How Your Niche Is Just Like you

Like attracts like. We are most drawn to people who share our interests, our values and our experiences. You may be drawn to the idea of helping people move from a situation you have overcome and you want to support them on their similar journey. You may have a personal passion you want to fulfill or explore and would like to share that passion with others. Your niche is about working in an area that is meaningful to you with people that engage your passion and respect. When you are in the right niche it will draw to you like minded people. Whatever niche you choose you’ll find that you know more than you think you do about the way that community thinks and what they want simply because the people in your niche are a lot like you.

 

 Your personal journey may define your niche.

 

Perhaps you were overweight and found great ways to lose the pounds. That is a whole journey to help people through. That may be the niche you serve.

 

A professional golfer may be passionate about helping develop young champions

 

A single mom might want to help other single moms. A person whose family is multi-lingual may want to help families learn English.

 

Part of my journey was as a spiritual counselor and that still infuses my work. People that are drawn to me are consciously aware of their spiritual service in the world.

 

Take a look at your personal journey and what you have accomplished to see if you have something you want to teach. To settle into the perfect niche follow your passion.

 

 You may be drawn to helping a specific group. It could be animals, the planet, preteens, pre-schoolers, at-risk teen agers, working moms, women up against the glass ceiling or seniors. Your passion will help you identify this group. What need speaks to you? Look for ways you can be of service to those people.

 

 Your talents help determine your niche. Are you good with people? Are you a teacher? Are you a thinker and philosopher? You will be drawn to serve people who will benefit from what you know how to do. When I figured out that I love to help people identify their vision and sort out their ideas to bring that vision into existence I applied that talent to helping people build their single-owner businesses. And because I am a writer and natural teacher I also help them organize their ideas into compelling information products. What is your area of expertise and how can you help people?

 

 Sometimes we choose a niche to work in because we want to learn more about the topic for ourselves. I often give teleclasses or write ebooks about areas I want to explore more deeply. When you teach you learn. What do you want to learn?

 

As you learn more and mature in your experience your interests may change. For instance, my work has always had a philosophic bent but it got very practical for awhile. Now I want to return to more of the personal growth exploration so my work and my offerings have begun to reflect that. Watch for those subtle shifts in interests as you grown both personally and professionally.

 

 You may want to build an organization that helps you bring your vision to life. You may want to give courses to large groups of people. You may want to coach individuals to greatness. I have always known that I wanted to help people who were already making a difference in the lives of others. My work helps them touch the lives of even more people. How do you see yourself in service? What is your own vision for helping others?

 Who is already coming to you for help? What are they asking you for? What part of what you do for them do you find the most rewarding? What are the needs and desires of the people you are drawn too? What are qualities you want in the people you are to serve? Answering these questions will help identify how you can serve.

One of my clients is a weight loss coach who initially attracted two age groups, 30-somthings and seniors. It didn’t take her long to realize that she did not want to work with older people who had to balance medications and were in a more cautious physical condition because it was not in her own experience. She chose to focus on the 30 year olds.  It didn’t take a pro golfer client long to figure out he wants to work with young people who are on the championship track. He also knows they have to be committed to being the best they can be. What are the qualities of the person you want to work with?

 

I am blessed to continue attracting coaching clients who are passionate about their calling and are eager to do the work I ask them to do. They are all enthusiastic about how they can be in service. That makes it fun and rewarding for all of us. Choose only those clients who excite your passion. Don’t accept everyone who comes to you. The poorly matched client will make it difficult for you to do your best work. Take care of yourself. You are in this to fulfill your passion. Keep accepting and serving your ideal client.

 

Because you closely identify with your niche community you will easily recognize their problems and desires. I only work with single business owners because that’s what I am and what I love to do. Although I know the principles for other types of business, I will be more in tune with a service professional like me.

 

Who you choose to serve will determine what you offer, how you offer it and the words you use to let them know what you do. The young athlete who wants to earn a golf scholarship has a different motivation than the weekend golfer who wants to improve his casual game. The younger weight loss client will be interested in learning how to be in a relationship given her new self image while the older weight loss person will be primarily looking to improve her health. Can you write about the benefits of your work and reach most of your target community? If not, it’s a sure sign your niche is too broad. Narrow it.

 

Not everyone who reads my blog wants to craft information products so I add personal development posts. Not everyone in my niche wants to write a teleclass so I write about other ways to earn passive income. You may be interested in serving two niches but for the purpose of establishing yourself initially pick one and learn how to serve that niche. If you want to serve another niche start another branch of your business.

 

When I use the tag line “I help you build your business from your inside out” it ties together both personal development and practical business information. I get to write about both and people won’t be confused because that one line ties them both together. Look for that over-arching place of service that ties the elements of your business together.

 

My golf pro client is going to help young people play championship golf but because of who he is and what his passion is his program will be filled with personal growth lessons, inner work, personal strength awareness. Those choices influence the types of programs he creates, the words he uses to let people know what he does and it will set him apart in his field.

 

My weight loss coach realized from her own journey that the most difficult step was learning to be in relationships when your self image has so radically changed through large weight losses. Her programs will focus on that need.

 

How does your approach set you apart? What is it about you that makes what you offer stand out? That awareness will influence your niche.

 

What is coming up for you? Do you have a better idea of who your niche should be? Write down your values. Those are the values you want in your clients. Write down the problems you have solved or want to solve. Those are the problems of your potential target community. What are your desires and visions? Those are the desires and visions of your target community.

 

Begin to work with your niche. See how it feels. Do some research to see if what you want to offer is needed. How is it unique? Do you need to tweak your approach? Outline a series of topics you could write posts about or teach classes on that will inspire and motivate your target community. You will continue to adjust your niche as you build your services and respond to the people who are attracted to you. When your ideal client shows up clone her!!! Let your niche find you and don’t be surprised if it’s a bit like looking in a mirror.

 

© 2011 Cara Lumen