January – 2008 – The Gritty Virtual Assistant

Monthly Archives: January 2008

January 24, 2008 – 9:58 am

A Dirty Little Secret

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Lots of Virtual Assistant sites like to tout Virtual Assistance as the profession of "highly skilled" administrative professionals.

Hmmm, that’s a pretty big claim to make.

I’ve got news for ya…

Not every Virtual Assistant is highly skilled.

They’re supposed to be, and that is the expectation of professional Virtual Assistants who care about their profession. But right now in our industry (as in many other industries), anyone can jump on the Virtual Assistant bandwagon, slap up a website and call themselves a Virtual Assistant. And many, many, many… MANY do just that.

Many of those folks don’t have any administrative experience at all (and they’ll even go so far as to flat out lie about having administrative experience or embellish the number of years experience they have).

And that leads to many unhappy experiences that burned clients are all to eager to share with their business associates and the world… giving our industry a huge black eye.

I’m not saying it’s all the fault of the Virtual Assistant world (although industry organizations who don’t use any discernment at all in who they promote as representatives of the Virtual Assistant industry are a huge part of the problem. They let anyone and everyone into their ranks and demonstrate no concern for the marketplace whatsoever. Any why should they? Most of them are not organizations at all; they are merely sales vehicles for the site owner. But I digress… )

Many of those burned clients didn’t choose based on due diligence, quality and value. In many (dare I say, most) of those cases, they chose based on nothing but price…. looking for a cheap fix. And that’s exactly what they got – a cheap, subpar, unqualified and unskilled waste of money. They may as well have simply gone to the toilet themselves and flushed down their dollars directly.

That’s one of the reasons I wrote "How to Hire a Virtual Assistant;" to give business owners the information and understanding to help them choose more wisely based on other–more important–criteria besides price, and to better discern exactly what kind of Virtual Assistant can really help them in their business.

If you struggle with educating clients, send them over to the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce Client’s Guide to Virtual Assistants. You can also refer them directly to the article "How to Hire a Virtual Assistant." It will certainly help both you and your prospective clients have more meaningful, worthwhile conversations.

2 Comments

Like this? Share it!

By Danielle Keister | Posted in Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Client's Guide to Virtual Assistants, How to Hire a Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants | Comments (2)

January 23, 2008 – 10:00 am

The Difference Between Someone Who Is in Marketing and Someone Who Is a Virtual Assistant

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

There is still a lot of confusion out in Internet land about what a Virtual Assistant is. Many are under the mistaken idea that a Virtual Assistant is anyone who "assists" "virtually" doing anything and everything.

That is not the case, however.

Although "assisting virtually" does have something to do with how Virtual Assistants do their work, the definition and concept of Virtual Assistance is not based on the literal translation of those two words. Rather, Virtual Assistance is a profession and a brand of administrative support all its own.

Because of this ongoing confusion, some folks don’t really know what kind of business they are in. I’ve seen many people calling themselves Virtual Assistants when they are really in the design profession, or marketing, or accounting/bookkeeping… and so on.

For example, if you are somone who executes and advises clients on marketing strategies and perhaps even incorporates design and public relations into that work, you are a marketing consultant, not a Virtual Assistant.

On the other hand, a Virtual Assistant is the professional who would perform the administrative execution of many of the tasks involved in marketing a business.

Do you understand the distinction?

Take a blog for example. A Virtual Assistant isn’t going to write the blog posts. That would be a copywriter or ghost writer. But, a client might like to write several posts at once, maybe even in stream-of-consciousness style, and a Virtual Assistant can proof, edit and clean-up those posts, perhaps find suitable stock images to add visual interest, and then upload and schedule them for publication.

A Virtual Assistant isn’t going to typically write a client’s newsletter (although there are Virtual Assistants who are talented writers and their clients can avail themselves of those services as well), but she can input the articles, proof and edit them, put together a basic print or ezine layout, and work with ezine products such as Constant Contact of IntelliContact to get them delivered.

Virtual Assistants can set up campaigns according to client specification, proof, edit and input the message, schedule autoresponders, send out broadcast messages, obtain the HTML code for registration forms for placement on the client’s websites… the list goes on.

All of this kind of work is administrative execution, and just a few examples of the vast amount of administrative support that a Virtua Assistant can provide for clients. But that’s different from being in a completely different kind of business.

Marketing 101 tells us: Call yourself what you are. Otherwise, you are only confusing those who come in contact with you, and making it much harder to market your business and make sure it’s found by those who need your services.

If your focus is on bookkeeping, you are a bookkeeper. Call yourself that. If your focus is design, call yourself a designer. People aren’t going to find you if you are using inaccurate terminology, whether they are searching online or in the Yellow pages.

Your thoughts? Post a comment!

Like this? Share it!

By Danielle Keister | Posted in Business Savvy, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Comments (0)

January 22, 2008 – 10:00 am

Client's Guide to Virtual Assistants

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

One of the #1 complaints Virtual Assistants commonly commiserate with each other about are clients who think they are their employers. This leads to all kinds of problems in the business relationship because the expectations each has of the other aren’t aligned when this is the case.

