Hi Bette,

Would you mind sharing who your marketing coach is? You were right on the money saying that it can take another person to point out your ideal niche and I feel that I need an outside perspective to help me nail down my perfect space in the B2B world. Thanks so much.

Hi Hazel,

Today I’m interviewing Steve Slaunwhite on 7 ways to identify and find clients. His strategies work even when you have no current network to draw from.

In addition, this interview I did with Pam Foster is very helpful in choosing a niche and finding clients in that niche. https://b2bwritersinternational.com/2014/06/niche-niche/

So I took in those words and started reworking my site content (which I was already mid-way through, BTW.) It gave me a different perspective to think about my customers and how I help them.

But if I hadn’t been already looking at pivoting slightly my business, I never would have found this great perspective and the new words that are helping me re-frame how I help my customers.

Of course, it took me a few days to stop using the SAME words as these competitors and apply it to my own voice and business. Plus another few days to get over the annoyance of having to rework content I’d already spent time and effort on. (Don’t discount those feelings, but don’t let them take over!)

Now I’m almost finished the new content in the new perspective and voice and am hoping to relaunch my site shortly.

Good work Derek! You’ve exemplified exactly what I was talking about in my response to Bette. After working with customers for a while, you’ll notice a trend that will help you pivot your business better. It might be an industry or market vertical you can service better, or a content type/work product that suits your personality and business life better.

Good luck with things Derek!

Yes you’re quite right Bette! We’re often so close to it that outside perspective can be helpful. As Steve mentioned, it may be staring you in the face!

That said, the outside perspective can help you frame the niche for consumption so that you’re able to sell it as a niche and develop products and services for it.

In my early days I tried to go down into technology niches but I found that it wasn’t working for me. It was hard to craft my products and services for those niches so I went up to “general” technology. Now that I’ve been doing it for a few years, I’m able to look at the types of customers I’ve been working with and have noticed a pattern that was a niche I hadn’t thought about before. And I’m able to pivot my marketing to that new niche that’s been there all along.

It’s worth re-evaluating your niche periodically like I did to see if there’s a new way to frame your work and marketing.

Good luck!
Jb

After working in manufacturing for many boring years, finding my niche was a struggle. Starting out as a Tool & Die Maker, I eventually ended up selling enterprise software. Then as a B2B copywriter I suddenly landed a software company whose niche is manufacturing – and I came to a realization.

If these two niches were leveraged off each other, it could give me credibility for gaining more clients in both. And since my new software client has 1400 manufacturing customers, it could result in referrals. Now I’m dreaming up a co-marketing opportunity with a manufacturing industry association.

Very helpful insight Bette. Thanks for sharing!

I consulted my marketing coach for clarity. I described the characteristics of my perfect client without mentioning anything about industry. We went over everything I have ever done, learned, and thought about. After working 25 – 30 years in health insurance, the thought of working the insurance niche did not bring a lot of joy and wonderment to my future plans.

I had also worked with computers and as a medical transcriptionist for several years.

My coach asked me a question that helped get on the right path. She asked, “how is your medical terminology?” Well, after taking so many classes and working in the above industries, I told her it was excellent.

My coach described my perfect niche, B2B medical technology (IT) and medical devices. The more I looked into it the more I like the idea. I felt more comfortable with his niche than the ones I had previously come up with on my own.

I set up some Google alerts for companies and innovations in that field and now have a list of companies to approach.

Sometimes, you need help to make niche decisions. Don’t be afraid to reach out.