Niche Targeting

Laser-Focus on Benefits When It's Time to Sell

When it comes time to sell or make a first impression, it's not the time to be humble - you must focus everything like a laser beam to communicate benefits and results so prospects say 'that's exactly what I need'

Create One Specific Technique With Tangible Action Steps

Create one specific technique with tangible action steps that customers can describe with the word 'how.' Make it sound as close as possible to their idealized solution and focus on external actions they can take.

Invest in AI Companies Solving Real Problems, Not Buzzword Players

Focus on companies that create specific outcomes you want to drive rather than investing broadly in AI categories. Look for businesses solving real problems and creating human impact, not just using AI buzzwords.

Remote Computer Support — Human Help Without Hold Times

Virtual technical support works because people want human help with computer problems but don't have time for 27-hour hold times, and the best services can take control of your computer to fix issues remotely

Your Niche Is a Specific Need Not a Demographic Group

Your niche isn't the demographic group you want to sell to, but the specific need that group has. Focus on identifying and serving a particular problem or desire rather than just targeting a general audience.

Three-Question Niche Profitability Test

The niche test: Run every niche through 3 questions - Is your customer experiencing pain/urgency or irrational passion? Are they proactively looking for solutions? Do they have few or no perceived options?

Focus on Tiny Specific Pieces of Human Experience — Be the Knife

Focus on tiny, specific pieces of the human experience rather than trying to solve everything. Like a knife in the food preparation process—it's just one small but essential piece of the larger ecosystem.

Narrow to Clients Who Can Pay High Fees

Narrow your niche to focus only on clients who can afford to pay high fees and invest in high-ticket coaching packages. You should exclude many potential clients rather than trying to serve everyone.

Your Biggest Weakness Is Your Greatest Business Opportunity

Your biggest weaknesses and areas where you lack confidence are actually your greatest business opportunities because once you solve them, you can help others who struggle with the same challenges

Daily Customer Conversations as a Business Foundation

Talk to at least one prospective customer per day, ideally three or more, and do it earlier in the day because understanding customers deeply is what creates both effective products and marketing

Starting Small With Virtual Events and Evolving With Audience

Start small with virtual events and evolve by deeply understanding your audience's specific needs. Focus on content quality and audience connection rather than massive production value initially.

Niche Test Question One: Pain Urgency or Irrational Passion

Question 1 of the niche test: Is my prospective customer motivated by pain and urgency or irrational passion? Look for customers who are already emotionally driven, not ones you need to motivate

Target Customer Pain Points Not General Market Wants

Focus on your customers' biggest needs and challenges rather than general market wants. Identify where customers struggle most and create specific products that speak directly to those needs.

Niche Depth Creates a Natural Moat Around Your Market

The more niched you are and the more of an expert you are on that niche, the more you have what Warren Buffett calls a natural moat around your castle with natural protection of your market

Five-Part Elevator Pitch Formula

The 5-part elevator pitch formula: 1) 'I help' + specific prospect description, 2) 'who' + specific problem, 3) specific result/benefit, 4) convenience factor, 5) engagement hook question

The fastest, cheapest way to test your niche is to have live conversations with real prospective customers who have real needs - they will tell you for free what they will pay money for

Defining Niche by Customer Need Not Demographics

Think of your niche as the specific need your customer has, not as your product or customer demographic - focus on their fears, frustrations, wants, and aspirations in their exact words

Niche Test Question Three: Do Customers See Few Options

Question 3 of the niche test: Does my prospective customer have few or no perceived options? Avoid competing on price by targeting niches where you can be the only or one of few options

Ask Where Exactly to Surface Specific Problems

Ask people to be specific about their problems rather than accepting general answers - 80% of people who want to lose weight specifically want to lose belly fat when asked where exactly

Seven-Step Niche Validation Sequence

A 7-step niche testing sequence starts with keyword research and traffic analysis, progresses through surveys and consultations, and ends with full product launch only after validation

The Customer Avatar — Personifying What All Prospects Share

A customer avatar is a personification of what all your prospects have in common - name this person and describe them so you can create intelligent dialogue about serving their needs

Relate Educate Translate — How to Apply Each Layer in Sequence

Don't mention competitors unless you're directly competing - most prospects are less educated than you think and mentioning competition gives them options they didn't know existed

Building a Single Ideal Customer Avatar

Create a customer avatar by combining all your customers into one imaginary person with only the traits of your ideal customer, including demographics, income, fears, and desires.

Narrow Your Category to Own It

Create specific enough categories to be first - instead of general 'health' coaching, narrow down to something like 'natural weight loss for women' to find a category you can own.