This can result in, for example, a business owner who thinks his or her Virtual Assistant should be reporting hours or available every hour of the day, while the Virtual Assistant is justly indignant that the client thinks she or he is at their beck and call.

Virtual Assistants are administrative experts, and not every Virtual Assistant is necessarily skilled when it comes to marketing. For this reason, they often find this situation difficult to navigate. They want to properly educate clients about what they are, what they do and how they work with clients so that they are setting the right expectations from the start–which is critical to the success of the relationship. However, they often struggle in articulating that information without feeling like they are coming across harshly.

We at the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce are helping to solve this problem of misaligned expectations and better educate our marketplace with our Client’s Guide to Virtual Assistance.

This online guide explains the benefits of support, and gives business owners the skinny on how to work with a Virtual Assistant, how to hire a Virtual Assistant, understanding the difference between an employee and a contractor, and a wealth of other helpful information and resources.

Business owners are also provided a platform to tell us about their needs and perceptions with regard to Virtual Assistants, as well as any unsatisfactory experiences. This information is helping our industry improve its services and better understand its marketplace.

If you are a Virtual Assistant who struggles with educating your clients and prospects, send them over to our Client Guide. We say the tough stuff (in a professional way, of course) so you don’t have to.

1 Comment

Like this? Share it!

By Danielle Keister | Posted in Business Savvy, Cool Stuff, Fab Ideas, Marketing, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Client's Guide to Virtual Assistants, How to Hire a Virtual Assistant, How to Work with a Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants, Working with Virtual Assistants | Comments (1)

January 16, 2008 – 10:00 am

Disappearing Act

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Dear Gritty VA:

Last month I received an email from a business owner looking for a Virtual Assistant. She asked if we could schedule a consultation sometime during the second week of this month to talk. I gave her a few dates and times to choose from, and she emailed me back right away with the date she preferred, but didn’t pick out a time. I emailed her back confirming the date, told her the time zone I was in and asked for the time she would prefer. I sent her another email the following week, asking if we could confirm a time. I also sent her my preliminary questionnaire to fill out prior to the consultation and asked that it be returned at least one day prior to our consultation. It’s now one day before our consultation, and I still have not heard back from her. Should I try contacting her one more time or do I just let it go and wait to see how it plays out? –AV

If you want the business, then by all means contact her again so that you can pin down a specific time, and also get your preliminary questionnaire completed and returned to you in plenty of time.

However, there are a few things I would advise being mindful of that will help you build your business successfully and profitably.

First, I would reschedule the consultation entirely for a new date and time that allows for the client to return the completed preliminary questionnaire 24 hours before the consult so you have plenty of time to review it beforehand.

Clients who don’t follow-through and then contact you at the ninth hour tend to put one in a "scrambling" mode instead of a calm and possessed, professionally prepared mode. Working that way also sets a bad precedent for the relationship right from the beginning.

Doesn’t mean you have to write those folks off as a poor fit–people do get busy, especially those who need your help. But it’s even important in this situation to honor your standards and processes; don’t let them be sidestepped. You have them so that you can run your business and serve clients as skillfully and professionally as possible.

For example, when you go to the doctor’s office and they give you a form to complete, you don’t say to yourself, "Eh, I think I’ll pass," do you? Of course not; you wouldn’t get seen.

They aren’t handing out forms for their health, and neither are you. Your questionnaire and other forms and systems are tools–the tools you use in your business to get the information you need to best serve clients while running as smoothly as possible. Insist that they be completed. If they aren’t, simply don’t schedule anything with that prospect until they are.

Pay attention to cues that tell you whether a client is a fit or not. It’s true that it can take anywhere from seven to 10 "touches" before you really get a prospective client’s attention. On the other hand, you can’t bend over backwards for people who demonstrate they aren’t a fit.

It’s a matter of profitability. No solo business will stay alive if all its time and resources are wasted catering to those who can’t work within the most basic of professional frameworks. If there are signals that this might be the case, you need to ask yourself whether the potential client fits the profile of someone who is really ready to be served, and is going to be able to extend mutual courtesy and respect.

As you grow in your business, your sense about who falls into what category will get keener and keener as well. Just be sure you pay attention to your red flags–your gut instincts will never let you down.

One of my #1 rules for profitability: Don’t let clients rush your process or step over your standards. They are the chief things that will allow you to build a profitable practice, which in turns allows you to provide superior service to your ideal clients. That’s a recipe for success AND living the life of your dreams.

Your thoughts? Post a comment!

Like this? Share it!

By Danielle Keister | Posted in Business Savvy, Dear Gritty VA, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants | Comments (0)

January 14, 2008 – 2:06 am

Are Liars Ethical?

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

What if someone in business who didn’t like you decided to go around spreading lies about you in an effort to turn people against you.

Is the person who goes around telling lies ethical or unethical?

What about the people who know someone is a liar and/or has engaged in dishonest and unethical acts, and yet continue to associate with that kind of person?

