Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I want to talk about clients who gladly pay premium prices for the support they need.
Today’s Quote: “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” – Warren Buffett
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Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
Today we are talking about a really important mindset shift you must make as a virtual assistant.
It is also one that will directly affect how much you earn, the kind of clients you work with, and how your business grows. See? Important, right!??
We are talking about clients who gladly pay premium prices for the support they need.
Not the budget shoppers. Not the tire kickers. Not the people who say they want help and then disappear when you send your rates.
We are talking about the clients who appreciate expertise. The ones who value your time. The ones who understand return on investment. The ones who want their business to grow and will pay well for the right support.
And yes, there are many of them.
Even if you haven’t found any yet, don’t make the mistake thinking that they aren’t out there. Because I guarantee you – they are.
Today we will walk through why premium clients exist, what they are really paying for, and how you can position your VA business to attract them.
Premium Clients Do Exist
Before we talk strategy, let’s address the thoughts you are probably having right this second.
Yes. There will always be clients who want the cheapest option.
And yes also – there will always be clients who want the best option.
Premium clients fall into the second category.
They are not looking for a deal. They are looking for results.
Think about yourself – when have you invested in something at a higher price because you wanted the BEST support, and it wasn’t the cheapest option?
When I first started my VA business, I struggled. A lot.
I have told you this. I did so many things wrong.
When I started working with a business coach, I didn’t pick the cheapest business coach. In fact, I invested a lot of money in coaching – because I really wanted to work with high-level clients. Six and seven figure business coaches. I didn’t even know anyone who made six figures at the time, let alone seven.
So what made me the best support for them?
Doing the work to uplevel my services and my mindset and my offerings – and working with the clients I needed to, to get the experience those high earners needed.
The only way that I could do that was to work with a coach who could show me the way. So I did. And it worked.
Now, I have also worked with clients that didn’t cost so much – for various reasons – and that’s okay too. But the illustration here is to show you that there are reasons that people invest in premium services – and the biggest reason is to get the results they want.
Your clients will pay you when you can confidently provide them with the results that they need in their business. Knowing that things are getting done, and are working for them, so they can concentrate on delivering what they do best – working with their own amazing clients.
Premium clients exist because:
They value their time.
They value competence.
They value speed.
They value confidence.
They value outcomes.
And most importantly, they value not having to figure everything out alone.
When you think about your own business, how many times have you been willing to pay more because you wanted an easier path or clearer results? Your clients think the same way.
What Premium Clients Are Actually Paying For
Premium clients are not paying for hours.
They are paying for impact.
They are paying for peace of mind.
They are paying for your ability to take something off their plate.
They are paying for efficiency and professionalism.
They are paying for your confidence, your clarity, and your experience.
And yes, even if you have only been a VA for a short time, you bring experience from every job and every part of your career. That is part of your value.
You’re not ‘new’ to admin. You might be a new VA but that’s not the same thing.
When my VA business took off – after I did the training, the coaching, the mindset work, and started working with my target clients, those six and seven figure business coaches – I quickly moved to a waiting list and a referral only business.
How? Because my clients networked in their own coaching circles and they referred me to their colleagues.
Well, to be honest at first they didn’t want to refer me, but people kept asking – and THEIR coach kept referring me to her coaching circle clients, because she knew that I could do the things they needed to move their business forward. Which, in turn moved her business forward.
My clients didn’t nickle and dime me at that level. They said ‘here’s what I need. I trust you because you work with so and so, and because my coach told me you can help me.’ .
It’s a great place to be when you find your people, and you develop that name for yourself. Mine was Telesummit Girl.
Premium clients want things done well, done right, and done without micromanaging. If you can deliver that, you are worth more than an hourly rate could ever show.
Signs a Client Is Willing To Pay More
Here are a few behaviors that often indicate a premium client mindset. This is important to note because you do need to take your cues from your clients, or potential clients.
You can’t make them be a premium client. Just because you want them to be or because you think they are, doesn’t make it so.
They have to be there, ready for you.
How can you tell?
They respond quickly.
They make decisions easily.
They are direct about what they need.
They appreciate structure and boundaries.
They talk about growth.
They value relationships.
They ask about solutions, not prices.
Most importantly, they want to know “Can you help me?”
Not “How cheap can you be?”
If you haven’t had one of these conversations yet, it’s important for you to know that they DO happen.
And they are awesome!
We spend so much time worrying that someone will think we are to expensive, or that we don’t have enough experience.
We think that they need to know every last thing that we are doing at all times of the day, in order to prove to them that we are working hard. Don’t we?
I did that, you guys. I did it a lot. I reported back to them every little thing I did. Good, eh, Ma??
The truth is they do not care. They are busy. They don’t want to micromanage you, and you don’t have to keep them posted on every minute of your day.
