I know we hear it all the time. You need to niche down because if you’re talking to everybody, you’re talking to nobody.

What you need to know is who you need to be talking to. Have an actual conversation with your ideal client. Market research is really just having conversations! Peel back the layers, get really curious, and ask lots of questions.

Learn their Fears, Pains, and Goals so you can build up the trust with them. As a new Virtual Assistant, a new business owner, yes you should niche down, but not too far. Narrow down who you work with or your skillset, not both right off the bat. If your audience is on the small side, you don’t have to turn down someone who is outside of your specific ideal client if they are a good fit for you.

Your niche isn’t set in stone. Your ideal clients may shift. What’s important is that you do the market research now and learn the ins and outs, then provide the best value you can.

ROCK SOLID ACADEMY IS NOW ENROLLING! https://jadejessicacoaching.mykajabi.com/Rock%20Solid%20Academy%202-0

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Music credit: Bouncin’ Back by Reaktor Productions

A Podcast Launch Bestie production

Hello.

And welcome back to episode three of rebel energy.

So excited to have you guys and dig into nitching down, which

I know we hear all the time.

You need Toni down.

So whether you call it niching down, niching down, it doesn't

matter how you pronounce it.

But as a new virtual assistant, this is something that you must do.

So when I first started my virtual assistant business, I was applying for

jobs on Upwork, Facebook groups, all the things, and here is why these do not work.

Because if you are talking to everyone, you are talking to no one.

And so many times I see online business owners coming from this place of scarcity.

Okay.

This is a scarcity mindset, so we can smell the desperation a mile away.

So if you are a virtual assistant, putting out posts, like I can help all online

business coaches with all the things.

And then you list out.

20 skill sets that, you know, that's not helping anybody because you don't

know who you're talking to and you're actually confusing your audience.

So when it comes to nitching down, it is so, so important to know the

ins and outs of your ideal client.

Because if you don't, then no one is going to be able to relate to you.

One thing that, that Henry talk about a lot of is being

relatable to your audience.

So if you are just putting out content, that's trying to make everyone happy,

attract everyone, help everyone.

No one is going to have that aha moment.

No one reading your post on, Instagram's gonna be like, oh my goodness.

Wow.

She is a hundred percent talking to me.

I relate with her so much.

And it's just going to cause mass confusion.

Like what does this VA actually do?

What does their specialty, what if I hired her?

What could she offer me as an X, Y, Z business owner.

So.

What are you going to do to get to know your idol client?

Let's say, maybe you've been following a mindset coach.

You're like, wow.

I would love to learn more about her business, her beliefs, her

characteristics, all the things.

So what are you going to do for market research?

All right.

Drum roll.

You're going to reach out and you're going to have a conversation.

I know mind blowing, but it really is that simple.

All that market research is, is having a conversation with your

ideal client and digging in.

So I want you guys to think back tore.

Yes, the movie.

And do you remember when Trek says peel back the layers of like anion right.

People are like onions.

So I want you to remember, as you are having these conversations to peel back

the layers and get super, super curious.

So if they are telling you, yeah, I really struggle with showing

up consistently on Instagram.

Don't just say, oh, okay.

And go to the next question.

Ask them specifically why they think that they struggle with being consistent.

Is it not knowing what kind of content to put out there?

Is it because they don't know how to prioritize their business?

Do they not enjoy?

These things may seem trivial to you, but those questions matter when you are going

to try and to attract your ideal client and to be a hundred percent transparent.

This is actually why my clients are able to leave Rockville academy at 12.

And have multiple clients or be booked out or have their first three K month.

It is because first of all, they have a heart centered business.

They aren't looking at people as a dollar sign or as their first client.

They are actually giving their ideal client a solution to the problem

that they have in their business.

This is also a really great way.

For your audience to get to know you.

So many of my clients in rock solid academy have actually landed clients on a

market research call, or they do a market research call with someone and then a

month or two later, that person comes back to my virtual assistant and says,

oh, Hey, um, I've been loving the content that you've been putting out recently.

I really think that you can help me with X, Y, and Z.

And then they hire them.

And one thing that I hear a lot in the DMS when I'm talking with virtual assistants

is they tell me I don't wanna niche down.

Because I don't want to turn people away, or I don't want people to think

that I can't help them that right.

