The Gritty Virtual Assistant

Clients Listen With Their Eyes

The title of today's blog post is borrowed from one of my favorite marketing experts, Mark Merenda of SmartMarketing.

Mark graciously gave me permission to share one of his recent SmartBlog posts with you because its topic is something Virtual Assistants can take a cue from as well, which is the idea that clients will make instant, conscious and unconscious judgments about you and your business based on nothing more than what your website and marketing materials look like.

Clients will directly correlate the level of your skills, expertise and value with the quality of your website and other marketing collateral. No matter how illogical that is, no matter how you think they should be judging you, it is a fact nonetheless. Which is why I'm always preaching: Stop the DIY and get a professional to create your business image.

I've talked about this before, but I always love how Mark gets these ideas across in such an elegant, but no-nonsense, way. That comes from his being a journalist in a past life, I guess. But his expertise comes from building and running a multi-million dollar marketing firm that gets its attorney and financial service professional clients multi-million dollar results. So he knows of what he speaks... and it's advice worth heeding.

Your Potential Clients Listen With Their Eyes

By Mark Merenda, President, SmartMarketing

When I speak to lawyers about the power of image, they often get resentful and turn the discussion into a moral question: "What should matter," the lawyer says, "is what a good lawyer I am."

I'm afraid I sometimes fail to contain my sarcasm and respond, "Yeah, that's like going into a singles bar and thinking, what should matter is what a good person I am."

There are a million holes in this argument, but let's start with one. Almost no one, apart from another lawyer, is in a position to know and judge how good a lawyer you are. In general, people are not blessed with broad legal knowledge, nor with x-ray vision. When you take the position that you don't need a sophisticated corporate image, or a "slick" brochure, or a "fancy" website, you are irrationally demanding that others simply know how great you are, without your having to go to the trouble to convey your greatness by any visual means.

Malcolm Gladwell brilliantly explored the phenomenon of first impressions and snap judgments in his book "Blink." His conclusion: almost everyone makes up their minds about other things (people, companies, products, situations)  in the first 30 seconds, and once they have, it's almost impossible to get them to change that impression.

Women know this better than men, because biologically speaking, men overwhelmingly judge women by their looks. Thus the multi-billion dollar fashion and make-up industries.

NBC's popular "Today" show regularly "ambushes" women outside their studios for a free makeover, a segment that appeals greatly to its female audience.  Some of the results are staggering. (Click on image to enlarge.) Keep in mind, this person is exactly the same inside in both photos. But imagine the reactions to her in both of her incarnations — in her social life, her romantic life, and in the workplace. Imagine you were the employer and each of these "two" women (actually the same woman) presented "themselves" for a job interview. What would be your impression of each? Which would you be more likely to hire?

Want a little more fun? Check out your favorite celebrities without their make-up. These are people of huge talent and gifts and success. How good an actor he/she is should be the most important thing, right?

We think that the overwhelming evidence of our eyes should not be the most important thing in judging others. But it is. You can curse human nature and refuse to participate, or you can accept it and make it work for you.

Virtual Assistants: Are You Earning What You'd Like to Be?

As Virtual Assistants, I think I can safely say that most of us LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our work.

We love helping people. We love working on computers and using technology tools. We love our craft and putting our administrative talents to use. And we really love when we can actually see our clients grow as a direct result of our support and administrative expertise. We know we are making a real difference in our clients' lives and businesses.

But running a business isn't all peaches and cream, is it? Marketing can be a chore and daunting task. It's often difficult to get clients to understand what you do and why they should work with you. Finding the right clients isn't always easy. You might even be wondering, "Freedom? What freedom? I barely have time to sleep at night with all the work I have to do."

Perhaps the biggest frustration of all for Virtual Assistants is that they can work like dogs and still not make any more money.

At the root of all these issues is the fact that Virtual Assistants are still trading hours for dollars. Part of the reason they stay stuck there is because they don't know how to articulate the true value of their service to clients. They end up using the same, ineffectual script on their Web sites that everyone else in the industry does. The problem with the "script," however, is that it only emphasizes money:

"Save money on this..." "Get a discount on that..." "Here's what you'll save..." "You won't have to pay for..." "Do this and get 50% off..."

Do you see what this tells clients? It focuses them on nothing but cost. It says to them, "My service has no other benefit except that you can get off cheaply." These are the tactics of those who don't have an understanding of the very real value they offer beyond mere time and think clients must be bribed into working with them.

