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February 16, 2011 – 10:00 am

Virtual Assistants: Here’s Some Abject Stupidity…

Alan Weiss, the self-styled king of consulting, tells business owners they should “do it themselves and save time.”

So if an attorney emails him about a matter, is he going to say, “Tell your client to call me himself!”

Of course not. That’s patently ridiculous. He may be the absolute genius when it comes to consulting, and I definitely respect his knowledge in that, but on this point he is dead wrong.

There’s absolutely no difference between clients having their Administrative Consultant (Virtual Assistant) take care of certain matters on their behalf and having their attorney or accountant or any other kind of professional handle matters related to what they were hired to do.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with one person’s time being more important than another person’s.

It has everything to do with that client who works with an Administrative Consultant (Virtual Assistant) being a smart business person who knows that his time and energy levels are finite commodities. That business person realizes he shouldn’t be spending his own personal time on certain details, but instead should prioritize and reserve those limited resources for taking excellent care of clients and focusing on marketing and revenue generation. He knows he is able to give more support and higher quality service to his clients when he doesn’t squander those things trying to do everything himself.

But Weiss’s position is that if you’re going to say you are a solo, you should be COMPLETELY solo. And that’s just as ridiculous.

Solo doesn’t mean you literally do everything yourself. It just means that you are the primary brain power and craftsman in your business. Using his logic, solos would never hire ANY professionals whatsoever to help them in their business. They wouldn’t hire an attorney, an accountant, a bookkeeper or literally anyone. Again, patently ridiculous. No man is an island and that man’s business and clients will suffer if he tries to be. Guaranteed.

Choosing to be supported (and in some cases coached and advised) administratively by an Administrative Consultant (Virtual Assistant) is no different than hiring any other kind of independent professional to help in their business. We are hired for our expertise of administrative support and guidance in those matters.

However, this once again underscores the fact that the term “Virtual Assistant” is completely misunderstood and does us a great disservice by causing people to automatically perceive that we are “mere” assistants or lackeys.

If that person’s accountant had contacted him for the information, I really doubt he would have had the same attitude. He automatically has less professional respect because he views us as some kind of underlings–much like a maid or butler–and all because of the term “Virtual Assistant.” But as business owners and professionals who are hired for our particular expertise and support, we are no more assistants to our clients than an accountant or attorney or bookkeeper is an assistant to their clients.

Of course, to be fair, there are some real turkeys in our industry who seemingly have no brain cells with which to think independently or critically and take initiative. Those folks do give us a bad name. And it’s the reason why I see the smarter, more experienced people in our industry–the ones who have professional self-esteem and view themselves as true business owners and masters of the expertise of administrative support–embracing the term Administrative Consultant as a better representative and more respectful name for who we are and what we do.

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By Danielle Keister | Also posted in Business Savvy, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Administrative Consultants, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants | Comments (7)

February 14, 2011 – 10:00 am

How to Luv Up Your Clients this Valentine’s Day

So often in business we focus on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas to give out extra helpings of gratitude to our clients. I happen to think Valentine’s Day is a perfect holiday to let them know how much we appreciate them. It’s not just for lovers, you know. It’s for sweethearts of all kinds–even clients. So let’s take a moment today to let them know just how much we appreciate them.

1. Say thank you. Take the opportunity today to tell your clients how much you love and appreciate them and what an honor and privilege it is to help them in their businesses. An email is fine, but a phone call or card is really the perfect touch.

2. Dole out the atta boys/girls freely. Everyone appreciates a pat on the back. Tell your clients what qualities you admire most about them and the work they are doing in their business and the world. Describe to them all the reasons why they are so wonderful to work with.

3. Give a little gift. I can’t think of a single person on earth who doesn’t delight in receiving an unexpected present. Whether it’s flowers, chocolates or a little trinket you know a client will like, you really can’t go wrong here. One caution: Save the business branded SWAG for business occasions. No one feels special about something you bought in bulk to promote your business. Make it personal. Make it something that shows you expended some time and effort choosing. THAT is what makes it special and meaningful.