There is the wrong mindset to have, because what if, there's a online business

owner that wants your help with Pinterest management and you don't know how to do

that, or they want you to build a website, but you don't want to build websites.

The whole point of nicheing down is feeling aligned with what you are doing.

And if you are looking at people as just a dollar sign and you don't have

that passion or that drive to help them, then you're not going to enjoy

your virtual assistant business.

So when you niche down and why this tactic works a lot better, and let me,

let me break it down free this way.

There's two different paths that you can go down as a

virtual assistant, the one path.

Is the one that we talked about in the last episode, which a lot of people do.

And that is the applying for jobs on Facebook groups, Upwork, maybe,

you know, Googling and, and, um, emailing small local businesses.

And I won't say that that way is wrong.

But it's definitely not going to get you those quick results that you're

looking for versus the other path, which is you being an actual business

owner, you finding your ideal clients, or even attracting your ideal clients

and you are building an actual relationship with them by putting out

amazing content and being consistent.

Okay.

So when you are taking that first path, You are playing it safe.

You are playing small.

You are not standing out in an oversaturated space,

like in a Facebook group.

Right.

I love to use this analogy because women resonate with it.

Virtual assistants resonate with it, so well, but in vision, Some you're on a boat

and someone throws a piece of meat into an ocean and that all of the fish in the

sharks come swarm for that piece of meat.

Right.

That's exactly what I envision every time.

A VA says that they are currently posting their resume in a Facebook group job

op because you are a very small Phish.

In a big pond when you do that, because now you're in competition

and I've seen it so many times, literally over a hundred women.

And now that a hundred women, the person that did the Facebook

group job op usually right.

Usually is looking for who has the most experience and who will do it, the

cheapest and you as a brand spank new virtual assistant, or maybe you're just

looking into becoming a virtual assistant.

You already have wasted whatever amount of time it was for you to

perfect your resume and post it.

Because now you have a one and a hundredth chance of landing that job versus you.

Now being a big fish in a small pond, like when you are using Instagram,

because you are ahead of that game, you are getting in front of your I client.

Right by using hashtags, putting out amazing content in doing lead

generation and DM management.

Right?

So because you are seeking out your I clients, and then when you get in

front of them, you have this Instagram feed that is full of value of their,

of their fears, pains, and goals.

Because when you're doing market research, you have to know

their fears, pains, and goals.

An X, Y, Z coach, or as an OBM as a online business owner.

So now they're like, oh wow.

I've been thinking about hiring a virtual assistant, but I've been

pretty nervous, but this lady knows what she's talking about.

Right.

Or, wow.

I just read this amazing post.

By this virtual assistant and she totally understands why I've been struggling with

showing up consistently because I'm over here in the back end of my business, doing

all this tech stuff, the email sequences, the launch, I'm like a one man show.

And that's why I'm struggling.

And that's why they're going to want to start following you and reach out to you.

So even though you don't have 10 years of work experience as a virtual

assistant, like those people in the Facebook group, job ops, you.

Are already ahead of that person, because you know, the ins and outs

of your I client's business, you know, what you have to offer to them.

And I've had, you know, virtual assistant question me and be like,

what, you know, how does that work?

Or, you know, I, I don't even know what my skillset is.

How does that work?

How is someone gonna find me on Instagram or yada, yada, yada, guess what.

This is my third year of being a coach.

And I literally can count on one hand.

The number of times a virtual assistant has reached out to me and

tried to make a connection with me.

And I don't mean obviously as a client, you know, like wanting to be my client or

ask me questions about Rockside academy.

I mean, a virtual assistant asking me about my business.

Asking me.

If I'm currently working with a virtual assistant, giving me some free value,

something to help me with my business, literally under five people ever have.

And that to me is mind blowing because even maybe yourself, you thought, oh,

the online space is oversaturated.

No, it's not, I promise you, it's not because guess what?

This is my third year of doing Rockwell academy and my clients are

still getting booked out, still having consistent three, four 5k months.

So it's not oversaturated, but what is happening is that virtual assistance

are scared to reach out to their IDO client and really get to know

them and see how they can help them.

Me as a virtual assistant coach, I think it is honestly pathetic.

That I have not had more than four VAs in the last three years.

Try and make a connection with me and try and see if we would

be a good fit to work together.

So I really hope that knowing that that opens your eyes to holy cow,

there' so many online business coaches out there that haven't been

reached out to that haven't had a VA reach out and see how they can help.

