How To Get Clear On Your Perfect Profitable Niche
If you’ve ever struggled to get clients to invest in your services, or if you’re hearing a lot of “I can’t afford it,” you’ve likely stumbled on a key problem that holds spirit-driven entrepreneurs back from making the money they deserve: an unclear (or unprofitable) niche.
Your niche is the combination of the people you serve, and the situation-specific problem you solve for them. While you don’t need to have the “perfect” niche to start getting clients (and indeed, you don’t want to wait!), it’s no secret that to create a 6-figure business, your niche has to be compelling.
When it comes to niche, spiritual entrepreneurs are often in a tailspin of over thinking. But getting clear on your niche is almost always about your mindset than anything else! Before you spend one more minute trying to “figure it out” in your head, use these tips to uncover what you’ve been missing… and gain the clarity you seek!
1. Look to your life experiences.
One of the biggest questions I hear is, “What do I have that they will PAY for?” My answer: first, look to your life!
Spiritual entrepreneurs – especially women – are notorious for discounting and undervaluing their life experiences and keeping their personal stories under wraps in their marketing. Goddess, it’s these things that your clients want the most!
Clients want to work with someone who has walked in their shoes. What challenges have you personally overcome in your life? What big problems were you struggling with, and came out the other side? When you find yourself saying, “Nobody wants to hear about that,” take that as a sign – you might be looking at a very profitable niche opportunity.
2. Think outside of the box.
One of the biggest things that keeps entrepreneurs stuck in the “niche loop” is getting attached to what they THINK it’s going to look like. Truth is, your magic (the deep work) can be applied to dozens of different scenarios you likely haven’t even thought of yet. What groups of people are already investing to solve a specific challenge you could specialize in?
3. Go with the flow.
Are your ideas/services already present within the culture of the group of people you are considering? Are they already investing money in what you’re offering? Changing minds in your marketing is a major uphill battle. You want to be “in the flow” of the mindset that already exists.
4. Get into action.
The only way to know if you have a profitable niche (one that you love) is to TEST – i.e., get out there and get a client or two!
You don’t need a website or a big list. You DO need to create a short program on your topic and tap into an opportunity to connect with your ideal potential clients, such as a networking meeting, speaking opportunity or small local workshop. (Hint: you don’t “find” the opportunity as much as you become aware of it and say yes.)
Outlining your program, connecting with potential clients and having conversations will tell you so much more about the potential of your niche than you could ever figure out on your own, churning in front of the computer.
Above All, Get Support
It can be very difficult to pinpoint your perfect niche opportunities, especially if you’ve been struggling with it for a while. Enlist the support of a coach, mentor or mastermind partner who can be your “fresh eyes.” (This is especially important when considering your life experiences.)
With the help of your support team and a commitment to move forward, you’ll quickly move through the discomfort of choosing your niche and finally get to the fun part – working your magic for people who love you and will pay you richly for it!
Ready to discover your perfect 6-figure niche? We kick off the Income Acceleration Academy with a brand new “Discover Your Perfect Niche” virtual intensive, then you’ll put your new (or refined!) niche to the test so you can get paid to figure out your niche, once and for all! But hurry – you’ll need to register by DECEMBER 23 at midnight Pacific for a generous $500 savings off the program investment. Get all the details and register here: http://www.incomeaccelerationacademy.com
10 Ways To Practice Gratitude, Every Day
Back when I was struggling in my business (and well before I figured out the practical steps to generate more clients and income), I was blessed by the Goddess with a powerful awareness:
In order to change your life, gratitude must come FIRST.
It was giving that gratitude FIRST that opened the space for the way to solve the problem of creating a thriving business to finally show up. Without gratitude, I never would have seen my way clear to a solution. And I never would have healed.
As a spirit-driven entrepreneur, you’re undoubtedly already familiar with the transformative power of gratitude. One thing is certain: gratitude is NOT for a single day in the year. Gratitude is a practice.
