What Does it Mean to Niche Down?
I bet you’ve heard the phrase that you need to “niche down” or “narrow down your niche”. A niche market is a group of people with similar interests. So what does it really mean to narrow down your niche? Remember the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none”? Keep reading to find out how this phrase applies to your business.
When it comes to selling your services, it’s so easy to believe that you should target anyone and everyone you can. After all, you don’t want to leave anyone out, right? And you certainly don’t want to focus so much on a specific market that you miss anyone who would be willing to buy what you’re selling. But how can you possibly market to everyone???
I recently heard an example of a niche that made sense to me. Suppose you had gorgeous long hair, and you decided that you wanted to cut it all off and go for a cute pixie cut. Would you choose to go to a stylist that is great at all kinds of cuts and styles? Or would you rather, and maybe even pay a little more money to go to a stylist that is an expert in pixie cuts?? I know who I would choose - and yes, I’d probably pay more too. Would you hire someone who does all the things, or does what you need really well?
Some benefits of narrowing down your niche:
You’ll attract customers that align with you in a specific way
You’ll stand out in a sea of competitors who are selling the same service as you
You will be seen as an expert in your field much sooner than if you were offering everything to everyone.
When you master one niche, it empowers you to move into other niches
Niching allows you to focus on what you’re best at
You will be free to pursue an industry you’re passionate about
You are free to evolve over time, naturally
More reasons to narrow down your niche…
Here’s another way to think of it. If you were going hunting, where would you aim? Would you aim at 5 targets at once? No! You would be best to narrow down your focus on one, and then aim and hit it! When you speak to everybody, you speak to nobody! Not narrowing down your niche means your voice will be lost in the crowd.
So, how do you go about narrowing down your niche?
What are the values that matter most to you? Do you want your customers to have similar ones?
What are your strongest skills, and how do they show up in what you offer? Which clients would benefit most from those strong skills?
What makes you different from the competition? Why should someone choose you?
What lights you up more than anything else? How can you incorporate that into your business?
In summary, there are many different ways we can make money in business, but why not focus on what brings you life and lights your passion? Why not attract those that need exactly what we excel at? You just cannot be everything to everyone, and succeed. Does this mean that you turn away business that doesn’t align perfectly with your niche? That’s totally up to you! You don’t have to turn away anyone, but the question is more about who you are AIMING at.
Next time you think about your ideal client, try these ideas. You can always change your mind, as you grow and change. Be the one who draws the kind of clients you would love to work with, and even better, make them fall in love with you because you offer what it is that they need.
