with socializing, blogs and other media sites are a great way to ease into using this new tool. Let's be frank, the Internet has gone beyond being a tool -- it is a reality, it is useful, it is mainstream.

The earlier post, Introduction to Blogging, discussed the value of leaving comments on other people's blogs. You can also leave comments about photos you like on Flickr.com, about videos you enjoy on YouTube.com; even about posted items and links on your friends' Facebook pages. The point is, YOU must participate in conversations. You don't have to hi-jack the conversation and only talk about Feldenkrais: in fact, that would be rude and tacky. However: by "showing up" on these sites, and having something of value (interesting, funny, another related site or topic) to SHARE WITH OTHERS -- that will cause others to pay attention to what you have to say, and even look forward to your comments. You begin to cultivate a reputation, a presence, as an interesting person, a resource -- an authority in your field.

So -- what do you think? Leave your comments. Better yet: what can you do?

Introduction to Blogging

Have been away from this blog for a few days? How's it going?

My operating principle for this blog is to help provide you with easy, fun, and do-able activities that you can implement immediately that will get your practice growing. This article about blogging may seem a bit indirect, but please bear with me. Blogs are important, because they are the new "town square" in the digital age. Blogs are a place to meet neighbors, people of like mind, and they are also places to go for entertainment, education, and to check out what the whackos are doing. All of this can be done from the comfort and privacy of your own home, right in front of your computer.

A "Blog" is shorthand for "Web Log." A blog is a web page that serves as an online journal. Some people use their blog to keep a diary, to share recipes or family history, and some use blogs to promote their businesses by providing valuable and interesting information. If you're not familiar with blogs (or even if you are), take a moment to get acquainted. Think of something you are interested in (besides the Feldenkrais Method and building your practice). Cooking? Running? Pilates? Antiques? Politics? What do you like to do for fun?

Open up another window on your computer and go to Google.com. In the search box, enter "cooking blogs," or "Math blogs" or "technology blogs" or "pet blogs." Let your imagination run wild! Whatever you can think of, SOMEONE is probably sharing their passion for it via a blog. Celebrities have blogs, television shows have blogs, everybody has a blog. WHY? Because blogs are the new place where you can talk to people that are interested in the same things you are!

You'll find blogs that you think are terrible. Blogs reflect the personality of the person (or group) who is writing it. If you don't like the looks of it, or don't like the writing or the opinions expressed, keep looking until you find some blogs you like.

Become a reader, or a follower of a blog. You can do this anonymously (just bookmark the page and check back with it every so often). The next level of commitment is to click on the RSS feed symbol. You'll get updates when the blog has a new entry. Some blogs also allow you to receive updates via email. The top level of commitment (and it's not that hard!) is to actually sign up to be a "follower" of the blog. Frequently, the blog will then post your picture, with a link to your website or profile. A little photo gallery begins to form, and you can see a bunch of people who also follow this blog.

The real magic of blogs comes in the "Comments" section. If you read something you like, leave a comment! You don't even need to mention your work. Leave a POSITIVE comment -- "This is the BEST recipe for Thai peanut sauce I've found. Served it to my family tonight with shrimp and rice, and there was none left! Looking forward to more recipes!" Be sincere, be specific in acknowledging the value of what you read, and you'll be asked to come over and play again. Many blogs allow you to post a link to your website along with your signature. If you sound like a nice, positive, interesting person, who wouldn't want to find out more about you?

Comments on blogs are golden, because they are a link back to your website. Chances are, you don't have a link to the blog on your site. Incoming links are valued more highly by search engines and web crawlers, and so will boost the rankings of your web site.

Reading and commenting on blogs are a great way to stay informed, expand your world, and come into contact with new people. It costs nothing, just a little of your time. Be part of conversations that are already going on, and bide your time until you are asked for information. When more people start talking about Feldenkrais, more people will hear about Feldenkrais!
Coming soon-- writing a blog!

Promoting Your Classes

One of the most significant benefits we receive as Guild members is our listing in the FGNA practitioner directory. It's not just something for us to use: it's also available online so that the general public can find YOU. I get at least one phone call per month from someone who found me via the FGNA website, www.feldenkrais.com.

