I'm Scared to Niche Down: Why Coaches Stay Broke Trying to Help Everyone

Most coaches I've ever worked with have said some version of this: "If I get too specific, won't I lose potential clients?"

It sounds logical. Cast a wider net, catch more fish. Position yourself as someone who can help anyone with anything, and surely more people will book calls.

Except they don't.

There are now 109,200 certified coaches worldwide. So when someone lands on your website or reads your LinkedIn bio and sees "I help people live their best lives" or "I work with anyone who wants to transform," they scroll past. Not because they don't want transformation. But because they can't see themselves in what you're saying.

The coaching market is worth over $6.25 billion and specialists in this market are charging £400+ per hour while generalists are still offering breakthrough calls for free and hoping someone, anyone, will convert. The gap isn't about credentials or experience. It's about clarity.

The Problem With Broad Positioning

The fear makes sense on the surface. You're thinking if I niche down, there will be fewer opportunities." But that equation misses what actually happens in the market.

When you say "I help everyone," potential clients hear "I don't really know who I help." They see a generalist who'll probably need three sessions just to figure out their specific situation. Meanwhile, the coach who says "I help mid-career marketing managers navigate redundancy and land senior roles with 30% salary increases" gets the booking immediately. That client doesn't need to be convinced as they've already recognised themselves.

The specialist's pool might be numerically smaller, but their conversion rate is exponentially higher. They're not trying to convince strangers that transformation is valuable. They're simply saying "I've done this specific thing for people exactly like you" and the right people respond.

What "Everyone" Actually Means to a Potential Client

I've reviewed hundreds of coaching websites and social media bios. When I see something that suggests "I work with everyone," I know what the coach means. They mean "I'm capable of helping different types of people." They mean "I don't want to exclude anyone who might benefit from my work."

And I get it, because the kind of talents many coaches have is off the charts - they have skills that truly transform lives, and a desire to help others.

But potential clients read it differently. They read: "This probably won't be tailored to my specific situation."

The coaches making £5,000 or more per programme aren't necessarily more experienced than the ones charging £500. But they've answered a question the generalists haven't: "Why would someone choose me over the 109,199 other coaches in the world?"

The answer is never "because I can help anyone." The answer is always specific.

The Referral Problem Nobody Talks About

Broad positioning doesn't just hurt direct client attraction. It kills referrals.

Imagine you're at a networking event. Someone mentions their sister is going through a divorce and feeling completely lost. If you know a coach who "helps people with life transitions," you might mention them. Or you might not, because it's vague and you're not entirely sure if divorce is their thing.

But if you know a coach who specifically works with women rebuilding their identity and finances after divorce...then you're handing over their details before the conversation ends.

Referrals are the most powerful marketing channel for coaches. Over 50% of coaching clients come through word-of-mouth. But people can only refer you when they can clearly articulate what you do and who you do it for.

"She's a life coach" doesn't trigger referrals in the same way as "she helps corporate women who feel empty despite their success reconnect with purpose and build aligned businesses" does.

The Longer Tail Wins

Some of the most successful coaching businesses operate in what marketers call "longer tail" niches. These are the highly specific areas that seem impossibly narrow until you realise they're exactly what makes someone stand out.

A coach who helps millennials leave corporate jobs to build side hustles has a smaller addressable market than a generic "career coach." But within that specific group, they become the obvious choice.

The narrower you go, the less competition you face. The less competition you face, the easier it becomes to charge what your expertise is worth.

This doesn't mean you can only ever work with that specific person. Clients arrive for one thing and the work naturally expands into other areas. That's normal. But they need a clear reason to book that first call.

Specificity Creates Premium Positioning

There's data behind this. Credentialed coaches who specialise in a clear niche command hourly rates up to 65% higher than generalists.

The difference isn't just what they charge. It's what clients are willing to pay. When someone sees exactly what they need reflected back at them, price resistance drops. They're not shopping around comparing rates. They're thinking "finally, someone who understands this exact thing I'm dealing with."

That's not manipulation or clever marketing but rather clarity meeting need.

How to Think About Niching Without the Panic

Niching doesn't mean you can only ever work with one type of person for the rest of your life. It means you're clear about who you're positioned to serve right now, in this market, with your current body of work.

You can always expand later. You can add adjacent niches. You can evolve. But you need a door people can walk through first.

Start with these questions:

• Who do I already get the best results with?

• What specific transformation can I consistently deliver?

• Who recognises themselves immediately when I describe the work?

If you've been coaching for a while, look at your past clients. The patterns are already there. You probably already have a niche; you're just not positioning yourself around it.

If you're new, look at your own experience. What have you navigated that others are currently struggling with? Where do people already come to you for advice?

The goal isn't to invent something completely new. The goal is to articulate what's already true in a way that helps the right people find you.

Perhaps you already have a pretty good idea of what your niche really is, but you're simply afraid to put it out there and define yourself as serving that niche. Isn't it time to take that leap?

The Market Doesn't Reward Vagueness

The coaching industry is growing. That's true. But it's also becoming more sophisticated. Clients have more options, which means they're looking for more specific solutions.

Being general in a market of 109,200 coaches isn't a business strategy. It's invisible.

The coaches building sustainable practices and charging premium prices haven't cracked some secret code. They've simply answered the question their ideal clients are asking: "Is this for me?"

When your positioning is clear, that question answers itself.

#Coaching #BusinessCoach #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #Leadership

Sources:

• ICF Global Coaching Study 2024: https://coachingfederation.org/research/global-coaching-study

• Simply.coach: Profitable Life Coaching Niches in 2025: https://simply.coach/blog/profitable-life-coaching-niches/

• Canada Coach Academy: Why Coaches Need Specialization: https://canadacoachacademy.com/select-coaching-specialization/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanna Ingram is a messaging strategist who helps coaches, healers, and spiritual practitioners articulate their work in ways that attract premium clients. After 20 years in London advertising agencies, she now specializes in helping spiritually-aware entrepreneurs find the words that make their ideal clients feel seen, without resorting to bro-marketing tactics.

Host of The Soulful Catalyst Podcast | Creator of the 6 Pillars Premium Messaging Framework™

→ Visit Website For More Details: https://joannaingram.com/

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