Discover Your Ideal Niche

Discover Your Ideal Niche
Do the Work You Love with the People

You Love to Work With!
BY CINDY SCHULSON
Copyright 2013 @ Cindy Schulson, AttractYourNiche.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cindy Schulson simplies marketing
for coaches and other solopreneurs so
they can attract their favorite clients,
earn more and market less.
Cindy uses an artful combination of
her analytical skills and intuition to
help her clients focus, share and
package their unique gifts.
Cindy has worked in strategic communications for such companies as
Coca-Cola and Visa, and has spoken at various events around the country.
Her love of adventure has led her to live and work in ve countries, and
she continues to bring that adventurous spirit to both her business and life.
Cindys Niche Success Kit has helped guide thousands of solopreneurs on
the road to nding their ideal niche. Grab your free copy at
www.AttractYourNiche.com.
Discover Your Ideal Niche - p. 2
INTRODUCTION
I remember when I rst started marketing myself online. There was so
much to learn. I spent hours learning about social media, article marketing,
video marketing, SEO, social media, etc... I put together a blog and even
created a giveaway so I could try and build my list.
After a year and a half, I had 71 people on my list and was barely earning
anything. It wasnt just an expensive hobby, it was a frustrating and
exhausting one.
Then I nally took a step back and realized that while I had taken lots of
action, it wasnt targeted or strategic action. I had no idea WHO I helped,
WHAT solution I provided for them or WHY people should work for me.
I realized that answering these 3 questions was the missing piece of the
puzzle. And I realized that these 3 elements - Who, What and Why, were at
the heart of my niche.
So I read everything I could about nding a niche. Everything seemed to
say you should choose a target market and gure out what they want. In
my gut I just knew that wasnt going to cut it.
I had 20 years of business experience, having worked in Strategic
Communications for such companies as Coca-Cola and Visa. I had lived
and worked in 5 countries, and gained a ton of valuable business
experience. I didnt want to just throw that down the drain.
Whether its business experience or life experience, you bring a ton of
valuable assets to your business. You have skills and knowledge and
passions and talents.
The key to discovering your niche is learning how to leverage and value all
that you bring to the table. Its about taking a holistic approach that starts
from within.
In this report, Im going to show you how to do that. And Im also going to
show you how to take the next steps so your ideal clients want to work
with YOU!
Its your business. Dont you owe it to yourself to do the work you love,
with the people you love to work with?
You really can make that happen. And this is the rst step in making it
happen for you.
As you read this, I want you to know two things.
1. You cant just read it and expect magic to happen. You have to
implement what you learn.
2. I really, truly believe in you. Ive spoken with hundreds of coaches,
consultants and other solopreneurs just like you. Many have questioned
if they could nd this missing piece and make it work. They have and so
can you.
Im cheering you on to your success and look forward to getting to
know you. Send me an email anytime at cindy@attractyourniche.com
and let me know how youre doing and where youre stuck. You will get
my personal reply - you have my word on it.
I look forward to getting to know you and to supporting you with your
business.
Warm wishes,
WHAT IS A NICHE?
There are lots of denitions of niche, so lets be sure were on the same
page. When I talk about a niche, Im not just talking about a slice of your
target market. Thats far too narrow a perspective.
Think of your niche as the solution you provide (WHAT) combined with
the target market you serve (WHO).
Its not enough to know who you help. You also have to know what you
help them with. Because what people really want are solutions, not
services.
Thats why if youre a coach and trying to sell coaching, youre probably
not making a whole lot of money.
Coaching or consulting is how you deliver the solution. Thats not so
important to your potential clients. They want to know what solution you
provide and the results you will help them achieve.
Stop selling what you do and start selling what you deliver. Solutions
and results.
DO YOU KNOW ALL THE BENEFITS OF A
NICHE?
I dont know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please
everybody. Bill Cosby
Youve heard about the importance of a niche, but lets take a minute to
map out the biggest benets youll gain with a clear niche.
1. Easier to become an expert - When you have a clear niche, you dont
have to become an expert on everything. You can focus your attention
and hone your skills in a particular area. And as we all know, people like
to do business with experts. As an expert you stand out and can
command higher fees.
2. Focus your marketing - You need to focus your marketing to where
your target market hangs out, both online and ofine. If you dont know
who youre targeting, you cant do that. A shotgun approach just doesnt
work.
3. Speak their language - You have to speak directly to your target market
as if they were sitting across from you. You have to address their
concerns and challenges, and use their language. You want your target
market to feel as though you are speaking directly to them!
4. Get more referrals - If people dont know who you help or what you
help them with, then youre not going to get the kind of referrals you
want.