If you remain stuck on the idea that you are selling hours, and incentivizing on top of it, there most certainly will be a cap on how much money you can feasibly make because you only have a finite number of hours to sell. Plus, the better and faster you get, the less money you'll make -- while none of the value and benefits the client receives from your work is reduced. Is that profitable or fair to you?

If any of this is speaking to you...

If you would love to stop watching the clock and make way more money than you are now without having to work harder or longer hours...

If you have difficulty finding your own creative voice and articulating the value of what you offer in a way that is entirely unique to you and your business...

If you are ready to take your business to the next level and learn of a better way of operating, one that allows you to create a smoother-running, easier to manage, more profitable business that requires far less administration than you ever imagined possible... then my latest workbook is for you.

In this 21-page tutorial, "Understanding Your Value: How to Craft Your Own Unique Value Proposition and Cash In on Value-Billing Methodologies" (WBK-38), I will help you identify and gain a deeper understanding of what it is you really offer your clients and the greater implications of that value in their businesses.

Step-by-step exercises will walk you through the process of crafting your own unique value statement, one that will have more attractive, tangible meaning to your prospective clients and have your message standing heads and tails above the crowd. You'll also get easy-to-do, practical ideas and how-tos for implementing value-billing methods and strategies that frame your service in new ways and allow you to work less while making more money.

==LIMITED TIME INTRODUCTORY OFFER==

Regular visitors to the Virtual Assistant Business Forms Store will purchase this workbook at the introductory price of $47. However, you can get this guide at an additional 30% off the introductory price for a limited time until midnight, July 31, 2008, by signing up for our VIP Status mailing list. Simply fill out the form below. Once you verify your subscription, you will be sent a message containing the special discount code.

I can't wait to share this with you and watch the revolutionary changes that can take place in your practice!

It Just Goes to Show You...

More than a month ago (geez, it might even be two months by now), I had what can only be described as a very sad and bewildering experience with a service provider, one that serves as an example of how new business owners can be their own worst obstacles.

Right from the beginning, I knew this experience was going to be the topic of a blog post because there were so many lessons to share that others could learn from (and maybe see themselves in), but my intention was never to embarrass this person so I wasn't sure how to go about it. I also would still very much like to work with this service provider--if they can ever get their act together.

I came across this service provider and realized this person's talent was exactly what I'd been searching for to complete a special project. Following are some of the snafus I encountered along the way that has made it very difficult to work with this provider.

Most people would simply walk away and find someone else, but because of my nature, I was facinated with probably one of the worst cases of self-sabotage I had ever encountered and wanted to explore the situation more.

Snafu #1:  The provider's website had a phone number, so I called and left a voicemail. Over a week went by without hearing anything back from them. It wasn't until I'd sent an email and then another voicemail that I finally got a call back one evening.

I learned that the provider had a day job and was informed that they had a very difficult time following up and building their business because of it.

(This is the first lesson... whether you have a day job or not, you are still running a business. If you want to get anywhere close to creating something that allows you to establish a reputation of professionalism and credibility, and ultimiately quit your day job, you can not make excuses. You simply must follow-up on inquiries in a more timely, responsive manner. Responding to inquiries within 24 to 48 hours is perfectly acceptable. A whole week or more later--along with bemoaning your business issues--is a deal killer. Figure out a system for returning inquiries, set a policy and a standard for follow-through, and then work it without fail. Clients do not need to hear, nor are they interested in, your tales of difficulty and woe.)

The service provider was definitely interested in my project and we scheduled a time to talk later that evening (as they were still at work). When we got on the call, I explained what I was looking for and that I was very happy to have come across the provider as their talent seemed like the perfect fit.

I had read the provider's entire website. They had done a very nice, attractive job of it and provided lots of useful and interesting information. Their website, in fact, was so well-done, I thought I had found a leader in their industry, someone who was so well-established and professional, I envisioned that our initial contact and subsequent work together would be flawless and supremely polished.

Unfortunately, the experience I had was the polar opposite of what I was expecting and I'm still scratching my head about what on earth this dear person is thinking.

Now, let me back up to say that this provider is one very talented, accomplished professional (which, unfortunately, doesn't necessarily translate to someone who also knows how to run a business well). They had a show on public television that ran for several years. Their talent is one that is very obvious, and their website and samples demonstrated their talent, experience and expert knowledge of all the ins and outs of their trade.

So it was bewildering to me when this provider then inexplicably offered to do the work for free! They had heard of the VACOC and wanted to volunteer the work in exchange for referrals and future work.

