Comments on: These Are the Virtual Assistant Clients You DON'T Want http://www.grittyva.com/2009/06/02/these-are-the-clients-you-dont-want/ Straight-Shooting Business Savvy for Administrative Support Consultants Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:24:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Pattie M http://www.grittyva.com/2009/06/02/these-are-the-clients-you-dont-want/comment-page-1/#comment-49618 Pattie M Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:20:44 +0000 http://www.grittyva.com/?p=2277#comment-49618 An excellent post and the video is great. It highlights so clearly the craziness of letting clients bargain you down on price. I did this in my very early days and I quickly realised that these clients are always the ones that turn out to be the biggest pain. More importantly, as you get busier with clients paying your proper rate you just end up resenting the cheap work you are doing for others. Not a good place to be! An excellent post and the video is great. It highlights so clearly the craziness of letting clients bargain you down on price. I did this in my very early days and I quickly realised that these clients are always the ones that turn out to be the biggest pain. More importantly, as you get busier with clients paying your proper rate you just end up resenting the cheap work you are doing for others. Not a good place to be!

]]> By: Creme Virtual Assistants - Amanda http://www.grittyva.com/2009/06/02/these-are-the-clients-you-dont-want/comment-page-1/#comment-49617 Creme Virtual Assistants - Amanda Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:28:48 +0000 http://www.grittyva.com/?p=2277#comment-49617 Thank you for sharing. I've been lucky enough not to have had any of these people as clients, but really feel for those of you who have!! Thank you for sharing. I’ve been lucky enough not to have had any of these people as clients, but really feel for those of you who have!!

]]> By: Sherri Garrity - Chief Corporate Fugitive http://www.grittyva.com/2009/06/02/these-are-the-clients-you-dont-want/comment-page-1/#comment-49616 Sherri Garrity - Chief Corporate Fugitive Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:49:14 +0000 http://www.grittyva.com/?p=2277#comment-49616 Oh this is so good and so bad on many levels. Bad because I know many business owners deal like this. You don't want them as clients. Danielle is so right, you are a business owner, and deserve to profit and work with those clients who value and respect your services. From a marketing psychology perspective, it's better to price higher, and be more exclusive - deliver value and command that respect! Oh this is so good and so bad on many levels. Bad because I know many business owners deal like this. You don’t want them as clients. Danielle is so right, you are a business owner, and deserve to profit and work with those clients who value and respect your services. From a marketing psychology perspective, it’s better to price higher, and be more exclusive – deliver value and command that respect!

]]> By: Danielle Keister http://www.grittyva.com/2009/06/02/these-are-the-clients-you-dont-want/comment-page-1/#comment-49615 Danielle Keister Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:05:32 +0000 http://www.grittyva.com/?p=2277#comment-49615 Excellent point, Tina! Also, I saw your blog post and the lesson you shared is so incredibly valuable to other Virtual Assistants: "What really made me sit up and notice is the fact that at times when I’ve had potential clients approach me with these type of ‘deals’, instead of reacting like the business people in the video and insisting upon the payment due, I’ve actually negotiated and made special exceptions. And I called it good customer service. "The funny thing is, <strong>none of the folks I made special arrangements for ended up becoming regular clients</strong>. And I think now I know why. By allowing them to negotiate, I ended up de-valuing my services and the worth of what I do. Maybe it was unfair of them to think they could talk me into lowering my price, yet I made the ultimate choice to agree to them. I allowed their words to make me doubt what I know to be a fair market price on my services, skills and experience." Providing top of the line service never requires a service provider to lower their fee or negotiate their value. Learning how to employ value-billing methodologies helps providers avoid those scenarios entirely. Excellent point, Tina!

Also, I saw your blog post and the lesson you shared is so incredibly valuable to other Virtual Assistants:

“What really made me sit up and notice is the fact that at times when I’ve had potential clients approach me with these type of ‘deals’, instead of reacting like the business people in the video and insisting upon the payment due, I’ve actually negotiated and made special exceptions. And I called it good customer service.

“The funny thing is, none of the folks I made special arrangements for ended up becoming regular clients. And I think now I know why. By allowing them to negotiate, I ended up de-valuing my services and the worth of what I do. Maybe it was unfair of them to think they could talk me into lowering my price, yet I made the ultimate choice to agree to them. I allowed their words to make me doubt what I know to be a fair market price on my services, skills and experience.”

Providing top of the line service never requires a service provider to lower their fee or negotiate their value. Learning how to employ value-billing methodologies helps providers avoid those scenarios entirely.

]]> By: Tina Hilton http://www.grittyva.com/2009/06/02/these-are-the-clients-you-dont-want/comment-page-1/#comment-49614 Tina Hilton Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:46:50 +0000 http://www.grittyva.com/?p=2277#comment-49614 Thank you for sharing this video and your thoughts. The video made me smile, seeing the excuses given in situations that people would never,ever think of trying to negotiate prices. Yet some clients and potential clients think nothing of trying to negotiate a service providers rates. We all need to remember these people don't bat an eye at $20 for a pizza delivery. I think everyone in business should watch this video, it's an eye opener on both ends. And for Alex who posted about the client who thought the time spent on a job being excessive, that's the reason they hired you, if it had been quick and easy they would have done it themselves. Thank you for sharing this video and your thoughts. The video made me smile, seeing the excuses given in situations that people would never,ever think of trying to negotiate prices. Yet some clients and potential clients think nothing of trying to negotiate a service providers rates. We all need to remember these people don’t bat an eye at $20 for a pizza delivery.
I think everyone in business should watch this video, it’s an eye opener on both ends.
And for Alex who posted about the client who thought the time spent on a job being excessive, that’s the reason they hired you, if it had been quick and easy they would have done it themselves.

]]> By: Becky Gregory http://www.grittyva.com/2009/06/02/these-are-the-clients-you-dont-want/comment-page-1/#comment-49613 Becky Gregory Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:17:50 +0000 http://www.grittyva.com/?p=2277#comment-49613 I know those people! They've all been my clients - in the past that is. Not today and not ever again. I don't even entertain these guys any more. Thanks for sharing this Danielle. I know those people! They’ve all been my clients – in the past that is. Not today and not ever again. I don’t even entertain these guys any more. Thanks for sharing this Danielle.

]]> By: Alex http://www.grittyva.com/2009/06/02/these-are-the-clients-you-dont-want/comment-page-1/#comment-49612 Alex Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:06:49 +0000 http://www.grittyva.com/?p=2277#comment-49612 I can relate to the video completely! I have just invoiced my first VA client and got a reply "I think the time it took is excessive". And asked for an explanation. Well, I did the job as quick as I could and billed her for only seven hours - which included duplicating and printing 40CDs and printing letters that I had to package and post to a list of clients. I am still waiting to be paid. I can relate to the video completely! I have just invoiced my first VA client and got a reply “I think the time it took is excessive”. And asked for an explanation. Well, I did the job as quick as I could and billed her for only seven hours – which included duplicating and printing 40CDs and printing letters that I had to package and post to a list of clients. I am still waiting to be paid.

]]> By: Julia Lilly http://www.grittyva.com/2009/06/02/these-are-the-clients-you-dont-want/comment-page-1/#comment-49611 Julia Lilly Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:35:53 +0000 http://www.grittyva.com/?p=2277#comment-49611 Brilliant! Thanks for sharing this. Brilliant! Thanks for sharing this.

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