Oh how we love to please! When I was new to my coaching business (2001) I was so excited to be using my skills to help people in their lives that when someone asked me “what do you do?” I found myself giving them a whole list of services I could provide. What a mistake I was making! I would overwhelm and confuse them with my answer.

As a woman with a background in career counseling, I told them I help people going through transitions to find employment. And, as a woman who had gone through a difficult divorce, remarried and become a stepmother, I told them that I could help with relationship issues…but wait, there was more! My spirituality was important to me, and I told them I help people with their spiritual connection. Too much, too broad meant “bye bye” potential client.

Was I able to provide all those services as a Life Coach? Absolutely. Was I great at doing every one of them? Not really. These were the areas that I was interested in coaching others, but they weren’t really the areas where others saw my strengths.

It’s much more engaging if you can tell your prospect about an area of expertise. That differentiation will allow you to be remembered, to stand out of the crowd, to have your clients connecting with you because you can solve their problems and they will trust you because of your specialty, not because you are a generalist.

Over the years, my business has morphed and I have evolved to be a specialist in teaching women entrepreneurs how to market and brand their businesses effectively to grow their income and have less stress. Now that I have a specialty, I can tailor my marketing materials to that specialty, making it easy to attract my ideal client.

Here are five ways to make you and your business stand out of the crowd.

1)  Get crystal clear on your ideal client. Who is it that you would absolutely love to work with? Yes, you can work with just about anyone, but preview your past clients and take a look at the commonalities of their demographics. Do they share a certain gender, income level, level of education? Do they have a similar background, similar issues that they’re dealing with? By studying your previous clients you can get a strong sense of the type of person who comes to you for help.

2)  Take a good look at your specialties in the area of expertise, including your passions and the hurdles you personally have overcome. Generally, we attract people who need our services because of some special skill and innate talent we have. Something I had to accomplish going through my divorce was learning assertiveness skills, and many of my customers also need that skill. I’ve also had to learn how to be a confident public speaker, and people often come to me to increase their confidence and be more comfortable speaking in front of others so they can market their business through speaking. What is it you have that emanates from you and is attractive to people?

3)  Review your products and services to see if they reflect your ideal client, and gives them the solutions they are seeking. Have a hierarchy of your products and services that range from a low to a high price point, and be sure they relate to one another to stay true to your brand. This way you stand out as an expert in your field and can charge what you are worth in a way that feels truly authentic.

4)  Learn everything you can about your specialty and incorporate your branding message in all your marketing materials (website, email signature, social media profiles, brochures, etc) using specific words and feelings that evoke a sense of who you are. That way it’s clear for people who pick up your marketing materials or view your website to see exactly who you work with and how you help them. Not everyone will connect with you, but that’s OK. Get over the feeling of trying to be everything to all people; that is a mindset that will hold you back and keep you in a place of mediocrity. Every marketing piece should be leading your clients to an action plan to connect with you so you can build a trusting relationship.

5)  Keep top of mind your specialty and what makes you different from your competitors and communicate it when you meet others and network in person so it is super easy for people to understand and “get” who you are and what you do. Review your elevator speech and sales dialogue to see if you are communicating effectively about the type of customer you help and the problems you solve for them.

When you remember that specialization is part of branding yourself as an expert, you’ll attract more clients coming to you for the exact talents and strengths where you shine. It will make it easier to run your business in many ways, and isn’t that what you long for?

Use these 5 tips and get ready for ease, the financial stability of a regular client base and work that you absolutely love to do. Please share with me (and my readers!) what area of specialty you are in…the more you claim it and get it out into the world, the more your perfect client will be your perfect fit.