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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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!

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?

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.