Elevator Pitch Seconds to Make an Impression

An elevator pitch must be compelling enough that someone would want to do business with you by the time you reach your floor - you only have a few seconds to make this impression

Failed Business Ideas Combine Likes Not Urgent Problems

Most failed business ideas combine two things people like doing (example: hair salon with iTunes music bar) rather than focusing on solving urgent problems with pain and urgency

Pain Plus Urgency Plus Desired Result — the High-Value Product Formula

The ultimate formula for creating high-value products is to identify pain plus urgency, then determine the specific result the prospect believes will deliver them from that pain

Niches Are Discovered Then Developed by Going Deeper

Niches are discovered and then developed - you discover a niche by finding an unmet need, then develop it by going deeper, getting more focused, and isolating that specific need

Trying to Serve Everyone Causes Coaching Failure

Trying to get everyone as a client. This seems logical but actually causes failure because successful niche targeting requires narrowing down to exclude many potential clients.

Niche Test Question Two Proactive Solution Seekers

Question 2 of the niche test: Is my prospective customer proactively looking for solutions? Target people who have gotten off their lazy butt and are actively seeking solutions

Products That Sell Themselves Are Built on Customer Fear and Gaps

Products that sell themselves are designed by deeply understanding customer fears, frustrations and gaps in available solutions rather than creating what you think people want

Height Gap Dating Tactics for Shorter Men

Apply the Pareto Principle to niche selection by focusing on the 20% of your niche that generates 80% of the results, which makes your communication more focused and targeted

Three-Question Niche Viability Test

Use the three-question niche test: Does your prospect have an emotional irrational need? Are they proactively looking for solutions? Do they have few or no perceived options?

In-Person Consultations and Surveys as Niche Validation Tools

In-person consultations and online surveys are the two most powerful niche validation techniques, allowing deep drilling into customer fears, frustrations, wants, and desires

Fastest Path to Money Relieve Pain Quickly

The most important question for creating money quickly is: 'What do I know how to do that relieves problems and pain quickly or gives people what they're passionate about?'

Information Products: Rapid Testing Minimal Investment Easy Iteration

Information product businesses have unique advantages including rapid testing capabilities, minimal investment requirements, and easy iteration when something doesn't work

Niche Focus Over Broad Audience Targeting

Niche targeting is crucial in the current vocational training landscape. Rather than trying to serve everyone, focus deeply on a specific audience's needs and problems.

Free Is Possibly the Most Powerful Word in English

Only attract prospects qualified to buy your product - a headline that gets a million unqualified readers is worthless compared to one that attracts the right prospects

One Curriculum Multiple Front-End Products for Different Segments

Create different front-end products that appeal to specific market segments while leading to the same core curriculum. Customize the entry point, not the entire system.

Survey Your List Before Creating Any Product

Survey your existing list before creating any product to understand exactly what people want instead of trying to create demand for something they're not interested in

Right Message Right Audience Right System

The best marketing message is useless if delivered to people with zero interest - you need the right message delivered to the right audience through the right system

Niches Are Discovered in Customer Pain Not Chosen

Niches aren't chosen or what you want them to be - they're discovered by identifying unmet customer needs and understanding what customers are actually going through

Target Prospects Already Searching for Your Solution

Look for customers who are looking for you - target people who are already activated and searching for solutions rather than trying to convince unmotivated prospects

Ask What Customers Want That They Can't Find Anywhere

There's always a huge opportunity to create a new category you can completely own by asking what customers are looking for that they can't find in existing products

Information Products as the Fastest Niche to Monetize

Information products are the best niche for making money fast because you can identify problems, create solutions quickly, and sell globally for very little money

Find Where Your Strength Overlaps With Highest-Leverage Activities

Find the overlap where your strength meets the highest leverage activities - highest lifetime value and highest dollar per hour value activities in your business

Niche Focus Customer Listening and Personality Drive Traction

Focus on a niche and truly understand customer needs while having personality, listening to them, and getting them involved to create a business that catches on.

Stories Must Mirror What Your Prospective Client Already Feels

Your stories must align with your listener's experience—there shouldn't be anything you're saying that your prospective client cannot relate to and identify with

Mass Nicheification Drives Demand for Micro-Specialists

The mass 'nicheification' of the economy has created demand for modern gurus who specialize in solving very specific, granular problems in emerging micro-niches

Find the Unmet Need — Don't Copy or Create Blindly

The objective is to identify an unmet need inside a group of people, not to create a product and try to get people to buy it or copy what everyone else is doing

Solve Urgent Pain or Deliver Massive Pleasure to Create Value

The most important types of value are solving urgent pain or delivering massive pleasure based on what people really want, not what you think they should want

Three Mega-Niches Drive 80–90% of Info Product Revenue

The three mega-niches of health, relationships, and money generate 80-90% of information product revenue because they correspond to basic human survival needs

Lead Marketing With the Fear Your Product Eliminates

When creating marketing, focus on the fear your product eliminates, the problems it solves, and the pain it makes go away rather than just positive benefits

Successful Niches Are Discovered Not Chosen

Successful niches aren't chosen - they're identified, discovered, and developed by finding existing customer needs rather than picking who you want to serve

