Niche Smarter, Not Smaller: The Counterintuitive Way to Attract More Clients

Now you've heard it before, go small to go big. And it's true. Niching down can be one of the smartest moves you make in business. But here's the catch. Modern marketing has shifted, and if you narrow your focus the wrong way, you could actually shut yourself off from opportunities. In today's episode, I'll break down how to niche down the right way and what's changed in marketing that affects how you should position yourself in today's marketplace.

Over time, entertainment took over, but YouTube was built on one simple principle. People want solutions to their problems. AI search is doing the same thing now. It's all about problem, solution, focus. Here's another big shift. Algorithms on all platforms are expansive. Now. In the past, everything was keyword driven.

This is huge for you as a business owner. Why? Because it means you don't have to niche down as tight by people as you once thought. Let me explain. Five years ago, every business coach out there was telling you to narrow down your client avatar as far as possible. Remember that word avatar? You know the formula.

Hmm. The algorithms will naturally expand your reach to people who are searching with intent, even if they don't fit your perfect avatar on paper. So instead of saying, I only help contractors streamline operations, your messaging could be, I help service based business owners keep track of ongoing projects and reduce overwhelm.

Now that's speaking to a broader group and still connects you directly to the pain point that they're trying to solve. The good news is you can always create industry specific offers later, if that makes sense. But if your core message is tied to solving a problem, you'll reach more of the right people faster because the platforms are designed to match problem with solution.

That's where the goal is. For example, I was recently talking with a roofer in Texas who was shopping for A CRM. Sure, the software could solve lots of issues, but the main reason he wanted it was simple. He kept losing track of his current projects. That one frustration was the tipping point that made him seek help.

Plug it in and tell it to add it to the messaging matrix. Eventually you're going to be able to ask the Chad GBT to rep report back to you. What are the most common complaints my prospects are sharing? That way it can also then help you tailor your messaging very specifically. This practice keeps you problem solution focused in your messaging and ensures that when you talk about what you do, you are speaking directly to the pain points your clients care most about.

Instead, try something like, I help business owners never miss an opportunity. By automating personalized follow up, now you've given your audience something specific they can latch onto. They'll immediately think, oh, cool. How do you do that? And that curiosity opens the door for a deeper conversation. Now it's your turn.

Rewrite your pitch to highlight specific problems that you eliminate. Think of the one bottleneck or headache your clients talk the most about, and frame your messaging around that. Once you get the hang of it, then you can expand to to a few other problems. At your next networking meeting, I challenge you to test this out and see how effective it is.

Here's an example from my own business. That's exactly what we did with the Clockwork Method. We built the offer around a very specific problem. Business owners whose companies grew so fast, they never had time to put in systems In the Clockwork Method, we. We understand that these business owners, they honestly, a lot of times they're so overwhelmed they haven't even sat to think through the nuances of their actual processes.

And thirdly, we help them implement it because learning those new habits is often the hardest part. It'd be easy enough to say we're business consultants and leave it at that. This particular process that we offer as our, as our core offering solves a very unique problem. Okay? Let's explore how you can discover the problem that you really solve, even if you think your service is basic.

So let's say you're a flooring contractor. At first glance, you might think I just installed floors. It's pretty simple. I don't solve any major problem unless someone has an actual, you know, floor that's coming off off the LA underlayment. But if that were true, why wouldn't your customers just go to Home Depot and hire their installer?

So the problem you solve is not installing flooring. The problem you solve is helping homeowners elevate their living space with custom flooring installed by trusted experts who treat their home with the same care they do. That's the difference. That's why you're not competing with Home Depot. You're solving a higher level pain point that your clients feel deeply.

Once you've built a problem-focused message, the next step is simple. You've got to test it. This isn't something you do once and forget about it. It's an ongoing process. Think of it like tuning an instrument. You share your message, you listen for feedback, and you adjust it until it ranks clear. Start by talking with your audience.

Share your new statement in conversations at networking events, even casually on social media. Pay attention to the reactions. If people lean in and ask, can you help me with this? You know, you're on the right track. If you get blank stares, it means your message is still too vague or not hitting the right pain point.

At the end, you're not just testing your delivery, you're testing the words you used to attract them, and whether your message connected. Hack number two, build a simple questionnaire. You don't need anything fancy. You can create a quick form in Google with, you know, five basic questions like, what made you reach out to me?

What problem were you hoping I could solve? How could you describe what I do in your own words, things of that nature. Their answers will give you priceless insights into whether your message is clear or if it's creating confusion. Hack number three, record your conversations with permission. Record your discovery calls or client meetings later.

It's to refine until your message feels natural, resonates with your audience, and gets them leaning in with curiosity because the moment you hear someone say, wow, that's exactly what I need, that's when you know you've nailed it. Okay, let's wrap this up. Today we talked about how to niche down the right way by focusing on solving a problem instead of boxing yourself in by narrowing your client type.

Here's a quick recap. Number one, identify the core problem you consistently solve. Number two, speak to the problem clearly in your messaging so it sparks curiosity. Number three, build your offers around solving that problem. This elevates you above price, comparisons, and positions you as the expert.

Get to that networking event and test it out. I'd be curious to hear how things work out for you. If you're finding value in these podcast episodes, please leave a review or follow me on Facebook or Instagram, and feel free to hit me up in the dms. Now, if you're looking for help with this, maybe you're just banging your head against a wall like this.

Makes sense what you're saying, Lindsay, but I just can't figure it out for myself. Feel free to reach out for a free consultation and we can talk about this in a more detail. Look for the link in the description below. Until next time, bye for now.