The proven 5-step process that answers ‘how to find my niche in coaching’

ARE YOU WASTING PRECIOUS TIME AND MONEY TALKING TO THE WRONG PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU HAVEN’T FIGURED OUT YOUR COACHING NICHE YET? THEN READ ON...

Tick off this task from your to-do list once and for all and, as a result, have more headspace to focus on the things that really matter - like connecting with prospects and spending time with your family.

So, let’s get the ball rolling...

Show notes:

Are you asking yourself 'how to find my niche in coaching'? Here’s the process that helps you nail down your niche quickly...

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of each step, here’s an overview of the entire 5-step SMART process:

If you follow all the steps I’ll share in this blog post, you’ll be all set to focus your marketing activities on people who are proactively looking to work with a coach just like you.

Let’s start with the first step...

STEP #1: SCRIBBLE DOWN WHAT YOU'RE ALL ABOUT

We start with your core in this step #1 because I have yet to meet a coach whose niche isn’t somehow connected to their life.

So what are your talents, interests and experience?

To dig a little bit deeper, think about:

STEP #2: MIX AND MATCH YOUR WHO'S AND WHAT'S

Congratulations, by the way! The bulk of the hard work is done.

In this step, you’ll be mixing and matching the who’s and what’s based on your answers in step #1.

THE “WHO” STANDS FOR WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE YOU’D LOVE TO SERVE, AND THE "WHAT" STANDS FOR WHAT KIND OF GOALS THOSE PEOPLE WANT TO ACHIEVE. YOU NEED TO COMBINE THOSE TWO THINGS TO FIND YOUR NICHE. 

Why those two? Because a niche shouldn’t just be about the who or the what; it should be about both (psst: you can read more about this formula here). That’s why I define a niche as follows:

So, here’s what you need to do: Go back to your notes in step #1 and pick a who and a what. Then combine those two, let your creative juices flow and create nine combinations.

For example, if you answered in step #1 that you love to work with women, great, that could be a “who” for your niche.

And let’s assume that you experienced for yourself that it’s tough to keep stress levels at bay... Perfect, that could be your “what” for your niche.

Combine those two, and you get one possible niche: coaching women who want to keep their stress levels at bay.

Got it?

Please try and aim for nine even if it starts to get hard or the combinations feel ridiculous. Remember this is a creative process and you can weed out the odd ones later down the line.

Phew, two steps done, three more to go.

Before we move on, let me know what came up for you so far. Got some fancy-pancy niche combinations you’ve never thought of but are excited to explore further? I’d love to hear them here.

Now continue with the third step... 

STEP #3: ASSESS IF YOU CAN BREAK DOWN YOUR FAVOURITES NICHES EVEN MORE

Now, before we add more details to your niches, let’s head back to step #2 and let’s highlight six niches out of the nine which you’re going to assess further in this step. Follow your gut instinct here as there are no right or wrong answers.

Once you’ve selected your favourite six niches, you need to niche them down further.

WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT YOU NEED TO ADD ONE OR TWO LAYERS OF SPECIFICITY TO WHATEVER YOU WROTE DOWN INITIALLY. FIRST, ADD MORE SPECIFICS TO THE WHO, THEN THE WHAT PART, AND THEN MAKE THE TWO PAIR UP.

Repeat this process for each of your favourite niches by adding more specifics.

But don’t fret, I’ve got your back. Because here’s an example:

Let’s take the niche example of step #2... How can we niche down the “who” - women? Well, how about mums?

You can add even more specificity to this one, which leads to working mums with kids under the age of seven.

How can we niche down the “what” - want to keep stress levels at bay? Well, how about being able to switch to chill out mode instantly, no matter if her toddlers throw a tantrum in the supermarket just before it closes, or if her boss gives her a 30-minute deadline to complete a four-hour job.

This real-life example sounds more specific, am I right?

Complete this niching down process for your remaining five niches and once done, it’s time for the fourth step...

STEP #4: RANK YOUR TOP NICHES

It’s time to rank your top niches to see which one is a worthwhile coaching niche to pursue.

Go back to your six niches in step #3 and highlight your top three niches. Once again, you just need to follow your gut instinct.

It’s getting harder to choose, isn’t it? But I know you can finish this task. So pick your top three niches.

To find a money-making niche, your niche must get a “hell yes” from you when asking yourself questions such as: 

A little bonus tip here: Your niche will be even more qualified to turn out as the perfect niche if any successful peer coaches are offering similar coaching packages at a comparable price point. Yes, competition is good because it means that there’s an established market and existing business opportunities you can tap into.

And, if you’ve already got a network that you can leverage to grow in this coaching niche, even better.

THE MORE OFTEN YOU SAID “YES” WHILE WE WERE GOING THROUGH THESE QUESTIONS, THE HIGHER THE LIKELIHOOD THAT YOU JUST DISCOVERED YOUR LUCRATIVE COACHING NICHE.

STEP #5: TAG THE WINNING NICHE (AND GO FOR IT!)

You guessed it already. The niche that got the most “heck yes” from you in step #4 is your winning niche.

Write this niche down in big, bold letters and put the note on your desk. It’ll be your “north star” for all your business decisions and marketing activities.

Congratulations by the way, and high five. You did it! You found your one-and-only coaching niche.

Go all in and serve this market segment with all your heart and your tribe will happily pay you back what you’ve put in and more.

If you liked the 5-step process that answers 'how to find my niche in coaching', please spread the word and share it on your favourite platform. I’d be stoked!