The Selling of You III - You Can't Sell The Weather!


A long while back, when I was in the midst of (yet another) crisis of confidence, I asked my Self a simple question:

“Does Alexander Technique actually work or not?”

As I cast my mind over my previous lessons, I noticed that I was equivocating my reply - oh sometimes Alexander Technique works, sometimes it doesn’t. Then a thunderbolt hit me: my being was electrified by a startling admission of truth: I was lying about my question. I was not asking if Alexander Technique worked - although I thought that was what I was asking - what I was really asking was:

“Does Jeremy Chance actually work or not?”

Jeremy Chance working properly or not was based on the results of his experiences with his students. I had this crazy idea - that the Alexander Technique only worked when my lessons worked. Unless my students had lost their pain, had break-throughs and aha moments, the Alexander Technique did not work that day!

But Jeremy Chance, like all human beings, is similar to the weather. Raining one day, sunny the next. Hot on things, cold on things - always in flux. Alexander's discoveries are never in flux, they are not similar to weather - they are based on principles, which by definition are timeless, formless and unaffected by the vagaries of the weather. Principles are universal, constant, irrefutable. Once I understood that it was such a relief - I was not selling me anymore!

Without question, Alexander's discoveries will work.

Imagine selling a product with this profile: This will last forever! It will never change, never fail, never not do what we say it will do! BUT - you must follow the instructions and, being honest with you, even I am not sure how to fully follow these instructions. But hey - I have been reading and practicing these instructions for 3 years (if you are a newly qualified teacher) and I certainly know them better than you do right now. You don’t actually need me - it can be done on your own (heck, Alexander did!) but if you’re lazy like me, well: isn’t it easier if you let me help? So how about you come see me and let’s see if we can get this amazing thing to work together? Here’s what it did for me and I bet, if you’re willing to follow the instructions, it can do the same for you.

It’s not about you, it’s about a set of principles.

THAT’s how you sell the Alexander Technique!

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