Niche – how to define your ideal clients, and attract them with ease

How did you get on with yesterday’s step? If you haven’t read it yet, here is the link – DAY 01

Today we are going to look at your ideal customer/clients, in particular you’ll be doing an exercise that will help you work out who you would most love to work with.

I’m going to proceed on the basis that you want to set up a consulting/coaching/healing (CCH) business and that you’ll be looking for clients as opposed to customers. However, most of what I’ll be sharing (if not all of it) is equally applicable to product-based businesses so if you want to start an Etsy shop selling your paintings or an eBay shop selling your home made candles, don’t skip this.

Yesterday you got to grips with what you’re great at and how what you do helps the people you will be selling to. Today we’re looking in depth at those people so that we can better understand them, their needs, their struggles.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a business for a while, you might have heard a lot about niches. You’ll likely have read that you have to narrow your niche, and the narrower you go, the more chance you’ve got of achieving success.

I approach niche from a completely different viewpoint, so before you roll your eyes and tell me you just don’t “get” niche, hear me out!

Grab another piece of paper and a pen and let’s get started.

At the top of your sheet of paper, write the name of your ideal client. Don’t overthink this, just pick a name. Now I want you to write down everything that makes them perfect. For example, do they pay up front and on time? Or are they full of energy and fun to work with? Whatever attributes you’d love to see in your ideal clients, write it all down.

Now, this is where I differ from the ‘gurus’ on the subject of niche. I believe that your niche develops over time. You can’t niche down when you’re just starting out because you don’t have all the relevant information. Your niche will find you as you start doing the work and connecting with more people. With that in mind, it’s time to define your ideal client a wee bit more. 

Underneath the name you’ve given your ideal client now I want you to write their age, their gender, and where they go to find the answers to their problems. Also write down what they want to achieve and what problem(s) they have. Essentially you need to match what they’re looking for with what you offer. Don’t overthink this step, just write down what comes to mind. Don’t get bogged down in minute detail at this stage. You just need an outline that will enable you to communicate in a way your ideal client will respond to. 

Here comes the really important bit: it’s now time to start joining the dots between who you are and what you do, and who they (your ideal clients) are and what they want. This is where it gets really interesting. You may notice that the person you THINK you want to work with, isn’t likely to be looking for what you provide, or maybe they won’t have a big enough budget to pay your fees. On the other hand, you may see connections and ideas that you hadn’t previously considered.

When you’re clear on who you are and what you do, the next step is to choose 3 or 4 themes for your content. These will help you create posts, blogs and other content that will resonate with your ideal clients. As a result you’ll more easily attract interest from your ideal clients.

Essentially, niche is all about the gap in the market. It’s a gap that your service (or product) will fill. The niche doesn’t have to be unique, because YOU are the unique factor. YOU are what makes the difference. YOU are what will either compel or repel them to buy from you. 

Have fun with this exercise, and if you get stuck, post your message below so that I can help you.

Tomorrow we’ll be looking at websites, funnels, opt-in gifts, autoresponders, and emails. I can’t wait, see you then!

Here are all the posts in this series:

Day 1 – So you want to start a business? 5 simple steps you can’t ignore – click HERE

Day 2 – Niche – how to define your ideal clients and attract them with ease – click HERE

Day 3 – Starting a business? Here’s the top techy things you’ll need to consider – click HERE

Day 4 – Market your new business in 4 easy steps – Stand out & captivate – click HERE

Day 5 – Easily create & schedule content that your ideal clients will love – click HERE