People want to work with the expert. If you run a general practice or are a door lawyer, then you are NOT an expert. It also means that you’re spending time doing things you don’t particularly enjoy doing just to keep business coming through the door. (We also realize you can’t explicitly call yourself an expert, but there are ways around that.)
However, if you’re reading this article, we’re going to assume that it means you’re ready to drop the dead weight and really pursue your passion. Here’s how to do it.
1. Figure out your true passion (and make sure there’s a need!)
You can’t niche down unless you truly know what it is you want to focus on. This could be a practice area or just a certain type of client or business you want to work with. Whatever it is, make sure you can answer these two questions:
- What do I truly enjoy doing? (Or, what am I really good at?)
- Are there enough people who need my specialized skills?
2. Adjust your marketing accordingly
When you niche down, you can concentrate your marketing message on your specialty and narrow your target on those people who need that specific kind of help. In doing so, you actually end up eliminating your competition.
Think about it like this: If you practice family law, estate planning, and criminal defense, niching down to just being a family lawyer eliminates the other firms in your area practicing estate planning and criminal defense because you’re no longer competing with them for clients.
3. Shore up your referral network
Eliminating service offerings from your firm won’t be an overnight change. People may still come to you looking for help in areas you no longer provide. Resist the urge to just take care of it and instead refer that work over to another firm. Remember: you made a choice to drop certain practice areas because you didn’t enjoy them, so resolve to stop taking any other type of case that isn’t your specified niche.
Niching down is a big step and one that can be scary. But when you stick to it and concentrate your marketing message to make sure people know what your expertise is and how you can help, it will elevate your status in your community as THE expert. From there, the possibilities are endless.
Need help with the marketing side of things? Spotlight Branding can help with that. Contact them today to learn more.