b'Megan Hudson trained at the University of Stellenboschs Business School and is a marketing and business coach specialising in working with coaches and solopreneurs to help themnd and de ne their niche and market their businesses e ectively. She is also a quali ed Time to Think practitioner and former Insights practitioner and facilitator. nicheintelligence.co.zaNICHE INTELLIGENCETo Niche or not to Niche? The ultimate question for the modern coachI ve spent almost 2 decades in coaching andIkigaimarketing. When I began my career thereThe core of your niche is whatever makes you leap out of bed in OK ISNOTENOUGH were so few coaches in the industry that thethe morning to do the work you are passionate about and this is differential of business, life, or executivethe foundation of the Japanese concept of Ikigai. coaches was suf cient. Ikigai was fi rst identifi ed in studies of longevity that identifi ed blue zones or communities of people whose populations That has changed completely, with coaching having beenregularly lived to 100 years or more. Ikigai is a Japanese concept identifi ed as being one of the fastest growing industries in themeaning a reason for being and its the sweet spot at the centre world.The demand for niche is high and also very necessary.of your mission, passion, profession and vocation. It embodies LinkedIn has more than 2,750,000 people describing themselvesand draws on what you love, what the world needs, what you as business coaches, so coaches must differentiate in some way incan be paid for and what you are good at.order to stand out, now and in the future,in order to serve clientsBegin by asking yourself these questions:who may not know where to begin in their search for a coach What do I love?What am I good at? What does the amongst all these numbers.world need (that I can offer)?What can I be paid for?If the coaching description isnt clear and explicit, how is aThis is how to begin the niching journey and once you start potential client expected to recognise themselves and their needseliciting these answers, you will be able to start defi ning your and understand what options they have to work through them?sweet spot, start marketing effectively and attracting the clients Its important to clearly de ne the true value and speci c resultsyou love to work with and who need you. you achieve with your clients: this sweet spot is your niche. In conclusion, clearly defi ning your niche is the single most Clarity of messageeffective thing you can do to future-proof, crash-proof, bullet-Clarity in your niche is all about being succinct in your messagingproof and recession-proof your coaching practice.and communications. Stating what you do simply, quickly andIkigai a reason for beingclearly, making it easy for a potential client to understand and be able to identify if its the type of coaching they need and want. Pre-niche, many worry that defi ning their coaching niche will limit their business but, actually, it will only serve to enhance it and increase the chances of attracting and working with new clients. No niche is too small - if its yours!How to de ne your nicheTreat it as a journey and not a destination and your niche will naturally evolve as you coach and achieve results in specifi c areas. My original niche was as a Business Coach, then I niched to Marketing Coach and as clients achieved great results, I niched even more tightly into a Niche Marketing Coach! The cornerstone of effective marketing is being able to be clear and specifi c about the services and products on offer and this means clear defi nition and regular refi nement of niche based on professional practice and results which then guide and defi ne the niche.29'