Early in my business I struggled with making fundamental decisions out of fear that it would be the wrong choice. As if that one decision would make or break the success of my business.
But here’s the reality – not making a choice was really what lead to my worst year in business in 2012.
My accountant told me I wasn’t in business- I had a very expensive hobby. Yikes!
Something I struggled with and see many other women entrepreneurs struggle with is deciding who to serve.
Who will you serve? Who is your ideal client? What problem can you solve for her?
Do you struggle to narrow your niche?
You might be telling yourself that you can help everyone or that anyone would benefit from your product or service. I used to think that way too.
I was wrong.
There is so much noise in the marketplace that if we try to talk to “everyone” no one will hear us. Think of it like a busy party. If you’re yelling in a noisy room hoping to get everyone’s attention, they will not hear you. But if you talk directly to one person, she will hear you loud and clear.
Look at your voice online and in the marketplace the same way. Talk to one individual and you’ll be here, talk to a crowd and you’ll be lost.
Once you master speaking to one person, you’ll start to hear more and more clients say, “It’s like you were speaking to me and that you could hear the voices in my head.”
It’s magical. It makes the client feel valued and heard. And it creates a strong rapport before you even begin working together.
Here are three tips to begin narrowing your niche:
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Interview your ideal clients. Truly listen to them. Hear what they are saying. What are their fears? What keeps them up at night? What do they desire most? Take detailed notes, trying to quote them word for word.
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Take your notes and begin to notice consistent thoughts or fears.
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Discover what problem you can solve for them and then offer the solution. Be careful not to decide for your ideal client what you think she needs but rather what she thinks she needs.
Taking time to do this work in the beginning will make marketing yourself and your services effortless. Try to do this every time you offer a new service or take your business in a new direction.
If you want to learn more shortcuts on how to build an online business, join me on December 16 at 8pm ET. I’m hosting a free call to share my 5 Steps to Creating an Online Business Specifically Designed for Busy Moms with Little Time. Click here to reserve your spot.
It’s your turn now, I want to hear from you. Are you struggling to narrow your niche? Or are you crystal clear? If so, how did you get there?
Post a comment below. This community needs your voice. I hope you’ll share.
Much love,
