I am an architect in Australia working predominantly in residential. Both houses, alterations and additions and small multi-residential projects. While these are niches, they also describe the work of most of Sydney's sole practitioners … I am struggling a bit with coming up with niches within these …”
-An Unsure Architect from the AMI LinkedIn Group
Read on as if your life depended on it, maybe your life doesn't but your LIFESTYLE does.
How the Greeks Won
After a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse and hid a select force of men inside. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek Army, which had sailed back.
How does this relate to architects and niches?
80 percent of architects are generalists and generally struggling away from year to year. 20 percent find a niche, simplify their message to resonate with that niche and become the “go to” guy or gal. The top one percent does something even smarter.
Set up a Trojan Horse Architecture Niche Service
By the time the client wants a designer, it's often too late to compete for their business. You need to be in the door earlier. The ultra-smart architects offer a stand-alone Trojan Horse service before clients need an architect. They become problem solvers and advisors BEFORE the design phase.
By becoming a ‘Pre-Design Consultant' you might research ways to maximize site ROI for developers, find a legal solution for tricky constraints, or come up with solutions for a difficult site as a stand-alone service.
Now your competition has been reduced from ALL other architects to almost zero. Once inside the city walls you are perfectly placed to open the gates and become the better designer.
Now what?
Well that was a great story, but obviously you need more. Ask the marketing architects in our Facebook group what niche services they provide!