When you have lots of interests, It seems impossible to focus on just one thing. Multi-passionate people are in a never-ending quest for growth and learning.
We are very curious -yep, that’s also me- so we keep adding more and more techniques to our toolbox, right?
So when we finally take our business seriously, like in “ -Hey, Now I really need to make money with this”, one of the first pieces of advice we encounter is to niche down.
And it sounds sooooo restrictive!
As if they are asking us to close down our possibilities, to limit the excitement and the fun, or as if we were asked to leave a loved child behind.
Ouch!
After going through a niching process myself I’ve found it doesn’t have to be like that.
Let me show you how to feel good about it,
…and still do everything you love.
3 Misconceptions about what niching down really means
These three reframes will help you feel so much better about finding your business focus, a.k.a. your niche:
1) Choosing a niche is about becoming an expert (and loving what you do)
I was talking to a friend who has a two-year-old daughter.
“-Before having this baby, I could have loved any child, but now I love her. I’m glad SHE is my daughter.”
Having a child. Talk about commitment here.
With a huge lesson, too:
There is a deeper level of love that can only be experienced in a long term relationship. And there is a certain level of depth and expertise that can only be achieved if you commit to one business idea…
…at least for a certain period of time.
Reframe #1:
Make a temporary commitment to a topic you love.
Become known as the expert on that topic. It will open many doors once you decide to move to a different topic.
2) Choosing a niche is about being remembered (and still do many different things)
As I learned in my Depth Psychology training, Mental energy is a limited resource -thanks Pierre Janet- which means we have a limited capacity to remember facts.
Let me say it again.
We only have so much bandwidth to remember things.
And we tend to remember:
- What is relevant to us, something related to our current problems. And
- What we can easily understand.
And the easiest is, drumroll please: Be known. For. Just. One.Thing.
All experts do that.
Who comes to mind as…
…The expert on Vulnerability? Brené Brown.
…The Product Launch guy? Jeff Walker
…the best sci-fi book of all times? … That one is difficult!
See? Because for a sci-fi geek like me, there isn’t just one. (Please, indulge my little joke here. But I think you get my point.)
Reframe # 2:
Be known for one thing.
And rest assured you won’t be doing just that one thing. Once you’ve worked with people on one thing, they will ask you for help with other issues.
3) Choosing a niche is about being heard (and still do what you love)
Niching means you stop talking about what you do, like in: “-I do Reiki, EFT tapping, and sound healing”- and start talking about the problem you solve.
Which is truly what your ideal clients are interested in. (Hence, why they will pay attention)
You still can do many of the things you love to do…
… as long as you put them in service to the specific result you provide for your clients.
Tip: explain that clearly in your message.
Reframe #3:
When you shift your message from what-you-do to what-they-want, the people who need your help will listen.
When you get this, you understand that niching down it’s not only possible but very beneficial to you and your clients.
Here you have a recap:
- -By focusing on one thing, you can become known and remembered for it.
- -You become an expert on the topic by going deep into it.
- -And you’ll enjoy a sense of fulfillment that only those who committed to their work can experience.
Niching down isn’t so bad after all, don’t you agree?
If you need some figuring out your business focus, I encourage you to download my FREE ebook: “Find Your Path, 21 ways to discover your business niche”. …