The reason niche is SOOOOOO important is because you have to trust that only some people (and not EVERYONE) needs you. This is hard for people to do, and they make the mistake of being GENERIC in their branding and in their marketing approach. Bad bad bad!

There’s an entire universe out there of people with varying needs. This is way it looks like for them: “Blah blah blah, WOW, there’s something interesting. Let me take a look! WOW, this person really gets me, I wonder what else she has up her sleeve. WOW, she lives nearby and she’s offering her services in a workshop in just one week. WOW, where’s my credit card, I have to be there!”

In other words, you need to know who your neediest client is and target your message to them so that they see it. Like a ticker tape, your CODE and your LETTERS and YOUR WORDS stand out to them above all others.

See what I mean?

So, who do you help, and why should they care?

Here’s another way to think about it: If your client wakes up, and looks to the foot of the bed, what’s the first thing on her mind? What does her day look like? What things is she likely to be doing that day, or on any given day?

Now, how does YOUR solution fit in to this picture? What 3 problems can you identify that SHE HAS and what 3 ways does your SERVICE or PRODUCT solve her problems?

It doesn’t hurt to think of your ‘elevator pitch’ at the same time you write a paragraph describing your ideal client. Your elevator pitch is simply a one-word sentence that describes who you help. The formula goes like this:

I help people who __________________, and who want to _____________________ (or who feel ____________________, or who are unhappy about ____________________,) do _________________!

For example, my elevator pitch goes like this:

Hi, my name is Jillian J. Davis, and I help people who hate their job, wake up to work they LOVE.

And here’s how I’d describe my ideal client: She is extremely talented, sensitive, interested and interesting, but can’t seem to find work that she likes. She’s tried everything, and still, she hates her job, commuting, and feeling uninspired. She is aged 25-55 and she typically loves friends, family, exercise, fashion, spirituality, and growth. She just needs a way to discover her passion, and profit from it. She can be found anywhere one finds engaged,busy, interesting woman are found – salons, malls, gyms, book readings, bikram yoga classes, taking their kids to the library, and driving her kids back to college on Sunday a night.

I carved my niche by understanding who I most naturally relate to (adult women on the verge), and by thinking about what I want to communicate in this world before I die (be adventurous, original, and live your life’s work). Sound like overkill? But this is really what it takes to define your niche and make yourself stand out completely from the crowd.

Otherwise, you come across like old milk: Boring, tasteless, and easy to overlook.

Think of it this way: If you wanted to get married, you’d date a lot of men. But you only need one man, and you’re only going to choose the won whose mojo, essence, habits, heart, and story grabs you within a few minutes of meeting him.

This is how your audience and niche is going to react to YOU, too. They are going to get very excited when they realize you’re THE ONE to help them with their PROBLEM.

Think carefully about who wants to receive what you have, and tailor all your products and services to him/her.

What are you waiting for? Write that elevator pitch and describe your ideal client and put this on a flash card right over your desk and think of this person as you create your standout brochure or market your next event.

Jillian J. Davis helps people define their life’s work and live it. You can find her blog and more about who she helps atwww.jillianjdavis.com.