Which means it’s not always easy. You won’t always be perfect! (Who wants perfection, anyway?) But…
When you make the commitment to LIVE in gratitude, it will create a space for you to experience the ultimate blessing: to change your life while transforming the lives of others.
That is what I wish for you, and that’s why I’ve created what might be my most life-changing checklist ever:
10 ways to practice gratitude, every day.
- First thing in the morning.
My very first step with gratitude was to choose gratitude first thing in the morning – to condition myself to be in gratitude the very second I opened my eyes. To this day, “moment of awakening” gratitude is still my favorite practice. May it transform your life as it has mine. - Last thing at night.
If your last thought at night is the thing your mind is going to work on all night long, it only makes sense to choose gratitude as your last thought, as often as you can. - Keep a journal.
There are so many ways to keep a gratitude journal! One way is to make a list of at least 10 things you’re grateful for, every day. My favorite sentence starter: “I feel rich because _____________” . - Bless the jerks.
One of the most powerful business and life lessons I have ever received is this, from my mentor Maria Gamb: people are in pain, and you have a choice as to how you react.
The next time someone cuts in front of you, cuts you off on the highway, says something nasty or whatever it is, I invite you to take part in the ultimate gratitude practice: remember that this person is a human being, and as a human being, they are in pain. Bless them. - Smile at strangers
What’s free to give, fun to give, and a joy to receive? A smile. Yes, I know that may sound corny. Try it.
What’s also fun about smiling at strangers is that it’s a little subversive. Forget about what the other person will think, and give freely. - Thank your clients.
Your clients have given you a great gift: they chose YOU to change their lives with. Thank them! Your gratitude will come back to you (in the form of referrals, repeat business and word-of-mouth marketing) as it expands and enriches them. - Thank your team.
Without your team, you can’t grow. Thank them! You gratitude will come back to you in the form of amazing contribution on the part of your current team, and perfect team members showing up in your life.’ - Thank your mentors and mastermind.
When I think about where I’d be without my mentors and mastermind partners over the years…
On second thought, let’s not go there.
What you create with the help of brilliant mentors and mastermind partners simply cannot be created on its own. Thank these people for enriching your life. - Call home.
Have you told your family you love them lately? Whether it’s your family by birth or your “heart family,” there is nothing that can shift experience and put you in a state of grace like thanking and honoring those you love. (For those closest to you, one of my favorite ways is to tell them at the end of every day, “You did great work today.”) - Give back.
The power to give is one of the greatest joys of being in business for yourself. Freely give of your time, energy, attention and money, in a way that is in integrity with yourself and supports you… so you can continue to give and receive.
A Simple Way to Boost Your Holiday Cash Flow: The VIP Day
Have you heard about this format for your streamlining your service that’s simple, fun and oh-so-gratifying to deliver? I’m talking about the VIP Day, or VIP Intensive.
In a VIP day, you come together with your client in a very focused fashion to support them with a particular challenge or problem. Instead of spreading out your coaching or consulting time over a matter of weeks or months, you “go deep” over a period of a single day.
The VIP day is a tremendous opportunity to serve your clients at a higher level. They are also a great way to deliver a great deal of VALUE without a lot of your time. That means you can charge a healthy fee while staying firmly in your integrity.
Clients love VIP days. Because you’re focusing on a single problem in a single day, you can go really deep with your clients. And if you design your VIP day in the right way, your clients can get results very quickly, leaving them thrilled with you and likely to return for more of your help.
Best of all, VIP days are simple to enroll, making them the perfect offer during the holiday season when you want to take a little more time off. (Bonus tip: design a VIP day that’s tied in with the end-of-the-year planning or beginning-of-the-year goals.)
Here are 4 tips for designing your VIP days:
- Select one topic, outcome and/or result. Remember, simplicity and focused attention will create a better experience for your clients and support them in getting the result that they want. You’re also not “giving away the farm” by overloading your packages with extras you should be charging for.