I know that it takes balls to reach out to people.

I totally get it, but do not let your fear be getting in the way of

your success as a virtual assistant.

All right.

So I also want to talk about the importance of knowing their, their

FPG, their fears, pains, and goals.

Okay.

And this is something that's been trickled down for me from my VA coach.

And that's something that was taught from her to her marketing coach.

So this really does work.

You may also hear their sweet spots or their pain points, same thing.

So.

If I had never worked as a virtual assistant, if I wasn't putting

out content that was giving you, um, some free value, right?

Like the three PS, knowing the, the person, the problem

and the promise, right?

That's just one example of something that I, that I teach and that I talk about.

If I couldn't relate to you and be like, oh, I totally get it.

My debit card got declined so many times as a new virtual assistant.

I had inconsistent months of income.

I never knew where my next client was.

Yada, yada, yada.

Would you be even listening this podcast right now?

No.

Would you have hired me as your VA coach?

Probably not.

Right.

Because I'm not relating to you.

If I'm over here talking about how to make 50 K as a VA, you'd

be like, uh, I'm I'm just trying to get like my first $3,000 month.

Right?

So you have to know the ins and outs of your IDO client,

their fears, pains, and goals.

So that way you build that trust with your IDO client.

I wanna talk about one of my RSA clients, Rosa, this is one of my

very favorite, favorite stories.

So Rosa started to work with me and she really embraced the market research.

She had fun with it.

She reached out to new people every day and just had conversations.

She was never like, oh my God, what do I say next?

Right?

Like she just dove in, asked all the questions and got super, super curious.

So.

Within two weeks, Rosa landed three clients and every single

client in that two week period, all three of them were her I clients.

She wanted to work with financial coaches and she landed three clients.

And two weeks guys, just from nicheing down, just from doing the market

research and posting consistently and giving value to her, I clients.

Really really can be that simple.

I promise you.

So, one thing I hear all the time is, well, what do I niche down on?

Do I niche down on my IDO client or my skillset?

So we create, we, I, I created something that now we use in Rockel academy

and it's called a pyramid method.

So you, you want to be either niched down on your I client or your skillset,

but not both as a new virtual assistant.

That's one of the mistakes that I.

Because I listen to this coach.

I love her, but she said niche down until you can't any anymore.

And that works great for her because she literally is a million.

So when you have a huge audience, of course you can niche down

until you can't anymore.

But for me and guys, this is why free value or free information.

Doesn't always work, cuz it isn't always pertaining to specifically you.

Right.

It's a generalization.

So I did that.

I said that I did virtual summits for only fitness coaches and I kid you not.

I literally had, a woman reach out to me.

She was like, Hey Jay, I don't wanna work with you.

You know, I got your name.

I heard that you work with virtual assistant, blah, blah, blah.

Then she read my, I help statement, which said that I only

did virtual assistant for fitness coaches.

And I hadn't even seen her first DM yet.

She DMed me again and goes, oh, nevermind.

I see that you only work with fitness coaches.

And I never got her as a client.

I literally repelled her because I was too niched down because my

audience was not big enough yet.

So this is really, really the sweet spot for new virtual assistance,

new online service providers.

So for example, You know, if you are wanting to niche down with

your skillset, maybe you went through a copywriting program.

Heck yes.

That's gonna be the one thing that you can't offer, but you're gonna

wanna offer it to more people.

Okay.

But if you are wanting to work with just fitness coaches, but then maybe offer them

DM management and lead generation, right.

That's two skill sets.

It's a little bit more broad.

And that's why finding that sweet spot within the pyramid method is

so, so important for you to maximize your full potential and get skill

basically to those consistent months of.

That you are looking for.

Now, one question that I get asked a lot is, well, what if someone reaches

out to me and they need my help with, the specific skillset that you offer.

So maybe social media management, right?

But they're not your IDO client.

Maybe you work with fitness coaches, but this is a mindset coach.

It doesn't matter.

Do not turn that person away.

As long as that person respects your boundaries can afford your packages.

and you guys vibe, right?

Like they, you guys have the same characteristics that you're

looking for in an I client.

It doesn't matter.

Now, do I want you to start putting out content and marketing mindset coaches?

No, because you've done the market research with fitness coaches, but

your content is going to resonate.

With someone at some point that is not your IDO client.

And as long as they ha they meet those three requirements,

you can still work with them.

