Part One: Market versus Niche

Archer on Horseback3

If you’re reading this I know you are a heart-centered practitioner. The reason I know that is because I am very intentional about the people I attract and choose to work with. You wouldn't be interested in this newsletter if we weren't aligned on some level. That makes writing this newsletter a joy for me. When you love what you do and who you do it for, marketing becomes way less ‘icky’. 

I truly want it to be less ‘icky’ for you too, and help you to present what you do in a clear, professional, authentic voice so that you attract exactly who you want to work with as well. 

Over the next 3 posts, I’m going to address some specific fundamentals that will make all the difference for you as your venture into the world of marketing your service. 

In today’s A Little Bit O’ Biz Wiz… I want to clarify as distinctly as possible the difference between a target market and a specific niche. I hope the examples I offer today illustrate the importance of understanding how important it is to know the difference and to position your business accordingly.

You will absolutely reach more clients. The clients you are meant to work with. Yes, more clients will generate more income, but it also means more people are experiencing the transformation of this oh, so important work!

Enjoy ~xo
************************************************************

A Little Bit O’ Biz Wiz…

Target Market Versus Niche

What’s the difference between your target market and niche?

There’s an important distinction between the two:

  • Your target market is the group of people you serve.
  • Your niche is the service you specialize in offering to your ideal client within that target market.

For example, you and I may both serve the same target market, say, equine inspired professionals, but offer them different services. I specialize in helping them to design their programs and marketing and you might help them with their website design.

Your Specific Niche

Having a specific ‘ideal client’ with a signature system to serve that client is your ‘niche’.

Here’s an illustration of niche versus target market... 

Let’s have a conversation with two different Horse Trainers (HT1 & HT2) and a Barrel Racer (BR) at a gathering like the Equine Affaire. 

Both Horse Trainers have the same broad target market of training horses.

First scenario: Horse Trainer #1 at his booth (without a niche). 

BR:    I see that you are a horse trainer.

HT1:    Yep, been training horses for more than 20 years now. No horse too young or too old. Give me 30 days and I’ll fix ‘em right up!

BR:   Oh, that’s nice. I gotta go meet a friend now. Thanks for the free candy. 

Second scenario: Horse Trainer #2 at her booth (with a niche… a Signature System + a defined ideal client). 

BR:    I see that you are a horse trainer.

HT2:     Yes, I specialize in western competition, primarily teaching barrel racers (and their horses) how to beat their own records by incorporating cross-training conditioning and trust-building with your horse.

BR:    Really? I never thought about cross-training. I’m a barrel racer and I’d really like to slice about 5 seconds off my next race! And what do mean by ‘trust-building’?

Now we have a conversation with two people who are meant to work together!

Let’s look at Value: 

Horse Trainer #1 only charges $500 for 30 days to fix your horse (no matter what the problem)

Horse trainer #2 charges $3000 for a minimum 3-month commitment to achieve lasting and specific results.

Which trainer do you think our Barrel Racer will invest with?

Target Market (what) - humans looking for horse training applies to both trainers. 

Horse Trainer #2 has a real niche where she knows who her ideal client is and has a service to help that client achieve her dream come true! 

Perfect Client (who) - western competition riders, especially barrel racers

Signature System (how) -  A 3-month training program for horse and rider that combines a specific method of cross-training and trust-building to achieve a measurable result.

I can just hear you saying “Ya, but I can also teach, or shoe, saddle fit, massage, photograph, train, coach, board, facilitate, ride – WHATEVER for anybody else who will pay me to do that thing!” 

My response would be, “How is that working out for you so far?” 

 I’ll use my own business as another example... 

 Target Market (what) - business coaching for entrepreneurs 

There are millions of entrepreneurs and business coaches in the world. But when I combine my ideal client with my Signature System I have a viable niche.

Ideal Client (who) - heart-centered Equine Inspired Practitioners 

Signature System (how) -  a 12-week Business Mentorship program I call the Quantum Leap Readiness Business Mentorship designed to help you reach more clients so you can feed your horses and change the world! 

A viable niche is a group of people who have a need or problem that they want to solve and who are willing to invest in having that need or problem solved! “Willing to invest” is the key phrase here. 

Take some time today to think about your own professional service. What is your target market, who is your ideal client, and what is your signature system? When you can clearly answer all three of these you then have a legitimate business to market!

~xo

************************************************************ 

A Quote to Lick n’ Chew on… 

Anything you truly want to accomplish, you can.

But only if you're fully committed.

Don't complain. Don't wish. Don't half-ass it.

~Calvin Correll (founder of Simplero)

 ************************************************************ 

Business Mentorship and Coaching

COVID19 note: This training will serve you for both online and in-person program/service delivery. And if you’re wondering how to bring your expertise with horses online… now is the time, for sure!!

If you are eager to define your own signature service and create a solid foundation for growing and sustaining your business for years to come, I hope you will consider what I’m about to offer.

12-Weeks of PRIVATE Quantum Leap Readiness Business Mentorship 

You can learn more about it and request an application here: → Apply Here ←

The program is designed to help you create and implement all of the bullet points below with the language your potential clients will understand. 

  • What you market (your Signature Service)
  • Who you are marketing to (your ideal Client and what they WANT)
  • How you will reach them (Awareness Strategies)
  • What you will say to inspire them to work with you (your Messaging)
  • What your follow-up strategy is (free-taste, email campaign, micro offer, etc.)
  • What your enrollment process is (web page, application, registration, phone call, etc.)


BONUS:

We have to address the ‘money stuff’. This is not just a ‘teaching’ program, it’s also a coaching program that requires your own personal growth in alignment with the growth of your business. Believe me, marketing ‘yourself’ entails more personal growth than you might expect, and so much of that is wrapped up in our beliefs and behaviors with money. Enrollment includes the 3-part series, “Reflections of Money” for the Profitable Equine Practitioner!

There are many marketing programs that will teach you the foundational basics, but few include the personal/professional coaching necessary to instill the confidence and mindset required. AND even fewer that understand the significance and value of the horses as part of your business model and programming. 

I’ve named it the ‘Quantum Leap Readiness Business Mentorship’ because it prepares you with a foundation to be able to leap into the next highest version, and then the next highest version of your business over and over again. 

Learn more about it and request an application here: → Apply Here ← 



Thank You for your contributions to this work and thank you for reading.

To Your Horse & Soul Success,

schellisignature.png

~author of, “The Business of Coaching with Horses. How to Reach More Clients, Feed Your Horses and Change the World!”

My mission is to empower and educate equine inspired practitioners in the art of profitable program design and marketing. My dream-come-true is to see equine-assisted personal and professional development be recognized and celebrated for the unique transformational modality that it is, and to become as popular as yoga and Starbucks!

0 comments

There are no comments yet. Be the first one to leave a comment!