5. Build a list - Your email list is the lifeblood of your business. But you
dont just want to build a big list, you want to build a targeted list. You
want people in your target market to opt-in to your list, because they are
the ones who are most likely to buy from you and work with you.
6. Attract joint venture partners - Joint Ventures are a really fast and
effective way to build your list and your business. A good joint venture
partner is one who serves the same target market but with a
complementary solution. If you dont know who you serve and what
your solution is, you wont be attractive to joint venture partners.
7. Earn more income -As an expert you can command higher fees. If you
want to earn leveraged or passive income, then you absolutely need a
clear niche. Imagine creating a group coaching program for instance
where you help everyone with everything. It will be very hard to ll.
The same problem will happen if you try to sell home study programs,
membership programs, etc without a clear niche.
The bottom line is that if you dont have a clear niche, you will make your
marketing much harder than it needs to be and limit your income potential.
I promise you that a shotgun approach will not get you the results you
want. Nor will jumping around from one niche to another. I have met
coaches and consultants who have spent months and even years without a
clear niche. In many cases, they had difculty attracting their ideal clients
and struggled nancially.
It doesnt have to be that way. Spend the time up-front to get your
foundation in place before you start spending time, money and energy
on marketing.

CONQUERING THE NICHE FEARS!
While intellectually you might recognize the value of a niche, a little voice
in your head might be resisting going down that path. Trust me, youre not
alone.
What Ive found is that there are 4 main reasons people resist choosing a
niche, and those reasons are based on fear.
As you read about these fears, Im going to challenge you to silence that
little voice in your head for just a few minutes.
1. Afraid of turning away business
While it might seem that youre limiting yourself when you focus on a
niche, the opposite is true. Heres why.
When you target a specic group of people with a particular solution that
they want and are actively looking for, it makes marketing so much easier.
You can speak directly to them, using their language, touching their hearts
and minds. Its easier to become an expert in your area, which allows you
to charge more. You do your best work because youre doing the work you
love and working with the people youre most passionate about helping.
You get more referrals because people know who you help and what you
help them with. You attract joint venture partners who serve the same
target market but offer complementary solutions.
2. Theyre afraid of being boxed in.
Focusing on a niche doesnt mean that you cant help people who dont fall
within your niche. It just means you have a clearer focus so you can target
your marketing and programs.
Also, understand that you arent stuck in your niche. You will ultimately
grow with your niche. Think of your niche as a living, breathing thing that
evolves as your business evolves.
3. Theyre afraid of choosing the wrong niche.
Choosing a niche isnt forever. I always advise my clients to reevaluate
their niche every 6 to 12 months. And know that you will grow with your
niche.
Think of your niche as the scaffolding that shapes your business. Its
pliable and has room to grow and expand. I couldnt imagine building a
business that didnt allow for growth - both personal and professional.
Having said that, you dont want to just guess your niche and hope for the
best. You have to put the time and effort into nding, researching and
evaluating your niche. Which leads us to #4.
4. They dont know how to nd their niche.
It seems that everyone talks about the importance of niche but its one of
those woo-hoo topics that is hard to put into simple terms. Thats what I
found when I was trying to determine my niche, and its what led me to
create my own step-by-step system for choosing your niche.
Just choosing a target market doesnt cut it. You need a holistic approach
that takes into account you and your target market. And you need a step-
by-step system that eliminates the overwhelm. Thats what Ive created for
you!
Okay, now that weve laid the groundwork were ready to embark on the
process of discovering your ideal niche.
DISCOVER YOUR NICHE
At the heart of my system is what I call the Niche Puzzle. There are three
pieces of the puzzle and you have to put together all three pieces in order
to nd your ideal niche.
1. WHO - who do you help?
2. WHAT - what solution do you provide?
3. WHY - why should people work with you?
Finding Your Niche Starts With You
In nding your niche, I highly recommend that you start by nding your
WHAT or your solution.
This is one of the things that distinguishes my approach from others.
Youve probably heard that you should choose a target market and gure
out what they want. But if youre going to build a sustainable business -
one that leverages your strengths and fullls your passions - you have to
start with you!
You have something unique to offer, and there are people out there who
can greatly benet from it. You just have to tap into what that is, then nd
the people who are motivated to pay for it.
So to discover your niche, start with you. Start by evaluating your passions,
skills, experience, and expertise. List everything you can think of in each
category.
Remember, this is a brainstorm there are no bad or wrong answers. Once
you have your list, look for areas of overlap. Which areas stand out the
most? These are the areas that you can esh out to arrive at your what.
