The Gritty Virtual Assistant Blog

Dear Gritty VA:

This is a question related to your blog post on Feb. 10, “Do you want a job or a business?” You talk about having clients send you their work requests and communications via email. What do you do if that’s not their preference? What if they prefer verbal communications? –TS

I don’t work with them.

I know that may come across as flip, but it’s not intended to be.  It’s just the very simple, practical truth.

And here’s the reason… there are all sorts of criteria that go into an ideal client profile. These are the things that make a client a fit for you and your business. The ability to work easily with you should be one of the items on your list.

Given the work we do as Virtual Assistants and close, collaborative relationship we have with clients, it’s even more important for us as professional service providers to make sure there is a great fit or we’ll soon find ourselves burned-out and resentful.

You can’t work with everyone. You aren’t going to enjoy working with everyone. And there are just some clients who aren’t going to be profitable to work with because they can’t or won’t mesh with the policies, processes and protocols you have set up in your business that allow you to run efficiently, effectively and profitably.

Not to mention, the ability to give your clients–all your clients–nothing but your most outstanding support. You can’t do that if you’re working with clients who tax your systems and standards.

It’s about finding the best fit, not trying to make a fit out of everyone. Not trying to make square pegs fit into round holes. Leave those clients for someone else.

Clients who are able to work well within the framework of my business are the ones who will be easiest and most profitable to work with. If I have to make exceptions or special accommodations for a client who prefers verbal communication, it creates more administration and work for myself, and impedes my ability to get things done quickly and efficiently for all my clients.

I’m about working and making money with the greatest amount of ease. Working with clients who don’t fit creates a “drag” in my business and makes things harder and slower. Not profitable and not smart.

You find the right clients to work with, the ones who temperaments, savvy and abilities most fit with how you run things in your business, and everything in your work together will be much easier and go much smoother all the way around.

Not only that, but when things are *easy* in your business, it creates for you more time, more freedom and more  “space” and flexibility. Why would you want to work any other way?