If you’ve attended any type of marketing seminar or paid any attention at all to marketing philosophies over the last few years or so, then you’ve no doubt heard the “you have to find your niche” party line. Now don’t get me wrong, having a niche or target is solid marketing. If you don’t know who your “Ideal Client” is, then there’s no way to focus your marketing strategy on them.
So what do I mean by “don’t let your niche limit you”? Well, let’s say you’ve identified your target audience, for example my original niche target was coaches. My clients ranged across numerous industries – life coaches, self improvement coaches, marketing gurus, and even a few in very distinct categories such as print, construction, and so on.
After a few years I realized something – my niche was evolving. The longer I worked with my clients, the more crossover I saw between three distinct and separate niches – coaches, speakers, and authors. All of my clients were a combination of at least two, if not all three, categories. A lot of the processes and systems I already had in place were easily adaptable and because I already had clients in either two or three of the niches it meant I had referrals in place for others in those categories. Once I broadened my perspective, it just made sense and opened up a world of new business.
Now let me clarify, your first goal should be to choose one unique niche, and build your client base, hone your product and skills, get a solid foundation in place. During this time you will likely discover your complementary niches just as a matter of doing business.
Let’s say you’re a speaker and your topic is your personal story of being a domestic abuse survivor. Once you’ve established your baseline, gained recognition and momentum, take a closer look at your niche. What other group could benefit from your story? Could it be generalized to cover other survivor groups? Can you focus it as a story of hope and inspiration and branch out to underprivileged groups? What about your story and result could be applied to a business setting? Violence in the workplace? Discrimination? Harassment?
Or perhaps you’re a financial coach – your niche may be obtaining financing for construction companies. Once you’ve nailed your niche, how can you branch out? What types of companies supply your clients? Do they have need of a cash infusion? What about the companies your niche supplies to? Or perhaps a secondary method of financing for your original niche?
As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Take a moment and think about your niche, your ideal client. What other types of clients overlap or are complementary? If you need help brainstorming, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Until next time … To your success!
Paige Jackson
Create 2 Sell