You are not going to turn away someone who needs your help within your skill,

just because they're not an IDO client.

It doesn't matter.

okay.

So with the content, the way you're showing up, yes, you're gonna be

talking to your I client, but if you attract someone outside of your specific

niche, That is a hundred percent.

Okay.

No, tell that person hell to the, yes, we can totally work together

and get them on a discovery call.

All right.

So I hope that this episode helped you with those different myths

that you may hear about nitching down, what that looks like.

And also to the importance of doing that market research.

If you look at.

Big successful company.

They do market research actually the first time that I even heard market research,

uh, my degree is in public relations.

So I was in a PR, club, if you will.

I can't remember what it was called at Iowa state.

And we actually went to Chicago and got to go visit, um, some

amazing marketing companies.

And I still remember it.

We went and talked with, you know, marketing experts and one of their clients

was M and M and they talked about how they were currently conducting market

research for something or other guys.

This was like 2016.

Okay.

So I don't remember everything, but that was the first time that I heard

market research and I was like, wow.

Like, I, I just kind of fell in love with the process.

And even though.

Obviously out of the market research phase, right?

Like I've been doing this for three years.

I worked as a virtual assistant myself.

Like I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what I'm talking

about, but here's the thing, guys.

Your client may, may change in the last three years since I've been doing

this, you know, my ideal clients, um, you know, started out coming to

me because they got laid off or they were working at home because of COVID.

Right.

last year I had a lot of, healthcare workers that, you know, would come

and talk with me because you know, of certain things happening, like.

You know, maybe didn't want the COVID vaccine or they were burned

out because they're working such long hours because the healthcare

field was so crazy from COVID.

And then even this year, I see a lot of, moms wanting to bring in extra

income just because of, you know, maybe gas prices and things like that.

So, It's really, really important.

Yes.

Even though I don't technically slap the label of market research on it.

Right when I'm in the DMS and talking with my adult clients.

But I am still doing the market research because I am still always connecting

and getting to know my audience and asking them those important questions.

Why do you feel like now is a good time to invest in your business?

What made you want to reach out to me?

What makes you want to get your VA business up and going right now?

Those are all important questions that I ask.

And so you need to be asking those things in the DMS as well, too.

Even if you're dealt with the market research phase, you know,

the ins and outs of your I client.

If you are still trying to become booked out as a virtual assistant, you still have

to be asking those important questions to make sure that you guys vibe well,

that it's a really good fit and that you know, that you can offer them a promise

to the problem that they are having.

Okay.

So what I want you to start doing is get in the right mindset of reaching

out to people, not being afraid and asking these important market research

questions, because here's the.

The more that, you know, your I client and their, their pain

points or sweet spots, the easier it's going to be for you to sell.

I promise you even me doing this within this is my third year doing this.

It is so much easier for me to lay in clients now than it was three years

ago when I was a brand spanking new coach, because I now know the ins

and outs even better, and it becomes easier and easier and easier to.

So I want you to remember that too, if you're like, oh my gosh, I, I

love doing market research, but I know a lot of people don't, some

people it's their freaking jam.

They'll do it for their clients.

So if you're not currently doing the market research or you need

that motivation, I want you to remember that you're going to thank

yourself better down the road.

I see this all the time when I'm working with my clients in RSA, I'll

ask, 'em a question of like, okay, so we're building out your content vault.

What is your I then they're like, oh, I'm done with my market research.

And I'll be like, okay, so now we're gonna go find your three brand pillars.

So what is your, I clients', their goal for their business.

Well, they wanna become booked out.

Okay.

Awesome.

Booked out with what are they wanting to do something passive?

Is there 1 0 1 coaching offer?

Um, are they wanting to build out or, you know, build out a team?

Are they wanting to skill?

And they're like, well, I don't, I don't know.

It's so hard to help someone create content when a VA doesn't even know.

What they're offering to their IDO clients.

So every single step that comes after market research from booking

a discovery called putting out the content conversations in the DMS,

all of that is reliant on the market research that you need to be conducting.

All right.

So.

I want you guys to start showing up, tell yourself that you are a virtual assistant.

I don't care if you've never talked to anybody.

I don't care if you don't know what your skillset is.

I don't care if you've got your LLC start showing up as the badass

virtual assistant that you envision.

Take that confidence, take it with you in the DMS, and let's

go get to know our client.