4. Sing their praises. Be an advocate for your clients’ businesses. Love and appreciation are wonderful things, but practical referrals can mean new business and more money for your clients. Post a review. Rate their website. Send an email to your contacts introducing them to your client’s business. These are just some of small gestures that can have real, tangible impact for your clients.

5. Share your resources. What or who do you know that your clients might appreciate? Is there some free advice or consulting you can give them related to a goal or objective they are currently interested in? Give them the inside scoop as a little way of saying, “Thank you, you’ve helped my business by being my client and here’s a little something I’d like to give back to you.”

6. Reward your existing clients. Everyone is always giving discounts and freebies to prospects. But why? What did they do to earn anything? That’s just bribery. Instead, how about rewarding your ACTUAL clients… you know, the ones who actually work with you, pay you and stick by you. You wouldn’t have a business without them. You could threw in some extra work you don’t worry about billing for. Or get them to tell you what the one goal or nagging to-do item is that just keeps getting pushed to the back-burner. Then help them get ‘er done once and for all at no charge. Making their life easier is a wonderful–and memorable– way to show you care about them and their lives and making things better for them, not just getting paid.

7. Host a client social. Whether online or in-person, this is a fun way to get together with clients, introduce them to each other and express thanks to all of them for being clients. You could pick up the tab for dinner or lunch, and in the case of an online event, organize one or two fun games.

8. Brush up on your clients. When is the last time you updated your client info sheet? Spend some time brushing up on what you know about each client. Add those personal tidbits of info you have come to learn about each client personally. The more you get to know each client as a person, the deeper you can nurture the relationship. And don’t forget to share things about yourself as well.

9. Put your money where your mouth is. I don’t just work with my clients. I have frequently purchased their services and/or products for myself or to give as gifts to my other clients. Appreciating your clients like this is a great way to pay it forward.

10. Contribute to their conversations. Post comments on your clients’ blogs and social networking posts. Retweet their tweets. Friend them on Facebook. Give feedback they can use in their products and testimonials. Everyone appreciates these kinds of contributions that help spread their word and build their reputation. And contributing in this way helps them generate the discussions they are hoping to cultivate on these platforms.

RESOURCE: Learn more about how to give clients a service experience they’ll rave about in the guide, Plush: Red Carpet Strategies for Luxurious Client Care, and continue to wow them long after the relationship is off the ground.

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By Danielle Keister | Also posted in Business Savvy, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Client Appreciation | Comments (1)

January 24, 2011 – 10:00 am

QR Codes: The New Marketing Barcode

Want to learn about QR codes? Click here to subscribe to The Portable Business™, the VACOC’s weekly ezine, to get today’s issue! Just fill in the green subscription form in the upper right.

Oh, and if you are a Virtual Assistant or Administrative Consultant, remember to take part in the 2011 Virtual Assistant Industry Survey.

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By Danielle Keister | Also posted in Cool Stuff, Fab Ideas | Tagged How to Create a QR Code, How to Use QR Codes, QR Codes | Comments (1)

December 29, 2010 – 10:00 am

Dear Gritty VA: How Do Referrals Work?

Dear Gritty VA:

How exactly do referrals work? Does the client recommend their colleague and I call them? Do they contact their colleague and send them my way or what? Thank you so much for your anticipated response. –TA

Well, basically, they work any way you’d like them to work.

Referrals come from lots of different places and come in many different forms.

Sometimes colleagues will refer clients to you. According to our annual surveys, the overwhelming majority of Virtual Assistants and Administrative Consultants follow the “what goes around, comes around” philosophy and don’t charge for referrals. Others do charge referral fees or will want a percentage of any earnings from a client for a certain time period. You’ll want to get clear with the referring colleague as to what their expectations or requirements are.

You can also formally ask clients for referrals. For example, you could make it a standard question as part of your feedback process to ask clients for the names of folks they think would benefit from your support.

Your networking becomes a sort of referral source as well in that it helps you develop your word-of-mouth recognition. As you contribute and people read your posts, you become someone they come to know, like and trust. This leads to folks referring and recommending you to others.

