You’re a coach.
You’re great at what you do.
You help your clients get their lives on track and goals accomplished, but you can’t help feeling like you’re wanting more. More clients, more money, more free time…more of that thing you’re lacking.
So how do you get more coaching clients?
My first question to coaches that are in the “I need more” stage is: “what is your niche?”
Most coaches I talk to have a hard time answering that question. They’ll say things like “women over 40” or “business owners.” To be sure, those answers are better than “everyone.” But they’re still broad and vague.
When your target market is broad and vague, what you say in your marketing is also broad and vague. It has to be because you are trying to appeal to a lot of different people. Do you know who gets excited by broad and vague marketing?
No one.
If your market isn’t getting excited by what you are saying, they aren’t going to respond. And they certainly aren’t going to pay you to do anything.
How do you avoid that fate and instead attract more quality clients?
Be a master.
The best coaches aren’t trying to help everybody with everything. They’re focused on a specific niche.
When I work with coaches, I ask them to list what they're good at, the kind of people they enjoy helping, and the compelling problem those people have. Then we keep getting more and more specific until the picture of the perfect client comes into laser focus.
Focus on your niche and you will attract the coaching clients who want your exact problem-solution combination.
Being focused on a clear, specific niche will allow you to get more:
- Committed Clients
- Distance from Competitors
- Money
Committed Clients
When you are focused on a niche, your audience will narrow.
And that’s a good thing!
People with a vague notion that they want to generally improve their life aren't particularly motivated. If they want to “get better” often they don’t know exactly what they want or need. This rarely leads to them investing real time, effort, or money into a solution. On the other hand, clients who are looking for help with a specific problem are way more likely to commit their time and money to solving their problem.
When your client is committed, they are much more likely to do the work needed to change. That means they’re much more likely to get results. And when your clients get results, you get a reputation for producing results.
Distance from Competitors
Coaching is a fast-growing industry. Every day more coaches enter the market competing for clients.
More than ever, you need to stand out from the crowd of competitors if you're going to attract coaching clients.
When you focus on a specific niche, not only is it easier to communicate what you do, but it also sets you apart from all the other coaches vying for business from the same people.
The simple fact is people want to hire a specialist. And they’re often willing to pay more to get one.
Don’t believe me?
Let’s say you just found out you have a heart condition. The good news is it can be fixed with surgery. You’ll probably be just fine, but it’s still heart surgery, so if something goes wrong, well…
Which surgeon are you choosing?
- The surgeon who has operated on people for a lot of different things. His fee is $10,000.
- The surgeon who does any kind of surgery related to your chest. His fee is also $10,000
- Or the surgeon who only does the exact procedure you need - and has done it successfully thousands of times. His fee is $20,000.
I thought so.
When you go an inch-wide and a mile deep instead of an inch deep and a mile wide, you will eliminate just about all of your competition. When your clients think of their problem ,you are the only person that comes to mind who can fix it.
More Money
When you are a specialized coach, you can charge like one! Like I said before, people want someone who specializes in their specific problem, and they’re willing to pay to get them.
This is true for two reasons:
First, when you can speak directly to the exact problem your prospect is facing, they believe you understand them and can fix it.
Second, when you’ve chosen a specific problem that is also compelling, your market is highly motivated to solve the problem. When they are highly motivated to solve the problem, they will pay premium fees to someone they believe can get results.
So, if you want to get more coaching clients faster, create a niche by solving a specific, compelling problem for a specific type of person. Once you’ve done that, relentlessly stay focused on talking directly to that niche’s pain and desire.
Want help on building a pipeline full of those specific people? Book a free strategy call with us.