by Michael Baker, Director of Outreach for CCNI
One of the hardest things to accomplish as a new coach is to figure out your niche. Personally, I have vacillated between five different target markets and….. no, wait…… it’s four. One I considered twice before moving on to the next potential opportunity. Anyway, after two years of not having a niche, target market, or client avatar, I realized the real problem was myself.
I had spent too much time comparing myself to other coaches, heavy with impostor syndrome and star-struck by all the courses and masterminds that could build my business beyond expectations. Not that those masterminds don’t work. I’m sure they worked for the authors, and if you are in the right position and mindset to make those ideas work, then great things will happen. Money well spent.
Notice I said, ‘right position and mindset.’ What I mean is this- are you fully prepared to take on your calling to coach? Will coaching be a side business or a full-time job? Yes, coaching is a business. Your calling from God can be a business and He wants you to succeed at it. Trust me on this, or decide on your own, but if you feel more negative than positive about running a business you may want to pray for guidance on that.
Will coaching be a necessary source of income? That thought carries a great deal of pressure. It could paralyze decision-making. Will being coached help with this? CCNI has a Point of Need coaching program that would be of tremendous value. Check it out. But to my point, your financial situation is a critical consideration.
Will your coaching be an extension of your current work? In other words, are you a counselor or church pastor? Would coaching people forward in their lives be any different from helping people deal with their trials and tribulations? I can’t answer that, but you can. Coaching is a hot topic right now, but is it really your passion? Be who you are, and follow your heart, not the crowd.
And here is my point to this article. The answers you seek are not external. They do not come from a course or mastermind. They do not come from watching someone else’s success. Your answers are within you. Go deeper into yourself, who you are and why God has you on this Earth. Then, if you do this work and resolve your internal questions you may just find your niche. May God expand your territory……. and keep you safe from harm.
Know You Strengths • Act With Purpose • Live In Abundance
MEMBERS – you can watch a replay of Michael’s presentation on Honing in Your Niche. Log into the website at christiancoaches.com. From there go to RESOURCES and BUSINESS BUILDING, START UP, MARKETING. You will see it listed with many other educational sessions.