Time-Poor Consumers Need Ideas Connected to Wants — Not Random Data

Modern consumers are time poor and need ideas connected to their wants and desires in an easily understandable way - random information wastes mental space

Identify the Prospect's Coin of the Realm Before Pricing

Identify your prospect's unique currency or 'coin of their realm' - the thing they're trying to accomplish that functions like money in their value system

Money Is Exchanged for Value — Find Niches With Real Needs

Money is given in exchange for value, not created directly, requiring entrepreneurs to find niches where they can create value for groups with real needs

Virtual Businesses — Flexibility to Shape Work Around Life

Identify your customer's 'currency' - what they want most or want to avoid most - then translate everything you offer into more or less of that currency

29 Sub-Niches Inside the Three Mega-Markets

29 specific sub-niches within health, relationships, and money categories represent multi-million dollar business opportunities that will work long-term

Target Yourself When You First Had the Challenge

You're not targeting you as a niche - you're teaching someone who has a challenge and wants to solve it, targeting you when you first had your challenge

Ask Directly About Challenges Rather Than Assume

Creating more value requires directly asking people about their biggest challenges, frustrations, and opportunities rather than assuming what they need

Start With Customer Perspective Before Choosing What to Sell

Creators must balance creation and discovery, but should start with the customer's perspective rather than trying to choose who will buy their products

Why Technology Must Come Last in Problem-Solving

Technology should come last in business problem-solving - no matter how shiny the hammer, you must start with the rusty nail and problems worth solving

Find Unmet Needs Instead of Trying to Differentiate

Instead of trying to differentiate, focus on starting different by identifying unmet customer needs in your market and being the first to address them.

Create a Category and Position Yourself as the Originator

Don't just create a product or service - create an entire category and position yourself as the originator to attract premium partnerships and clients

Testing Niches With Customers Before Product Development

Successful niche testing involves talking to prospective customers, conducting online research, and identifying unmet needs before product development

Qualifying Buyers on Motivation Money and Authority

Qualifying buyers means ensuring they have motivation, money, and decision-making power - the three essential components for actual purchasing ability

Five Areas That Drive Business Success

Focus on five key areas: You, your market, your marketing, your people, and your systems - but if you get market and people right, they drive the rest

Make Each Product Its Own Category to Block Competitors

Create competitive barriers by making each product its own category so competitors must compete with entire categories rather than individual products

Stop Selling Yourself — Sell the Result

The biggest mistake when selling information is trying to sell yourself instead of focusing on the specific results and benefits your customer needs

Every New Product Is a Mini Niche With Its Own Sub-Audience

Every new product should be treated as a mini niche business with its own subset of customers searching for solutions within that specific sub-niche

Double Your Dating Method — Problems That Sell Themselves

Apply the Double Your Dating case study method: identify the biggest problems causing pain and urgency, then focus on specific situational solutions

Solving Tangible Concrete Challenges Not Abstract Concepts

Focus on solving tangible, concrete challenges rather than abstract concepts like 'love' or 'security' - customers want specific real-world outcomes

ClickBank Shows Top-Performing Information Products Right Now

ClickBank marketplace shows you the top performing information products that are selling the most and converting the best right now in any category

Pain, Urgency, and Emotion Drive Early Business Revenue

Focus on problems where people have pain, urgency, and huge emotion around something, as these are most likely to generate money when starting out.

Map Every Fear and Frustration You Can Solve for Others

Make a list of all fears, frustrations, worries and anxieties you can solve for others, focusing on problems with high emotional value and urgency.

Most Business Failure Comes from Getting the Market Wrong

Most business failure comes down to getting the market wrong - your market is the combination of target customers and the products you sell to them

Money, Health, Relationships Sell 5–20x More Than Other Niches

Three mega-niches dominate information product sales: money/business, health/fitness, and relationships, selling 5-20 times more than other niches

Matching Expertise to Customer Highest Value for Self-Selling Products

When you match your expertise to the customer's highest value point, you create a product that sells itself without requiring extensive marketing

Laser Precision Targeting Beats Broad Appeal

Target specific niches with laser precision rather than trying to appeal to everyone - this creates deeper connection and higher conversion rates

Solve Urgent Current Pain, Not Future Prevention

Focus on solving current, urgent problems rather than prevention. People pay to stop pain they're experiencing now, not to avoid future problems.

Build Products by Interviewing Customers Not Extracting Your Knowledge

Build products by interviewing customers and creating custom-tailored solutions, not by getting your knowledge out because you think you're smart

Synthesizing Knowledge Into Digital Products That Build Authority

Create digital products by synthesizing your knowledge in an accessible way that builds trust and establishes you as the authority in your niche

Wants and Aspirations Need Irrational Emotional Stakes

Only pursue wants and aspirations that have irrational but very strong emotional value, like video game mastery or golf performance improvement.

