Should We Be Marketing Problems Rather Than Professions?
Many people searching for a Pilates instructor or specialist support begin with a problem, not a profession.
For many years, Pilates professionals have quite naturally described themselves by the method they teach:
· We are Pilates Instructors.
· We teach Reformer Pilates.
· We offer one-to-one sessions or group classes.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But I have found myself wondering whether it reflects the way our clients actually think.
Someone recovering from breast cancer treatment rarely wakes up thinking, "I need a Pilates Instructor."
Someone struggling with pelvic floor symptoms isn't searching for a modality.
Someone frightened of falling isn't looking for a Reformer class.
They are thinking about a problem they want help solving.
Only afterwards do they begin asking themselves a different question:
Who is the right person to help me?
That simple observation has prompted one of the most thought-provoking Industry Perspectives I have written to date.
In this month's article, I explore:
How members of the public actually decide whom to trust.
The difference between professions, modalities and specialist practice.
Why Continuing Professional Development should shape professional identity, not simply add more certificates.
Whether marketing should be the outcome of professional development, rather than the starting point.
One of the conclusions surprised even me: I no longer think this article is really about marketing. I think it is about professional identity.
As our careers develop, we move beyond simply learning a method. We begin to understand the people we are best equipped to help, and our education, experience and specialist interests gradually shape the professional we become.
Perhaps our marketing should simply become an honest reflection of that evolution.
I'd be genuinely interested to know whether you agree.
As always, I hope the article encourages discussion rather than simply providing answers.