One of the things that most coaches find most frustrating in the beginning is the idea that they might choose the wrong niche and commit themselves to a lifetime of boredom.
Worse still is the worry that they’ll choose the wrong niche and condemn themselves to failure.
An extension of that last worry is that they’re not passionate about a particular niche – even though it’s the right niche for them.
What’s A Niche?
A niche is a demographic group. Specifically, it’s a demographic group that you choose as your target audience.
There are three very important things to consider when you’re choosing a demographic group to use as a target audience:
- Do individuals in this group have a problem that coaching can resolve?
- Can they afford to pay for coaching?
- Do you speak their language?
It’s the last one that gets coaches all hot and bothered.
When I say ‘speak their language,’ what I mean is, have you either been someone in this demographic group or have you had a front-row seat to their lives?
If we remember that we’re not talking about who you can coach, we’re talking about who we can market to. I know that you can coach anyone who sits down and agrees to be coached. What we can’t do is market to anyone who….
The Language They Use
When I say ‘speaking their language,’ I mean it literally. Do you speak the jargon of the group you’ve chosen? Can you describe the problem they’re grappling with (the one that coaching can resolve) using – quite literally – the same words that they use?
Why does it matter that you speak your niches language?
It matters because we feel understood when someone can describe something we’re struggling with using our own words. We feel that we can trust them – that they get us.
But – What About Passion?
Coaches often feel stuck when choosing a niche because they can’t figure out where their passion lies.
Here’s the thing—it’s not the niche that inspires passion; it’s the people who are struggling within that niche. You get to coach these people because they recognise themselves in your marketing and feel understood.
Feeling understood generates trust and your potential clients need to know, like and trust you before they will pay you to coach them.
In summary – the niche isn’t where your passion lies – the passion comes when you get to work with the wonderful people within it!
Make No Mistake
Unless you have existing monetiseable credibility, having a focused marketing message is the quickest way to grow your credibility as a coach, your audience and your business. (If you’re unsure what I mean by monetiseable credibility, here’s an article I wrote about it.)
Would you like more support in building your coaching business and finding your niche? This link is for our diary to book a call.