An important part of becoming an IT specialist is finding the appropriate niche. So how do you develop your niche?
The Horizontal Niche
A horizontal niche is the opposite of a vertical niche in which your target clients are all in the same industry. With a horizontal niche, you might find most of your clients’ main contacts have a specific position, such as office manager. If you find this is the case, take a casual survey and ask clients about their most critical IT issues, their biggest business problems and then think about how you can be a solution as an IT specialist.
This practice of getting to the heart of your clients’ biggest concerns will help you with retention, but also will help you create a good marketing pitch that will help you find clients just like your current one. Look for mailing lists, organizations, magazines and other places where you can find office managers.
What Should IT Specialists Know?
To get the most effective marketing plan, you should ask the following questions of your targets:
1. Who are your targets?
2. What do your targets read?
3. Which trade publications and ezines exist?
4. Which newsletters to your targets read?
5. Which local, regional and other conferences do your targets attend?
6. Which trade groups have local chapters for these types of business owners?
7. Where do your targets frequent?
8. What do your targets talk about?
9. What are your targets’ biggest worries and concerns?
If you want to be like other successful IT specialists, talk to your targets, prospects and clients and get to the heart of who they are and what they need. Then you can replicate your best clients and get the most out of your business.
You probably already have personal relationships with some of your clients. Take them out to breakfast or lunch and ask them questions. Tell them you want to be an IT specialist and find out how you can help them.
The Main Idea About Being an IT Specialist
If you want to get the best clients in a horizontal niche, find out as much as you can about their jobs so you can distinguish yourself as an IT specialist.
Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg
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