The Ten Quick & Easy Ways to Research Your Market

Recent research indicates that a large number of coaches have problems in getting sufficient clients.  From the research it's clear that there are a number of related issues that prevent coaches from filling their practice.

The most common problems are knowing specifically how to go about getting new clients - what strategy or strategies to use, how to reach your target market, how to use the internet and associated technologies to their best effect, and how to balance marketing and delivery.

This article looks at ways for coaches to overcome these problems and get more clients.

1. Discover the best ways to reach your potential clients

There are several ways that can be used to reach your potential clients.  Many of these are already set up, both online and offline.  Online there are discussion groups, email lists, ezines, article sites and forums.

Offline there are magazines, meeting places, networking groups, special interest groups and exhibitions, to name but a few.

Some will be better than others in reaching your target market.  Which are available, which ones are you drawn to, and which ones best suit your target market?

2. Use those ways regularly

Once you've identified the most useful ways to reach your clients, get used to using them, and use them regularly.  Short, regular contact is much better than long, irregular contact.

3. Do research - ask your clients what they need

There are an increasing number of ways to carry out research on your clients' wants and needs. Offline you can call or email clients and ask what they need. Online you can use http://www.askdatabase.com or http://www.surveymonkey.com  .

4. Write articles & distribute to article directories

Research article directories and find out how they work.  Write some articles in your area of expertise - things your target market want to know.  Select the ones that you like and try them out.

5. Publish your research - give away or sell

You can publish your research into clients' needs and wants on your website or blog. Or you can sell it, or both. Prior to doing this, have a strategy. And remember, it's the solutions to the problems that is of most use to your clients.

6. Create information products & generate a list

Create a marketing strategy based around information products that are relevant to your market.  Resources that can help you are available from Jo Losack, the Product Coach, who produces material to help coaches via  http://www.themagicofknowledge.com .  And Andrea Lee has published a book on the Multiple Streams of Coaching Income.

7. Give talks in public

Find where your target market meet offline, and find an opportunities to give talks to them. Focus on the problems that they have told you about - establish what pain this causes and create a talk about the problems and solutions.

8. Generate PR - write articles & send to papers

Use your research to identify likely topics that your target market will value.  Write articles and distribute them to the press that your target market read.  Use a similar approach online via article directories.

9. Join associations

What are the associations that are relevant to your target market and niche?  Search for them online and join them. Then go to their offline meetings. 

Offer to present to them on a problem that the target market experiences.  Join their management committee - get involved and get seen.

10. Get referrals

Ask your existing clients for referrals.  There are many referral systems out there - check out Jay Abrahams' methods. In addition, there are 'tell-a-friend' forms available on the internet that can increase the size of your mailing list.  Whatever referral mechanisms you use, get them systematised.

Conclusion

In this article we have outlined a number of online and offline approaches for gaining more clients.  Those coaches who identify which strategies are most effective for them to reach their target market and who apply these strategies consistently will be effective in gaining new clients.