Over the years, I’ve come to see how vital this topic of niching is to all aspects of marketing. And how much resistance there is to it. So, I decided to create my Niching for Hippies six week virtual coaching program to address it. And, in ramping up for it, I asked my dear colleague and friend from the UK, Corinna Gordon-Barnes, if she might share some of her wisdom on niching. She agreed and sent me three excellent guest posts. This first one, reveals the five most common reasons that people try to avoid dealing with it.

Guest post #1: 5 reasons why heart-led, passionate people resist niching
by Corrina Gordon-Barnes of http://youinspireme.co.uk

Resistance to defining a niche is normal. If you feel instinctively resistant to the idea, then you’re probably in the majority of the passion-led business-building population.

Here are 5 reasons why:

#1 – Terms like niche and target market can sound clinical and self-serving

These are the kind of words the big corporations and advertising executives use. They might appear manipulative, as if your goal is to get inside people’s heads so you can fool them into thinking they need what you have.

As someone who is guided by passion and a desire to make a difference, that obviously won’t sit well with you. It will jar with your values.

#2 – You want to help everyone

You want to stay open, inclusive and available. You don’t want anyone to feel left out. It’s like you’re throwing a fabulous party and you don’t want anyone to feel they’re not invited. You don’t want to be elitist.

#3 – You value diversity

You love the idiosyncrasies of people, you enjoy the uniqueness of the individual – and so you’re hesitant to pigeonhole or label human beings and make them fit in nice tidy boxes. It may also feel like your ideal clients only have a few random things in common and that there’s no clear thread that unites this eclectic group of people.

#4 – You’re anxious about narrowing

You fear that, by committing to a specific group of people, you’re narrowing your reach, restricting your possible impact and also your possible income. You might feel you’re putting a limit on your opportunities and that you’re closing doors, burning bridges. Especially in the early days of business, you might worry that you’ll commit in one direction, only to discover another direction  would have been better.

It takes bravery to plant a flag in the ground and say, “This is what I do, this is who I work with” because that’s about commitment. It’s about declaring that you have a specific and definable expertise. When you take a stand for a particular group, then you’re suddenly visible, you’re in the spotlight, and that can feel scary.

#5 – You simply don’t know who your niche is

You don’t know where you fit in the marketplace, you don’t yet know the people who would most benefit from your passion and skills. This can be deeply frustrating. You might understand the value of niching and want to do it, but how can you if you don’t know the right niche for you?

Which of these five reasons sound familiar?

What other reasons do you have for not declaring a niche?

Worth overcoming

Reluctance to niche is normal but it’s worth tackling because a niche makes business so much easier, more fun and you can enjoy far deeper impact. It’s much easier to earn a consistent income when you have a niche.

In the next post, we’ll be exploring Why it’s worth overcoming resistance to niche

Extract from the book “Turn Your Passion To Profit: a step-by-step guide to getting your business off the ground” by Corrina Gordon-Barnes. Available from http://youinspireme.co.uk/passion-to-profit-book

 

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Want Help? If you’d like some more direct guidance and hand holding on figuring out your niche then go and check out my Niching for Hippies coaching program https://marketingforhippies.com/niching-for-hippies/