Narrow Your Niche to Win More Work as a Solopreneur

By Liz Steblay, PICA Chief Advocate

Many solopreneurs make the mistake of marketing themselves as a jack-of-all-trades. They think that putting themselves out there with a variety of services and expertise means they'll be hired for more work. The exact opposite is true.

I've mentored and represented hundreds of independent consultants and repeatedly I see those with a well-defined niche win more work. Because they're experts in their field, their name immediately comes to mind when a specific phrase, problem, or business need pops up. Being memorable generates referrals and credibility. This is why you want to be "The Person" to talk to for a given situation.

Think of it from your potential client's perspective. If someone is going to spend tens of thousands of dollars, they want to hire an expert, not someone who has "done something sort of like it," or "done it once or twice," or who may be able to help them. They want to hire a specialist and you want to be that person.

Examples

Several years ago, my agency represented a highly talented professional with over 20 years of experience even though he positioned himself as a jack-of-all-trades. Here is a snippet from his resumé:

Professional Summary and Services

Jack Tradesmith is a senior consultant with professional experience in organization development and change, leadership and organizational communications, and coaching, as well as internal and external corporate communications, including global marketing initiatives. Working within the intersection between these disciplines, Jack emphasizes leadership development, inter-cultural business communication, employee engagement, and customer focus.

This is not a service offering; this is a laundry list of skills. What is his “sweet spot”? What is he really good at? What problems or challenges can he solve? It was hard to recommend him to clients because we couldn't say with conviction, "You need to talk with Jack Tradesmith because he's the expert at leadership development."

Conversely, I know dozens of in-demand consultants who easily pop to mind when a client describes a particular problem. They have a defined niche that makes them easy to remember. More importantly, prospective clients recognize the consultant's vocation by simply skimming their LinkedIn profile or resumé. Examples:

A "sweet spot" is where a combination of factors results in a maximum response for a given amount of effort. In tennis, a given swing will result in a more powerful hit if the ball strikes the racquet in the player's sweet spot.

Turnaround leader who gets results at distressed middle market companies
Leadership and team effectiveness expert, moving your hybrid and virtual teams from surviving to thriving
Organization design consultant guiding senior leaders to develop organizations with impact
HR expert helping organizations implement/improve shared services models
Rheumatologist bringing autoimmune insights from bench to bedside

Do these consultants have other key skills like analysis, project management, and coaching? Absolutely, but that’s not what makes them unique.

The tricky part is narrowing your niche. It needs to be something you do exceptionally well, something you enjoy doing, and something that clients will want to hire you to do. You may be an expert at underwater basket weaving but it's unlikely anyone is going to pay you to do it.

Pinpointing your niche is hard. It takes introspection and iteration, and often help from other people. Here are three exercises to get you started.

Exercise #1: Reflection.

Start by jotting down your answers to these questions.

What am I good at?
What do I enjoy doing?
What problems or challenges do I know how to solve?
When do people ask for my help or advice?
In what situations have I made a difference, or can I make a difference?
On which past projects or jobs was I at my best?
What am I known for? What do I want to be known for?
What experience do I have that others can't replicate?
What knowledge or abilities distinguish me from my colleagues?

Exercise #2: Study Your Work History.

(Download a worksheet here.)

First, list all the projects or assignments you’ve worked on in the last several years. If you were a full-time employee at a company, think about special projects or task forces, either as a team member or subject matter expert. Next, answer these questions for each project:

What was the project about? What problem was being solved? What solution was created or implemented?
What was the industry?
Who was the client? For example, Fortune 500 or middle market?
Who was impacted? An individual, team, departments, or the whole company?
Were you involved with the strategy, planning, implementation, or all of the above?
What expertise did you provide? What questions did you help to answer? How did you contribute?

After quickly listing all the information, look for trends. This will point you in the right direction. Then ask yourself, “On which of these projects or assignments did I feel like I was at my best? Why?”

Exercise #3: Get Input from Colleagues.

To start, make a list of about 10 people who you’ve worked closely in the last few years. Then send them an email to get their input and see how they perceive you. Adapt the email below to your situation. Once you have at least five results, look at all their responses and mark recurring themes.

Suggested subject line: Asking for your help (should take about 3 minutes)

Hi Joe,

I'm exploring the idea of becoming an independent consultant. I’m quite excited about this but my near-term challenge is to succinctly summarize my services and expertise. Since we worked together on the XYZ Initiative, I’d really appreciate it if you’d complete these two statements for me, thinking specifically about my work on that project.

I think the project really benefitted from your contribution to the…
I think you are particularly good at…

Thanks, Joe. If you could send me a reply by end of day Friday, that would be great.

Best regards,

These three exercises will help you identify your particular sweet spot. Then use these insights to craft your tagline - a short phrase to use everywhere to solidify your name in that niche.

Don’t fall prey to the jack-of-all-trades myth! When you have a specific area of expertise, it’s easier for people to remember you, refer you to their colleagues, and of course, hire you.

Related Resource:

Tip: Write your elevator pitch on a sticky note and put it on the sun visor of your car. Then practice it out loud a few times a day until you no longer have to look at the note. It also helps to imagine yourself at an event where someone asks, "So what do you do?"