What is a Niche?
General life coaching can be compared to someone who works as a general surgeon. They can help a broad range of people and, yes, they can help and save lives. But, what happens when someone has a specific problem, such as a problem with their brain or their heart? They go to a brain surgeon or a cardiologist. This type of doctor is highly specialized, highly targeted, and they can make up to 2-4 times as much as a general surgeon. And because this person is so targeted, people come to them.
That’s the value of a niche skill set. You can make more and it’s easier to get clients.
General vs. Niche Coaching
Small Fish in a Big Pond: General coaching focuses on coaching a client on the goal of his or her choosing. As a coach, you help that client identify their goal, create action plans, and hold them accountable as they make progress toward their goal.
Big Fish in a Small Pond: In contrast, a niche coach focuses coaching a client to achieve a specific type of goal. The client comes to the niche coach because they want to achieve THAT goal because they have a specific need they want to fulfill.
The key here is that your niche would be based on a specialized type of knowledge or experience that YOU are uniquely able to address with clients.
For example: A general life coach may have one client who wants to make a career change, another who wants to improve their self-talk to increase their happiness, and a third that wants to establish a workout routine with accountability. A niche coach, instead, would be exclusively focusing on just ONE of these goal areas.
Within each niche or type of coaching there are sub-niches, that focus on an even more specific topic or goal. In another video, we go into greater detail and give more examples of niches and sub-niches. For now, the example to the right illustrates the relationship between niche and general coaching.
Differentiation vs. Niche
If you’re simply looking to differentiate yourself from your competition, then that’s not done by choosing a niche market. Differentiation and niche are two separate marketing steps. You can differentiate (brand) yourself based on:
- your personality
- your processes
- your techniques
- your classes and products
- your background
- your experience
- your skill set & knowledge
- your availability
- your fees
- your style
Differentiation asks, “Why would they buy from ME versus my competition?”
Niche asks, “Where will I find THEM so I can introduce myself?”
Are you ready to discover YOUR purpose-driven life coaching niche?
Read more in this 3 part series: What is Niche Coaching? | The Most Popular Niches | Find Your Tribe of Ideal Clients
Find Your Purpose-Driven Niche Course! Save 50% with discount code BLOG50
Explore the possibilities with 65+ niche life coach certifications! Save 50% with discount code BLOG50
Frequently Asked Questions
What is niche life coaching?
Specializing in a specific topic or audience — like a specialist doctor vs. a general practitioner — so you can serve a particular problem deeply instead of helping everyone with everything.
Why is choosing a niche important for coaches?
Specializing makes you highly targeted and far more appealing to the people you serve, who prefer a specialist for their specific problem.
Is general coaching less effective than niche coaching?
General coaching can help broadly, but a niche lets you stand out, attract ideal clients, and deliver deeper, more relevant results for a specific need.
What's the difference between a niche and differentiation?
Your niche is the specific focus you specialize in; differentiation is how you stand out within that space. Together they define your unique appeal.
How do I find my coaching niche?
Start from a problem you've overcome or expertise you hold, plus the specific people you most want to help — that intersection points to your purpose-driven niche.
