How to Market from Your Strengths: Choose Markets that Share Your Passion

The second way to capitalize on activities you both enjoy and excel at doing is to focus your marketing activities on target markets associated with those activities.

When I founded my full-time ADR practice almost a decade ago, my primary market was higher education. At the time, I had worked in higher ed for more than a decade, had served in both academic and senior leadership roles, had served on higher ed think tanks and on professional association boards. I knew that audience, the issues they faced, and that audience knew me. I could talk their language and felt at home on any campus. I loved being on a college campus and still feel like I’m “coming home” whenever I step onto one. Even in the rare occasions when I had to complete a marketing task that was mildly distasteful, knowing I was doing it for a market I loved made it more than palatable.

I had full-time work within a year and a thriving practice within two.

In Rob’s case, he might choose to focus on markets made up of gardeners, puzzle masters, dog owners, or people who work in the arts of other creative fields.

Now, if you’re thinking that a narrow target market limits your chances of building a healthy practice, think again. I’ve written about this before on the Mediator Tech blog and will revisit some of that material in the next chapter.

Exercise 3.4.2: What target markets mesh with your interests and talents?

Back to brainstorming. If you were to choose your target markets based on things you love doing or are particularly good at, what markets would those be?

I urge you not to skip this exercise because you don’t believe in choosing a target market or because you think such markets wouldn’t be ripe for mediation services. There’s time for sifting later. For now, just play with possibilities.

You may find that additional ideas occur to you over the coming days and weeks, so feel free to add new thoughts as they arise. Later in the book you’ll have a chance to return to the brainstorms you completed here, hone them in some specific ways, and take them to the next level.

Copyright © 2006 by Tammy Lenski. All rights reserved.