This is the text of a letter I wrote recently to a friend who wondered why I seem to actively offend so many people in the AT world with my position on Tablework. This is what I wrote back...

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Dear Friend (who shall remain anonymous),

The tablework/constructive rest thing is an important component of my whole sales and marketing thrust - the idea is to do what the students wants, not what you prescribe.

And you need to niche your practise - you can’t “niche” constructive rest, not really. You need to develop activities and procedures (to use that word) that directly relate to the interests and needs of your niche. They want immediate help with the activity they love.

This is the message. Not ideological, more practical. That message is integral to my whole 12 Step system.

I am not aiming to convert the whole AT world, no way. I am not a believer in massaging your message so it is palatable to the majority. That is death in marketing and sales - unless you are Ford, Nike, Coke, Apple - someone in that league which we are currently not, you need to focus your message to a group that is open to hearing it.

True in my system, true for me in doing my own niche marketing and sales. I am niching to AT teachers who are passionate to reach a wide audience, have no rich partner, have no other 2nd job and must make a living out of teaching. That is my market.

Therefore, I am happy to repel people - those who would not ever be my customers. And there’s a ton of them in the AT world, I know. Basically they will waste my time with superfluous arguments that have no relevance in building a successful business. I am not out to convert the true believers.

In fact, I actively want to disqualify them!

I expect there will be maximum 20% of teachers who will be interested in my ideas. I also believe that this 20% of teachers is most likely responsible for 80% of total income generated in the AT world. They are the cream, and the only ones I want to attract.

Therefore, my 12 Step Plan to Make Your AT Biz book does need to express the view that:

1. Individual lessons are not scalable - and constructive rest is part of that paradigm;
2. Tablework sends an impression of you as therapist, not an educator, and it won’t sell in your niche;
3. Group lessons are scalable and financially logically if you want to boost your income (and touch more people's lives).

I am fine with a general group lie down exploring “Constructive rest” as a small element of your overall thrust as a niche-orientated teacher, but my guess is that currently tablework is fully 50% on average of most AT lessons given in the world today. Not scalable. Not practical.

I can not avoid this issue. I will offend some people - I am sure there will be a few angry responses to this post. Who cares? Not me. Let them rant, I am about helping people who are struggling to make a living and will listen to the lessons I have gathered on my way to building the most successful Alexander business the world has ever seen.

The people who can hear and act on my advice will not be put off by this issue. I already have 57 AT teachers in my secret Facebook group and they are all willing to listen to my position, without being reactive. They just calmly disagree. It does not preclude them hearing my other advice. Interestingly, they are all (mostly) full-time teachers trying to make a living. Those kind of people have precious little time for ideological arguments.

A person who is genuinely stuck at making a living will be open to my perspective. They will buy my book when it finally comes out!

P.S. If you read this far, then go on to my mailing list to hear about my book when it is published: Click here now and fill in the form!