Is Your Ideal Client Actually Unrealistic?
We’ve all heard the advice: “Get clear on your ideal client.”
So, you do the work. You define your niche. You create a detailed profile. You imagine their age, income bracket, and social status, daily habits, their biggest struggles, and their dreams.
But…
Is Your Ideal Client Real—or Just Idealized?
You may have a well-crafted profile of your “dream client”—complete with habits, values, and the exact problem you help solve. But if that person doesn’t exist in your actual market—or isn’t ready or willing to invest—your message will continue to miss the mark.
This isn’t a failure of your content or your ability.
It’s a gap in validation.
What often happens is this:
Coaches stay within their comfort zone. They create offers based on assumptions. They test ideas with the people already in their orbit—friends, followers, former colleagues—and mistake that feedback for market truth.
The result? False validation.
You’re building based on what your network says sounds good, not what the market is actively buying.
To move forward, you need more than a “dream client.”
You need real data, real conversations, and real signals from people outside your existing bubble.
What Makes a Niche Viable?
A viable niche isn’t just a group of people you want to help. It’s a group of people who are ready, willing, and actively seeking support for a problem they already know they have.
To be viable, your niche needs three things:
They’re experiencing a real, present-moment problem. Not a hypothetical “someday” issue. Not a vague discomfort. A real challenge that’s affecting their day-to-day life, their work, or their relationships—right now.
They’re aware of the problem and can describe it in their own words. If they can’t name it, they won’t search for it. And they won’t recognize your offer as the solution. Viability depends on their ability to say, “Yes, this is exactly what I’m going through.”
They’re motivated to find a solution—and ready to invest in one. Whether it’s time, energy, or money, your niche needs to be made up of people who are willing to do something about the problem. Curiosity isn’t enough. Readiness is key.
If your audience doesn’t meet these three criteria, you’re not in a viable niche—you’re in an education campaign.
And education campaigns are a much harder path to sales. Why? Because you’re not just selling your coaching—you’re also selling the idea that coaching is the thing they need.
That’s a double burden.
It means more content. More convincing. More resistance. And a longer sales cycle with a lower conversion rate.
This is where many coaches get stuck—especially if they’ve chosen a niche based on what feels meaningful to them, rather than what’s validated by the market.
The truth? Meaning matters.
But it only turns into income when it intersects with urgency, clarity, and demand.
How to Test Your Niche Before You Build Around It
Most coaches make the same mistake: they spend weeks (or months) brainstorming and perfecting their niche in private—trying to get it “just right” before they ever share it out loud.
But clarity doesn’t come from thinking. It comes from testing.
If you want to know whether your niche will actually work in the real world, you need real-world feedback.
Not from your old coworkers. Not from other coaches. From the actual humans you want to serve.
Here’s how to start.
1. Ask the Right People the Right Question
Talk to Real People—Not Just Your Followers, Friends, and Inner Circle
Find 3–5 people who aren’t coaches. Talk to them in the elevator, at a park you hang out, when you’re waiting for the next bus and need to kill time by striking up a conversation.
Start with the small tal, and when they ask what you do, tell them and ask for their input.
Ask them this:
“I’m actually working on streamlining my coaching service, mind if I ask you a few questions? When it comes to [your topic], what are you struggling with most right now?”
That’s it. Keep it simple. Stay quiet and listen.
Now pay attention to a few key things:
Are they specific? (Or do they give a vague “I don’t know, I just feel off.”)
Do they sound frustrated, stuck, or ready? (Or are they just chatting casually?)
Can they name the problem in their own words?
If their answer is clear, real, and emotional—good sign.
2. Test Your Offer Idea Publicly
Next, try a soft concept validation post. Something like:
“I’m thinking of creating something for [audience] who are feeling stuck around [pain point]. Would that be helpful?”
Then watch the response.
Are people commenting, asking questions, DMing you? Or is it mostly silence?
If no one raises their hand, it may not be the right message—or the right people.
Bottom line?
Your niche won’t get clearer by guessing, tweaking copy, or polling your followers. It gets clearer when you stop hiding behind your content—and start having real conversations.
Talk to actual people. Ask real questions. Listen more than you speak.
Because the truth is: One honest, unfiltered chat will teach you more about your niche than a hundred likes ever will.
What If Your Niche Isn’t Landing?
You’ve tested your niche. You’ve talked to people. You’ve put yourself out there.
And still… the messaging isn’t resonating. The DMs aren’t coming. The sales feel stuck.
Here’s what most coaches do next: spiral, scrap everything, and start over.
Don’t.
This isn’t a sign you’ve failed. It’s a sign you’re in the refinement phase—and this is where real business clarity is built.
If your niche isn’t converting yet, try making one of these strategic shifts:
1. Adjust the Stage of the Journey
Sometimes it’s not what you’re talking about—it’s who you’re saying it to.
You might be targeting people too early in their journey, when they’re still figuring things out and not ready to invest. Or you might be speaking to people who are already past the stage where they need your help.
Refine your focus to the version of your client who is ready to take action—now.
Ask yourself:
Do they already know they have this problem?
Have they tried to fix it before?
Are they looking for support—or still Googling free solutions?
The goal is to meet them where they are, not where you hope they’ll be one day.
2. Rework the Language
You might be describing the problem perfectly—in your own words. But if your audience doesn’t hear themselves in that language, they’ll scroll right past it.
Clarity isn’t about sounding smart. It’s about being understood.
Use the exact words your ideal clients say when they describe their struggle. Go back to your market research conversations and highlight phrases that felt raw, real, and emotional. That’s your copy gold.
You’re not just a coach—you’re a translator. Your job is to name the problem in their language, not yours.
3. Find the Urgency
Some niches sound helpful, even inspiring—but they’re not urgent. And if people don’t feel urgency, they won’t take action.
Think about the difference between:
“I’d love to be more confident someday” vs.
“I’m tired of overthinking everything I say in meetings and it’s holding me back from getting promoted.”
The second one is urgent. It’s costing them something. And people are far more likely to invest in solving a problem that’s creating real friction in their life or work.
If your niche feels vague, nice-to-have, or “aspirational,” dig deeper. Where’s the pain point? What’s the ripple effect if they don’t solve this?
That’s where the urgency lives. That’s where the niche starts working.
Vision Is Great. Validation Is Better.
It’s easy to get attached to your “dream client.”
But if you want a business that brings in real clients, real results, and real income? You need proof. Not just a vibe.
The best niches aren’t dreamed up in isolation. They’re built through testing, listening, and course-correcting.
If your niche feels stuck right now, you’re not broken—you’re in the most important part of the process.
Want help building your coaching business?
I offer 1:1 coaching for coaches who want to build a business that feels good to run and brings in aligned, paying clients—consistently.
We’ll dig into your real strengths, test your niche in the wild, and craft messaging that sounds like you and lands with the people who are already looking for support.
No more guessing. No complicating funnels to set up.
Just a simple, human approach—built with purpose and intention.
Book a free 15-minute call.
Let’s make sure you’re not building your business on a maybe.
