Reason #6: Niche Obsession

Our sixth reason in this blog series explores the niche obsession that plagues our profession. Let’s break it down into two steps.

Step 1: Your Optimal Client

Turn the niche on its head.  Instead of thinking about yourself as a “career coach”, or “leadership coach” or “life coach”, focus on the characteristics of the client you love.  Not your ideal client, for no one is ideal, just your optimal client.

Let me be crystal clear:  You are not discriminating against anyone.  Instead you are narrowing your focus and choosing clients you want to coach.  Yes, we are putting people into boxes.

Rest assured you will soon realize that many of your favorite clients force you to think outside these boxes.  These clients help you grow beyond the niche obsession as you help them reach their goals.  This is where I started way back when. . .

Age range preference:

I wanted clients under 40. Now I realize it is a preference since I have several clients over 60 who have the vigor and drive that rival many twenty or thirty years their junior.

Gender preference:

I wanted women (insert obvious joke here).  They are more open to coaching and to experimenting with solutions.  Now I realize I have several male clients who have this female spirit of “openly try and try again”.

Profession preference:

I wanted professionals who dream of starting their own business.  Small business owners are indeed my favorite.  Now I realize I have several clients who love to work for the government and I love working with them.

Other preferences:

Be honest with yourself about who you want to coach.  For example, I love to coach members of the LGBT community (makes me giggle to think of it as a membership organization!).  I love to coach people of different races.  I love to coach people of faith.  I love to coach people transitioning from a long-term career.  I love to coach people who tell me they “just want to be happier.”

And I was unaware of these preferences until I started practicing my practice.

Also be honest with yourself about the types of clients you do not prefer.  For me it’s those clients dealing with a deep and long-term pain.  Their sadness is palpable yet they are getting by.  I refer them to excellent and qualified therapists.  Every so often these clients reappear ready to get started on a present and future focused pursuit of their goals.

Great coaches, whether they think they specialize in life, career, leadership, etc, are all about the goals.  So find clients who have goals you would love to be a part of making happen.

Then, go where those clients go.

Step 2:  Go Where Your Clients Go

If you wanted to date a young professional where would you go?  The local Lions Club?  The American Legion Hall?  An AARP support group?  No, you would hang out where young professional hang out.  You would ask your friends who are young professionals that you are looking to date this type of person.  Oh, you may end up falling for someone you never thought possible, but without the desire to act on your desire, chances are, little would change.

It’s the same with clients.  Pick places and organizations where they frequent.  I recall two early clients of mine I met at a female only networking event.   Turns out they welcomed non-creepy men.  And as a gay man, I felt like a movie star in a room full of female entrepreneurs.

I also started my own networking group.  Instead of joining one that had lots of potential client sources outside my interest area, as a founding member of my group, I ensured we recruited my favorite types of clients.  Generally people gravitate towards people like them.  So I knew that my networking group would become a wonderful source of clients in and outside the group.

In short, I recommend niche-ing the type of client you want and not the type of service you provide.  You are a coach, period.  Then, frequent the places they frequent.

Ironically, I have learned that putting potential clients in boxes gets you only so far.  Staying open to new experiences with a divergent client base is one of the best ways to grow and learn as a coach.

Coaching done right is a passion.  Work with people who nourish that passion.

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If you have any questions about coaching please feel free to contact me at scott@kineticcoaching.co, and remember I always offer a complimentary 30-45 minute session to prospective clients to determine if we want to work together.