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"Why are you so afraid of picking one niche?..."

by Chris Rivers
9 replies
Hey Offliners,

Honestly, just between me and you, why haven't you picked a niche, vertical or industry to become the obvious marketing expert to?

Is it because you don't want to miss out on a potential deal from any and every type business owner?

Maybe, you don't know which niche, vertical or industry to pick?

Did you already try to pick a industry a while back and it didn't work for you?

(Seriously, send me a email or pm and let me know what's holding you back from picking a niche and I'll help you in anyway I can to overcome that hurdle and break through)

It never ceases to amaze me how many offliners are afraid of picking a niche to target.

99% of the successful marketing consultants will tell you that their real financial and marketing practice breakthrough came when they became the obvious go-to expert in a specific industry.

And even the ones who scratched, clawed and fought to do it the "generalist" way will tell you what they would do differently if they could go back in time.

They all say they would've become the go-to marketing expert to one lucrative industry and avoided years of needless struggling.

So, if we as offline marketers know this, then why is it still so hard for us to pick a industry for our own marketing practice?

I've spent alot of time thinking on this and all of the reasons I could come up with are based in fear:

- Fear of missing out on a potential deal from business owners outside our target industry.

- Fear of working in industries where we feel the business owners are smarter than us.

- Fear of simply picking a industry.

- Fear of only focusing on one industry.

- Fear, fear, fear.

Just like much of life, running a successful offline marketing business will require you to face your fears.

There is no other way around it.

Whatever you're afraid of will always limit, constrain or constrict you.

After all, let's be honest and look at it this way.

Do you have $10,000 to invest over the next few months to buy advertising, pay a telemarketing team or invest in direct mail campaigns?

If the answer is no, then you should be doing everything in your power to be as efficient and strategic as possible with the money you have now.

After all, would you rather contact 100 business owners to get 10 paying clients at $1,000-$2,000 each because you're the "HVAC, Real Estate Agent or Restaurant" marketing expert.

Or would you rather contact 5,000 business owners to get two paying clients at $97 each because you're just another consultant who helps in any way you can and all they needed was a cheap corporate-looking wordpress website?

Hopefully the answer is obvious.

One of the best ways to dramatically turn the odds in your favor is to pick a local niche, vertical or industry and become the go-to marketing expert for those business owners.

It's much easier to do it this way with a targeted group of business owners than it is to try and target every business owner in the United States.

Now, go close some deals,

Chris
#marketing consultant #offline marketing #offline plr
  • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
    In some cases it can be comical for someone starting out who
    has no business experience and no clients and no real experience
    talking to business owners to choose a niche.

    They're better off just talking to some business owners and learning
    what that process is right.

    But if you've already had some paying clients or you have a background
    in any particular industry then it's good business to start targeting a
    niche.

    I think many people ARE afraid that they're reducing their potential clients
    but the reality is a lot different.

    First the more targeted you are, the more likely you are to get hired.

    Second, no one said you only have to target just ONE niche...you just
    need to establish yourself as an expert in each niche you choose.

    If one isn't working for you, you can always move on to another one.

    Kindest regards,
    Andrew Cavanagh
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      One of the great things about selling to different niches, is that they don't have to know that you sell to other niches.

      I have maybe 13 or 14 clients in the vacuum cleaner retail business. They all see me as the "vacuum cleaner online marketing guy". I speak at their convention, and write articles for their trade magazine. I also own a retail store selling vacuum cleaners.

      But I also have clients in the following niches;

      Karate studios
      Home Inspections
      Mattress Stores
      Pet Supplies
      Auto Repair
      Bicycle Repair
      Printing
      Catering Weddings


      And one left that is a cosmetic dentist.

      Except for the cosmetic dentist?....They all think I'm an expert in their niche.
      I talk at their conventions, write for their magazines-newsletter, and they are unaware that I work with other niches.

      To be honest, except for maybe auto repair...these niches aren't large enough to work in exclusively, at least for me. I like to work in Ohio. So I'll make sales calls in Ohio...but the rest of the country I only see while I'm speaking at conventions/workshops.

      I'm only being seen by business owners that attend industry functions. So my market is really only the top 5-10% of any industry. That's maybe why the markets seem smaller to me. I could expand to more of each niche if I used direct mail or made cold calls.

      And in every niche mentioned, there are several Gurus working only that niche. So it can be done.
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      • Profile picture of the author sodomojo
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        One of the great things about selling to different niches, is that they don't have to know that you sell to other niches.

