Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I want to talk about how I got my first client.
Today’s Quote: “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” – Chris Grosser
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Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
Today, I want to talk to you about something that can feel like the hardest hurdle in this whole business: getting your first client.
If you’ve been trying for a while to get your first client and it’s just not happening, I get it. It can feel discouraging. You start second-guessing everything – your services, your prices, even whether you should be doing this at all. But here’s what you need to know: landing that first client is rarely about changing what you offer. It’s about changing how you connect.
So, let’s talk about how I got my first client, and what I learned that can help you get yours, too.
The Struggle Of Finding Your First VA Client
If you’re still looking for that first client, or maybe your first great client, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common struggles I hear from new Virtual Assistants.
There’s so much anxiety around getting clients especially that first one, that it’s easy to freeze up. We get caught in overthinking mode. We start tweaking our services, adjusting our rates, applying to every RFP we see, and then hearing nothing back.
Or worse, we finally get a discovery call, but the client is not a good fit. The work isn’t enjoyable, the client’s expectations are unclear, and we end up saying yes just because we’re desperate to earn something.
Sound familiar?
The VAs who are struggling to get clients, good clients, are usually missing one key piece. They’re not having enough conversations.
Conversations Create Clients
Actually talking to people is what will get you clients. It’s that simple.
It’s how I got my first client, and the one after that, and the one after that. In fact, it’s how I’ve gotten pretty much every client I’ve ever worked with. At least it’s how I’ve gotten the GREAT clients!
Let me tell you the story of how it started.
How My First Client Found Me
When I was seven months pregnant, I knew I was leaving my job. I lived outside the city, and once I factored in gas and daycare, my entire paycheque would have disappeared if I went back to work after my baby arrived. So, I decided I wasn’t going back after maternity leave.
But here’s where things got interesting. My boss asked me, “When can you start working again?”
He wasn’t ready to let me go completely. I handled all the financial work for his company, and he didn’t want to take that back on himself. He knew I could do it well (and fast) because I’d been doing it for him already.
He had taught me to do it and no one else knew how, so it was … my specialty. He knew it, and so did I. I was doing menu costing and monitoring controllable expenses at a restaurant chain. It was important work, and like I said he did it before me but as CFO he did not want to be doing it anymore.
I did a bunch of other stuff too, but I proposed that I continue doing just that piece of my job from home after the baby was born. He agreed.
And just like that, I had my first client.
There was no fancy pitch, no website, no business cards. Just a conversation about what he needed, and what I needed.
That conversation led to my first paying client. And without me realizing it at the time, the beginning of my VA career.
I actually didn’t even know how to work remotely and he was the one who told me how to do it. We would email regularly, meet if necessary, I would invoice him monthly for hours worked. Um. Simple!
My “Next” First Client
Fast forward a few years later, when I realized I was actually a Virtual Assistant. I joined CAVA, the Canadian Association of Virtual Assistants, and I decided to go after new clients intentionally.
I responded to an RFP from an editor in New York City. We had a great conversation. She became my next “first” client.
And we worked together for years , all the way until I stopped doing most of the actual VA work in 2018.
She didn’t just hire me. She also referred me to countless other clients over the years, and she became a good friend.
Once again, the connection began with a simple conversation.
Then Came My Referral-Only Clients Era
When I took my Virtual Events Certification through VAClassroom (which is now FreelanceU), I decided to start offering telesummit support. For you young’uns, a telesummit is an online conference.
I mentioned it to my network and talked about what I could do.
Pretty quickly, someone said, “Hey, I could use help with that.”
That became my first telesummit client. That one event led to another, and another, and before I knew it, people were calling me “Telesummit Girl.”
Each of those firsts started the same way: a conversation about what someone needed and how I could help.
You’ll always have a “first”
You see, you’re not just looking for your very first client. You’ll have many “firsts” in your business.
Your first client overall.
Your first retainer client.
Your first high-paying client.
Your first dream client.
Every time you make a change, whether you refine your services, raise your rates, or specialize, you’ll be looking for a new first.
And the way you find each one will always be the same: by talking to people.
Why Conversations Work
When you talk to potential clients, you learn what they actually need. You start to hear their pain points and their priorities.
Sometimes, you’ll realize that you’re not the right fit, and that’s okay. It’s still a valuable conversation because you’ve practiced your communication skills and learned more about your audience.
Other times, the timing or the service might not line up, but a few months later, that person might reach back out because they remember you.
Conversations are where opportunities are born.
You will never know what clients need until you talk to them. And you’ll never get better at those conversations until you start having them.
The Numbers Are On Your Side
Not every person you talk to will hire you. In fact, most won’t. But that doesn’t matter. Because every “no” gets you closer to a “yes.”
Think of it this way: if one out of every ten conversations leads to a client, then you just need to have ten conversations to land your next one.
It’s not personal. It’s just numbers.
And the more conversations you have, the better you get at explaining what you do and how you can help. Your confidence grows with every interaction.
Your challenge this week:
I want to challenge you to take action on this right away.
✅ Make a list of people you can reach out to: old coworkers, clients, colleagues, or even friends who own businesses.
✅ Reach out to them and start a few conversations. Don’t pitch. Don’t sell. Just talk. Ask what’s going on in their business and see where you might be able to help.
✅ Make it a daily habit to build and nurture relationships. Even 15 minutes a day makes a difference.
Building relationships through conversation is one of the most valuable business skills you’ll ever learn. And it’s one that not many VAs are actually using to their advantage.
So make it work for you.
The biggest shift you can make right now is to stop waiting for clients to come to you, and start initiating conversations. Start talking to people.
That’s how I got my first client. That’s how I got every client after that. And that’s how you’ll get yours, too. I promise you, it works.
It’s not about the perfect services or the perfect price point. It’s about communication. It’s about confidence. It’s about connection.
And when you show up with genuine curiosity, ready to listen and ready to serve, the right clients will notice.
Do You Need Help?
So, your homework this week is simple: talk to people. Talk to one person, or two people. Actually talk to them.
The more you do it, the easier it gets.
The easier it gets, the more confident you feel.
And the more confident you feel, the faster your business grows.
That’s the truth.
Thanks for tuning in to The Ridiculously Good VA Show. I’m Tracey D’Aviero, and I help Virtual Assistants build the confidence to get better clients, charge higher rates, and create a business that feels amazing.
If you’re ready to get out there and start building those connections, I’d love to help you do it. You can learn more about how we can work together at YourVAMentor.com/links
Until next time, keep showing up, keep talking to people, and keep moving forward, one confident conversation at a time!