What’s your specialty? This is not a trick question—every business owner should be able to answer it in one concise sentence.
No matter how many products or services your business offers, your business has a core specialty (some call it a core competency) and you should know what it is.
Perhaps you are a professional organizer and your specialty is family moves. Or, you are a caterer, and weddings are your sweet spot. Or, you own a garage, and you are known for being the old cars “whisperer”.
As ambitious, energetic entrepreneurs, many of us think that we should please every customer who walks through the door, regardless of whether their needs match our business core competency. After all, it’s crazy to turn a willing, paying customer away. Right?
Wrong.
Choosing a specialty, and sticking to it, is a fundamental Marketing strategy that will not limit your business but will make it stronger.
Here are some of the reasons why you should focus on one area of expertise in your business:
1. It will be easier to promote your business.
When you’re focused on your specialty, you can share with people what you do in a faster, clearer and more memorable way. “I specialize in planning destination weddings” is a much more “sticky” message than “I am an event planner.” Describing your business on your website will also be a breeze—you will be able to communicate what you do in a clear and concise way which your website visitors will appreciate.
2. It will be easier to achieve expert status.
This one is pretty intuitive but let’s discuss it for a minute. The more focused you are in your specialty, the more specialized knowledge you’ll accumulate. If, for example, you are a mechanic and you choose to make fixing old cars your area of expertise, you’ll work on more old cars, you’ll talk to more owners of old cars, and you’ll read more about old cars than most mechanics. Soon you’ll be more experienced and more knowledgeable than most of your colleagues because you stayed focused. An expert status would be much harder to achieve if you chose to be a more “general” car specialist.
3. It will be easier for customers to choose you.
We all look to hire experts. Think about it: if you need a root canal, you go to a dentist who specializes in root canals. If you happen to have a small dog, you look for a vet who is known for specializing in small dogs. Choosing a specialty, and being good at it, will bring to you the exact customers you’re looking to serve. If, on the other hand, you maintain a “general” status, you’ll have a harder time convincing a customer to choose you over a specialist.
4. It will be easier to get to know your customers.
Imagine you own a bookstore. Now, imagine that the only type of books you sell in your store are mystery novels. Clearly, your customers will be mystery novel fans. You will meet and talk with more mystery novel lovers than most people have ever met in their lives. In the process of these interactions, you will get to know a lot about this group of people: you will learn why they like mystery novels, which of the books you sell they like and which ones they don’t like and why, and so on. Naturally, you’ll be able to serve their needs better than any other bookstore in town. This deep understanding of your customer would be difficult, even impossible, to achieve if your bookstore sold books of every possible genre.
5. It will be easier to show personality in your business.
Because you know your customers very well, you’ll be able to talk directly to them in your advertising—whether it’s a website, a brochure, or whatever other medium you choose. Using language your customers respond to, jokes they find funny and offers they find relevant will keep you close to their hearts and will always make them choose you over the competition. General ads or promotions that some non-specialist may choose to run, meant to attract a general group of people, by promising general benefits would never evoke a similar emotional response.
Choosing a specialty and sticiking to it is a powerful way to build your business. So, try to shake the habit of deviating from your chosen niche every time a customer asks you do something “extra” for them.
All that said, I don’t mean that you should NEVER venture outside of your niche. If and when you’re ready to grow your business, offering additional products or services is a great way to do that. However, such an expansion should not be a casual action. It needs to be planned strategically and launched with diligence and intention, like a pro.
