Target Market??

As part of the IIN program there are scheduled “Coaching Calls” once or twice a month where seven
students are paired up with a practicing Health Coach so we can get real-world guidance from an actual practicing Health Coach. It's not a requirement to attend every call and this week I was the only student to call in. It was a great one-on-one session with my Coach.

The topic for this call was Target Markets. My response so far to this idea has been, "Ugh! What?! Do I really need one?! It seems to me that almost everyone needs a Health Coach so why do I need to Target a specific group or market?" The answers to these questions are:

1. Yes, I do indeed need to know what my target market is. 
2. Without one I will be floundering around and not attracting any clients at all. 
3. Not every person who needs a Health Coach will be a good fit for my coaching style.

So, for the past five months I've been struggling to figure out what my target market is. The few ideas even worth writing down didn't resonate with me or get me excited, and when I started thinking about how to market to these groups I completely drew a blank. I was feeling frustrated!

During my call with my Coach she was able to give me seven questions that I can ask myself to help me figure out what my target market is:

1. What types of people are in need of Health Coaching?
2. What types of people do I relate to the most?
3. What am I most passionate about?
4. What do I already know? – What motivates me?
5. Who do I already know?
6. Where do I find these people?
7. How do I create a message directed to these people?

I was surprised to find that after answering these questions, the three target markets I had been struggling with were either not specific enough or were targeting types of people that I don’t actually relate to or agree with. Your target market should be people you relate to and enjoy spending time with, otherwise your clients will drain you of energy and joy and you will not be excited to practice. 

I think this exercise applies to our personal relationships as well. Are the people in your life people you relate to? Are they passionate about the same things you are? Do you enjoy spending time with them?

When I was thinking about my answer to question #3, I realized that the things I am most passionate about are not things that I have been actively engaging in lately. Why is that? Could that be the reason for the nagging feelings of un-fulfillment? Ask yourself this question and think about whether or not you are spending time doing things you love. This is Primary Food and incredibly important!

I haven’t finished working through the seven questions yet and I still don't have a target market, but I now have a way to move forward with choosing one and a new perspective on my life as a whole. Whether or not you are working on your target market, I encourage you to consider and contemplate questions #2 and #3 and think about how it applies to your life as it is right now.

Wishing you fulfillment in your passionate pursuits!