You might have some sort of formal referral program that rewards people for referring prospects to you. Although personally, I really don’t recommend this for a professional service practice. There’s really no need and keep in mind, you would just be adding yet another burden to your administration and management workload.

Those who genuinely know your work and feel it’s worth recommending to other will do so of their own accord. Your evangelists aren’t looking to be paid–they simply believe in what you do and they want to be a resource for their own audience. Those who do end up giving great referrals to you, you can thank by sending referrals their way as well and maybe once in awhile sending a little gift.

As you become established with a happy roster of clients, they tend naturally to refer you to others when they get a chance. This is another form of word-of-mouth advertising that leads to referrals. But I would definitely recommend being proactive as well in specifically asking clients periodically for the names of folks they think could use or would be interested in your services.

Another thing I would recommend you get conscious about is your calls-to-action. In your signature lines and in your “About the Author” text (such as when you publish articles you’ve written), include a line that says something about welcoming referrals. This puts the conscious thought in people’s head and tells them that you are actively seeking clients.

Be clear as well about who makes an ideal client for you so folks know who to refer to you. “Any warm body” is not an ideal client. Just because folks refer people to you doesn’t mean those prospects are going to be the right fit. So you have to tell people who is the right fit for you. “I’m looking for solo practice attorneys who would like to leverage some skilled administrative support in their business.”

Prices going up next year, plus select items on sale… get ‘em now before it’s over >>

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By Danielle Keister | Also posted in Business Savvy, Dear Gritty VA, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Danielle Keister, Gritty VA, referral marketing, Referral Programs | Comments (0)

December 13, 2010 – 10:00 am

Your Location IS Important

Your location IS important, but not for the reasons you might think.

This topic came up through some correspondence I was having with someone who had submitted her listing to the new and improved VACOC Virtual Assistant Directory.

This person was concerned that being listed in one location would limit folks to clients from that one geographic area. She felt that “the whole reason for being a Virtual Assistant is to allow you to work from home for anyone, anywhere in the world,” and that “listing by location restricts the Virtual Assistant’s ability to expand her boundaries of business to other places.”

But here’s what you have to understand…

Location doesn’t have anything to do with how folks get clients or where they are from. It has more to do with instilling trust and credibility in prospective clients. Knowing where someone actually is makes them feel safer and more comfortable.

And in some cases, geographic location actually is important, either to the Administrative Consultant or to the client.

For example, I work with attorneys, but I work strictly with attorneys in my own state because I know the ropes better here. With the exception of the IP attorney I work with (which is federal), I have no interest in trying to learn all the ins and outs of court structures, rules, filing methods and all those other idiosyncrasies in other states.

For the same reason, I have no interest in international clients either. It’s often too much work trying to navigate between the language and cultural differences.

My business and work are MUCH simpler and easier that way–which leaves me more time for life outside my business!

Sometimes, whether we like it or not, clients just like to have someone in their own state. It’s just a human emotional thing. That doesn’t mean we stop working virtually. Just because someone is local to you, whether that’s the same city, state or whatever, doesn’t mean you work with them any differently than you would with any other client anywhere else in the world.

Also, because administrative support is a relationship between people, as well as a niche and specialty all its own, it is a category unto itself. Using geographic locations helps break things up visually for clients and makes it easier for them to peruse listings.

It certainly isn’t going to preclude anyone from finding clients in other areas or from clients in other geographic locations from being drawn to you and the solution you offer–at least if you know how to market yourself and create your own pipelines.

Because you aren’t marketing a location. You are marketing a solution to your market’s administrative problems. Your location is simply about being upfront, honest and transparent about your business–and thereby helping instill trust and comfort in clients–which is even more important for online, “virtual” businesses.

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By Danielle Keister | Also posted in Business Savvy, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Geographic Location, Location, Virtual Assistant Directory, Virtual Assistants | Comments (1)

December 3, 2010 – 10:00 am

Why Are You Asking a Plumber to Fix Your Car?

If you’re a plumber, you wouldn’t expect people to ask you to fix their car, right?

You’re someone who deals with plumbing, pipes and fixing toilets, not someone who works on cars.

