| A niche market is a group of people with common | | | | a niche or maybe a few niches and get to know |
| characteristics, issues and concerns. | | | | them well. You will research their felt needs and |
| For example, attorneys, couples dealing with infertility, | | | | urgent concerns. You will shape your services to |
| parents of children with ADHD, children whose | | | | meet these needs and develop effective ways of |
| parents divorced and career women over 40 are all | | | | communicating to your niche. |
| potential niches. | | | | Do some market research. What are the felt needs |
| Defining your services and target groups are an | | | | and issues that appear to be of urgent concern to |
| important step in effective marketing. It is not | | | | people in the target group you plan to serve? Talk to |
| enough to say you are a therapist. "Therapy" is too | | | | and interview a number of people in your target |
| broad and non-specific. | | | | market to find out. Read the newsletters they read. |
| Marketing is simply getting the word out about what | | | | Attend meetings they attend. |
| you do. | | | | Make a list of the kinds of services you have interest |
| Not choosing a target market or markets is like | | | | in providing and what interests and energizes you. |
| trying to get your voice heard over the din of your | | | | Examples: |
| whole community. | | | | - Helping ADHD executives increase productivity |
| You aren't going to be heard. | | | | - Assisting struggling college students to achieve |
| If you want to effectively communicate and get the | | | | better grades |
| word out, you need to know to whom you want to | | | | - Helping singles to have greater success in dating |
| communicate. | | | | relationships. |
| That's the idea behind the exercise of choosing a | | | | The basic idea is to match the felt needs of your |
| niche market. No one can effectively market to | | | | market with solutions that you can offer, based on |
| everyone. | | | | what services command your interest and is within |
| Great marketing goes in depth with a specific target | | | | your capability. You may need to receive some |
| group. Surface attempts to get the attention of the | | | | training if a service is not within your current skill set. |
| masses does not work. | | | | By zeroing in on a specific niche and line of services, |
| Sometimes a niche can be a clinical specialty. | | | | you will develop a competitive advantage over other |
| Specialties attract clients more than a general | | | | providers in your area, due to your specialization. You |
| practice. It will also attract your ideal client - the type | | | | will eventually develop a reputation for the service |
| of client and services you most enjoy in your work. | | | | that will attract referrals to you. |
| Sophisticated consumers today are more likely to | | | | Speaking of competition, there are advantages to |
| seek out a specialist if they can find one. | | | | having services in our line that are not covered by |
| It may take some time and reflection to identify ideal | | | | managed care. Although many people will opt to pay |
| niches for your practice. It may evolve over time. Or | | | | out of pocket for customized, quality services, |
| maybe one day, your niche will jump out at you. | | | | others may not. Examples of services that are not |
| Richard Bolles said, "Your mission is where the world's | | | | covered by managed care include child-custody |
| deepest hunger and your heart's greatest gladness | | | | evaluations and other court-related services, |
| intersect." The same can be said for identifying your | | | | psycho-educational evaluations, business consulting |
| niche. | | | | and coaching business owners or executives. |
| Some questions to stimulate your thinking: | | | | Other examples of specific services include resiliency |
| - Think about your previous clients. What profession | | | | training, co-parenting counseling for divorcing parents, |
| was your most enjoyable client? | | | | divorce recovery groups, marriage enrichment |
| - What characteristic of clients do you tend to | | | | retreats, career counseling for professionals in |
| attract? | | | | transition, court-ordered psychological evaluations, |
| - What similar problems do your clients seem to | | | | forensic consulting in personal injury cases, or a |
| have? | | | | 10-week group for business professionals with ADHD. |
| - What type of situation have you been most | | | | Again, more traditional services, such as |
| effective in? | | | | psychotherapy for anxiety or depression, are fine as |
| - What knowledge and skills have your accumulated? | | | | well. There are effective ways to market these |
| How have you utilized (or underutilized) them in your | | | | services and gather private-pay referrals. I have a |
| work to date? | | | | steady stream of referrals based on my reputation |
| Developing a Service Line | | | | for cognitive therapy of anxiety and depression. If |
| As you define your practice, you will want to select | | | | this applies to you, keep it as a part of the mix. |