This is one of the most fun yet challenging steps in the process. Often the
things that make you unique come so naturally, that you don't even think
about them.
We have a tendency to take our special gifts for granted. The minute we
learn something new, it goes into our databank of knowledge and we take
it as a given that everyone knows what we now know.
This couldnt be further from the truth. Youve invested time, energy and
probably money to acquire your skills. So dont undervalue what you
know, but rather recognize and celebrate it.
I strongly believe that each of us has a unique gift to share with the world.
Something we want to share, not just because we are experts in it, but
because it excites us and is central to who we are.
Tapping into that unique gift is the key to nding your niche and the key
to living your passion.
One of my greatest gifts is something I do so naturally I used to assume
everyone else could do this too. I have an innate ability to look at a mass of
information, spot the trends, and create clear communication strategies.
I used that skill in my strategic communications career and I use it now
with my clients.
Finding your What can be challenging, but when you have a step-by-step
process to show you how to pull it together way its much easier. Thats
what Ive created for you in Package Your Passion With Ease.
You will discover how to Focus, Share and Package your passion in 3 easy
steps so you can do the work you love with the people you love to work
with, and earn multiple streams of income.
Align Your Who With Your What
There has to be synchronicity between what you offer and what your target
market wants. When you nd that connection, you can identify your niche.
You need to align your solution with the right target market. Ask yourself:
Who can most benet from your solution?
Who is willing and able to pay for it?
Who is actively looking for your solution?
Who can you reach both online and ofine?
Who are you passionate about helping?
If you are already in business, take a look at who you are attracting. Make a
list of the common factors among your existing clients. Pay attention to the
people you are most drawn to work with, the people that naturally turn to
you for help, and the people you have had some experience with.
As part of this process, its a great idea to do some target market research.
You can do this research in different ways, and I would encourage you to
explore all possible avenues. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Interview your target market -- Interview and survey people in your
target market.
Immerse yourself in the target market Find discussion groups and
social media sites where you target market hangs out.
Do keyword research. The tool I use and recommend is my secret
weapon in nding the best keywords. Click here to get a free trial.
Why Should People Work With You?
To know why people should work with you, you have to know what
differentiates you.
We dont operate in a vacuum. Its really important to know your
competition.
I put the word competition in quotation marks because when you truly
own your niche and create a unique personal brand, competition all but
evaporates. The right people will choose to work with you.
Having said that, its important to understand who else offers a similar
solution for the same target market. Figure out what sets you apart. You
dont necessarily need a completely unique solution. But what is it about
your solution and the way you approach things that makes you different?
There is another element you should think about when answering the
question, why should people work with you. Its about who you are as a
person. Potential clients want to see if they can connect with you on a
personal level. If people can resonate with you on a deep level they will be,
almost magnetically, attracted to you.
Thats why you need to choose a niche that taps into your strengths and
your passions, and focuses on the people you understand and care about.
Remember, there is only one YOU, and you will ultimately attract those
who nd you compelling. Be true to yourself and you have the ability to
help others in ways that nobody else can.
Put All the Pieces Together

These three elements - your Who, What and Why - are the three pieces of
the Niche Puzzle. You have to address all three pieces to arrive at your
ideal niche.
Its a synergistic process and you want to make sure that all three pieces of
the Niche Puzzle t together. Ultimately, you want to ensure that you have
a solution that is valuable for your target market and that you can deliver
in a unique way.
Evaluate Your Niche
Before you declare your niche, you want to make sure it meets certain
criteria. For instance:
Well dened -- The group has specialized interests and needs.
Desire -- They have a strong desire for what you offer. Note: There is a
big difference between what they want and what you know they need.
Focus on what they want rst, then you can give them what they need.
It will make your marketing much easier
Competition -- There are businesses already successfully serving this
niche (but not so many that its super saturated)
Access -- You can reach your niche through clear channels of
communication, ideally both ofine and online.
Size -- The group is large enough to produce enough business.
Connection -- You have inside knowledge about this group and enjoy
working with the people in this group.
Prot -- They have the income to invest in your programs and services.
NEXT STEPS
Once you nd your niche, youll be amazed at how much easier everything
else becomes.
Youll know who youre trying to attract, what their top burning desires are
and what will compel them to work with you.
Youre ready to create a message that is true to who you are and is
compelling to your target market.
Youre ready to create a valuable giveaway to inspire people in your target
market to opt-in to your mailing list.
Theres a lot to learn about marketing and list building, and this is where a
lot of people get overwhelmed.
So let me share a few key principles with you that will help you attract
your ideal clients without getting overwhelmed.
Market Strategically
Hang out where your target market hangs out and speak their language.