        I have maybe 13 or 14 clients in the vacuum cleaner retail business. They all see me as the "vacuum cleaner online marketing guy". I speak at their convention, and write articles for their trade magazine. I also own a retail store selling vacuum cleaners.

        But I also have clients in the following niches;

        Karate studios
        Home Inspections
        Mattress Stores
        Pet Supplies
        Auto Repair
        Bicycle Repair
        Printing
        Catering Weddings


        And one left that is a cosmetic dentist.

        Except for the cosmetic dentist?....They all think I'm an expert in their niche.
        I talk at their conventions, write for their magazines-newsletter, and they are unaware that I work with other niches.

        To be honest, except for maybe auto repair...these niches aren't large enough to work in exclusively, at least for me. I like to work in Ohio. So I'll make sales calls in Ohio...but the rest of the country I only see while I'm speaking at conventions/workshops.

        I'm only being seen by business owners that attend industry functions. So my market is really only the top 5-10% of any industry. That's maybe why the markets seem smaller to me. I could expand to more of each niche if I used direct mail or made cold calls.

        And in every niche mentioned, there are several Gurus working only that niche. So it can be done.
        How do you 'brand' yourself then? Do you position yourself as a small business consultant that works with all verticals?

        Or do you have a website that shows you are the vaccuum guy and gives testimonials from vaccuum companies, show cases work you've done in the industry, etc? Same with your social media?

        Your vertical doesn't have to be industry specific. Ya it can help, but you can also market yourself as the small biz guy. You don't deal with 50 employee companies, not even 25 employee companies. You help businesses with less than 10 employees make more money. Doesn't matter if it is a dentist, or a painter, or a landscaper, you are the go-to person when it comes to 10 employees or less.
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by sodomojo View Post

          How do you 'brand' yourself then? Do you position yourself as a small business consultant that works with all verticals?

          Or do you have a website that shows you are the vaccuum guy and gives testimonials from vaccuum companies, show cases work you've done in the industry, etc? Same with your social media?

          Your vertical doesn't have to be industry specific. Ya it can help, but you can also market yourself as the small biz guy. You don't deal with 50 employee companies, not even 25 employee companies. You help businesses with less than 10 employees make more money. Doesn't matter if it is a dentist, or a painter, or a landscaper, you are the go-to person when it comes to 10 employees or less.
          When I'm speaking for a group, I brand that talk as industry specific. The audience infers I'm an expert in their business, and I let that fantasy stand.

          My websites show that I'm a small business owner, writer of books on marketing for small business owners, and that I follow my own advice. I guess that's my brand. My offline marketing websites are not industry specific.

          "I wrote the book" is my brand, I guess. I don't give "branding" that much thought.

          Because I generally meet my clients at their niche conventions, they assume I'm just working in that field. If they ask, I don't hide the fact that I work in many niches, but I don't talk about other niches. In my speeches, I use examples from their niche.

          I hope I answered your question.
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          • Profile picture of the author sodomojo
            Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

            When I'm speaking for a group, I brand that talk as industry specific. The audience infers I'm an expert in their business, and I let that fantasy stand.

            My websites show that I'm a small business owner, writer of books on marketing for small business owners, and that I follow my own advice. I guess that's my brand. My offline marketing websites are not industry specific.

            "I wrote the book" is my brand, I guess. I don't give "branding" that much thought.

            Because I generally meet my clients at their niche conventions, they assume I'm just working in that field. If they ask, I don't hide the fact that I work in many niches, but I don't talk about other niches. In my speeches, I use examples from their niche.

            I hope I answered your question.
            Yeah I understand what you are saying.

            I could just be in the minority but most of my customers or potential customers have read up on me on LinkedIn, other social media, and my website and see what I offer and who I offer it to.
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            • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
              Originally Posted by sodomojo View Post

              Yeah I understand what you are saying.

              I could just be in the minority but most of my customers or potential customers have read up on me on LinkedIn, other social media, and my website and see what I offer and who I offer it to.
              Yeah, by the time I talk to them, they have an image of what I do, and how it may apply to them. 80% of the work is done before they call or I call them.

              One thing I found very valuable was getting my elevator speech down. "I provide quality leads and sales to local businesses that already have a website".