So if people are asking you to fix their car, perhaps you aren’t making it clear exactly what business you are in and what your expertise is.

Or, let’s say you are both a plumber AND a mechanic.

Would anyone with a properly working brain think that plumbing and auto repair are the same thing?

Of course not.

They’d expect to be charged and processed separately for each because they are two completely different things.

Just because you might do both things doesn’t make them the same thing.

Get clear about what you are in business to do. Distinguish the one main thing from other, differing things you might offer as well.

Because “anything and everything” isn’t a business category or a profession, much less an expertise.

HINT: Administrative Support is a niche, profession, business category, specialty and expertise all its own. You might also do web design, bookkeeping and any number of other things, but that does not make all those other things the same thing as administrative support.

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By Danielle Keister | Also posted in Business Savvy, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Administrative Consultants, Administrative Support, Distinguishing Business Categories, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants | Comments (2)

November 22, 2010 – 10:00 am

Trust and Confidence: Are Your Potential Clients Feeling It?

(This was published today in The Portable Business™ weekly ezine–be sure and subscribe here!)

Here’s what you have to always remember about clients looking to hire you: They don’t know you.

You know you, but they don’t know you. Sure, they might have seen something you wrote–an article or a post on a forum, perhaps–and had their interest piqued. Or they were given your name by someone they know and whose opinion they value.

But other than that, they don’t really know you.

And so they are nervous. It’s a big commitment to work with a new provider. They have a lot riding on the line. They have a challenge to solve or need to make their business run easier. They dread having to start all over again with someone new and want to make sure their decision is the right one.

This is why they are always looking for evidence. They want to see things that back-up your message that you are great at what you do. They want to feel trust and confidence.

So how do you do that? How do you help instill the trust and confidence potential clients are yearning for? It’s surprisingly simple:

Present a website to them that demonstrates your competence. What does that mean? Well, let’s put it this way, if you say you’re the grammar queen, but your site is littered with misspellings and incorrect punctuation, um, you can forget about clients thinking you are any good. No matter what you say you are, it must be backed up visually and in practical demonstration.And even if the thing you do for a living has absolutely nothing to do with spelling, writing or typing, people still buy with their eyes (an analogy coined by the awesome Harry Beckwith). They will directly correlate the professionalism and competence of your website with your actual skills and qualifications for the thing you are in business to do. It all has to match. It’s called walking the talk and looking the part.
Present a website that shows you care. When you care about the presentation of your own website, you are telling your site visitors that you take pride in what you do (a pride-filled service provider is a MUCH better service provider) and that you are invested in their business and the work you want to do for them.Soooo many people think this isn’t important, but it is actually one of the most important things you can do to instill trust, confidence and rapport. If your site shows a lack of effort, if it’s sloppy and lacks any originality whatsoever, what gets communicated is that you are someone who will only exert the least amount of effort possible. That’s not very inspiring, is it?
Give them someone to connect with. Whether you are a solo or the head of a big company, people do business with people. Put your name and face up there prominently so they know who is talking and they have someone to relate to. It’s an instant rapport builder and will make them feel so much safer and more comfortable.
Talk like a real person. Corporate speak is soooo over. Please know I say this in the most loving way, but you really gotta take the stick out of your arse and be a human being! Stop with all the pretensions and being so stiff, formal and uptight. Speak directly to your site visitor as a person, as if you were in a real conversation with him or her. Do this in your writing and in your recordings and videos. Look in their eyes and smile. Let your words be warm and human.
Talk about them, not you. Sure, there’s going to be a sprinkling of “I” and “we” in there, but overall you should be talking about your ideal client and his/her goals, challenges and objectives. Your copy should mostly be using the words “you” and “your.” If it’s not, go in there right now and turn those sentences around.

CHALLENGE: Today, go through your website. Fix typos and misspellings. Ask someone else to proof. Reword your sentences to focus on “you” and “your.” Make sure all your graphics are rendering correctly and fix any sizing that make them appear wonky. Double-check that all links are active and go to the right pages. A site that is checked and updated regularly is a site that will instill trust and credibility in clients.