Product Companies Need Word-of-Mouth Built In

Product companies need products that lend themselves to word-of-mouth marketing, while marketing companies can focus more on promotion and sales

Precision Niche Targeting Requires Intentional Detailed Execution

Target your niche with precision by being conscious, intentional, and doing all the details right—not just putting a little bit of time into it

Find the Market First Then Build the Product

Find the market first and realize what they want, then provide it to them, rather than hoping to convince people they want what you've created

The Archetypal Power Behind the Name David

The name David was strategically chosen because David was the little guy who made it against the big guy, adding archetypal power to the brand

Neutrogena's Narrow Niche That Won a Category

Neutrogena became #1 in their categories by starting with the narrow message of 'use every couple weeks to wash off residue from other soaps'

Create Multiple Product Categories for One Core Solution

Create multiple product categories addressing different aspects of your core solution rather than trying to solve everything with one product

Reading Competitor Meta Keywords Using View Source

You can use 'view source' on competitor websites to see their meta keywords and descriptions to understand what terms they're optimizing for

Capitalize on Trends by Solving Urgent Business Problems

Capitalize on current business trends by solving urgent problems, like helping businesses get online when they're hurting and need customers

Differentiation Requires Doing Something Fundamentally Different

Differentiation in the market requires doing something fundamentally different from what everyone else is doing, not just minor improvements

Starting Virtual Events Small and Scaling

Start virtual events small and evolve by deeply understanding your audience's specific needs rather than launching with massive production

Health Relationships Money — The Three Dominant Mega-Niches

The big three mega niches that sell 80-90% of information products are health, relationships, and money - focus on these proven categories

Three-Step Formula for Information Marketing Success

The three-step formula for information marketing success: identify valuable knowledge, target specific niches, create high-value products

Ask Direct Emotional Questions Customers Want to Answer

Customers love answering direct emotional questions about their needs - they want to tell you and it's not rude when they have real pain

Creating the Dating Advice for Men Category from Scratch

Eben created the "dating advice for men" category by focusing on getting dates rather than relationships, generating millions in revenue

Desperate Prospects Self-Identify the Right Solution

Products sell themselves when you target people in emotional situations who recognize your solution as exactly what they think they need

Format Marketing Like Editorial Content to Build Trust

Do one thing way better than well and outsource or delegate everything else, rather than trying to do everything in your business well.

Experts Scatter Energy Instead of Owning Critical Moments

Most experts disperse their energy across everything instead of focusing on the few important moments that mean everything to customers

Position for Where Your Industry Heads in 10 Years

For personal positioning, look at where your industry is heading in 10 years and position yourself as the expert in that emerging niche

Focusing on the Most Powerful 20% to Alienate Non-Prospects

Focus on only the most powerful 20% and eliminate 80% - you want to alienate your non-prospect so your ideal customer feels understood

Teaching What You Learn Limits Long-Term Income

Teaching what you're learning creates a sustainable business model but limits long-term financial success compared to niche commitment

Find the Specific Need Then Focus Everything on That Result

Find the customer's specific need and result they want, then focus all your knowledge and experience on getting them that exact result

Direct Customer Conversations to Find Unmet Market Needs

Talk directly to prospective customers through meetings, calls, surveys, and email to discover unmet needs and emerging opportunities

Build Products Around Customer Needs Not Convincing Pitches

Create products by finding customer needs first, then building solutions, rather than convincing customers to buy what you're selling

Few Perceived Options Does Not Mean No Options Exist

Few perceived options doesn't mean there literally are no options—it means from the customer's perspective they have limited choices

Pre-Selection Always Beats Training for Getting the Right Prospects

Pre-selection will always beat training - it's better to choose the right prospects than to try to train yourself to sell to anyone

Pursue Wants With Irrational but Strong Emotional Value

Only pursue wants and aspirations that have irrational but very strong emotional value, like video game mastery or golf performance

Marketing to What Prospects Are Already Seeking

Successful marketing focuses on what prospects are already seeking and alert to, not what you think is important about your product

One Hour of Customer Research Saves 100 Hours of Wasted Effort

One hour of customer research saves 10 to 100 hours of wasted future effort by properly syncing products with actual customer needs

The Knowledge Inventory Exercise — 10 Answers Per Question

Complete the knowledge inventory exercise with 10 answers per question to reprogram your mind for information product opportunities

Channel Alignment — Info-Channel Audiences Buy Info Products

People who found you through information channels are more likely to buy information-focused products because of channel alignment

Uncovering Pain Points Through Fear and Frustration Questions

Discover urgent pain points by asking people about their biggest fears, frustrations, worries, and what keeps them awake at night

Do One Live Consultation With a Real Prospect Every Day

Do at least one live fifteen minute consultation conversation with a real prospect per day, either in person or on the telephone

Problems and Pain Generate More Money Than Aspirations

Focus primarily on problems and pain when starting out, as wants and aspirations are less likely to generate money for beginners

Find Your Unique Gifts and Build a Specialty Online

Create perfect work for yourself by identifying your unique gifts and finding people interested in exactly that specialty online

Be in the Relationship Business Not the Transaction Business

You want to be in the relationship business, not the transaction business - bonding with clients is critical for lifetime value

Without a Niche You Are Completely Stuck

When you don't know your niche, you literally can't take a step in any direction and feel completely paralyzed in your business

Find Urgent Problems Created by Current Trends

Identify urgent problems created by trends, like helping businesses get online when they're struggling and need more customers.

