I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve talked with skilled professionals who can’t figure out why their career has stalled. “I don’t understand,” they say. “I’m working so hard!”
Perhaps the answer is that they’re working too hard. It’s a common problem for generalists: those professionals who offer a wide range of services in an effort to meet every conceivable need the buying public might have.
Being a generalist is very demanding. You need to be prepared for whatever problems your customers bring through the door, whether it’s an everyday problem or a once-in-a-lifetime scenario. This requires a huge skill set, not to mention a nearly overwhelming need to keep up to date with all the developments in every corner of your field. I get exhausted just thinking about it, actually.
Let’s look at an example.
Rina is a financial advisor. She’s a smart cookie, bright and hardworking. She takes a great deal of pride in providing her clients with the ultimate in customer service. Today, on her agenda, there are three appointments.
The first appointment is a couple with two small children. They’ve started saving for their children’s college education, but aren’t sure they’re getting the maximum return on their investment. They want Rina to help them build the fund faster.
The second appointment is a local businessman. He wants to sell two of his smaller businesses and use the proceeds to buy a third, larger outfit. That is, of course, if Rina thinks it’s a good idea -- and if the tax bite on the proceeds of the sale won’t be too painful.
The third appointment is with an older woman, well past retirement age. She has a mentally disabled son, and it’s very important to her that she leaves a lasting legacy that will provide him with a lifetime of income.
It’s clear that each of these clients comes to Rina seeking something different. They each require unique assistance. They all expect Rina to provide thorough, complete, and correct information that pertains to their individual situation.
It would seem impossible -- yet many advisors attempt to handle such a disparate caseload, in an attempt to be all things to all people. This trend is not unique to financial advisors. It’s endemic among service professionals, who seem to think that some business is better than none at all.
Let’s go back to Rina for a minute. What does she have to do to prepare for her day? She’ll have to make sure she’s up to date on college planning and the latest in financial aid packages. At the same time, it’d be a good idea to read over the most current tax law regarding the disposal of small businesses. Meanwhile, she doesn’t even know where to start when it comes to fund administration for the care of a disabled adult-- some research is definitely in order. It’s going to be a long day for Rina.
Let’s imagine something else for Rina. Let’s pretend she’s decided to become a Nichepreneur, specializing in estate planning.
Right off the bat, Rina’s life gets easier. Her clients know what her specialty is, and they come to her with questions that pertain to that specialty. They don’t ask her how to set up a college fund or how to finance their next business acquisition. Rina’s schedule opens up -- she doesn’t need to study these topics. Instead, she can concentrate on the estate planning area, going more in-depth and gaining a deeper understanding of the topic than she ever had as a generalist.
This makes Rina more efficient. When someone comes to her with an estate planning question, she doesn't have to 'reacquaint' herself with the field, nor do some hurried research to bring herself up to speed on the latest trends in estate planning. She's ready. This means she'll be able to provide her clients with better, more accurate service, and far faster than her generalist peers.
At the same time, because Rina is a Nichepreneur, she can demand higher prices for her services. Customers know specialists cost more, and expect to pay more for Rina’s skills than they would for a generalist’s. This results in greater profitability for Rina.
Life has become easier. Rina’s work day is now more efficient and focused, and she’s making more money than ever before. Being a Nichepreneur combines the best of both worlds: greater profitability and easier, enjoyable work. Who could ask for more?
Make Life Easier to Enjoy Greater Success - To learn more about this author, visit Susan Friedmann's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
 Living The Life You Have
|
| |
Are you always waiting for just the right time to do something in your life? A wise man once told me that if I was waiting for the perfect time to act on something, I’d be waiting a long time because there’s no suc...
|
|
Success or Failure Sequence
|
| |
Your success or failure in any endeavor
Self-Awareness holds the key to greater success is predictable
|
|
Success Is A Journey - Enjoy The Ride!
|
| |
Do you really want to reach it? What ever your destination of Success is, enjoy the ride.
|
|
Saying Yes, Saying No
|
| |
If we were to float up and hover above our daily life and look at all the things that make it up. At all the people and things that are part of it. At what we do
with each minute of our 24 hours, each and every ...
|
|
Who's Writing The Script for Your Life?
|
| |
Most of us have our life script written by others - it began with our parents and teachers. In our adult years the job was taken over by our bosses, clients, partner, other dependants, the economy, world events and ...
|
 |
Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors |
|
Kim Castle
With nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation.
BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them?
If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|
Vwodek Wojczynski
Business Coach and Consultant Vwodek Wojczynski (pronounced Voy-chin-ski) brings fun, awareness, accountability and fresh perspectives based on his diverse experiences in life and business.
Born in Poland and educated in Greece and Canada, he is trilingual with 8 years experience in business development with clients in Canada, USA, Switzerland and Poland.
His approach is systematic and process-driven. He fuses the know-how of proven business methods with his commitment that entrepreneurs experience satisfaction and joy based on their values, motivations and strengths. He believes that businesses succeed based on their ability to generate value by providing what’s needed and wanted.
Ultimately, he trains executives and true business owners - people who work less, produce more, own businesses that run automatically after a while and make a difference globally.
His current research focus is the development of intelligent business systems and the application of emerging artificial intelligence technologies in business.
He is also an avid traveler, spoken word performer and visual artist. He resides in Toronto, Canada. - Visit Vwodek Wojczynski's Website |
|
George Ludwig
George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance.
Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson.
His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more.
George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|
Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales success or one of the many who have failed to change? So what are you doing to change those results? Let’s be honest, with companies moving globally and at lightening speeds, the traditional business solutions are outdated and dead. My approach moves your business out of its comfort zone and secures your competitive advantage now. If you are seeking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, create a culture of great attitudes or just achieve some sleep filled nights, then we should talk because my clients have experienced exactly those types of results. Learn more about customer loyalty at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm Give me a call at 219.759.5601 for a free strategy session. P.S. If you are seeking a motivational speaker, sales trainer or small business expert that will leave your audience smiling and remembering, please feel free to contact me at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|
Dave Kurlan
Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development.
Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit.
He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine.
He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball.
He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|
The Evan Elite Authors program is currently in beta phase. For details please contact us.
|
|
|
Susan Friedmann
(Visit Susan's Website)
Susan Friedmann, CSP is an internationally
recognized expert and "how to" coach who
has traveled the world helping companies
put their best foot forward at tradeshows
and events. Susan offers programs to
increase results and focus on building
better relationships with customers,
prospects and advocates in the
marketplace.
She is the author of numerous books
including “Meeting & Event Planning for
Dummies,” and “Riches in Niches: How to
Make it BIG in a small Market.” To claim
your free copy of the special report, “The
NichePreneneur™ Mindset” go to http:
//www.richesinniches.com
|
|
|
|
![[Get Copyright Permissions]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.gif){kind=small}