              I got that from James Hickey here on the forum. It really opens doors and invites questions.
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  • Profile picture of the author Scott Stevens
    Originally Posted by Chris Rivers View Post

    Hey Offliners,

    Honestly, just between me and you, why haven't you picked a niche, vertical or industry to become the obvious marketing expert to?

    Is it because you don't want to miss out on a potential deal from any and every type business owner?

    Maybe, you don't know which niche, vertical or industry to pick?

    Did you already try to pick a industry a while back and it didn't work for you?

    (Seriously, send me a email or pm and let me know what's holding you back from picking a niche and I'll help you in anyway I can to overcome that hurdle and break through)

    It never ceases to amaze me how many offliners are afraid of picking a niche to target.

    99% of the successful marketing consultants will tell you that their real financial and marketing practice breakthrough came when they became the obvious go-to expert in a specific industry.

    And even the ones who scratched, clawed and fought to do it the "generalist" way will tell you what they would do differently if they could go back in time.

    They all say they would've become the go-to marketing expert to one lucrative industry and avoided years of needless struggling.

    So, if we as offline marketers know this, then why is it still so hard for us to pick a industry for our own marketing practice?

    I've spent alot of time thinking on this and all of the reasons I could come up with are based in fear:

    - Fear of missing out on a potential deal from business owners outside our target industry.

    - Fear of working in industries where we feel the business owners are smarter than us.

    - Fear of simply picking a industry.

    - Fear of only focusing on one industry.

    - Fear, fear, fear.

    Just like much of life, running a successful offline marketing business will require you to face your fears.

    There is no other way around it.

    Whatever you're afraid of will always limit, constrain or constrict you.

    After all, let's be honest and look at it this way.

    Do you have $10,000 to invest over the next few months to buy advertising, pay a telemarketing team or invest in direct mail campaigns?

    If the answer is no, then you should be doing everything in your power to be as efficient and strategic as possible with the money you have now.

    After all, would you rather contact 100 business owners to get 10 paying clients at $1,000-$2,000 each because you're the "HVAC, Real Estate Agent or Restaurant" marketing expert.

    Or would you rather contact 5,000 business owners to get two paying clients at $97 each because you're just another consultant who helps in any way you can and all they needed was a cheap corporate-looking wordpress website?

    Hopefully the answer is obvious.

    One of the best ways to dramatically turn the odds in your favor is to pick a local niche, vertical or industry and become the go-to marketing expert for those business owners.

    It's much easier to do it this way with a targeted group of business owners than it is to try and target every business owner in the United States.

    Now, go close some deals,

    Chris
    Great advice, that I've ignored for a long time.

    Cheers, Chris.
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    Yours in prosperity,
    Skochy - The Musical Salesman

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  • Profile picture of the author ReferralCandy
    Hi chris Rivers,

    That's a really insightful post, and it is good to see that you've done a lot of thinking and introspection!

    Indeed, I do agree that a lot of the fear comes from "putting all your eggs into one basket", and especially for someone who is just starting out, that's definitely not a recommended strategy.

    it would be wise to start off by sticking fingers into multiple things, and just get a feel of each niche and market, to see which ones might be better for someone. Once you are comfortable, and have found your niche, you could begin to streamline your efforts and resources into that one niche.

    However, I recently read an interesting perspective from Rory Sutherland, the vice-president of Ogilvy Group in his book: The Wiki Man, as well as his online talks, where he describes that it is better to be good at a few things rather than just one.

    He explains by saying that when you focus on only one niche, the chances of you becoming the best at it is statistically quite low, and you might be better off being good at a few things, and trying to merge them together to form something new. If we can do that, that would become a completely new and unique "niche".

    -Hum
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    • Profile picture of the author Scott Stevens
      Originally Posted by ReferralCandy View Post

      He explains by saying that when you focus on only one niche, the chances of you becoming the best at it is statistically quite low, and you might be better off being good at a few things, and trying to merge them together to form something new. If we can do that, that would become a completely new and unique "niche".

      -Hum
      Interesting insight. I like what Andrew said above, and sort of what Claude said, too, where you can be an expert in many niches, not just one. So rather than be a generic jack of all trades to all, you have multiple, unique presences in multiple verticals.

      So you get the efficiency of targeting, multiplied by the amount of verticals you're in. Obviously there is an optimum amount of verticals to target in this way. Noone can be an expert in 100 niches.

      Just my 2 cents.
      Signature

      Yours in prosperity,
      Skochy - The Musical Salesman

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