Your Niche Evolves — It Is Never Set Once

Your niche is something that evolves over time and grows with you and your business—it's not something you sit down and do once

Deep Customer Avatar Understanding Eliminates Competition

Deep customer avatar understanding including emotional hot buttons eliminates competition by becoming the only perceived option

Win with Niche Selection Before You Market

Win beforehand with proper niche selection because it's very hard to make up for a poor niche choice later with good marketing

Narrow Your Website Headline to One Problem and Transformation

When targeting a successful coaching niche, you must narrow it down to the point where you're excluding many potential clients

The More Personal the Insight the More Universal the Market Need

The principle 'the more personal, the more universal' - deeply personal insights reveal needs shared by entire market segments

Start Different by Addressing Unmet Needs Rather Than Fighting Competitors

Instead of trying to differentiate yourself from competitors, focus on starting different by addressing unmet customer needs

Narrow Niche Power in Virtual Business Models

Virtual business models allow you to narrow your niche dramatically, making it far more powerful than traditional businesses

Dream Client Avatar Tool Clarifies Niche Fears and Desires

The Dream Client Avatar Tool generates clearer understanding of ideal clients, coaching niche, and client fears and desires

Get the Market Right, Get the People Right, Test Everything

His secret to success: get the market right and the people right, then test the hell out of everything and scale what works

Drill Into Sub-Niches to Dominate a Category

Drill down to find sub-niches where your specific knowledge creates unique solutions and allows you to dominate a category

Why Double Your Dating Name Works — Specificity

Double Your Dating works as a name because it's specific and uses the word 'dates' that men use to describe what they want

List Every Fear and Frustration You Can Solve

Make a comprehensive list of fears and frustrations you can solve for others as the foundation of business idea generation

Create Multiple On-Ramps for Different Market Segments

Create different on-ramps and front-end products for different market segments while maintaining the same core curriculum

Mine High-Interest Topics Deeply Like Natural Resources

Value tends to cluster in specific places, like natural resources, so when you find a high-interest topic, mine it deeply

Personal Coaching in Mega-Niches: Scalable Opportunities

Personal coaching in mega-niches like health, weight loss, relationships, and debt represents huge scalable opportunities

Health Relationships Money Three Mega Niches

Target the big three mega niches - health, relationships, and money - where most information product revenue is generated

Asking Customers What Problems No Existing Content Solves

Ask customers what problems they can't find solutions to despite reading books, watching videos, and listening to audios

Emotional Intensity as the Key Niche Profitability Test

Your prospects must be motivated strongly by emotion - fear, desire, passion, or worry - for your niche to be profitable

Talk to at Least One Customer Daily

Talk to at least one customer daily, or dedicate one day weekly broken into 15-minute chunks for customer conversations

Only Target Customers Motivated Enough to Proactively Search

Look for customers who are looking for you - only target customers motivated enough to proactively search for solutions

Successful Businesses Solve Very Specific Niche Problems

Successful businesses focus on helping people with very specific, niche problems rather than trying to solve everything

Narrow Focus — One Person, One Problem

Focus on one specific type of person and their one primary problem rather than trying to help everyone with everything

Where to Find Potential Customers for an Online Business

Use mass communication tools like surveys after one-on-one conversations to validate and go deeper into customer needs

Prospects Must Be Actively Seeking Solutions Right Now

Prospects must be proactively seeking solutions right now, not just thinking they should seek solutions in the future

Niche Targeting in Today's Vocational Landscape

Focus on niche targeting as crucial in the current vocational training landscape rather than trying to serve everyone

Target Only Clients Who Can Pay High Fees

You need a niche targeted only to clients who can afford to pay high fees and invest in high-ticket coaching packages

Start With the Rusty Nail, Not the Shiny Hammer

No matter how shiny the hammer, you must start with the rusty nail and problems worth solving - technology comes last

Constantly Switching Niches Kills Long-Term Financial Success

Constantly switching business focus limits financial success compared to committing long-term to one profitable niche

Solve Problems for Millions — Not Teach Niche Skills to Small Audiences

Start with identifying problems you can solve for millions of people, not teaching advanced skills to small audiences

Build Your Next Business by Listening to Customers

Build your next business by listening to what current customers are asking for, rather than guessing at market needs

Narrowing to Highest-Leverage Focus Within Your Field

Continuously narrow your focus to find the highest leverage area within your chosen field, then go deeper repeatedly

Any Two Skills Combined Create Unique Positioning

Any two skills can be combined for unique positioning - even seemingly unrelated ones like cooking and productivity

