Does Your Target Market as a Business Coach Create a Confusing Marketing Message?


by Leanne Hoagland-Smith - Date: 2007-03-04 - Word Count: 408 Share This!

The coaching industry is a dynamic growing sector of the U.S. economy. Some estimate this industry now exceeds $1 billion with a 40% annual growth rate.

Many individuals have established themselves as business coaches or executive coaches. They deliver their 30 second elevator speech at local networking events from chambers to referral organizations. From their strategic plan, their marketing message has been created to reach a specific target market. And suddenly they are securing clients within the target and outside of their markets.

Yet, success bred success. Suddenly they have clients that are outside of their target market. Now their finely crafted message does not apply. How can they end the confusion while still getting referrals from their clients?

First, maybe it is time to return to the strategic plan to look at the industry trends and basic assumptions. Then look at the marketing plan to see exactly what message is delivering the most clients. Determine your client value.

Now look at your other clients and what message brought them to your doorstep. Was it a referral? Was it a need expressed within your message? Are there any commonalities that you can easily replicate between several different target markets? Again determine client value. If you determine one target market is delivering you much higher value per clients and clients are fairly easy to come by, you may wish to stay focused on that market.

However, if the client value is the same, then you may need to create several marketing messages directed to specific target markets. For example, as a business coach, I also work with young people using a student leadership program entitled America's Rising Stars. My marketing message is "save thousands of dollars in college costs by avoiding the 6-year college plan" because college readiness is just a myth. What unites all my marketing messages is that I deliver measurable results while creating sustainable performance improvement.

So, if you are a business coach with more than one target market, then take a piece of paper and divide it into 3 sections. (NOTE: If you have more than 3, you are probably stretching yourself too thin.) List your target market at the top. Next be specific with your demographics. Follow that information with your psycho-graphics. Now list your benefits and after that the results your solutions deliver. Hopefully, you can find at least one shared factor among all groups. Use this shared characteristic to build a common message and end your marketing confusion.


Related Tags: business coach, strategic plan, executive coach, target market, marketing message, student leadership

Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. is a business coach and executive coach with offices in Indianapolis and near Chicago. She writes, speaks and coaches people in businesses to quickly double or triple results through the creation of an executable strategic plan along with the necessary leadership skills "to pull it off."

One quick question, if you could secure one new client or breakthrough that one roadblock holding you back from success, what would that mean to you? Then, take a risk and give me, Leanne, a call at 219.759.5601 to experience incredible results.

Visit http://www.processspecialist.com/ and explore everything from free articles to connecting with Leanne.

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