In business, the most dangerous number is the number one.
If you have one client and they leave or go out of business, you’re in trouble. You want more than one client.
If you have one “price point” or package of services, you have nothing to offer the prospective client who wants something different.
If you have one marketing method and it stops working for you, if you have one target market and it becomes too competitive, what will you do to keep your pipeline full?
You don’t want your entire livelihood to depend on the number one.
Which means, as soon as you have something that’s working for you, start adding the next thing. A second market, marketing strategy, or offer.
But not another practice area. Not unless you’re in a small market.
The bigger the market, the more competition you have, the more you need to specialize, because you can’t compete with everyone on everything.
When you specialize, marketing is easier, cheaper, and more effective. You can stand out from the crowd and become known for what you do best.
Specializing allows you to become the top dog in your field.
That doesn’t mean you must turn away work that’s not your specialty. Take the work if you want to and can handle it. But don’t promote this, promote the “one thing” you do best and want to be known for.
Because when you specialize, one isn’t a dangerous number, it is your friend.
