Crossing the Chasm

Recently I had a chance to talk informally to the national council of STAT. What really struck me was that some of the technology marketing models would work really well for promoting personal training/services/wellness. The Alexander Technique isn't very well known, but has a following in certain circles - music, dance, theatre, and is used for back and neck pain as an alternative therapy. We discussed Geoffrey Moore's Crossing the Chasm.

Simplistically, your early adopters are willing to accept the tradeoffs that come with being first to use a new technology. The price is high, the product isn't complete, but it is compelling enough for you to put up with the glitches. Then there is a chasm, and you have to get to the early mainstream users. Unfortunately, early mainstream users are completely different. So everything about your marketing, positioning, etc has to change.

That's where I believe the Alexander Technique is now. Their core early users are happy, but not enough teachers have enough work. They need to reach out to a new audience with a new version of the proposition. Its going to be hard for the council to persuade their teachers to change, but if they don't the Alexander Technique will be limited in its appeal or in the Chasm. Crossing the Chasm will require them to think quite differently about which new audiences and how to appeal to them. I think Geoffrey Moore would like the analogy, even if it isn't about technology adoption.

Comments

[Sue Benson]

I found your comments about the Alexander Technique teaching profession very interesting. I'm not sure the problem is so much about "crossing a chasm" as about AT teachers entering the 21st Century in terms of using technology, such as the internet. I've never encountered a more tech non-savy buch, or a bunch slower to adapt to the new reality.

Ironic, since the AT is supposed to be about making useful changes....

[Peter Brunner]

There are a lot of different Marketing tools. Many AT teachers I know do use one or the other. Many others do not like the idea of marketing at all.

From my point of view the question is not a modern marketing tool or method the point is how to combine and co-ordinate the force of hundreds of individual teachers.

The first step to start the development to use marketing - yes it is a process - is to talk with each other and try different approaches. The most likely and effective alternative might be the best for the whole Alexander Technique community.

By the way ... nobody should be afraid of the PR and marketing of the AT teacher in the neighborhood ... competition is increasing the number of interested people and some will come to you as well.

Lets start to exchange ideas ...

Peter Brunner, Frankfurt, Germany 0049-69-60325577 - Skype o800alextech

[Peter Davies]

Sue's comment that AT teachers aren't particularly technology savvy is well made, but perhaps my original post wasn't clear. I think that AT needs to reach out to new audiences because the people in your traditional communities are already saturated and either have or won't participate in AT lessons.

Peter's idea of getting teachers to promote themselves communally is a good one, but certainly the AT community in the UK is very reluctant to invest in personal marketing let alone group marketing.