I hadn't checked in recently with the Members' area on the website, and am pleased to see that once again, it is possible to list ATM schedules, workshops, and public events online. The requirement is to copy and paste the form provided into an email, and send it off. (In other words, follow the directions.) I'm ashamed to say I don't have my classes listed there, so it might not be a big logical leap to imagine that yours aren't either. My goal: submit my classes for publication on the website, TODAY. If you want to do it, too, here's the link: http://www.feldenkrais.com/events/promote

It's true: submitting your listings will take time. However, I remember reading in Miriam Levinson's book (You Can Make A Living As A Feldenkrais Practitioner) that you should plan for marketing activities to take up about 30% of your time. I've found that this is a totally realitic figure, even though it shocked me initially. This means that if your work week is 36 hours, you are spending 12 hours a week on developing future business. Marketing activities certainly include submissions to online directories, printing fliers for your next workshop (oh, I need to do some of that today, too), following up with students, or having coffee with someone to talk about business. When I don't invest time regularly in developing new business, my client load gets a lot thinner for awhile. It then takes 2 solid weeks of work to get things up and running again. When I DO invest the time in these activities, I am booked as tightly as I want to be. For me, that's 15-20 clients a week, steady.

Any website is valuable, or not, because of one thing: CONTENT. There has to be stuff up there, and new stuff on a regular basis, to draw visitors to it. When you post your classes on the Guild website, you make the site more valuable for the public, for all of us, and for YOU.

Your comments are welcome! What else do you do to promote your classes?

Promote your classes and events on the Guild website here:
http://www.feldenkrais.com/events/promote

Service, Part II

The idea of being in service to others is a foundational principle of my Feldenkrais practice. Being in service extends beyond volunteerism. To build your practice, have the attitude of being in service to everyone you meet -- especially in business or networking settings.

Being in service means finding out what someone wants, and helping them to get it. The first step to being in service is that you listen more than you talk. Listen to the people you meet, be curious about them. Care about them as human beings, whether or not they ever come into one of your classes or lie down on your table. As you get to know them, you'll find out what they are interested in, or working on, or care about. Most of the conversations you have with people will NEVER be about the Feldenkrais Method. How in the world will that build your practice? Who has time to waste on frivolous small talk?

Think about this: isn't it the "frivolous," silly, tiny, gentle movements of an ATM or FI which have a profound effect on someone's nervous system? Many people think you have to strain, stretch, and subject yourself to a rigorous "no pain/no gain" regime, or to the medical system, to reach their goals for physical improvement. And we know better, right? Some of those tiny movements are the equivalent of small talk with business prospects and colleagues. Small talk builds trust. When someone trusts you with small things, they will gradually trust you with bigger things -- like referring their friend to you, or giving you money to work with them.

In the course of small talk, the secret is: LISTEN. Someone will mention that they are looking for a housekeeper, or a veterinarian, hairdresser, date movie, web designer. You know one. You make a recommendation, send a link, a phone number, or any additional information. You've just been in service to another person. You found out what she wanted, and helped her to get it. She will remember you. She will return the favor.

As people get to know you as a generally helpful, cheerful, nice person (and of course they will, since you are one of the few who actually listens to them), they'll get curious about you. As they ask, you can then and only then begin to tell them a little bit about what you do. And, because now you know something about them, you can relate what you do to what THEY are interested in. It's impossible to do this if you don't know what makes them tick.

If you like the person and are ready to know them better, invite them over for a demo lesson or class. Send them a link to your website, or the Guild website, and call them a few days later to see if they have questions. Take it easy, don't panic, don't push. Keep it friendly, conversational, useful, and about them. This is "building it." They will come.

Service

It's MLK day, and the day before Inauguration Day, when Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States of America. The President-Elect has urged everyone to rededicate themselves to the ideal of community service, both as way of honoring Dr. King and his message, and as a way of revitalizing one of our core values.

Community service is the "grease for the wheels" of our whole enterprise in this country. All sorts of wonderful things happen through volunteerism that wouldn't happen otherwise. Altruism is admirable in and of itself. The reality is that volunteering and community service are at the heart of bringing people together in cooperation. Without community service, even businesses would grind to a halt.

