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Are You Using Your Outside Voice?

Recently I was having a conversation with a mentoring student about communicating with clients. She is a relatively new Virtual Assistant, and she is still a bit timid around clients. It’s a stage that all new VAs go through – not really having that confidence that you know the right things to say around a new client – and that kind of thing. It’s one thing to know what you are doing, but it’s another to tell a client what they should be doing. It’s a situation that you need to learn how to handle as a VA – and once you do, you will not only gain confidence, but you will also gain their trust, respect and even their… Read More »Are You Using Your Outside Voice?

The Strategy of Knowing Your Client’s Business

Building a business takes strategy. You know that from building your own business. You want to build a business that is successful and thriving. What is the easiest way to do that? Work with clients whose businesses are also successful and thriving. It seems like a simple concept, but most VAs I know want to work with clients on a long term basis – and they have no idea what to do in order to find them. The key is to find clients who are currently (or planning to) growing their businesses, because that will mean that your business will grow as well. There is one important thing you need to do for them that will help both of you.… Read More »The Strategy of Knowing Your Client’s Business

Chocolate, Cinnamon – and What They Have to Do with Repurposing Your Content

I was recently talking with a client about repackaging and repurposing content. I had suggested that it would be a good idea to take an audio from a teleclass and repackage it into several other pieces that the client could use in her marketing. She didn’t understand why I would suggest doing that – the audio itself was content so why didn’t we we just blast the link out for everywhere so people could opt in to it and therefore get the material – no extra work required. It’s important to realize that people take in their information in all different kinds of ways. In order to reach them you need to find the way that speaks directly to them.… Read More »Chocolate, Cinnamon – and What They Have to Do with Repurposing Your Content

5 Tips for Effective Networking As a Virtual Assistant

As we think about building our business, the principle ‘It’s who you know’ often comes into play. After all, in order to start working with someone, you have to get to know them. Well, in order to get to know them you have to initially find them. Then you have to connect with them. This is what we call networking. Whether you do it in person on online, you should be conscious of a few things that will make your efforts a lot more fruitful. 1. Don’t be invisible. When you are networking, the key is to be seen. You need to join groups or attend events with the intention of coming away from the wall and actually talking to… Read More »5 Tips for Effective Networking As a Virtual Assistant

One Thing You Need To Do To Make Your VA Business Grow

When you do your planning and goal setting in your business, do you really look at your numbers to determine where your revenue is coming from? If you don’t, you are missing out of a very large part of your business planning. When you are setting goals, one of the key things you need to assess is where the revenue will come from. In order to do this, you have to do a simple analysis of where it’s currently coming from. By focusing on this, you will be better prepared to plan new services, products or programs. It’s a simple thing to do, and it should be a part of your goal setting and business planning every time. 1. Make… Read More »One Thing You Need To Do To Make Your VA Business Grow

5 Great Questions to Ask in a Consultation Call

When someone contacts you to ask about how your Virtual Assistant services can help them, how does the conversation flow? Do you tell them about your service offerings? Do they ask how you can help them? How often do you sign the client when you are on that consultation call? All the time? Most of the time? Only some of the time? Hardly ever? If you are not closing the sale all or even most of the time, it could be your approach that’s the problem. I teach my students that it’s more important to listen than to talk on consultation calls. The client will let you know what they need if you ask them the right questions. Here are… Read More »5 Great Questions to Ask in a Consultation Call

Keep your Website Fresh and Current

I have often talked about how my business has been referral-only for a few years. What I mean by that is that my new clients come to me through referral from another client, a colleague, and that sort of thing. I typically don’t respond to requests for proposal, or go searching job boards or forums for work. The work … for all intents and purposes … comes to me. This is a great position to be in from a business perspective – however it’s important that you don’t ‘stop’ marketing your business if you are in this stage. I learned a valuable lesson because I did just that, and I want to share it with you. I had a consultation… Read More »Keep your Website Fresh and Current

Do You Recognize Your Own Value?

I have been reading Harvey Mackay‘s new book The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World. It’s a terrific, easy-to-read book that takes you through the various components of how to sell effectively – by being you and by knowing what your customers want. That is some serious paraphrasing, but you get the point! One of the chapters in particular spoke to me and I wanted to share it with you. It’s called Sell Yourself. Harvey talks about the three toughest sells being Company, Product and Self. As a small business owner and a mentor, I know how difficult selling yourself can be. Selling yourself can be one of the most difficult things to do, if you do not… Read More »Do You Recognize Your Own Value?