You’ve all heard me advocate niche marketing your coaching business. To get creative, pair a compelling life challenge with a business market. For example: I help restaurant owners keep their profits and treat their families as well as their customers.

Or, even better, select a job title you’ve held before and go after that group. Have you been an executive assistant for 8 years? Then you understand that group so well and can support them from the other side of the table.

Why do I recommend you market to one distinctive group?

Because when you focus your promotional energy on addressing their distinctive challenges, the results speak for themselves:

- You have little or no competition.
- You can market much less.
- And yet you fill your coaching practice so much faster.
- Which builds your confidence and expertise quickly.
- So you can charge higher fees.
- Articles and ezines practically write themselves because you know your market’s language.
- You can re-purpose that writing to products and programs that sell well because you know your market wants them.
- You get a lot more pre-qualified referrals.

= All of which means you have a significantly higher income, with time left for other things in life!

If your niche market isn’t working because it’s too broad, or your message is too general, or the group is hard to find, or they won’t afford coaching — get out of the box with your thinking. Open your mind to a distinctive niche market that might be staring you right in the face.

That’s how other coaches have locked onto these unique niche markets:
- Salon Owners
- Cranio-Sacral Therapists
- Hispanic Executives
- Direct Sales Leaders
- Real Estate Brokers
- Spouses of Ambassadors
- TV Producers
- Waldorf Moms (moms of kids in Waldorf education)
- Claims Managers
- Marketing Directors
- Restaurant Owners

Notice how each of these markets:
1. Is an accessible group — you can find them easily.
2. Has distinctive challenges.
3. Probably has disposable income to invest in a coach.

The coaches who work with these folks will not necessarily have expertise in their market’s field. And, they will primarily coach these clients on life issues not business issues. But their marketing messages will speak directly to the specific challenges that each group faces, which will be a strong attraction factor for the clients to hire them.

If you haven’t already, you will find your niche market! I have no doubt. Just open your mind and, at the same time, look for a small and unique group. You’ll be happy you did.

Most coaches have a naturally enterprising spirit. In fact, many have endless creative ideas. What seems to be lacking for most coaches is FOCUS.

Have you ever felt that you’re all over the place with your coaching business?  Today, you’re speaking at a brown bag corporate meeting about team leadership. Yesterday you gave a talk at your church about relationships. Next week you’ve got a gig at Borders where you’re giving a career choice seminar.

All of these opportunities just came to you, right? And it feels good to be recognized. But what are you recognized for… and is it something you can leverage to become financially successful?

Are you morphing your message, your title and your specialty to fit any opportunity or potential client that comes your way?

Somewhere down the road, you’ll wake up and realize that’s not a sustainable way to do business as a coach. You’re exhausted. Your client pipeline is only trickling even though you’re putting in a lot of hard work. And when you do the math, most days you’re only making about $25 - 50/hr when you could be making at least 5 - 10 times that if your business had more focus.

That’s when a lot of coaches hire me to help them fix their coaching business. If these are some of the symptoms you’re experiencing, let me give you the four ingredients of a simple remedy which is 100% effective and will make your marketing fun for you:

1. Pick one narrow niche market that is easily accessible and that has some disposable income. Ideally, it’s a group you have some knowledge about. But you can do what I did and start building your knowledge from scratch.

2. Make it your business everyday to find out what your niche market cares about.

- What is keeping them up at night?
- What are the specific top challenges they continually face?
- What are their top desires?

Stop yourself from trying to figure out what you have to offer them at first. And resist the temptation to scrape at the surface and generalize their problems to what anyone may be challenged by. When it comes to marketing coaching services, narrow and specific wins every time over broad and general. Research your niche market, get into their heads, step into their shoes, read their publications… understand them. 

3. Stop trying to convince clients to hire you by trying to sell them on the idea of coaching. It doesn’t sell. When you learn to think like your niche market does, you’ll know what to sell.

4. Set success criteria to keep your focus on actions that will have the greatest impact on your LONG TERM success. Success Criteria are guidelines that will help you determine how to dedicate your valuable time. Say ‘yes’ only to ideal clients and ideal opportunities that meet your success criteria, rather than anyone who wants you for anything.

Within a few months of making these four changes in your approach to getting clients, you’ll see the results you want: 

Scattered becomes focused.

Muddled becomes clear.

Overwhelmed becomes purposeful.

Limping along financially becomes highly profitable.

And you’ll actually enjoy marketing because the struggle is over and you know exactly how to attract your ideal clients every time.

From the Wisdom Vault…

Have you ever felt nervous or inarticulate when talking to a prospect? You know the moment of truth is upon you… it’s time to enroll this new client — but how?

With practice this process will be effortless. For now, follow these seven steps to winning conversations with prospects:

1. Understand Your Target Market

The first step of having powerful conversations with prospects takes place before you meet the prospect. If you have expertise in your market, tap into your insider knowledge. Otherwise research what motivates them. Look at these niche markets and their top challenges:

- Realtors = competition, the changing market, and understanding what their clients want.