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By Danielle Keister | Also posted in Business Savvy | Tagged instilling trust and confidence in prospective clients, talking the talk, walking the walk | Comments (0)

November 10, 2010 – 10:00 am

Dear Gritty VA: What Is “the Work?”

Dear Gritty VA:

I am just starting my Virtual Assistant business. I am networking and setting things up, but I have a question (hope it does not sound silly)… If you could, please list and/or explain some of the duties/work you in real terms. I hear all these Virtual Assistants talk about “the work,” but I want to know the details. What kinds of things do people hire you to do? –AC

Not a silly question at all. Although I can’t say it’s the easiest to answer, LOL.

That’s because the administrative support that one VA provides to her clients can be completely different from what another VA provides.

It’s impossible to create any kind of comprehensive list because the work we do is so much more than that. More importantly, there’s no way to do that because no two clients, businesses and professions are the same. There might be some general similarities and overlap, but overall “the work” all depends on the clients, the industry they are in, the work they do and what their goals, objectives and challenges are.

So like me, for instance, I work with attorneys and business consultants. HUGE amounts of document work involved in both. I also have a lot of contact with their clients in various capacities, such as interviewing, doing intakes, making calls… I also have to interact with the courts, JAs and use the various filing systems. That’s just the teeniest tip of the iceberg.

What I do for my clients, given the professions they are in, is VERY different from the work VAs who, for example, work with Internet marketers provide. Those two markets do completely different things, have completely different interests and motivations, and the work, therefore, is vastly different.

Instead of trying to identify “the work” in only the most general sense, I would instead have you look at things from a different perspective.

1. You can’t be in business to do everything. So YOU have to define what you are in business to do. How I look at things is that administrative support is a skill, expertise and specialty all its own. As a business owner, I am not anyone’s assistant, personal valet or gopher. I am in business to provide administrative support to clients who need that expertise in their business.

2. Once you know what you are in business to do, you will have a better idea and focus about the kind of work you provide for clients. But that’s not the end of the story…

3. You also want to define what administrative support means to you. The best way I have to explain administrative support is that it is the collection of ongoing tasks, functions and roles that keep a business organized, running smoothly and moving forward. Where a lot of people get confused (including a whole lot of VAs themselves) is thinking that administrative work is simply paperwork.

And administrative support isn’t just about administration (the back-end running of the business). Administration is only one area of a business where administrative support is provided. Administrative support encompasses work in ALL four areas of a business–administration, business development, marketing and networking, and working with clients.

Take a look at the quick video below and see if that doesn’t help you understand a bit better.

4. You also want to define a target market. For the same reason that you can’t be in business to do anything and everything, it is also impossible to try to work with anyone and everyone and create any kind of unique, meaningful, resonate and compelling message at the same time.

As Seth Godin says, “You can be a wandering generality or a meaningful specific.” Once you know who it is you are intending to work with, that right there is going to hugely allow you to identify and define “the work” you want to do with and for clients and separate it from different categories of project work you may want to charge separately for.

(And by the way, when you work with a very specific target market, the work and running your business becomes INFINITELY easier.)

5. Beyond all that, EVERYTHING depends on the consultation. Everything. You can’t begin to know how to support someone or what work is involved until you have spoken at length to the client to learn more about them, their business, their values, goals and the challenges they face.

If you want to get REALLY good at doing consultations and know EXACTLY how to proceed with them (what to talk about when, questions to ask, how to ask, what to look for, etc.), then I highly recommend you get my Client Consultation Process, “Breaking the Ice (GDE-03).” It covers everything from before, during and how to follow-up afterward.

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By Danielle Keister | Also posted in Business Savvy, Dear Gritty VA, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Administrative Consultants, Danielle Keister, Gritty VA, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants | Comments (2)

November 9, 2010 – 10:00 am

New Video: How to Work with a Virtual Assistant

Hey, check out our new video to help clients understand how to work with a Virtual Assistant/Administrative Consultant. Would love you to subscribe to our channel, rate the video and leave your comments. Let me know how you like it.

Oh, and by the way, this was made for Virtual Assistants and Administrative Consultants to use on their websites so feel free!

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