Any promotional message to this group would have to be very general. But people don't respond to general talk. They respond only when they feel you are talking directly to them about their individual needs.

SPECIAL ADVANTAGE: A highly defined, small niche market can insulate you from competition. Other small businesses are likely to overlook it. Large businesses will find market segment too small to bother with.

HOW TO FIND YOUR OWN NICHE MARKET

One way to find a good niche market is to evaluate your existing customers. Can you uncover a segment of customers with similar characteristics?

For example, I recently talked with an MLM distributor for a health products company. About a year ago she noticed that many distributors in her downline were health or physical education teachers. She now has a lot of success targeting a niche market of female physical education teachers who are married, have children and are members of same professional association.

Another way to find a niche market is to work backward from benefits you offer. Start by listing all benefits provided by your product or service. Then list some of characteristics of prospects whose current situation can be dramatically improved by those benefits. You should begin to see a narrowly defined group emerge as a niche market.

IT'S YOUR BOTTOM LINE

How specific is your target market? Can you develop sales messages so sharply focused your prospects believe you're talking specifically to them? If not, use information in this article to help you find a niche market of your own. Then tailor your sales messages to specific interests and needs of that niche market. You'll see an immediate increase in your sales and profits.

BENEFITS OF A NATURAL MARKET

Potential customers are more receptive when they share a common background or a special interest with you. It's human nature to feel secure when doing business with someone we believe is just like us. This is especially helpful for promoting business on Internet because prospects can't see or hear you 'live'.

HOW TO FIND YOUR BEST NATURAL MARKET

Start by making a list of different things you've done in your life. For example:

* What professions or occupations are you engaged in (now or previously)? * What hobbies or crafts do you actively participate in? * What special interest clubs or associations are you actively involved with? * Do you have a unique national origin or speak a foreign language (like my friend, Tony)? * What unique special background or special experiences do you have?

Each item on your list may represent a natural market you can use. However, some will have more impact than others. The greater uniqueness of common characteristic, more leverage it provides. Select one with most unique characteristic to use first.

Your natural market is a more focused definition of your primary target market. Once you identify a natural market, start using it in your advertising. Revise your present sales material to create special sales material specifically appealing to your natural market. Use same marketing tactics you've been using but expand them to include this new segment of your target market. You'll unlock a completely new layer of business hidden in your existing target market.