Community service is about "enlightened self-interest." If you volunteer for something that you care about, the world changes for the better, and that benefits you. There is nothing wrong with having this attitude. In fact, balance your altruism with the reality of limits on what you can take on and give your attention. When you keep your own self-interest in mind, and in balance, you prevent burnout and martyr syndrome.

When people in our profession think about a community service project, they usually think in terms of a free clinic of some sort, or a way of providing Feldenkrais lessons pro bono to a needy and deserving population. These projects are certainly worthy, and needed. However, starting a free clinic is probably not something you can do by yourself, nor would you want to! A free clinic would also increase the visibility of your work in the community, but not necessarily increase your client load. Think outside of your constraints -- where are other opportunities to volunteer?

If you want to leverage your time and energy so that both your practice and your community benefit, get involved with a project that has nothing to do with Feldenkrais. Yeah. Why? Because other Feldenkrais teachers are probably not going to become your clients. You don't need to spend practice-building time with other Feldies! You want to spend time with, and have access to, people who have never heard of the Feldenkrais Method. If you are a member of a church or temple, get involved with a project there. Hunger, peace, the thrift shop, even ushering -- any and all are ways to meet people from all walks of life. You already have something in common with them. Let the relationship grow, let them get to know you before you start beating them over the head about your business. Political organizations, charities, community gardens, museums -- anywhere there is a need, you will meet new people.

The fact is that people do business with the people that they know, like, and trust. Let people get to know you. Keep your mind on the project, be a good committee member, be friendly and reliable. Your practice will grow in ways you never imagined.

More on service in the next post.

Professional E-mail Etiquette

Email is a must-have for effective business communication. Although younger users prefer text messages via SMS over their cellphones, or communicating on Twitter or Facebook, email remains the old stand-by, tried and true.

If you're still uncomfortable with email, yet feel forced to use it to communicate, fret no more. There are some "rules of the road" for successful business communication via email.
Business Email Etiquette , the website and brainchild of Judith Kallos, will have you feeling comfortable with business emails in a jiffy.
http://www.businessemailetiquette.com/business-e-mail-etiquette-basics/

Expand Your Practice by Martin Weiner, Ph.D. '77

KWDY is pleased to present this article from Marty Weiner's newsletter. Used by permission.

Question: I would like to expand my practice and have more clients. Would you share your thoughts about how to do this?

Answer: There has been much written about this topic recently on the Feldyforum. Usually people talk about networking, advertising, giving talks and free lessons and a host of other marketing ideas. I think this is all fine and you ought to use whichever of these suggestions work for you. I have a different approach that I'd like to explore with you.

I think it is fundamental to realize that the people who need our services are dealing with a personal problem that is affecting their lives--aches, pains, limited movement, paralysis, potential surgeries or past botched surgeries, and many, many more. Imagine yourself in a similar situation and ask yourself who or what kind of person you would want to show up in your life to help you through a difficult time.

When it is me in that situation, I am less interested in what method someone practices and more sensitive to who the practitioner is. Hippocrates said as a practitioner about patients, "Don't tell me what someone has--tell me who has it." I would suggest the same is true for clients looking for a practitioner. They might say, "Don't tell me what they practice--tell me who (what kind of person) the practitioner is".

My point is that YOU are the method as far as your clients are concerned. Name recognition of a system/method is not as important as people recognizing your qualities.

Wouldn't you want someone caring, interested, sensitive to your needs, someone who listens deeply to you and your particular situation? In other words, wouldn't you want first a person skilled in being human and secondarily good at what they do? To paraphrase something Moshe said, "If you touch a client with a loving hand, like a mother touches her child, they will come back to you. They will think, 'They may not have gotten rid of the problem yet, but if anyone can do it, this person can. Because they are focused on me.'"

Share yourself as the evolving human being you are with others. Allow the environment that you create when you are present touch people in the subtle ways that it does. Who you are draws people to you much more powerfully than any advertising you might do. (People came to Moshe because he was who he was--not because he did the Feldenkrais Method.)

Let me give you an example. Most everybody has something that they would like to improve or get rid of. When you are in a social situation, say a party, engaging with people, someone usually asks, "What do you do?" If you tell them you are a Feldenkrais Practitioner they usually ask, "What's that?" That puts you into an explanatory mode about some system that they may or may not be able to see as relevant to them. You have shifted the focus to something and someone who isn't even in the room.

