Specializing is not about excluding, it's about targeting
Many people have a deep fear of putting a stake in the ground when it comes to their niche. They may have an idea of who they want to work with, but there is a fear around committing to that on their web copy and materials. Today I aim to put that fear to rest and show you why finding (and claiming) your niche is important.
I recently had a kick-off meeting where my client and I were discussing their homework to ensure we’re on the same page before we start working on their branding together. They had a very vague response in their “who is your ideal client” question, so I made it a point to delve a little deeper. They were able to give me a little more detail, but I noticed that any specifics they gave me were quickly followed by some sort of "but we don’t want to exclude anyone" statement.
Specializing and defining your ideal client is not about excluding, it’s about targeting the people you want to work with.
Defining your niche is not a set-in-stone sentence that you must adhere to or risk penalty of death (or death of your business, so to speak). If your ideal client is a woman in her mid 40s, it does not mean you can’t work with a 30 year old man if you’re a good fit for one another. All it means, is that when you’re writing your site copy, creating promotional materials and designing collateral, you have someone in mind who you want to appeal to. Does your ideal person like bold graphics or subdued visuals? Do they like sass when they’re reading a blog post or to they prefer factual content?
By choosing to attract a certain type of client, you’re not excluding anyone else. If someone sees your content and they see something in your brand that speaks to them, they’ll still reach out to even if they’re not who you imagined would be contacting you.
Speaking to your ideal client is like filling out a birthday card for your best friend
I know, it’s a weird analogy, but hear me out. Imagine Olivia is your best friend. You have known her for 10+ years and you spend a lot of time together. You know each other’s secrets, have a ton of inside jokes and are, of course, celebrating her birthday together. Writing a heart-felt message for her, whether you’re an expert wordsmith or not, is easy. You have so much love for her that the words probably just flow and before you know it you’re running out of room on the card.
On the flip side, imagine you’re in a large company and it’s someone’s birthday in another department you hardly ever work with. Someone passes you a birthday card to sign and murmurs who it’s for as they’re walking away. You already forgot what the person’s name was (Ellen) and you vaguely remember what she looks like, let alone the things she likes. So you probably write something like "Happy birthday, girl, have a great one!"
Who do you think is going to feel touched by your message, Olivia or Ellen? Who do you think will feel seen and heard and want to spend more time with you?
You have to know who you want to speak to in order to know what to say to them.
Here’s what this all looks like in real life
With topics like this, I find it’s most useful when you can reference a real-life example, so I’ll share how having a target market has helped me personally in various scenarios.
My Ideal Client
I help Coaches & Changemakers get clear on what they need to focus on, so they can get their time back and confidently align with their dream clients on a deeper level. The client I tend to target and get projects incorporates some sort of holistic modality in her services or has a business that gives back to the community in some way. She has been working on her business long enough that she is ready to up-level her branding & messaging to more authentically represent what she has to offer her own clients. My person prefers to go in depth, even if it takes a little longer. While she’s motivated and eager to take that next step, she sometimes lacks focus and needs help defining a path to follow (in order to avoid jumping around with different tactics). She is communicative and has set time aside to develop her branding because she understands that having a cohesive, intentional brand is important. My signature offer is to provide a comprehensive brand, starting with a deep dive into her business before we even look at visuals because I know that having that clear up-front will make it that much easier to create brand that feels in alignment. Let’s see how this plays out in various scenarios...
When someone who IS my ideal client reaches out
Because my site copy is speaking directly to this person, she feels heard. She knows I understand what she needs and that I have created an offering that’s perfect for her. She has already seen my services and is ready to discuss her project. At this point she and I will have a meeting to go over the design process, make sure we’re on the same page as to what her goals are and how I can help her achieve them.
This process is pretty smooth because she already knows she wants to work with me, and I already know that I can help her.
Someone who IS NOT my ideal client, but is a GOOD fit
A while back, a potential client reached out to me who was referred by a past client. They needed help with a logo design for a company they were working with. He offered brand strategy at the time and would flesh all that out himself, so he just needed me to create the visuals. While don’t typically just work on a logo design, I knew that we would be in alignment in terms of starting with that solid strategic foundation, even if I wasn’t the one running that portion of the process. We ended up working on 3 projects together in total.
In this instance, this person liked my work and content and while my signature offer was a little more than he needed, he still felt comfortable enough to reach out to me (even though I clearly focus on women). The projects we worked on together, however, are not shown on my site because they would confuse the message of who I work with, even though the experience of us working together was a good one.
Someone who IS NOT my ideal client and is a POOR fit
Another potential client reached out with a project that was not in alignment with who I work with or what I have to offer. They needed an eComm website design and the project had a very tight turnaround. I could tell they just wanted something quick and cheap and didn’t much care about the deeper process of aligning with their clients. I no longer offer website services as a stand-alone offer, I only do them as part of an overall branding package that starts with strategy. And, to be honest, I didn’t vibe with the person I spoke to. I politely declined and referred them to someone I thought might be a better fit.
Just because someone reaches out to me, doesn’t mean that I take on any project that comes my way. Being clear on who I would ideally want to work with and what type of services I am willing to offer them, helps me decide when to say yes, but also, when to say no.
Final Thoughts
Think back to the brands that you love. Whether it’s a product, a service or blogger whose content you enjoy following along with, there is something about how they speak and what they say that resonates with you. That's why you keep coming back. That's why you love what they offer. I'm willing to bet that these folks have a very clear ideal client in mind and they are not afraid to own it!
Do you have your ideal client in mind? Hopefully, this has alleviated some of the angst around taking a stronger stand for your brand. If you already have your ideal client in mind, let the world know! If you don't, let me help you define it.
As your business evolves, your ideal client might evolve too, so check in with yourself from time to time to ensure you’re still talking to who you want to work with. Feel free to reach out with any questions I can help clarify!
