One of my good friends, a fellow agency owner, said something really interesting to me the other day. “The way you’ve niched down sounds terrifying to me.”
I’m very clear on who I can serve at a high level and who I can’t. And I don’t say Yes to people who aren’t a good fit.
But his comment caught me off guard, even though I know that it bothers people to choose a niche and stick with it, I think I take for granted how scary that choice can be.
So I want to address a few of those fears and how we can deal with them.
First, a niche isn’t some abstract thing. It’s a group of people who feel under-served by the options in the market right now.
So the first step toward conquering the fear of choosing the right niche is to focus on the people. Then you can move on to the next part, validating the niche.
When you’re validating a niche, think about what it would look if you dominated that space.
Finally, understand your responsibility to the people you serve. As a coach, consultant, author, speaker and thought leader, you have a responsibility greater than merely selling something. You have a responsibility to get people results.
Taking on clients in a bunch of different niches means you’re constantly outside of your depth, working in industry niches you don’t know very well, taking a lot of guesses on what’s going to work and what won’t.
When you really internalize that reality, it helps offset the fear of choosing to work with one group of people first. Focus on attracting the people you can serve at a high level and establishing a leadership position in that space.