My response is to tell people I am a healer or words to that effect. They usually ask, "What do you do?" Great, now we are talking about what I do or who I am, that may be of value to them. I tell them that I work with a variety of problems and as quickly as possible turn the conversation around to be about them and ask, "Is there something going on for you that is troubling you?" (or, again, words to that effect). Invariably they will start to talk about something bothering them. I then simply engage with them as a curious interested being who wants to find out more about their problem. I may even touch them (always only after I have asked their permission). Often, they want my number to call me for an appointment.

The key thing is that I am living with them what I practice. I bring myself and my consciousness to be of service to them right there in the moment. I am not advertising something--I am living the hope I might be for them in their lives.

Another thing: When a person calls me on the phone to make an initial appointment, I try to "touch them" through the phone. I am responsive and encouraging and begin to create the environment that they will walk into when they come to my office. By the way, always return calls promptly. Ever had the experience of waiting all day for a doctor's secretary to call you back to make an appointment? No one wants to feel like they got lost in the shuffle. Particularly when you are hurting and worried about what's going on in you.

When a person comes I always treat them as if they were the center of the world. This is fundamental to the mode of consciousness I bring to my clients and how I work.

The best thing you can ever to do to develop your practice is treat the person you are with as if they were your whole practice and this their only session. Sounds simple but many practitioners don't get that. They are often more concerned about what the client will think of them and whether they will come back. If you are totally present they will come back even if you are not successful immediately with them. They know that if anyone can help them it is you--someone who is skilled AND there for them. They will tell their friends about YOU (even if they don't know the name Feldenkrais) and you are on your way.

It is not as hard as you may think. Just be the healing presence with people all the time that you are when you are in your office and realize YOU ARE YOUR WORK.

You can sign up for Marty's free e-newsletter, Transform your Practice, by contacting Judy Killeen at judykilleen@cox.net.

Shape the Conversation

Dinner conversation
Originally uploaded by Richard-

Prefer to listen, than read? Click here for audio. (4:07)

One of the main themes of this blog will be the development of the reputation of the Feldenkrais Method via word-of-mouth, the most effective and least costly form of advertising.

As Feldenkrais practitioners, we think our problem is "talking about the Method." Actually, the problem lies in WHO is talking about the Method. So far, it's mostly just us, talking to each other. We need OTHER PEOPLE to be talking about the Feldenkrais Method. We need our students to share, with their friends:

• how much they enjoyed the experience of their most recent Feldenkrais lesson or class
• what changes they notice, moving, thinking, feeling, sensing, because of our influence
  
• that they are looking forward to their next class or lesson
• that they recommend us as a solution for their friends' movement difficulties.

Your best students will be your best source of referrals and testimonials, but you have to sort of "prime the pump" and get them thinking along those lines. Be prepared to capture those conversations. Here are some suggestions, in no particular order:

• allow for a few minutes at the end of each class to gather the group and ask them: "What did you notice? What changes did you experience?" Let each person talk, if they would like to. Close your mouth and LISTEN. Thank each person for sharing. Do this regularly, so they get practice in talking about their experiences in your class. They'll get better at it, via successive approximations! If anyone said something particularly wonderful, email them after the class and ask their permission to use what they said as a recommendation. Remind them what they said in class, and ask them to summarize it and send it to you in an email. I've found that people love to be acknowledged in this way. They know you listened to them and valued what they had to say. PRICELESS.
• follow-up with newcomers via phone or email, and ask what effects they felt from the lesson. Listen, ask permission to share. Follow up occasionally with each of your students, ask them what they notice is changing.
• be on the lookout on other websites for comments about the Feldenkrais Method. I am active on the microblog Twitter, and receive "Twilerts" for keywords I am interested in. Then, I'm notified via email whenever someone is "tweeting" about Feldenkrais, the Feldenkrais Method, movement, and others. I then begin to follow those people. They are then linked to another person who shares an interest with them, and the conversation continues.
• after you've established a relationship with your clients/classes, occasionally take an audio recorder or video camera to class. Do a fun, impromptu "man-on-the-street" (or floor) interview. You'll get a lot of silliness, but you'll also get some gems. (Note: if you're going to post audios, videos, or photos of your clients on your website, it's wise to have them sign a "model release form." Sample forms you can use are available online for free. Google to find them and modify for your situation.)
• invite people to email you after class if they have a particular thought or notice something interesting after class. Sometimes, people will email you spontaneously. Keep a file of these, you'll be able to use them!
  

