“What’s your niche?” It’s become one of the most common questions at networking events after “what do you do?” Some of us are clear on who it is we want to work with, others are still a bit foggy. When I first started out in my coaching practice, I thought I wanted to serve everyone who needed my help. The thought of narrowing it down gave me anxiety. I didn’t want to limit my base of potential clients!
The reality is that we can’t serve everyone. When we try to appeal to the masses, our message gets lost. Who are you targeting your products and/or services to? In a perfect world, who would you enjoy working with? These are the types of questions that can help you to narrow down your niche.
Why do we need a niche? Have you ever watched a commercial or seen an advertisement and felt that it was made for you? It’s probably because it was. Good marketing is about knowing who you want to attract and speaking their language in a way that allows them to identify with it and feel like it is the answer they’ve been looking for. Imagine being able to have people come to your website or hear your elevator pitch and immediately say I need to work with her/him!
While your niche is your area of focus, your avatar is the profile of your ideal client. The more detailed you are in your avatar, the better. Consider age, marital status, education, type of employment, salary, and what kinds of challenges they’re facing that your business can help them with. When you’re clear on these areas, it makes everything else that much easier. Your website design is done in a way that your target will find appealing, your blog posts will cover topics of interest to them, and your marketing for products and services will speak to them in a way that makes it a no-brainer for them to make the decision to buy.
Clarity on your niche and an avatar of your ideal client allow you to create marketing messages that speak to your audience. If you aren’t clear on who you want to work with, then your marketing message may be all over the place. To quote my business coach “a confused mind does not buy”. If you’re ideal client isn’t clear on what you can do for them or why they should work with you, you’re going to have a difficult time generating the kind of revenue that’s going to help you build a sustainable business!
It can be scary to feel like you’re narrowing your pool of potential customers, especially when you’re first starting out. No matter what kind of business you’re in, the competition out there for a client’s attention and their business is fierce. You need to stand out; you need to identify with your potential clients. It’s impossible to be everything to everyone, so think about who you really want to work with and start to develop an action plan to get their attention and help them realize that you’re the answer they’ve been looking for.
Sandra Dawes is a certified life coach specializing in helping women who feel unfulfilled with their 9-5 follow their dreams and pursue their passions. She holds an Honours BA, an MBA as well as a certificate in Dispute Resolution.She has completed her first book,Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve!
Connect:
www.embraceyourdestiny.ca
www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestiny
www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestinythebook
www.twitter.com/sandradawes