- Select a topic that your clients can take action NOW. Call it stalling, procrastination, “sitting on the fence,” resistance – one of the biggest problems clients face is inaction. As a coach, practitioner or healer, one of the things clients are investing in when they work with you is being held accountable to taking action. Help them experience what it’s like to finally get moving and get some results – they will love you for it (and come back for more).
- Don’t undercharge your VIP offering. Because you’re handling the problem in “only” one day, you may be tempted to discount your VIP package. Resist that urge!A deeper, richer experience (with more of your focused, personalized attention, and quicker results) is actually more valuable to your clients, not less. When you design your package correctly, your investment should be several times more than the monthly fee you’re probably charging your clients now (hence the title of this article).
- Give your clients everything they need to repeat their results. Your VIP day offering will likely include some form of teaching and instruction as well as coaching and mentoring. Make sure to give your clients this system in a way that they can refer back to – and repeat! – again and again. You can do this by including materials such as an ebook, audios, worksheets, etc.
Want my proven template to design and lead your VIP days? It’s my gift to you when you claim your “virtual seat” in my complimentary video training series. Grab it now and get your first VIP day client BEFORE the year is out: http://www.6figuregoddessvideos.com
A Hidden Secret To Raising Your Fees With Confidence
Have you ever wanted to raise your fees – but felt totally scared to do it?
You’re not alone! The first time I sold a high-end package, I was just out of coach training. I barely had any coaching experience. Even though I knew I knew my stuff (I’d been doing the marketing thing for a while), and I knew I was smart and really cared about my peeps… I had a serious case of the Fraud Factor. Who the heck was I? How did I really know I could help clients get results?
(The problem was that I’d given my mentor my word – in front of nearly 40 people! – that I’d sell a program at a significantly higher fee than I’d ever charged. I couldn’t back out even if I wanted to!)
When I finally got out of my own way and really thought about what was triggering me so much about raising my fees… I realized that my discomfort around charging those fees actually had less to do with deserving (“am I really good enough?”) and more to do with alignment.
I realized that some of the habits I had around money simply didn’t jibe with the high-end coach I was quickly becoming.
Truth is, if you’re engaging in money behaviors such as…
- Discounting (either offering or caving in when asked)
- Assuming people can’t pay or deciding in advance what they can pay
- Taking on “heartsink clients” (your heart sinks when you work with them)
- Not following up on declined payments and clients who owe you money
- Owing vendors money without a payoff plan
- Bartering your services
… and other disempowering money actions, it’s very difficult to ask for and receive higher fees. It’s like your heart and spirit know that something is “off”… even if you don’t realize it consciously.
Cleaning up even just one or two “money leaks” is going to give you a feeling of personal power and confidence that simply wasn’t there before. Why? Because when you’re in alignment, you feel better about yourself and what you’re doing. It’s easier to ask others to invest with you because you are BEING a coach, healer or practitioner who takes her business and her money life seriously.
Try this…
The next time it’s time to raise your fees (like, say, right now ), instead of going to that icky place of “am I good enough / experienced enough / ready enough,” try a different question. Ask yourself,
“Where am I giving up my power with money in my life or business?”
Remember, you don’t have to be perfect (nor do you have to wait to clean up every money leak) to raise your fees – just take the first step and then the next. Your clients will feel it, you’ll hear more yeses… and next thing you know, asking for and receiving more will feel as natural as passing the salt!
Getting masterful results for your clients and masterful results in your business begins with mastering YOU: committing to a continuous journey of self-improvement, especially around your wealth consciousness and money actions. Cleaning up your “money leaks” is one of the first and most important steps in growing your Personal Money Mastery, one of the 4 key elements of creating a sustainable 6-figure business in record time. You’ll get my rich content and step-by-step systems for each element in Goddess Business School starting in January 2012. Are you on the priority notification list yet? Simply email my team at teamgoddess@marketinggoddess.com with “GBS priority list” in the subject line.
Are You Creating “Marketing That Matters” To High-Paying Clients?