Now, if I was one of those slimy, unethical sorts, I could have totally taken advantage. And I'm sure... in fact, I know... this person has given away thousands and thousands of dollars of time and talent in exactly this manner to people who had absolutely no intention of ever paying for another thing again.

But I could no more do that than I could kick a poor, defenseless animal.

So we got to talking and the provider shared more about their situation. They were desperately trying to build their business (hence, the day job) because with two kids preparing to go to college, they had to find a way to pay for it, and the money and business just were not coming in (no wonder!).

They explained that they felt giving away work would get them a foot in the door and once clients saw how good they were, there would be more (paying) work to follow.

I asked them if that was working. They said "not yet."

Yet, this person kept trying to get different results doing the same thing over and over and over, grasping for that dangling carrot only to have it yanked away time and again. Their rationale was that it was "such little things," that it wasn't worth charging for. (WHAT??!!)

Of course, they weren't getting anywhere. They were giving away all their time and talent for free!

I asked if they wouldn't mind if I offered some feedback. I explained that their time and talent had value and was definitely worth paying for. I asked them to imagine how much money they would have now if they had instead charged for all those "little" jobs they thought were so inconsequential. That's real money that could have gone into their business and the kids' college funds!

As you can see, there are all kinds of business lessons to be gleaned from that conversation. Don't fall prey to the dangling-carrot syndrome... all that does is deprive you and your business of rightful earnings. When business is in front of you, the time is NOW to be paid for the value of your talent and service, not later and definitely not on the basis of "hope" for future work!

This kind of thinking also does something even more insidious... it puts a whammy on your professional self-esteem and worth. All that will result in is gaining you a reputation of someone who can easily be devalued and taken advantage of. If you don't hold what you do in high regard, others most definitely won't either.

Your work has value! Charge for it! You aren't running a charity. What might seem small and insignificant to you--because you are presumably good at what you do--has all kinds of meaning and value to the client who needs what you have.

I practically had to twist this person's arm to charge me. As I explained it to them, look, I'm a hot prospect... I already LOVE your talent, your website cemented my wanting to work with you and I'm practically begging to give you my business. Why on earth do you not want to charge me? We have no relationship or special connection. You aren't a member of my organization. If you do the kind of job I think you will do for me with your talent, I'm gonna spread the word, you can bank on that! Why would me paying you for the work have any bearing on whether or not I refer others and give you more work in the future?

Which leads us to Snafu #2... this provider did not have any idea what to charge me. I literally had to pull it out of them. So that's another lesson--you set your price, not the client. One way or the other, you have to figure it out. If you charge by the hour, give an estimate. If you charge by the project, set some standard starting fees. Don't make your clients do what is your job. If you don't have the answers right then, tell them you'll email a quote or estimate later. Just don't make your clients do all the work or work too hard to give you their business because I got news for ya--you won't get it.

Snafu #3: At any rate, I was finally able to get them to charge me something, and I was supposed to hear back from them later as to how we would proceed. After a few sporadic emails, I abruptly stopped hearing from them. I already had some idea that the day job was going to inhibit any normal, professional kind of business interaction, and since I wasn't in any rush, I just figured I'd wait and see.

Well, if I remember correctly, it was about two weeks and I still hadn't heard anything so I emailed and asked them what the status was. They informed me that a large, very extensive project had come in since our last communication and it had them scrambling with every spare moment they had.

Snafu #4:  Um, okay, but why does my project, one that I'm also paying for and which you committed to first, become relegated to second-rate status? That's not the professional way to run a business. It's not fair to existing clients and will definitely not put your business in any favorable light. Clients who honorably give you their business deserve to be treated well.

But it's entirely understandable because a) this provider is trying to run a business while their attention and time is diverted by a day job; their commitment level is, therefore, going to be seriously compromised, b) they don't have very good business sense, and c) they don't have any solid business foundations, systems, standards and policies in place (which, by the way, is one of the biggest complaints I hear from clients who have dissappointing and unsatisfactory experiences working with Virtual Assistants). So when something comes to upset whatever precarious balance they have managed to tape together, everything comes apart at the seams.

I tell ya, folks, this was a first... one of the most perplexing, bewildering encounters with a new business owner I have ever had. I want to save them from themselves, LOL. Because they really are so talented and can really do well--if they can get out of their own way.

Speaking of Structure...

In a recent post that discussed properly framing your business so the marketplace "gets it," I reminded Virtual Assistants that structure was their friend.

It occurred to me, however, that some people might not understand what I mean by structure.

First, let me emphasize that creating structure is not about boxing and caging you in. On the contrary!