You simply need to make them feel that things are moving forward and then let them know when things are done.
I had detailed checklists working when I was Telesummit Girl. Tons of balls in the air.
All the client needed to know was what I needed from them, and they needed to know when we were ready to go.
The details were MY business – the summary was theirs. They were hiring me to do it all, not to have to watch me do it all.
Don’t waste your energy on clients who are not ready for this kind of mindset.
When you recognize premium client traits, you can elevate the conversation and build strong working relationships faster.
What Stops VAs From Attracting Premium Clients
Here’s where we connect your mindset to the results you are getting.
Many VAs struggle to attract premium clients because they:
Undercharge
Undervalue themselves
Don’t speak confidently about what they do
Lead with tasks instead of outcomes
Say yes to anything because they are afraid to lose work
Sound unsure in discovery calls
Don’t have boundaries or processes
Try to appeal to everyone instead of speaking directly to their ideal client
Most of this comes back to confidence.
If any of these sound familiar, then I’m glad you are listening today.
If you are not confident in your value, it is nearly impossible for a premium client to trust that you can deliver the level of support they want.
You know I always tell you that you have to believe you can help your clients before they can believe it.
You HAVE to know that you are the one they should hire.
That’s confidence. But it’s also preparation. You need to know clearly what you can do for them – and you have to be able to articulate that to them in any situation.
That might take practice. If you can’t clearly state your services and your rates without stumbling, you need more practice.
And I’m not talking about an elevator pitch. You know I hate those. Don’t try to summarize everything you know into 30 seconds of a run on sentence. Gah!
Work your service offering that this particular client that you are speaking with right now, in the moment, into a clear sentence of two.
I can help you get your newsletter done every month.
I can help you get more visibility for your business using Pinterest.
I can help you get your books in order by the end of the year.
And your rates too.
My rate for doing your newsletter every month is $50.
My rate for managing your Pinterest marketing for you is $500.
My rate for getting your books in order right now is $800.
Or whatever the price is.
This is literally as simple as you need to make it. As clear as you need to be able to say it.
Confidence makes all the difference.
You need to believe that you deserve better clients, before those better clients will notice you.
How to Attract Premium Clients
Let’s talk now about how to start attracting these premium clients.
It’s about how you act and interact when you are networking and connecting with business owners.
Speak clearly about what you do and who you do it for.
Focus on outcomes and results, not on tasks.
Have a structured onboarding process.
Show confidence in your calls.
Communicate like a peer or their colleague, not their employee.
Set boundaries early and hold those boundaries.
Use simple, strong and clear language when discussing your services.
Raise your rates so your pricing reflects the level of support you offer.
Premium clients want to feel taken care of. They want clarity and direction. They want to know you have a plan.
I know I probably drive you crazy talking about checklists but your plan is your checklist!
If you make up a detailed checklist, then those are the steps you need to take to DO the thing. To get the result or outcome.
It’s your plan – and you can clearly convey that plan to your clients when you have it in writing.
I highly recommend doing checklist and procedures for every task you do. It helps you price your services properly but it also helps you define what you do for your clients, and what they need to do too.
How Premium Pricing Creates Premium Relationships
Here is a mindset shift for you.
Premium pricing does not push the right clients away.
It pulls the right clients closer.
When someone invests more, they show up differently. They respect your time, ask better questions, follow your processes, and trust your recommendations.
Working with clients like that is easier and more enjoyable. It also creates more room in your calendar and more revenue in your business.
Premium pricing is not just about earning more money. It is about creating sustainable, respectful, long-term client relationships.
It might feel scary to wonder if someone is going to pay you the number you have come up with, but all you need is that first client to say yes and then it is easy to repeat over and over. All you need is that first yes.
Let’s circle back to today’s quote: “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”
Premium clients understand this deeply. They are not making decisions based on the number. They are deciding based on the value, the results, and the relationship.
I just need someone who can help me launch my program.
I don’t have time to do my marketing, I need someone to take my stuff and run with it.
I can’t manage my books myself, it takes me too long and I don’t know how. I need someone experienced to do it for me.
When you position yourself as a confident, capable VA who delivers real support and real outcomes, those clients will find you. They will trust you. They will invest in you.
And they will pay premium prices, not because you are expensive, but because you are valuable.
Do You Need Help?
If today’s episode helped you rethink who you are meant to work with, I would love for you to share it with another VA who needs this message too.
And as always, if you want support in stepping into this version of your business, my programs and workshops are designed to help you make confident, sustainable progress every single week.
You can connect with me at YourVAmentor.com/links.
I’m here to help. It’s the only reason I’m here at all – to help you become a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
That’s all I’ve got for you this week. I’ll see you next time!