You cannot help everyone, so don’t try!
Posted by: Julia Ann Simpson on: July 18, 2010
When it comes to attracting clients, many ‘normal’ business advisors will tell you to do lots of promotion, marketing, advertising and generally run around like a headless chicken with a major scarcity issue.
This is not a good approach, partly because it’s exhausting and a waste of time.
Yes, you do need to let people know you are here, what you do and how you help. There will be press releases and e-newsletters to write, blogs to fill, brochures to print, business cards to get designed and delivered. For those with ‘big girl panties’, there will be presentations and media interviews to be done etc.
But in truth, none of that will work if you are not clear about who your clients are.
It’s a huge temptation when your calling is some form of healing or helping people, to think that:
You ought to do as much as you can
For as many as you can
As often as you can
Never mind the effect on you.
A recent coaching session with a client really brought this up. Their description of who their clients were, ran something like this:
- Anyone who is caught in a struggle with life, in any area … relationships, work, money, business
- Anyone who may be interested and curious about finding a different way to believe about themselves and their world.
This is a noble and heart-felt intent, but no-one can properly serve that large an audience because it’s simply too wide and too diverse. How will you address so many different needs, hopes and dreams?
Simple answer – you won’t! And you’ll wear yourself out in the process.
Finding Your Niche is like finding your true north.
The way you can really truly help is to get very clear about who you are being called to serve, to help and to heal. When you get that answer, everything will be as easy as breathing. (Well, maybe not always but it’ll be massively more effective and rewarding for both your clients and yourself.)
There is a group of people out there right now who are excited and enthusiastic about the help you have to offer them. They haven’t met you, or heard of you, – yet – but that’s just a matter of time.
You know these people. Not literally, but metaphorically. You know what they need so clearly and effortlessly that helping them is ‘easy-peasy’ fun.
Who are these people who need you most?
They are:
A group of people
- Who share a problem of some kind
- Are willing to pay (and may already be paying) to solve their problem
- Are sharing and communicating with each other about their problem
When we talk about a niche, people get worried that it means shrinking the number of clients they have. Au contraire! When you really, truly deeply understand your niche it makes marketing to them an absolute breeze!
It saves time and effort because you really know them – you really understand what keeps them awake at night and how you can help them. There’s more inspiration, and much less perspiration, for you! When you market to a particular and familiar group of people who you truly understand – marketing is a joy not a task.
If you feel confused about your niche, why not take some time to check in with your Inner Guide and ask for guidance.
If you get some ah-ha moments, please let me know!
Getting publicity can be a piece of cake
Posted by: Julia Ann Simpson on: July 9, 2010
This is a truly challenging time to be in business, no doubts about that. If you are in the business of helping people, whether its through coaching, alternative therapy, or some other holistic approach, the chances are that bookings are down and costs are up.
But whenever things look bad, there’s always another way to look at your situation.
What if you could get free publicity and attract new clients even in the current climate? Think outside the box and you can. It’s called the media! I’m not talking about adverts. I’m talking editorial. Get yourself into the media and you have a free promotion. Sounds good, yes?
As a former broadcast journalist, I spend a lot of my time helping people get noticed. If you want to attract the media you have to have a good story. You can’t fob them off with a thinly disguised advert. That won’t cut the mustard.
You need to present them with something that looks and sounds like editorial. So if you are having trouble getting publicity right now, here are the 5 keys to success: T.R.U.T.H.
Let’s unpick the acronym and you’ll see what I mean:
TOPICAL - You need an element of topicality. Try to piggy back on other current news themes.
RELEVANT – You need to offer information or advice that is relevant to the audience you’re trying to reach
UNUSUAL – It sure helps if you have something out of the ordinary; first, worst, biggest etc
TROUBLE – We journalists will inject this into the story, if it isn’t there already. We’ll question and probe your argument. As you may have noticed, journalists love a crisis!
HUMAN INTEREST - What makes people laugh, love, worry or lose sleep over. Sex and health are always two biggies. All stories come down to WIIFM: what’s in it for me.
If you want free publicity from the media give it a go. It’s not rocket-science. If you can get 2 or 3 of the qualities above in your story, it’ll be a piece of cake to get some coverage. The old adage – practise makes perfect – really applies here. If you don’t succeed straight away, try again. And again. You will strike gold eventually and that can have a large and beneficail affect on your practise, coaching or business.
