8 questions to help you find your coaching specialty

[Photo credit Daveness 98 on Flickr]

When you first open your coaching practice or even after being in it for a year or two, you may not know your coaching specialty, i.e. that group of people who are the hand-in-glove fit for you.

It’s okay to cruise along in discovery mode for awhile, but eventually you may want to choose a marketing niche.

Why?

Because it will be much easier for you to become visible and attract more business if you can articulate whom you are trying to reach, especially for online marketing.

Here are some questions to help you figure out what group of people can become your ideal market:

1. Think of the people you have worked with in the past. This may be paying clients or if you are just starting out, it may be people from your place of employment. Do you have favorites? If so, what do they have in common? Write down the qualities you like about this group of people.
2. Who do you click with age wise? Or life stage wise? For example, do you like working with college grads, empty nesters, young moms?
3. Think about your past experiences, skills and training. Is there a way to serve people who are in that career or industry? For example if you were an HR professional, could you coach people who still are? Or if you were a social worker, could your clients be social workers?
4. What hobbies do you enjoy in your free time? Are you a tennis player, marathon runner, bridge player, writer? How would it be for you to coach people who shared this passion?
5. How about professional organizations where you belong, for example, Chamber of Commerce, National SBA, ABWA or whatever. Might you be visible among this group of like-minded people?
6. Are you affiliated with a church denomination or non-profit group? Think of all the members from across the country or around the world who may be very interested in your coaching services.
7. Take this from the opposite angle, rather than thinking of groups you can serve, how about thinking of your specialty — what are you known for? Or what do you want to be know for? If you are unsure about this, do an informal survey with five of your closest friends. Ask them:
   • What do I do well?
   • What is unique about me?
   • Who needs my specialty?
8. Scrap the ideal client idea and work with whomever comes to you from word of mouth. You will know after a year or so which clients you like working with, and which ones are not really your client. Put a referral program in place with your existing clients and your network and ask them for referrals. Referrals are a beautiful marketing tool and may prove to be your best technique yet.

Let me know if any of these ideas work or what other techniques you have used to define your ideal market. What are your thoughts?