Comments for The Gritty Virtual Assistant

Comment on Don’t Fall for Dangling Carrot Syndrome by Carolyn

Carolyn — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:03:23 +0000

No truer words were ever spoken, Danielle. Having recently extracted myself from a ‘promising’ work relationship, I totally agree with you.

Comment on Don’t Fall for Dangling Carrot Syndrome by Danielle Keister

Danielle Keister — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:42:59 +0000

I totally agree with you. Far smarter to develop marketing and strategies that pull clients into your pipelines and your processes. This would also lend to prequalifying efforts and reduce the amount of time wasted jumping through unproductive hoops with no return for the effort.

Comment on Don’t Fall for Dangling Carrot Syndrome by Yelena

Yelena — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:34:12 +0000

Something to add to your post:

I see a lot of “dangling carrots” RFPs out there and always wonder:

1. A VA (or any freelancer for that matter) signing up for this kind of deal basically depends on the strategy and tactics developed by the client. If the strategy has holes in it or is half-baked, then it doesn’t matter how hard a VA works – there won’t be much in the way of results.

2. Unless a VA has complete access to all the analytics and tracking and time to get all the relevant stats, how would she know whether the goals are being achieved (other than relying on client’s word).

Comment on Go Easy on Yourself (You’re Not a Robot, Ya Know) by Vickie

Vickie — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:07:55 +0000

Thank you for this article, Danielle! It really speaks to me at this moment. I’ve been known to beat myself up over mistakes, and I’ve allowed fear to paralyze me far too long. Not anymore! I’m now embracing it all – allowing fear to manifest so I can deal with it and continue to grow. This article definitely helps. Thanks again

Comment on Go Easy on Yourself (You’re Not a Robot, Ya Know) by Joanne Matheson

Joanne Matheson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:53:01 +0000

This is a great article – we so often push ourselves – I’ve posted this in the front of me – for a daily reminder.

Comment on No One Can Guarantee You Clients by Joanne Matheson

Joanne Matheson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:37:14 +0000

Oh what you speak is so true, yet so many of us fall for the glitter, the dream and the “easy way”.

Comment on No One Can Guarantee You Clients by Yelena

Yelena — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:45:15 +0000

Hehe, your posts always make me chuckle – you don’t mince words, that’s for sure Let me just add something to what you said in your post:

No one can guarantee you clients, even your existing clients!

Comment on Dear Gritty VA: How Do I Get Clients by Marie

Marie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:24:38 +0000

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m a new VA, but I believe in standing by your rate, not giving anything away for free (or discounting, for that matter – not even on retainer pricing), and partnering only with clients who are a good fit – so all of that advice in your post make me say, “Yeah! That’s right, Danielle, preach it!”
And then I got to the part about how VAs need to stop touting how much money you can save potential clients, how those comparison charts should be taken down, and that we should not be emphasizing cost savings and it really made me think. I realized, that though I don’t necessarily sell myself as a cheap resource, I do emphasize the many ways how I will save them money over hiring a full-time admin or doing all that work themselves. You are right, I need to re-examine what it is about what I have to offer that provides value beyond cost-savings and put more emphasis on THAT.
I don’t want cheapskate clients who are only out for a bargain (let them hire an overseas “VA” for $6 an hour), I want quality clients who value what I bring to the table, for whom my rates are a secondary concern. I’m actually excited to get home tonight and start revamping my site! Thanks so much for this post!

Comment on Dear Gritty VA: How Do I Get Clients by Sandra

Sandra — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:04:20 +0000

Thanks for the great advice. I am also battling to find clients – I launched my business towards the end of last year, get loads of enquiries, but none of them ever materialise. It is so frustrating as my website is attracting many visitors and I often wonder where I am going wrong.

Comment on Dear Gritty VA: How Do I Get Clients by Cindy Elsberry

Cindy Elsberry — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:32:25 +0000

Thank you for answering this question. I have the same struggles myself. You gave me a lot to think about and apply to my business.