- Stay-at-home moms = isolation, loss of adult identity, and tedious tasks.

- Corporate executives = making the numbers, managing employees, and board politics.

Interview 10 — 15 individuals in your market by asking: What is working well for you right now?  

What are your top three challenges?  

What are the three things you want most?  

What are you learning about right now?  

What is missing for you?

Tailor your services to provide solutions based on their answers. Practice talking about a bulleted list of specific benefits that you offer them. Never talk about vague concepts such as helping them achieve goals and fulfill their dreams. These have no selling power.

2. Value Yourself

In everything that you do and say show that you believe in your services and value your time. They will perceive your value too.

3. Connect

Talking to prospects is not a performance. Don’t perform. Connect! Good conversation is a weaving of mutual trust and understanding.

4. Use Appreciative Inquiry

Once you’ve introduced yourself, ask your prospect meaningful open-ended questions. Respond briefly with appreciation for them, validation for their feelings, and endorsement for their ideas. If you start by asking what is working well in their lives, their challenges will arise naturally. 

Remember — they are able to solve their own problems. Resist the temptation to make suggestions unless they ask you directly. Listen and respond with understanding. Let them have the floor. Be curious.

When it’s your turn to talk, be briefly enthusiastic about what you do. Weave in a short success story or two about your clients (no names) that relates to the challenges your prospect has just told you about.

5. Invite the Next Step

A clear moment may open in the conversation to enroll the prospect into your coaching practice. Invite them to a sample session. Be ready to set an appointment, and ask for their email and phone number so that you can follow up.  

This part of the conversation may go something like this:

I know exactly what you mean, Susan. What do you think it would take to make that change in your lifestyle?

   Well, I’ve been thinking about this for years and haven’t tackled it.

What would the payoff be if you could achieve this now?

   I’d work 20 hours less each week and have more fun in my life!

That would be grand! Is there one step you can take now in that direction?

   Find time to create some products to give me recurrent income.

You really know what to do, it’s just a matter of making the commitment and focusing on steps. What would it mean to you if you could do this now?

   It would improve my family life for one.

You’re speaking about things that are close to my heart. In fact, my specialty is supporting entrepreneurs to create a lifestyle driven business rather than a business driven lifestyle.

   Really? How do you do that?

We’d start by developing a complete vision for your new lifestyle, then we’d set incremental milestones. With what you’ve told me I think it would be possible for you to free up time, expand your income streams and meet many of your lifestyle goals by the end of this year.

   I really do need to do this. I’ve been tolerating this for too long.

I hear that. Let’s sit down and set up a plan…

Notice that it’s not even necessary to mention coaching, which removes the obstacle of having to define what coaching is. If the prospect isn’t ready to take a step with you now, ask if they’d like to sign up for your free ezine/report/blog so that you can continue to contact them. Or, invite them to your upcoming event,– workshop or teleclass etc.

6. Follow Through

If you do everything beautifully up to this point and then drop the ball here, it could cost you all the effort that’s gone before. Always follow up within 24 hours or the lead may go cold.

7. Detach from Outcome

Let go of any worries or attachment to whether they engage further with you after the conversation or not. If you get attached, your prospect will feel it and even if they don’t know what’s up, it may dissuade them from hiring you. Focus on enjoying them and staying light.

Talking to prospects may be one of the most difficult aspects of getting clients at first, but practice and the right mindset will ease the way. And, if you master this piece, you will be unstoppable!

PS… If you got solutions from this article (excerpted from the Prosperous Coach Wisdom Vault),  wait until you see all of the benefits waiting for you when you become a member of Prosperous Coach! A full year membership is just $247.

To Your Prosperity!

Rhonda Hess, Founder of Prosperous Coach

From the Wisdom Vault…

What do you do for a living?Are you able to answer this question in a compelling way? If so, you’re likely to attract as many clients as you want.

When you create your unique benefit statement, fill in the blanks with dynamic verbs and phrases that have the greatest impact in as few words as possible and use appropriate syntax .Word-smith your statement so that:

- It’s streamlined to no more than 20 words.

- It sounds right to you when you say it aloud. 

- Every word is 100% relevant to your target market.

The temptation is to use broad and generic language that might apply to everyone — a big mistake.Let’s look at some examples of benefit statements and see what makes them a winner or a dud. You’ll see that sometimes, if it’s masterfully worded, the ‘by’ phrase is not needed.

Sue’s Success Secrets
This week’s question is:
Knowing that being detached from outcome is the best approach, how do I get my center back when a client decides to “take a break from coaching”?
Prosperous Coach Mentor, Sue Brundege answers… 

To Your Prosperity!

Rhonda Hess,
Founder of Prosperous Coach