What is your niche?
Many public speakers have a difficult time answering that question. Whether it’s a desire to be more flexible or an inability to find a specific focus, defining your niche can be hard.
This week, The Speaker Lab’s very own Katie Campbell sat down with Maryalice Goldsmith on The Speaker Lab Podcast to discuss the importance of finding a niche as a public speaker and share some helpful tips for accomplishing that goal. Here are the top 3 takeaways from their conversation:
Find a Niche
While this may seem like an obvious starting point, it merits additional emphasis. Having a defined niche is incredibly crucial as a public speaker for several reasons. First, when you speak on a very specific topic, you have a dedicated market. When you put out marketing material, the right people are going to perk up.
Additionally, having a niche helps you stand out as an expert in your market. The narrower the scope of your expertise, the more you will stand out from the crowd. Word will be passed around as you make a name for yourself, which will serve to drastically increase the momentum of your speaking business.
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Be Solution Focused
Another helpful piece of advice for speakers looking for their niche is to focus on a solution for the audience’s problem, not just personal experience. Many speakers have an eclectic variety of stories, and if the focus is too centered on those experiences, the audience will be left wondering “What’s in it for me?”
But your stories, as integral as those are to your personal identity, are not your niche. Instead, it’s the solutions, lessons and insights taken from those experiences that impact the audience you’re speaking to. Your stories make you distinct as a speaker, but they’re not the whole picture.
Don’t Underestimate Yourself
An integral part of developing your niche is having the confidence not to underestimate yourself. Imposter syndrome is a huge obstacle to overcome for many speakers, and often, speakers worry that they’re in an oversaturated market and simply can’t compete.
But this is where your background comes into play. Remembering that you don’t have any competition with your specific experiences, background and expertise removes the intimidation that competition can bring. No one in the world is exactly like you, and that’s okay.
Ready to hear more? Check out Episode 457 of The Speaker Lab podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts.