Niches Are Needs Not Demographic Groups

Niches are needs - your niche isn't the group of people you'd like to sell to, but the specific need that group has

Base Backend Products on Customer Needs Not Market Wants

Base your backend products on specific customer needs rather than general market wants to create targeted solutions

Global Scaling by Targeting Personality-Specific Niches

Virtual businesses can scale globally by targeting personality-specific niches rather than geographic limitations

Market to Overlapping Customer Qualities Only

Focus only on the overlapping qualities your customers share - talking to quality 101 loses 60% of your audience

T-Shaped Expertise Broad Knowledge Deep Specialization

Aim for T-shaped expertise: broad knowledge across many areas but deep specialization in one high-leverage skill

Observe Customers in Natural Environments to Find Product Lines

Observe customers in their natural environment to discover universal needs that can become entire product lines

Marketers Think in Needs and Niches — Not What They Already Know

Marketers think in needs and niches - starting with customer needs rather than what's in their existing product

Using Keyword Tool to Find High-Volume Sub-Niches

Google Keyword Tool reveals specific sub-niches with high search volume that indicate profitable opportunities

Not Knowing Your Niche Is the Biggest Coaching Obstacle

The biggest obstacle to getting coaching clients is not knowing your niche market or targeting the wrong niche

Customers Want Solutions From Someone Who Thinks Like Them

Customers want solutions that sound like they were created by someone who thinks like them and talks like them

High-Interest Topics Contain Subtopics for Full Content Series

Each high-interest topic contains multiple subtopics that can be developed into comprehensive content series

Being First in the Customer's Mind Creates Automatic Differentiation

Being first to deliver a specific result or outcome in the customer's mind creates automatic differentiation

Google Keyword Tool, ClickBank, Alexa — The Free Research Stack

Use Google Keyword Tool, Alexa.com, and ClickBank as the three most powerful free tools for niche research

Surveys Surface Hidden Customer Motivations Beyond Your Category

Survey responses reveal hidden customer motivations that aren't directly related to your product category

Find the Overlap Between Customer Needs and Your Passion

Find the overlap between unmet customer needs and your personal passions for optimal business positioning

Three High-Leverage Daily Activities That Create Breakthrough Results

Find your prospects where they're actively looking for you online instead of targeting the general public

Professional Sales Teaches More About Business Than Any Other Role

There's a huge shortage of great technologists in growing business sectors, creating massive opportunity

Focus Content Creation on Proven Hot Button Topics

Focus your content creation on proven hot button topics rather than trying to cover everything you know

Test Content Topics to Find Your Highest Audience Interest

Test different content topics to identify which ones generate the most audience interest and engagement

Simplify Your Offer to Match What the Hungry Crowd Wants

Simplify your offering to match what the hungry crowd wants, not what you want to express artistically

Use Affiliate Marketing to Test Niches Before Building Your Own Product

Use affiliate marketing to test niches and learn marketing without creating your own products first

Combine Passion With Market Opportunity for Maximum Success

The key to maximizing entrepreneurial success is combining personal passion with market opportunity

Test Market Demand Where Customers Are Already Searching

Test market demand using search engines where customers are already actively looking for solutions

Target Prospects With Few Perceived Options

Target prospects who have few or no perceived options to avoid competing in oversaturated markets

Urgent Problems With High Emotional Value Win

Focus on solving urgent problems with high emotional value rather than prevention-based solutions

The Biggest Niche Mistake New Coaches Make

The biggest mistake new coaches make is trying to get everyone as a client, which causes failure

Virtual Technical Support Fixes Total Productivity Blockers

Virtual technical support addresses computer problems that completely stop customer productivity

Position in the Path of Hungry Customers

Position yourself in the path of hungry customers rather than chasing them around neighborhoods

Business Ecosystems Like Coral Reefs With Micro-Niches

Business ecosystems are becoming like coral reefs with unimaginable micro-niches all connected

Virtual Coach Pricing — $1,497 Launch Window Cost

Look for customers who are looking for you—target customers who have both money and motivation

Every Industry Has Huge Unmet Niches Competitors Overlook

Every industry has huge niches with unmet customer needs that mainstream competitors overlook

The Most Value Is Created When Urgent Problems Get Solved

The most value is created when problems or pain are solved, especially with urgency involved

Narrowing Your Niche Captures More Market

Narrowing your niche intelligently captures more market than trying to appeal to everyone

Do One Thing Exceptionally Well

Do one thing exceptionally well rather than trying to do everything in your business well

Three-Question Niche Test for New Business Ideas

Use a three-question niche test to evaluate any new business opportunity or product idea

The Cambrian Explosion of Business Opportunity

We're experiencing a Cambrian explosion of business opportunity and ultra-specialization

Narrow Focus to Create Category Leadership

Narrow your focus to create category leadership rather than expanding to serve everyone

