At Paseda360 we are asked by coaches and those considering a career in coaching, if a niche is the way forward when it comes to securing clients. We have a view on this which we want to share in this article.
So first up, let’s get clear about what we are referring to. In coaching, a niche refers to a specific area of focus or specialisation within the coaching industry. A coach’s niche is the particular topic or field in which they have expertise and experience, and in which they provide coaching services to their clients.
For example, a coach might specialise in executive coaching, life coaching, relationship coaching, health coaching, career coaching, or business coaching. Within each of these broad categories, there may be further niches, such as stress management coaching, imposter syndrome coaching, leadership coaching, or productivity coaching.
Identifying a niche in coaching can be useful because it allows coaches to differentiate themselves from other coaches and better serve their target audience.
By focusing on a specific area of coaching, coaches can build their expertise, establish their credibility, and attract clients who are specifically seeking coaching services in that niche.
So having read that, if you are a new coach, you might be thinking niching is the way to go. And it may therefore seem counterintuitive that we suggest to avoid a niche and try to appeal to as many potential clients as possible.
Here at Paseda360, we know that narrowing your specialism too early is the reason many coaches give up. As we said above, niching requires a relevant amount of experience and expertise that a new or emerging coach doesn’t have.
Let us share some of the pitfalls of finding a niche too early..
- Limited potential clients: If you choose a narrow niche, you may limit your potential client pool. It’s unlikely that at the start of your journey as a coach you’ll have strong social media presence, a high performing website, and decent systems to attract your niche client easily. Shrinking your target market may mean you’ll find it difficult to attract enough clients to sustain your coaching business.
- Limited expertise: As a new coach, you may not have enough experience or knowledge to specialise in a particular niche. By choosing a niche too early, you may limit your ability to learn and grow as a coach.
- Lack of differentiation: If you choose a niche that is already saturated with coaches, it may be difficult to differentiate yourself and stand out from the competition. This could make it challenging to attract clients and grow your coaching business.
- Changing interests: As you gain more experience as a coach, your interests may change. If you choose a niche too early, you may find yourself feeling trapped or bored with your work.
We suggest casting your net wide, and enjoying working with a variety of clients for a least one year.
Through this experimentation you’ll gain more experience and insight into what you enjoy and are good at coaching.
By starting broad, you’ll be able to hone your skills as a coach, learn more about what types of clients you enjoy working with, and gain the experience you need to specialise in a niche later on, if at all.
Remember, at Paseda360 we teach you to work the whole coaching spectrum, which in itself is a niche as many coaches specialise in one area. The advantage of working across the whole spectrum is your clients only need YOU to work with them, rather than a handful of people from different niche specialisms.
Check out our Advanced Practitioner Training and start your journey to becoming a transformational coach today.