Understand not only who your target market is, but who within that group
is your ideal client. Everything you write should be aimed at that person.
Take Marketing One Step at a Time
There are many different types of marketing, and over time, you can do
them all. But to avoid drowning in a sea of overwhelm, take things one step
at a time. To start, identify what kind of marketing is the best match for
your skills and interests, as well as what will resonate the most with your
target market.
Build a Targeted List
You have heard the expression, the money is in the list. In fact, the
money is in having a targeted list of your ideal clients. Your goal is to
attract your ideal clients, and inspire them to opt in to your list so they can
receive further information from you. Theyll generally do this if you offer
them something valuable for free.
If you don't have a valuable giveaway (hint: a newsletter doesn't cut it any
more), then you absolutely need to do this. Without a great giveaway, you
can't build your list. And without a list, you cannot build your business
online.
Nurture Your Niche
Once people have opted in to your list, you want to build a sense of
community.
Get to know the people on your list and let them get to know you.
Remember that people only buy from those they know, like and trust. So
its important that you allow people to get to know you. Dont be afraid to
show your personality and even your vulnerabilities.
Above all, show appreciation for the people on your list. They arent just
numbers. They are a community of people who have raised their hands
and expressed an interest in learning from you. Its an honor and a
privilege so please treat them well.
Get the Training, Support and Community You Need to
Succeed
While you might be great at what you do, you cant do it unless you learn
how to market yourself. You dont have to do this alone!
As a valued member of my community, I have a special invitation for you.
I understand that building your business can feel overwhelming, and that
sometimes you just want to ask a question and get a straightforward
answer. You also want a community of people to share in your journey.
So Ive put together a very special program for you called TALI (Targeted
Action, Leveraged Income).
TALI gives you the Training, Support and Community you need to build
your business without having to invest a fortune.
As a TALI Member, each month you get:
In-depth training on topics like building your list, joint ventures,
afliate programs, branding, how to create multiple streams of income,
etc.
A live Q&A call where you can ask any question you want about your
business, plus recordings of all calls
A Marketing Makeover, where you can submit any webpage for
review and Ill personally share my feedback with the group so
everyone can benet
A private Facebook Group for ongoing support and networking.
There are fantastic joint venture opportunities, and I personally
participate in the Group so you get my daily support.
Get Promoted by me! Whether you want to promote your free
giveaway, a workshop youre doing, a program youre selling, etc... I
will promote you to my list of thousands of people. How cool is that?
Ive kept the investment in TALI super affordable because I want to help as
many people as I possibly can, and I understand that not everyone is ready
or able to invest in personal coaching (youll be very pleasantly surprised
at how affordable Ive made this for you).
Learn more at www.TeamTALI.com
HEAR FROM SOME TALI MEMBERS
"TALI was the answer I needed to get my business to a higher level of
income."
"TALI was the answer I needed to get my business to a
higher level of income. Cindy helped me with everything
from setting up my website to how to package my
programs to attract my perfect client. Joining TALI was
the BEST decision I ever made. Ive learned a lot and the
group interaction is like none I have experienced before.
Cindy gets your business where it needs to be so you can
be a blessing to others and get paid for the service you
offer." ~~ Wendy Lovejoy, Birthing a Business
COACHING
The Q & A calls are invaluable. Cindy gives each caller the time they
need to work through their question."
"TALI came into my life at the perfect time! I was
looking to transition my business from dollars per hour
to programs and I needed direction. I was able to craft a
name for my program and create a tagline that catches
the attention of my target audience. The trainings are
extremely informative and the action guides help me take
action immediately. The Q & A calls are invaluable.
Cindy gives each caller the time they need to work
through their question. One of the best things about
TALI is the encouragement I get from members. They
are always just a post away with encouragement or to wish congratulations on a
success. Thank you Cindy, and thank you TALI!" ~~ Bonnie Giller,
BRGHealth.com
"Its given me tons more confidence in
what I have to offer."
"I am so grateful for TALI. From the very first
moment, I felt so warmly welcomed into the group.
It's provided a very safe and comfortable
environment for me. The information in the
training calls has been very useful to me, and the
Q&A calls and marketing makeovers have helped
me avoid some beginner mistakes, for which I'm very thankful. I've also
discovered that I know a lot more than I thought I did, and I've been able to assist
others and give them valuable feedback. It's given me tons more confidence in
what I have to offer, and I feel so much more capable and confident in talking
about what I do. I can't say enough good things about TALI and what it's done for
me." ~~ Janet Thomasson, InnerWisdomLeaderhip.com

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Do the Work You Love with the People

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