Coaching Business Startup 205 – Identify with your niche!

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Hi there!

You’re looking great. I love what you’ve done to your hair!

Come on in and sit down.

It’s curry night tonight: Chicken Tikka Masala. The English national dish!

Dinner for a Coaching Marketing Superstar!

Now, where were we?

Ah yes… Yesterday, Holistic Health Heavyweight Bob Kaufer asked me a question which was so perfect that I couldn’t have possibly planted a better one myself!

He asked:

JJ, what is your niche?

Super fantastic question, Bob. I love questions about me!

What a great case study this will be. And a perfect introduction to Step 2 of my Coaching Marketing Blueprint – Identifying with your niche.

Let’s do it!

My niche market is newly trained coaches who are struggling to get their business started and to attract paying clients.

Following Andy Wibbels’ definition, we described a useful niche market as:

a group of people with a common set of urgent problems or passions that are accessible, and who have money to spend.

We clarified, stating that, to be useful to you, your niche market should be:

small enough that you can become an expert and build a good reputation within that niche
large enough to support your business.

With this in mind, let’s analyse my niche market…

Is the group large enough to support my business?

Yes. Coaching is very much a growth industry. More people are taking coaching qualifications than ever before, meaning that there are more qualified coaches than ever before. With a large number of coaches available, people are looking for an edge.

Is the group small enough that you can become an expert and build a good reputation within the niche?

Yes. I’ll cover basic market research in detail shortly. For now, trust me. Besides, I’m JJ Jalopy. I rock!

Is the group accessible?

Yes. There are a number of places where newly qualified coaches “hang out”:

coaching training schools
online forums
online communities and websites like www.jjjalopy.com
coaching industry magazines
networking events
any much more…

Finally, does the group have a common set of urgent and painful problems or passions that invoke a lot of emotion?

Hmmm… Now this is an interesting question.

Before we tackle this, let me take a few minutes to introduce you to this dude…

Don't hate the player!

His name is Eben Pagan. You might not believe it, but this nerd from California has made gazillions of dollars on the internet selling eBooks, subscription programs, and high-end DVD home study courses about picking up girls!

And it gets better… He does it all under the brilliant pseudonym of David DeAngelo!

To be fair, I don’t think Eben would like my description of his business too much. He would describe his niche as dating advice.Sounds a bit more conservative, you see.

(But between you and me – it really is about picking up girls. I know. I’ve read the emails. And you should too. If you want a perfect case study in how to use an email autoresponder system then subscribe to his opt-in, pay attention and learn. I’m about to buy his eBook too so I can see how his back-end follow up communication works. Mrs. Jalopy will be so pleased! )

I’ve got off track again!

Nowadays Eben also helps entrepreneurs with their own internet businesses.

Eben understands that value of being able to see the world through your customers eyes. To help you do that, he teaches the concept of a customer avatar.

A customer avatar is simply a representation of your typical customer.

This is a great tool to help you empathize with your niche market.

Eben goes even further with this idea, suggesting that you also create an avatar for your business. All your communication can then be thought of in terms of a dialogue between these two people. It’s a really powerful way of thinking!

Let’s have a go at creating JJ Jalopy’s customer avatar. This should help us in understanding my niche market.

She’s called Marjorie. (She would have to be, really!)

Super coach Marjorie! (This really will be the last time I use this image. Perhaps.)

Marjorie is 35 years old. She is recently married and she has a young daughter. Marjorie has always had a strong urge to help people fulfill their true potential. Egged on by her friends and attracted by the flexible working hours and the freedom of being able to work from home, Marjorie decides to train to become a coach.

She takes a life and business coaching certification and she gets a steady stream of non-paying clients to build her confidence as she qualifies.

She’s a great coach. She completes her qualification and she starts to get referrals from her friends. She picks up a couple of paying clients, but then things start to dry up a little. She knows she’s a great coach, but she’s finding it really hard to get more clients.

She’s scared the money will run out. She’s scared that she won’t be able to provide for her family.

She’s scared she’ll have to go back to work or get a part-time job.

She’s worried that she’s made a mistake. She’s worried about being a failure.

She’s worried others will see her as a failure.

She feels lost because she doesn’t have a clear plan of what she needs to do to make money as a coach.

She feels overwhelmed with potential options and things to do.

Does this sound like an urgent and painful problem, involving a large amount of emotion?!

Of course!

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, it appears we have a good niche market here. Well done me!

I encourage you to go through this complete exercise with your own niche ideas. You’re going to learn a load simply from asking these questions.

Right, so what’s the next step?

JJ's Coaching Marketing Blueprint!