Confusing Company Names Kill Conversions

A confusing company name creates the wrong customer expectations and hurts conversions

Direct Marketing Finds People Who Already Want What You Have

Successful businesses solve urgent customer problems rather than combining fun ideas

Simple Product Scaled Exponentially with Right Business Model

A simple dating advice book can scale exponentially with the right business model

Position Your Product as the Original Leader in Your Niche

Position your product and company as the original and the leader in your niche

Solve Your Own Problems to Uncover Business Opportunities

Solve your own problems systematically to create successful business ventures

Insightful Quotes Explained Create Attention-Grabbing Content

Amplify how-to content with 'quick easy low hassle' words to increase appeal

Starving Crowd as the Ultimate Business Advantage

A starving crowd is the most valuable business advantage you can have

Five-Part Elevator Pitch Formula Broken Down Step by Step

Use a 5-part formula: Start with 'I help' plus your specific prospect, add 'who' plus their specific problem, state the specific result you deliver, include a convenience factor that addresses their fears, and end with an engagement question that draws them in without pointing fingers.

Use Specific Numbers to Make Your Story Results Credible

Focus on specific, measurable results you got when your insight started working. Use concrete numbers and before/after comparisons. For example, 'lost 27 pounds in 90 days with before and after pictures' or 'went from zero calls to dozens of calls with one ad change.'

Specific Elevator Pitch — 20 Pounds, 90 Days, No Starvation

Be extremely specific about who you help, their exact problem, and the precise result you deliver. Include specific timeframes, amounts, and convenience factors. For example, specify '20 pounds in 90 days without starvation diets' rather than just 'weight loss help.'

Generalities Don't Persuade: Target Specific Prospects

Because you're talking to everyone instead of specific prospects. If you don't know who your prospect is and haven't built a clear picture of them, you'll use generalities that don't move people. Specificity and targeting are essential for persuasive communication.

Write About the Problem Consuming Their Attention Right Now

Focus on the specific problem your client is currently experiencing that has captured their attention, rather than promoting your credentials. Write about their urgent challenge, like weight loss or business struggles, because they can't stop thinking about it.

Pain Plus Urgency Formula for Premium Pricing

The pain plus urgency formula identifies where prospects experience both significant pain and time pressure, then determines the specific result they believe will solve their problem. When pain is acute and urgent, people will pay 2-10 times more for solutions.

Why Entrepreneurs Fall in Love With Product and Miss the Market

Most entrepreneurs fail because they fall in love with their product and try to sell it without testing if anyone actually wants it. They focus on product creation instead of marketing and can spend years trying to sell something the market doesn't desire.

Ask About Fears and Aspirations, Not Product Features

Look for prospects where they're actively searching for solutions: forums, discussion groups, blogs, search engines, and special interest websites. Focus on people who have already identified they have a problem rather than targeting the general public.

The Three-Question Niche Test for Profitable Markets

Use Eben Pagan's 3-question niche test: Is your customer experiencing pain/urgency or irrational passion? Are they proactively looking for solutions? Do they have few or no perceived options? You need three 'yes' answers to have a niche worth testing.

Target Emotionally Charged Prospects Who Recognize Your Solution

When you target emotionally charged prospects who recognize your solution as exactly what they think they need. Focus on specific, tangible outcomes rather than abstract concepts, and present solutions that address their desperate situations directly.

The Three Components of the Niche Test

Most people don't invest enough time in niche selection, often quitting after just thinking about it for five minutes. They also start with what they want to teach instead of identifying emotional needs and unmet desires in the market.

Survey Audience Frustrations Before Building What You Want to Teach

Use informal surveys and audience feedback during programs. Ask specific questions about their businesses and frustrations. Start with unmet needs and build around them, not what you feel like teaching or what customers should know.

Focus on Concrete Outcomes Judges Could Verify

No, focus on tangible, concrete outcomes your customers can visualize. Instead of abstract concepts like 'love' or 'security,' address specific real-world results that judges standing around could verify actually happened.

Concentrate All Expertise on the Customer's Key Moments

Don't disperse your knowledge across everything. Instead, take all your expertise and focus it intensely on the few specific moments that mean everything to your customers, even if they seem trivial to you as an expert.

Use Affiliate Marketing to Test Your Niche Before Creating Products

Use affiliate marketing to test your niche. Join Amazon's affiliate program or similar programs to see if you can sell existing products in your chosen market. This proves demand before you create your own products.

Right Market and Right People Make Everything Else Easy

Get the market right and get the people right, then test everything extensively and scale what works. When you nail the market, marketing becomes easy. When you get the right people, they create the systems for you.

Position Yourself in an Emerging Niche Before It Gets Crowded

Look at where your industry is heading in 10 years and position yourself as the expert in that emerging niche. Create content, get education, and build a reputation in that specific area before it becomes crowded.

Find Groups With Unmet Needs, Then Create the Solution

Listen to what your current customers are asking for rather than guessing at market needs. Survey your existing audience about their biggest challenges and frustrations to discover natural business extensions.