Have you been listening? Cull through the best of the comments. You'll find some that are direct and plain-spoken. Incorporate that language the next time someone asks you, "What do you do?" or "What's the Feldenkrais Method?" Keep it BRIEF. Picture yourself effortlessly saying, "To answer that, I'll tell you what one of my clients said the other day. . ." INSTANT CRED.

Hanging Out Your Shingle

These are just some business basics, folks. However, some are "elusively obvious," so some things on this list are worth having a second look at.

1. Start teaching ATM as soon as you are authorized to do so. The people who come to your classes will refer others to you, and this will become the foundation of your FI practice after you graduate. You can teach ATM lessons to individuals as well as groups.

2. People are making a decision about where to spend their time and money. Your professional image is important. Factors contributing to your personal image include:

• how easy are you to reach? A working telephone number, with voice mail; an email address; a simple website (more on this in a future post) are the basics. Your competition is the yoga class, the Pilates studio, and any number of practitioners in other modalities. What do they do to be reachable? Position yourself favorably. Don't put yourself at a disadvantage by being impossible to find or reach.
• have a simple business card. Templates are available via the FGNA website (link in sidebar), or you can follow other sources. I like VistaPrint -- you can get 250 business cards for free and just pay the postage. Sweet!
• appearances matter. Make sure your teaching space is clean and orderly. Regularly launder towels and other supports. Dress "comfortably professional." Personal hygiene should be impeccable.

3. Get out there and meet people! Each community has a variety of networking groups. Attend a few and find at least one that you like. Increasingly, you can get "out there" even without leaving home, if you sign up for at least one online social networking site, like Facebook or Linked In. We practitioners make the mistake of only talking amongst ourselves. We need to see other people. A future post will discuss how to act when you're networking.

4. Stop talking so much! That's right -- hush now! Everyone is worried about how to talk about the Method and explain it to people. I have news for you: your prospective students don't want an explanation or a lecture. They want to know 1) are you someone they will enjoy spending time with? and 2) can you do something to help them? The key is to be interested in the people you meet, and LISTEN to them. Spend 80% of any interaction listening, and only 20% talking. Your new friend will find you fascinating and engaging, and want to know more about you. THEN, and only then, is it time to tell a little bit about how your work is relevant to them. You have to be sincerely interested in them as human beings, whether or not they ever darken your door. Take time to build an actual relationship with the person. Take it slow, and things will grow quickly!

Books of Interest

Prefer to listen, than read? Click here to listen or download. (1:04)

What books have been most helpful to you for marketing tips, philosophies, practical advice?

There are a zillion marketing books out there, easily located at any bookstore -- and a lot of them are crap. Or, a lot of them say the same thing, nothing special. Some are just plain outdated, very "last century." What books have you found that seemed to resonate with your personality and/or the Feldenkrais Method? More to the point: what books have given you ideas that you actually implemented, and that actually got you some paying clients?

I've started a list of my favorites in the sidebar. I look forward to your comments and recommendations. It will be most helpful if, when you comment, you give the complete title and author, and perhaps a sentence or two about why you're recommending it.

We'll get around to magazines, articles, experts, and online resources in good time. Let's get started!

KWYD

Since Know What You're Doing is kind of a long title to keep typing, I decided to abbreviate, KWYD. Out of curiosity, I Googled the letters. Sure enough, radio stations came up in the search results. KWYD -AM broadcasts from Colorado Springs, CO, and there's a KWYD - FM in Boise, ID. I wonder if they know what they're doing?

Thankfully, I don't think anyone will be confused.

Rebuild the Guild

Prefer to listen, than read? Click this link to listen or download. (9:06)

As with any new thing, questions arise. I'll answer some of them here, and then I hope we can get on with the business of why we're here in the first place.