That’s right! We need to find solutions to Marjorie’s problems!

But not today – I’m pooped!

Ta-ra!

JJ Jalopy.

If you enjoyed my writing, please share it with your friends. Thanks!

19 comments so far

Comment by Christian Haller
1 May 2009

Pagan have been very successful – in part because of good exection but also because he taps right into a basic human need. Others have tried to copy but none seem to come close. Definitely worth a study.
Christian Haller
Good Food Fast & Easy
Healthy Italian Recipes
Comment by Yann Vernier - ProfitsTactics.com
1 May 2009

It would never have occured to me to call Pagan a nerd… But following his marketing techniques is definitetly very sound advice.

You make this a great read by showing how you apply this to your own business. Excellent stuff.

All the best,
Yann
How to Get Organized, Stop Procrastinating, and Set Goals for Small Business Success
Comment by jc mackenzie
1 May 2009

Goes to show you….things are not always as they seem

Thanks
JC
JC

Butterfly Marketing
Comment by Bob Kaufer
1 May 2009

JJ,

It is great to have you here. You are the man.

Bob Kaufer
Sign Up for My Free Neuro Performance E Course Here
Comment by Lynn Lane
1 May 2009

JJ,

I believe you are on your way to great things.
Looks like you are doing all the right things.

Lynn Lane
Success Strategies For Life
Success Today
Comment by Steve Chambers
1 May 2009

I have heard him speak and read his stuff. Eben Pagen knows what he is talking about. JJ, you know your niche and provided an excellent example of knowing your niche.

Keep Marjorie, she rocks.

Steve Chambers, The Sales Expert

Sales Eagles – Sales Coaching for high flyers
Comment by Mesha Casper
1 May 2009

Once again you baffle me at how well you come up with ways to teach; You Mr. JJ are brilliant. I really think you hit this one out of the park. ((the crowd cheers aahhhh)) and thank you for the advice on my blog.
Comment by mark mallen
1 May 2009

JJ, I volunteer to help Marjorie with her problems. Is she happily married? Mark

small business marketing

ice cream marketing
Comment by Duane Cunningham
1 May 2009

Hi JJ,

Did you go to Eben’s Altitude training? He is awesome! And knows his stuff!

Seems we are on a similar path today! My post takes about Neil Struss!..lol

Awesome post again!

Duane

Super-ADVANCED Influence & Persuasion Training Proven to Quickly Create a Flood of Money?Constantly & Continuously Flowing into YOUR?Bank Account Like the Niagara Falls…?100% GUARANTEED!!

Discover Secret Persuading Skills that Work Like Magic by Tapping Into the Psychology of the Mind with The Worlds Leading Persuasion Coach Duane Cunningham!
Comment by April Braswell
1 May 2009

Love the Masala pics!

Yes Eben Pagen is an excellent example and superb online marketer, indeed!

Best regards,

April Braswell

Dating Quick Start Expert, Relationship Success Coach

Divorce Support and Bereavement Support seminar, Henderson, Las Vegas
Comment by Rob Northrup
1 May 2009

JJ, Great stuff. David DeAngelo is a master of the autoresponder and of the answering Questions format…

send me your email address when you get a moment, I have misplaced it.

Seize the Day,

Rob
Sales Tactics For Small Business Owners
Personal Asset Protection For Small Business Owners
Comment by John Ho
1 May 2009

JJ,

You give a perfect example of how to find or define your niche.

Good on you!

John Ho
Numerology Expert Helps Understanding Personalities for Better Influence & Persuasion (WordPress Blog)
Numerology Expert Helps Understanding Personalities for Better Influence & Persuasion (Money Page)
Comment by Pat Becker
1 May 2009

Great use of story to get to the lesson. Looking forward to how you and Marjorie solve her niche problem.

Pat
Internet Dollars for Business Owners
Comment by Don Shepherd
2 May 2009

I’m begining to think i could learn something here!

Don Shepherd
Fishing Central Oregon
Comment by Darryl Pace
2 May 2009

JJ,

Thanks for introducing us to Marjorie, and to the concept of avatars for our customers and our businesses. That’s quite a nifty idea.

Health, Fitness — Darryl Pace
Fitness Product Review
Comment by Lisa McLellan
2 May 2009

Well, I’ve found and defined my niche, only to discover that there probably really isn’t any money in it! lol I’ll have to go niche exploring.

Lisa McLellan, Babysitting Services – Babysitters, Nannies, and Au-pairs
Comment by David Power
6 May 2009

You sure make one realise how to identify your specific niche wirh ease!!!

David Power’s Hour”

Expert in Medical Hypnosis, Success Thinking and Practical Parenting