The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.

How would you suggest coaches find their niche?

I usually suggest letting a niche find the coach, instead of looking for one. Open yourself up to coach anyone and then look for patterns. This has several advantages: you might find yourself in a niche you never anticipated; you can build your business more quickly; you have an opportunity to coach a more diverse group of clients, which will add to your skill base.

When I started my coaching practice, I got a call from a person with a network marketing business. Before long, I had 6 or 8 clients in the same business. If I had decided to pursue it, I could have created a niche from there.

However, if someone comes to coaching with strong conections to a niche, then I would suggest they pursue it. For example, I had a client who was a new coach. Her previous job was executive director of a professional organization. She was on first name basis with all the significant people in her industry. She didn’t have to go through a gatekeeper because she had everyone’s direct phone number. I firmly supported her intent to create a niche in the market immediately.