"Shouldn't the Guild be doing this?"
Well, first of all, I don't think there is a "should." The Guild does a lot of valuable things for us, and they've done more to provide marketing resources for practitioners in the last 3 years than at any time previously. It's not my purpose here to have a full debate on what the Guild should be doing more of, or less of, or not at all. The economic reality is that to centralize ALL of the marketing support for the Feldenkrais Method® would be cost prohibitive, and ridiculously so. The Guild will still be active in marketing the method in a variety of ways that are cost effective and beneficial for practitioners. The purpose of this blog is to support those efforts, and to provide continuously available instruction for practitioners to be able to use the resources the Guild can provide. Since the Guild operates under financial and time constraints, there's no need to limit ourselves to what the Guild makes available. You can read further about this in the first post to this blog, "Launch."

"What gives you the right to do this? Who the hell even asked you?"
I'll share a bit more of my personal philosophy with you.
The only person responsible for me, is me. The only person responsible for my success or failure in what I choose to do, or not do, is me. Since I am the one solely responsible for my livelihood, I can't afford to wait for any person or any institution to provide me with what I need, no matter how well intentioned they may be. Because we insist on transparency in the Guild, and because we value group process as we do, you have to be realistic and know that projects, especially important ones, will move forward slowly and deliberately. I value that. At the same time, when I graduated four years ago from my training, I did not have an expectation that it was the Guild and its activities that were going to make or break me as a successful practitioner. I had to do something, and immediately. Technology has come a long was in the past four years, so now we have the opportunity to share and help each other in unprecedented ways. So I'm doing this because I can, and because I know how.

Who asked me? Over the years, several dozens of practitioner friends at all levels of the organization have sought me out, subscribed to my newsletter and other blog, SomaQuest, and asked for my advice and encouragement. Here's the great thing: if you don't like what I am saying or advising, you don't have to do it. You don't have to like it, or agree, and it stops there. I'm not speaking "from on high" as a matter of Guild policy, where I have to justify a line item in a budget or anything else. I'm simply a free agent, offering something useful, which you can subscribe to or not. This can potentially work for everybody.

"If you're taking over the marketing stuff from the Guild, then what IS the Guild doing for me? Why should I continue to be a member of the Guild?"
First of all, I'm not "taking over" anything. I'm providing a way to enlarge the conversation about marketing the Feldenkrais Method among practitioners.

As I mentioned earlier, the Guild currently does much that is valuable to us, although you might not perceive it as being very sexy or fun. To digress a bit, I weathered (yes, pun!) Hurricane Ike in Houston in September '08. Believe me: having ice in your freezer may not seem like a big deal, but when your power has been out for three or four days and all your food is thawing, you realize how essential a basic thing like ice is to your continued survival. SO-- a lot of what the Guild does for us is like making sure that ice is available. A short list includes service marks, participation in the International Feldenkrais Federation, training policy, website, assistance with legislative issues, and keeping the organization running smoothly. They also support short-term projects for the members, like the CORR initiatives to produce our current marketing kit and materials. That's part of what the Guild does for us now.

However, I believe that so much is changing in culture and technology that the Guild has the potential to be even more valuable to us than it is now. I'm not sure what shape that will take, but here are two examples that model what I'm thinking about.

One: Apple Computers. When Apple launched the iPhone a little over 18 months ago, the response was unprecedented. Apple provided a sleek, friendly interface for the user, and a few applications (or "apps") beyond its usefulness as a phone, like a digital camera, and wireless capability (so you can use it like your computer). They did not try to take on the responsibility for responding to every consumer request for more apps, nor did they try to control, limit, or do it all themselves. They encouraged independent developers to come up with useful apps, and the flood of creativity and energy around that action has been astonishing. All Apple did was provide information, guidelines, and incentives. New apps are being added every day, so that you can access Google earth for maps to and from anywhere on the globe; read newspaper articles on the screen, play games, store recipes and grocery lists, manage your calendar, and even check your Facebook page. Why should Apple continue to exist, if outside software developers are doing all the work? Simple. Apple provides the container. The organization is the vehicle whereby developers and users can have access to each other for problem solving and creativity, and it's also immensely profitable. I see the Guild doing some of this type of thing already, and future opportunities lie ahead. The Guild is the container in which activity around the method takes place. This container is the most valuable thing we have.

The other model I have in mind is the old Grimm Brothers fairy tale, "Stone Soup." Have you heard it?

