Niche marketing is a bona fide and well-proven approach to strategic selling. Some companies have had stellar success building their business around their search for specialized niches. They say it pays to know your niche as well as your name.

Pitchmanship is a term I use to describe how to apply niche marketing principles to presenting yourself in a job search. There are some dangerous myths surrounding niche marketing. Likewise, there are dangerous assumptions you walk away from when you introduce yourself and your credentials for a job.

Myth One: A launch has to be elegant. Don’t assume that organizations are always on the lookout for cutting-edge talent. Some companies are so low-key that they expect their people to have cutting-edge skills, but the culture demands that they show up with “Aw, wow!” Underestimation. Study the CEO’s organization and style in speeches and articles. It may not be practical to tailor your resume for each and every company you seek, but your cover letter should reflect some understanding of what the organization is all about.

I call this the turtle wax lesson because of how this old car care staple is marketed. Turtle Wax has had a reliable and sizable share of the car wax market for decades. This task is identical to something that people have to do. They do it with a product that has a reputation for being harder to apply than others, tapping into a niche of people who literally “love” their cars. What better way to show dedication to your wheelset than by lavishing care and devotion on the object of your affections? Working hard for a shine that shines. Romantic stuff, huh?

Turtle Wax-style employers don’t like people with quick and easy solutions. They appreciate people who love to apply elbow grease in copious amounts. And they tend to be skeptical of people who are finished products, people they can’t change or polish with their own style.

Myth Two: A launch has to be eye-catching. There are many companies that are going back to basics. That mantra has become one of the most popular marketing mantras in the current recession. This does not mean that accountants are now being recruited for their skills with an abacus or their ability to chisel Roman numerals on a blackboard. In an organization that goes back to basics, hard-core skeptics are usually rewarded. They find a way to get by with what the organization has. Back-to-basics types often overlap with Turtle Wax spells, but not always. Some back-to-basics advocates have no interest in working harder. They just don’t want things to cost more.

Myth Three: A release shouldn’t be too narrow in its demands. Don’t assume that because your niche is bigger, it’s better. In marketing, wouldn’t you rather fight for one-half of a 28 percent segment than one-seventh of the 44 percent?

You may have lost your job as an IT director at a mature $200 million company. He gets an offer for a position with the same title at a $100 million company with high growth prospects at half the salary. Many companies, as I point out elsewhere, are skeptical about people willing to take big pay cuts. However, if you really want the job, you can make a convincing case that he is committed to signing up for a shooting star. After all, doesn’t the fact that he’s on the sidewalk speak volumes about the risks of being attached to a slaughtered dairy cow?

Myth Four: A pitch has to be clean. While most searches are much sharper these days, not all of them have the sharpness of a surgeon’s knife. On the retail front, there are liquor stores in the fancier sections of Manhattan, Chicago’s Gold Coast and Beverly Hills that generate as much volume at vintage Wednesday Chateau Ripple as vintage 1895 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild.

Once again, research is king. Some companies are very inconsistent in how they are willing to spend money. Corporate offices can be luxurious, but everyone can be expected to travel by coach and dinner at lunchtime could mean a trip to the fast food court. Get to know the profile and do your best to get into the company suit.

Mackay’s Moral: You’ll never please everyone, but you only have to please a few people to get a deal.