“The confused mind does nothing.”
That goes for our clients too. What kind of results do you get if you say, I work with women to heal allergies and help them lose weight and I have a boot camp… sound familiar? Too many choices makes us choose nothing.
So, the first step in the process to finding and attracting clients you love to work with was putting you into the picture. It becomes A LOT easier to make decisions about what classes to take, what programs to offer, who to work with, what marketing avenues to pursue when you have taken the time to know what lifestyle you want to create and what strengths you bring to the table.
The next step is getting clear on what you do (then who you do it for and the results your clients get by working with you) These are in essence, the components of the “what do you do” statement. (Don’t worry. We’re getting to it).
What’s the big deal about a niche anyway?
Choosing a niche helps you stand out from the rest when your ideal clients are considering working with you versus another coach.
Consider this. Health & Wellness is a HUGE industry. A number of people, from personal trainers, to the folks at Weight Watchers to Beach Body coaches identify themselves as health and/or wellness coaches.
What makes you unique? Why is your approach different? How do you get results? What results can I expect to get by working with you? This is important to not only think about, but to own.
Don’t be afraid to tell people how you are different.
Don’t be afraid to claim a niche. You don’t have to be married to it forever, but it makes it easier to come up with your messaging, your brand, places to talk about what you do. Trust me on this one.
I realized that I had something special when I figured out how to help women overcome emotional eating. They ate because they were unhappy and unable to deal with certain pressures in their lives. Yes, they said they wanted to lose weight, but more importantly, they wanted to be happy and feel better about themselves and their lives.
I no longer had to talk about green smoothies, recipes, bootcamps, etc. it was spreading me too thin and watering down my message. Being very clear about my niche in the ginormous weight loss world made life simpler.
Still not convinced?
You wouldn’t go to a heart doctor if you tore a ligament in your knee, would you? No, you’d go to an orthopedic.
Not only do these doctors make much more money than the general physician, but they are usually booked out for months because they have a specialty (see unique selling proposition) and they typically don’t have to advertise, because people know exactly what they do and who they do it for.
Here’s another example. How often do you tell your girlfriends about your hair stylist? If you want a haircut that’s out of this world go to Jan. If you want color go see Suzy. Professionals get known for their specialty. It helps you stand out so people start doing the advertising for you.
The million dollar question is…What’s your niche (aka your specialty)? Post it below so we know who to go see or refer others to.