The Need to Niche
by Bryan GORRIE

As beginning coaches, we often take on anyone as a client. That’s a good thing in many ways, because we are keen, eager to “save the world” and need the clients (ie $$). However, it is important to recognize that we cannot be all things to all people. Becoming “specialized” in a given niche will do more for your clients and your business than being the “generalist” in a world of coaches.

Five Reasons to Niche:

1. You are “alive” with your niche. Once you have coached a good cross-section of clients, you get to feel a compassion or affinity for a certain group of people. You enjoy working with this group and feel totally alive and energized with them. You get to know who they are, and their concerns, so you are comfortable, confident and competent with them.
2. You will become known as the “expert”.You may have left a career that needs the skills and experience that you take with you. Do you know all about this group, or can you at least research and find out about their concerns? It may not take long to be the expert in meeting their needs and understanding them.
3. You will become the “go-to-person”. Once you are known as the expert, people will start coming to you and referring others to you. Any questions or concerns they have will be directed to you. The media will approach you for articles or interviews that will greatly enhance your exposure.
4. You can focus your marketing efforts. Knowing who your target market is helps you to meet them where they are. What do they read? Where do they go? What are their interests? The answers will help you direct your marketing efforts to contact the most people with the least effort. It may be better to have two or three niche-specific websites and newsletters than to water down one main site.
5. Your values will be in alignment. If you are most alive and connected to any group of people, your values will be closely aligned with theirs. They will sense the connection and be attracted to your authenticity and integrity. Isn’t this the Law of Attraction.

There are some important considerations. Once you have identified your niche, you need to ask yourself some very important questions.

1. Is the niche big enough to support your business?
2. How accessible is your niche?
3. Can they afford to pay?
4. Can you provide products or services that they can afford?
5. Can you provide solutions for their concerns?
6. Do they actually want your solutions?
7. Are you passionate about impacting this niche?

One fear that some coaches have is eliminating clients that they would love to work with. Having a niche does not mean being exclusive only to one niche, in fact you can have more than one niche. Marketing to a specific niche will go a long way to growing your business and your exposure.

Bryan Gorrie, M.A. CPCC, PCC
www.p3learning.ca
www.bryan-thenextchapter.blogspot.com