7 Key Areas to Consider
The day I decided to follow God’s prompting to become a Life Coach must have been a lot like the day when Abram decided to follow the call of God. Abram heard God’s voice, determined to obey, and faithfully set out, but he had little inkling of what really lay ahead.
When I felt God calling me into the coaching profession, I knew I was going a way I had never gone before, but I had no idea what that entailed or the obstacles I might meet. Somehow, I thought I would get trained, throw up a website, and the clients would magically come.
I quickly found out that’s not how it works.
I hadn’t realized that becoming a Life Coach automatically meant I had become an entrepreneur. And very little of the training I received prepared me for the business and marketing functions I needed to perform to set up a successful coaching practice.
A Niche: First Step for Coaching Success
One of the critical things that I’ve come to realize is that an understanding of niche marketing (knowing who you will coach and the primary issues you will coach them around) is the first step to coaching success.
But is niching right for you?
Here are 7 key questions to help you make up your mind. Circle the answers that best fit you.
1. Time and Energy
A. I have unlimited time and energy to spend getting clients.
B. I have lots of time to devote to getting clients.
C. I have limited time and energy to spend getting clients.
The primary “expense” in marketing a coaching business isn’t money, but time and energy. Generalists will need to share their marketing message with three to five times more people than those who niche.
Coaches who niche can laser focus their efforts on a few key places where their target market gathers in groups.
2. Clarity of Message
A. I love to have frequent and long conversation educating people about the process and benefits of coaching. They eagerly sign-up each time I do.
B. I enjoy educating people about the process and benefits of coaching and they frequently sign-up when I do.
C. I’d love to have a magnetic one-sentence tagline so people instantly understand what I do and are eager to work with me.
It can be hard to explain the benefits of coaching to someone who’s never experienced it before. Thus, trying to “sell” coaching requires a lot of ongoing conversations and explanations.
Having a niche lets you share one simple message that magnetically attracts your ideal clients.
3. Client Converting Website
A. My website is bringing me all the prospects and clients I need.
B. My website attracts new prospects and clients weekly.
C. I want my website to have clear, enticing copy that compels readers to contact me to find out more.
Statistics show that people will decide to stay or leave your website within the first seven seconds of viewing it.
Coaches with a niche know the exact words and phrases to use to draw in their readers.
4. Ongoing Referrals
A. I receive tons of referrals from outside sources.
B. I frequently receive referrals from outside sources.
C. I’d like to regularly receive referrals from a variety of different sources.
When you are a generalist, friends and colleagues have a tough time identifying good coaching prospects.
Niched coaches work with a specific group of people around a primary problem so colleagues easily remember and refer them.
5. Profitability
A. I don’t need or want to make any money from my coaching business.
B. I would like to make a little money from my coaching business.
C. I want my business to provide a consistent monthly income.
The number of people who can afford to hire a coach for general self-improvement is relatively small.
Niched coaches, however, work with people who have such a pressing problem they are willing to spend whatever it takes to have it solved.
6. Level of Competition
A. I can easily explain how I am different and better than other coaches.
B. I do a good job of explaining how I am different and better than other coaches.
C. I’d like to clearly articulate the difference between me and other coaches.
It can be hard to explain why you are different or better than other more established coaches.
Coaches with a niche are automatically seen as a specialist and the added value is clear.
7. Being Memorable
A. I love contacting people and reminding them of what I do again and again.
B. I enjoy reminding people what I do again and again.
C. I want people to remember what I do even if they haven’t heard from me in months.
Since it’s hard for the average life coach to explain to others what they do, imagine how difficult it is for potential prospects to hold onto that thought.
When a coach is niched, (Job Search Coach, Life After Divorce Coach, Life Balance Coach, Better Marriage Coach, etc.) their specialty is easy to remember and repeat.
How Did You Do?
If the majority of your answers were…
A’s – You’re eager to devote endless unpaid hours to educating large masses of people about coaching. You don’t need to niche.
B’s – You have lots of time and money and enjoy teaching people about coaching whether they ever become clients or not. While niching might help you get your message out in a clearer, faster way, being a generalist will work for you.
C’s – You’re ready to magnetically attract clients, receive steady streams of referrals, and work with people who are willing to pay. You’re eager to have increased visibility and credibility that will help you get your message out to the world.
I have been struggling to find a niche myself. I too felt prompted by the Lord to become a life coach.