How to Narrow Your Niche to Reach Even More Clients

By BNI & Referral Institute - Jul 29 , 2008

By Lori Chance

If you do any kind of networking or promotion for your writing services or book, you’ve probably heard at least one person say, “I’m look for anyone who _______ (fill in the blank).” When you hear this, does it paint a picture for you of who their ideal client might be? Not usually. And yet, we’ve all done it.

We’re afraid to ask for what we most want because we don’t want to leave any possibility out. And yet, we filter automatically. Just walk down the street when you go to get your next coffee, and imagine each person you see to be your next potential client. What do you do? Most likely you’ll start evaluating them based on whether they’re wearing a suit or shorts, whether they’re carrying a lap top or a small child, and maybe even whether they’re male or female. The fact of the matter is that each of us works with a small portion of the endless possibilities of clients available to us, and it’s up to us to make sure we’re asking for the referrals we really want.

Here’s an example of an introduction I heard at a networking group recently:

“At Hal’s Electronics we sell all kinds of electronics. Whatever you need, we’ve got it. Stop by and shop around!”

OK. Not bad. From this I know that he carries electronics. But what kinds? TV’s? Computers? Cell Phones? Maybe all of them. Maybe none of these specific items. I’d also wonder if they were new or used, and if they were used, how well they might work. Hal did another common thing: He was talking to me like a commercial might. Most people love to buy, but they hate being sold. Plus, if I don’t need electronics, I’ve just dismissed his information.

Here’s a second example, a more specific introduction:

“Hi, I’m Jane. I’m a collaborative writer and editor. My client of the week came to me about a month ago because she wanted to write a book, but didn’t know how to get started. She’s a single mom of three kids, so time is a big factor. She started making up stories at night to help her kids fall asleep, and wants to find a way to get them published. I spoke with her for about a half hour, gave her a couple of simple steps to get started, and helped her brainstorm some ways to work within her time constraints. She called me this week to share with me that she’s already completed one story and wants me to edit it for her. It’s a dream come true for her with just a few simple suggestions. So who do you know who has extreme time constraints, and would appreciate a supportive resource? Please share my information and find out if it’s OK for me to call. I’m happy to help.”

Wow. This is much better. It’s a little longer, but it paints a great picture. It tells me that Jane can help a single mom find time to write, and, because I now have a picture, I can make the mental leap to wondering if that busy CEO I spoke with last week who wanted to write a book might be a good client as well. The challenge around time is the same for each person, despite their differences.

It also gives me a built-in testimonial that I can use to help explain what Jane can do and how she works with her clients. And most importantly, it tells me what to do next – find out if it’s OK for her to call. In a very simple, but effective way, Jane just trained me to look for referrals for her. The more she does this, the more referrals she’s going to get and the more those referrals will be exactly what she’s looking for. Plus, because she trained me to know what to look for, I have the ability to identify myself as a client if that makes sense, but there’s no pressure to do so.

When you have the opportunity to give an introduction, make sure your approach is about training, not selling, and remember, the more specific you are the better. Not only will you receive the referrals that are the most ideal for you and your writing career, but you’ll receive more of them.

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Lori Chance is the author of Who Am I, a self-coaching book for women who want something ‘more’ from life but don’t know where to start, and offers affordable life coaching services to women around the world. Lori also mentors both traditional and creative professionals in BNI, the world’s largest referral organization. To learn more about Lori, visit www.LoriChance.com.