Just a little philosophical banter… I’m very interested to know about people’s values and sense of right and wrong are these days. What’s your opinion?

5 Comments

Like this? Share it!

By Danielle Keister | Posted in Personal Musings | Comments (5)

January 10, 2008 – 1:00 pm

Free Teleseminar: Know Your Inner Consultant: 5 Steps to Learning the Art of Intuition

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

You are invited! The holidays are over and our fantastic teleseminars are back on schedule. This month we host divine Intuitive Artist Jennifer Crews on January 17–be there or be square! Registration is now open.

Oh, and be sure to invite your business buddies. You can copy and paste any text you like from our registration page and post invites to the forums, listservs and groups you participate in. The more the merrier!

Know Your Inner Consultant: 5 Steps to Learning the Art of Intuition

Everyone is blessed with intuition, and with practice and dedication to learning, one can excel and strengthen this innate gift.

Learning intuition is not any different than taking art, dance or music lessons to advance in the learning of a skill. The first of these five steps is “awareness” of your inner language. Your inner language is your own source of receiving information. You have your own personalized way to receive information—your own inner consultant.

Learn more as well as all five steps in how to master this invisible intelligence, and strengthen your intuition in business and in all areas of your life.

DATE: Thursday, January 17, 2008

TIME: 5p PST / 6p MST / 7p CST / 8p EST

DURATION: 60 minutes (call in 10 minutes early to make sure you have a spot)

COST: FREE!

MORE INFO/REGISTER HERE: http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/teleseminar.htm

1 Comment

Like this? Share it!

By Danielle Keister | Posted in Don't-Miss-It Events | Tagged Free Teleseminars, intuitive artist, know your inner consultant | Comments (1)

January 9, 2008 – 10:18 am

A Little Trick

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Don’t be afraid to get the tools you need in your business. They are an investment, not an expense, and will help you grow your business faster while building in efficiency and automation right from the get-go.

And before I start hearing from the folks who somehow think going into business shouldn’t cost them anything, let me say that I understand not everyone opens their business adequately funded. When that is the case, my advice is to take that same drive and determination that set you to open your business in the first place, and use it to get the things you NEED in your business for it to succeed, come hell or high water.

Now, when it comes to subscription-based tools–those things that are billed on a monthly basis, I highly recommend opting to pay annually instead. There is usually a great savings when you go this route, and if you are on a tight budget and often don’t know when your next dollar is coming in, you won’t have to worry about having enough money in your account each month to cover the installment.

The problem that many poorly-funded new business owners have is that this can mean a significant initial outlay of funds that they often just don’t have all at once. But here’s a little trick you can do to make it easier and spread the cost out over a period of time: Stagger your annual subscription purchases over several months.

Say some of the subscription-based tools you need in your business include LogMeIn, Aweber, Typepad and SendThisFile. In the first month, pay the annual subcription cost for just one (or two) of those services. The following month, pay another annual subscription. And so on for each subsequent month until all your annual tools are paid for.

The cool thing about doing this is not only will you be saving a ton of money while alleviating your monthly budgeting woes, but then when those bills come around again the following year, they won’t all be due at the same time.

If you’re wondering what month is best to start doing this, I recommend May because it’s after the first of the year reporting crunches of January and April.

Your thoughts? Post a comment!

Like this? Share it!

By Danielle Keister | Posted in Business Savvy | Comments (0)

January 8, 2008 – 8:48 am

Demonstrate Your Competence

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Actions speak louder than words.

You can say you are the smartest, most competent, most wonderful Virtual Assistant in the world, but if those statements aren’t backed up–evidenced–in all that you do in the most visible, tangible ways, your message will fall on deaf ears.

Everything you do is a demonstration of your professional competence. Every action, communication, effort and follow-up is an example of the level of skill, awareness, intelligence, professionalism and critical thinking ability you possess.

Even the visual presentation you provide, be it in your personal appearance or the design of your website, is communicating certain messages, either positive or negative, about you as a professional.

When someone doesn’t know a thing about you, they are unconsciously looking at any and all evidence of what you’re about. And they make assessments (yup, you can call ‘em judgments) about you instantly, without even thinking, based on what you show them.

Think about it.

A prospective client doesn’t know anything about you, even less if they aren’t coming to you on referral. If your website is sloppy, they will assume your work is sloppy, too.

If there are misspellings, punctuation errors and poor grammar used, they are going to wonder whether you have the most basic of skills to provide professional services to them.

If you don’t take care in the messages you write or can’t seem to follow the simplest of directions, they are immediately going to correlate that with what it will be like to work with you–and probably pass.

Understand the dynamics involved in the prospect-provider relationship. It’s not the prospective client’s job to waste their time (and they won’t) trying to figure out if someone really is competent if all other indications tell them that’s not the case. Nor will they second-guess the poor image or example you present. Trust me, they are going to take you at face value and assume that your services are amateur, sub-par and not at a professional level.

That’s why it’s really important to pay attention to the details. You have to show up, in everything you do, in a way that clearly demonstrates your professional competence and the kind of experience they will have if they choose to work with you.

2 Comments

Like this? Share it!