I hear it over and over again: “Elizabeth, I’m Tweeting, I’m Facebook-ing, I’m updating my blog, I put myself out there… and I’m still not getting any clients.”
It’s frustrating. I get it. Can I let you in on a little secret?
The question is NOT “Are you marketing?”
The question is, are you creating marketing that matters? Specifically, marketing that matters to high-paying clients?
Truth is, if you’re getting out there like crazy and yet NOT getting the clients you want, chances are you’re sinking a lot of time and energy into stuff that, when the rubber meets the road, simply doesn’t have as much of an impact on your clients’ buying decisions as you might think.
Remember, your clients seek your help to solve the hard challenges they face in their lives. While having a presence and “getting out there” is important, the secret question your clients want answered – the one they don’t even realize they’re thinking about – is this: “Can this person really help me get what I want?”
Does YOUR marketing answer that critical question? To see where you stand, here’s a quick checklist of the 5 marketing essentials that matter most to high-paying clients who are ready to take action.
1. Copy that’s rich with problems, results & benefits.
To attract the right clients, you must learn to think like a client – which means getting into their world of challenges and struggles. For the compassionate entrepreneur, this is a place of highest service. What’s going on for them, in their own words? What can unfold for them when they work with you – in language that THEY understand? (I.e., NOT your process!)
2. Your Signature System.
Remember, your clients want to know that you can help them. They want to know that you have it all figured out! Packaging your deep process into a clear step-by-step system instantly conveys that YOU have the magic to take them from where they are to where they want to be in the simplest and most elegant way possible. Your system also gives you enormous credibility, whether you’re just starting out or have been in business for years.
3. Your expertise.
High-paying clients want you to BE the expert, not a buddy or peer. As an entrepreneur, you ARE that expert. But are you claiming it? Your credibility is within your control, so you can always be taking actions to build it, such as being interviewed (sooo many sites are looking for content), getting published (ditto), or creating an information product or teleseminar.
4. Testimonials and case studies.
Neglecting case studies and testimonials is a classic symptom of heart-centered hiding out. So if that’s you, I’m calling YOU out. (You know I do it with love!)
Nothing proves that you can help people better or more persuasively than benefit-rich case studies and testimonials. We all hear the blah-blah-blah about listbuilding all day long, but truth is, if you have a big list but NO results-based testimonials, you will still have a very tough time attracting clients who will pay high fees. Start – or update – your testimonials collection today.
5. Regular, consistent follow-up with free content that demonstrates your expertise.
You know what’s coming. If you want to get clients and fill your programs, you need to be publishing a newsletter or some kind of consistent follow-up – like a blog that people actually read. (Big hint: there’s a reason why top bloggers use email to keep their peeps informed of posts.)
Why is regular follow-up SO important? Your clients are asking themselves things like “can this person be counted on?” and “are they a legit business?” Staying in touch will go a long way to easing these subconscious questions. Plus, there’s that all-important relationship. Not everyone is going to buy from you right away!
So if you’re not publishing a newsletter now – start NOW. The payoff is priceless: freedom and doing what you LOVE.
Remember, your business is NOT about you…
You are in business to help your clients. You can’t help them until they say YES! And they won’t say YES until they know you can help them.
My coach’s request to you? Stop wasting time on the “marketing churning” and take a strong stand with the 5 essentials above – your high-end clients are waiting!
If you’re ready to create “marketing that matters” so you can attract the right clients, but you’re not sure how, or the prospect just seems overwhelming, we’re going to break it down step by step in Goddess Business School. It’s my signature training for spirit-driven entrepreneurial women who want to create a sustainable 6-figure business in just 12 months or less. Registration opens soon for a January 2012 start! For priority notification of when we open (so you can get in on early savings), email my team at teamgoddess@marketinggoddess.com with “GBS priority list” in the subject line.
Elizabeth Purvis, a.k.a. “The Marketing Goddess” mentors extraordinary spiritual women entrepreneurs to 6-figures and beyond.