According to the story, some travelers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry travelers. The travelers fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travelers answer that they are making "stone soup", which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they are missing. The villager doesn't mind parting with just a little bit to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travelers again mention their stone soup which hasn't reached its full potential yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoning to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by all. (Source: Wikipedia).

It's another "container" metaphor: the Guild, with its Board, committee structures, and projects, is the travelers with the pot, the stone, and the water; the members are the villagers. (Something about "creating conditions favorable for soup-making.") Without the big pot, and the stone, there's no container and no catalyst to inspire action and contribution. The villagers were starving: one person just had a couple of potatoes, one had only an onion, one had a few beans. The story shows how each person received value far beyond their contribution. The value of the Guild, and Guild membership, is in the contributions of the individual members. The Guild provides a container within which it all can happen.

I also have to point out something obvious. All contributions from anyone and everyone make a wonderful and abundant soup, that everyone will want to eat. There's one ingredient, however, that NOBODY wants in their soup, and that is --

Poop.

We all have to do it (poop, that is), it's part of life: but keep it out of the soup! It only takes a tiny bit of poop, and then, it doesn't matter how fantastic the other ingredients are: you've got poop soup. Negativity, jealousy, gossip, combativeness, disrespect -- all are forms of poop that can turn a meeting or an organization into poop. So, please do that somewhere else, if you must. Don't poop in my soup!

So, that's all I want to say about the Guild, and that's all the time I want to spend justifying the existence of this blog. Full disclosure: I am a Guild member, and I intend to continue to be. But this blog is independent of the Guild, in that it's my project, not theirs. I'm just bringing a few potatoes to the pot.

The Launch -- Welcome!

Prefer to listen, than read? Click this link to listen or download. (3:47)







Three sayings will provide the answer to the question, "WHY KWYD?"

"Find a need, and fill it."

"It's easier to obtain forgiveness than permission."

"The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time is today."

That's my justification for beginning now, today, jumping in, and creating a first approximation of what I hope will be a site that you will value and visit often. I hope that KWYD will inspire you, tickle you, encourage you, and move you to take effective action to build your practice.

Doesn't our work promote the idea that individuals can be self-referenced, self-directed, and self reliant? Isn't it silly to wait for an organization or a celebrity spokesperson to do something for you, when you can quite capably do it for yourself? Perhaps you've already "planted your tree" in terms of successfully marketing your practice and being able to attract clients. If not, the best time to begin is today.

I'll be sharing what has worked for me; what hasn't worked for me, but works for other people; free online resources for study; recommended books on sales and marketing; and a forum for answering questions and giving support to Feldenkrais teachers who want to build a successful practice. Other self-identified "successful practitioners" will make regular contributions. We'll have videos, podcasts, and teleseminars. My aim is to offer you LOTS of resources to choose from, so that you can "work out for yourself what is best for you." And, YOU are also a contributor, not just a consumer. Your comments, questions, suggestions, recommendations, support, and successes will make this blog a hell of a lot more interesting than if I were just doing it all myself. So-- subscribe to the blog, be a follower, get on board. We're going to have fun with this, or die trying.

I'm partly doing this out of the goodness of my heart, because I believe in being in service to others, and because I believe that what goes around, comes around. If I help you, that will surely benefit me. As individual practitioners become effective in their own backyards, within their own circles of influence, you and I will see the Feldenkrais Method grow in recognition, in respect, in reputation, and most importantly, in REMUNERATION. We all deserve to have financially viable practices if we so choose.

I also believe that part of what creates abundance for all is the idea of a fair exchange of value for value. So, here's my proposal.Take advantage of all the resources offered here. You could choose one new idea a week to study and then take action -- follow the directions, do an experiment, implement it. Set goals and stick to them. When you find an idea valuable (i.e., you're having fun learning about it, or the idea helped you to attract a client and make money), then think about throwing a buck or two my way. (There's a PayPal button in the sidebar for your convenience.) You'll simply be contributing toward helping me with the expenses of my broadband connection, and for the investment of my time and attention. Further, you're making a tiny investment that will tell your subconscious, "It's important to invest in myself, because my work is valuable." Once again-- donations are completely voluntary.

So, I'll leave it there for now, and there will be more to come. You can expect short postings on a daily basis, once we get underway.