Niche Schmiche!
What’s the big deal about finding your niche? It just sounds so limiting… Well, to most of the people I speak with, yes, it does.
Ironically, when I’m talking to someone who has already found their niche, it’s clear that it frees them up tremendously, and creates more success than they expected. Why is that? As Jesse Koren and Sharla Jacobs say in their Rejuvenate Your Practice trainings, “If you want to get rich, find your niche!” And, suppose you decide to “try it on” and see if it can work for you, how do you go about finding your niche?
The big deal is that, even though there are 6,977,913,818 worldwide and 312,685,582 in the U.S., you alone are not likely to have the time, money and energy to reach all of them. So you need a way to determine how best to spend your resources to reach those that are most likely to need, want and afford your products and services. Determining your niche helps you define your focus so that you can reach those that you can help best. So, how do you figure it out?
Remember, if people don’t hear about you because you’re not marketing (i.e. getting the message out), then you can’t help anyone!
Ask yourself a few questions: What do you do? What types of people are most likely to benefit most from what you offer? What types of people are most likely to say “yes” to what you offer? Who do you most enjoy working with (men, women, parents, children, seniors, athletes, etc.)? Can you narrow it down further? For example, are aging athletes your best clients? If so, you can focus your marketing on community centers, private gyms and related locations/publications. Parents of teenagers or younger children? Should you be connecting at high schools or elementary schools? Are your customers more likely to be businesses/professionals or general consumers? Your answer to this will help you choose the networking events that are best for you. Hint: Some very good networking happens outside of “networking” meetings/groups.
Of course, there are always very good general marketing resources (like The Holistic Chamber of Commerce) that will benefit you, those that fit within your overall budget and help you reach the people that you might not reach otherwise. Marketing and networking are not just about meeting potential customers and clients, they’re also about generating ideas through brainstorming and creating relationships for collaborations and future referrals. It’s all part of the mix.
Also, when you’re considering coaches, you want to know their niche. Among HCC members, some specialize in business women, others in life balance and still others in publicity. What do you need to get where you’re going?
As you prepare for 2012, consider your goals and your resources (time, energy and money). Then find your niche and have your best year yet!
Many bests, Camille