Get Out of Competition Zone!

There are plenty of people operating in every successful niche today, some are more successful than others, while one or two emerge as the obvious leaders in the market segment. If your niche is any good, it's true for you, too.

However, there are many experts and coaching entrepreneurs who get too concerned about competition. So what that there are other experts selling similar products? So what that there are other coaching programs and courses out there?

You need to share your story, stand on your own, and others who relate to your story will naturally become attracted to you. Become a leader in your niche by "tooting" your own horn - you tried, you succeeded, now tell your story. You don't need to convince anyone in anything, your strategies worked for you, that's all you want to get out there.

Instead of "how YOU can do it" lead with "how I did it!" or "how I am going to do it, will you join me?"

It's easy to feel trampled by competition when you're right in the midst of it - get out of competition, build your own fan base, and they'll come to you. I've had this happen to me years ago, now they're all buying my products, wanting to JV with me.

If you are right smack in the middle of competition (e.g. via message boards, networking, etc.) it can paralyze you, take your confidence away, and basically make you want to quit. Don't! There are many segments of the market you probably haven't even tapped into because you've been so pre-occupied with competition.

The beauty of being an entrepreneur and an expert in your market is that you're unique, you have your own set of experiences and paths you took to success. Lead with it, and your fan base will follow and buy everything you sell!

A Mailing List is Not a Niche..

You network, speak, write, collect business cards... Eventually, you end up with a list of people you can enter into your database - great!

You decide to send out an announcement about your new program or product, but the results are simply dissappointing -- no sign-ups. What's wrong? Is it your product? Is it your announcement? Is it you?

The answer is in your mailing list. To make your list respond to your announcement, they need to share common problems and goals. They need to belong to the same group of people, target audience, a niche.

Unfortunately, most of these people have only one thing in common--they know you. No wonder no one "jumps" on the opportunity to buy.

So what do you do with a list you built from dozens of different sources?

You survey!

Find out what they have in common, what their biggest problem is, and what do they most want to know. Then offer it to them in a form of a coaching program or product. (Be sure to give them a way to leave your list, or they'll be sorry they ever met you :) People who need to be on your list will stay.)

Next time you send something out to your mailing list of 500 people, and don't get a single sale, think about what attracted these people to you in the first place. Your business card? Your new program? Or just a free cup of coffee?

The only way to get great results from an announcement to your database is to announce something the majority of them care about. Since a mailing list is not a niche, your goal is to survey and filter it.

I explain what coaching niche really means here.

You know for sure your mailing list is a niche when all people came to you through the same method - by requesting a special report from your web site, by hearing you speak at a specific seminar, by purchasing a specific product from you...Keep these lists separately, segment everyone on your list! When the time comes to e-mail your product announcement, you'll be able to choose which sub-list will be most interested in it. And the results will show!
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