Mine High-Interest Topics Deeply Instead of Covering Everything

No, focus on the topics that generate the most audience interest rather than covering everything you know. Value tends to cluster in specific places, so when you find a high-interest topic, mine it deeply.

Use Google Search Tools to Test Market Demand for Free

Use Google's free search tools to see how many people are searching for your topic. Search marketing and search engine marketing are among the greatest tools ever developed for market testing and research.

Narrow to High-Value Pain Points — Not Everything You Know

Focus on specific customer pain points rather than trying to teach everything you know. Find 5-10 high-value needs with emotional urgency, then apply all your expertise to solving those exact problems.

Look for Problems Causing Pain and Urgency Not General Concerns

Look for problems causing pain and urgency - specific situations where getting the solution would feel like it solves everything else. Focus on tangible, immediate issues rather than general concerns.

Build a Customer Avatar With Four Core Categories

Fill in one thing for each category: fears/frustrations/pain/urgency, wants/aspirations, common experiences, and irrational fears/fantasies. Then name and describe your avatar with specific details.

Focus Your Morning Hours on Highest-Leverage Opportunities

Change from general messaging to specific, results-focused headlines that speak directly to your ideal client's main problem and desired outcome. Include concrete numbers and transformation stories.

Elevator Pitch Formula — Problem, Result, Convenience, Question

Focus on your prospect's problem and desired result, not your title. Use Eben Pagan's formula: describe who you help, their specific challenge, the result you deliver, how convenient it is, and ask an engaging question. Wordsmith every word to be crystal clear and compelling.

Interview Customers to Build Products They Actually Want

Interview customers to understand their specific needs, then create custom-tailored solutions that address exactly what they're looking for. Don't create products based on what you want to teach.

One Person, One Problem, One Result: The Focused Messaging Formula

Focus on one specific type of person with one primary problem, then lead with concrete results rather than general promises. This creates clear messaging that resonates with your ideal clients.

Narrow Your Niche to Capture More of the Market

You should narrow your niche. Counterintuitively, narrowing your focus actually captures more market than trying to appeal to everyone. When you talk to everyone, you're talking to no one.

Write Specific Benefit Statements That Promise Concrete Results

Write specific benefit statements promising concrete results they'll learn when they opt in. Focus on particular outcomes rather than vague promises, like 'the best substitute for sugar that actually tastes sweeter than sugar' rather than general health benefits.

Winning Beforehand Through Proper Niche Selection

Eben emphasizes you must 'win beforehand' with proper niche selection because it's very hard to compensate for a poor niche choice later, no matter how good your marketing is.

20 Percent Focus Produces 80 Percent of Niche Results

Focus on the 20% of your niche that generates 80% of the results. This makes your communication more targeted and helps prospects feel like you're speaking directly to them.

Every Sizable Market Has Unmet Needs Waiting to Be Found

In any sizable marketplace, I have an irrational belief that there is a large group of people that have a problem, a frustration, pain, a desire, a need, a passion that is not being addressed by all of the companies, products, and options that they are aware of.

Niches Are Needs — The Specific Problem, Not the Group

Niches are needs. Your niche isn't the group of people you'd like to sell stuff to or that you hope buy your things. Your niche is the specific need that that group of people has.

Pain and Urgency as the Core of Persuasion

Focus here on pain and urgency. And there's a lot of focus on I've got this obstacle that I've run into, and if I don't solve this thing, I can't go on with my life.

Focusing Like a Laser to Communicate Benefits and Results

This is the time when you need to take everything that you've learned and focus it like a laser beam to communicate the benefits and the results that you offer

Humans Want to Stop the Toothache, Not Prevent It

the way that humans work is that they want to stop a toothache they want to end the pounding in their head because their tooth already decayed

Narrow the Coaching Niche Until You Exclude Many Potential Clients

when you target a successful coaching Niche the key is actually to narrow it down to the point where you're excluding many potential clients

No Niche Leaves You Paralyzed and Clientless

you literally can't take a step in any direction okay you feel stopped you feel blocked and you can't get clients right you feel paralyzed

Your Niche Must Target Clients Who Pay High Fees

you need one that is targeted only to those clients who can afford to pay you high fees and invest in your high ticket coaching package

Focus Where People Have Pain Urgency and Huge Emotion

if you want to create money you want to focus on problems Focus where people have pain urgency huge emotion around something

Start Small and Evolve Through Niche Targeting

the power of starting small, evolving by understanding audience needs, and the crucial importance of niche targeting

Pain Is Twice as Powerful a Motivator as Pleasure

The problem or fear or pain aspect of what you sell is likely twice as important as the pleasure aspect

Getting Your Niche Right Beats Good Marketing

If you don't get your niche right, it's very hard to make up for it later with good marketing.

Never Sell Prevention of Something

you don't want to sell the prevention of something