Structure is about erecting a foundation in your business that will support solid weight and give you the space you'll need to move around in it. It’s about establishing standards, policies and procedures. It’s about systemizing, automating and streamlining those recurring and repetitive processes, workflows and tasks.

Structure brings order to chaos. It's what organizes the disorganized and disjointed.

Structure is what will allow you to roll with the punches and go with the flow caused by all the twists and unexpected turns that you WILL confront throughout the life of your business.

Structure is what will allow you to remain flexible and agile. It will prevent your “building” from crumbling to the ground when you encounter setbacks or are forced into some detours.

Structure is what will give you the time to develop your ideas and work on experiments, as well as the freedom to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Just as importantly, structure is a comfort to clients. It tells them that yours is a Virtual Assistant practice that is set up smartly to serve them and that you are in a committed, legitimate business. It says that yours is not a fly-by-night operation and they won't be putting their eggs in a basket that may disappear into thin air tomorrow.

It shows them that you take their interests seriously and have given careful consideration in setting up your business to serve them for the long-haul.

On Saying Anything

You've seen Virtual Assistant sites like this...

Newer Virtual Assistants who are so eager for business they'll make all kinds of unrealistic promises in order to get clients, any clients, to bite.

Some of the claims and promises they make fall only *this* short of practically telling clients they'll peel their grapes and lick their boots.

They don't understand that they are creating expectations in clients that will be extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, to live up to or manage, and thereby set themselves up for failure. (not to mention, let down the very clients who depended on them).

It neither serves nor honors clients (or yourself) to say anything to get the business. In fact, it's just the opposite.

Denise Aday wrote a fantastic post on her blog that I think is a must-read for every Virtual Assistant and client: http://adayva.blogspot.com/2008/05/tough-love-accountability-or-four.html

Now that's honesty... and guess what's great about honesty? It means it is trustworthy. People who are trustworthy can be counted on to be consistently truthful and reliable in their words and actions. Clients of trustworthy people know that they will get straight-up advice and feedback that will truly help them move forward in their business and get things done.

Those who can't be truthful and honest about reality are often people-pleasers. People-pleasers think they are being nice. But what's nice or honorable about dishonesty (because that's exactly what it is--dishonest)? They'll say anything just to be nice or get the business, and in the end, there's nothing nice or helpful about that. When you lift the facade, people-pleasers are just selfish, self-absorbed and concerned only with their own interests.

Others who can't be truthful about reality are suffering from a scarcity complex. Scarcity thinking and the poverty mentality are killers, folks. If you are saying anything to get business, you are letting fear-based thinking get the best of you. This kind of thinking is powerfully debilitating and it will prevent you from growing a business that serves and honors both you and your clients, one that is sustainable, manageable, and will attract the right kind of long-term clients who will truly honor and respect the valuable assistance you provide for them.

Don't let fear-based thinking guide your words or actions. Trust that when you instill realistic, reasonable and respectful expectations and are reliably, consistently truthful and upfront, you, your business and your clients will reap the benefits a hundredfold.

Judgment

Guess what, folks?

Judgment is a fact of life.

We ALL do it, day in and day out. Every second of our lives, we are making some kind of judgment or assessment about someone or something else, either consciously or subconsciously. It is how we make sense of the world and without it we simply could not function, process all that we are bombarded with, and make determinations in order to proceed.

Here's how people are judging YOU:

When they look at your website, they are deciding whether you are a competent expert or a sub-par amateur.

When they find out your rates, they are recognizing that you are either a knowledgeable business person who offers something of quality and value, or a poorly skilled provider who is desperate for work, any work, "please-oh-please-oh-please, I'm begging you."

These determinations, in turn, inform their subsequent expectations and define how they will treat you as either as a respected professional or as someone they can devalue and take advantage of.

(Hint: Desperation is NOT an attractive business characteristic. Successful people are not desperate, and success, or at least self-worth and dignity, IS a very attractive attribute that clients respect and happily pay top dollar for because they correlate that with skill and competence).

When people read your emails or other written word, they are influenced to view you as either an educated, intelligent, articulate, knowledgeable business owner, or someone who is at an ignorant level in business and able to only speak in grunts and mutters (being facetious, but I think you get my drift).

Likewise, they are getting the picture as to whether you are an organized, timely, detail-oriented person who knows how to spell, punctuate and put together a proper sentence or whether you are a sloppy, disorganized person who might apply that same lack of discipline and competence to whatever work you do on their behalf.

Yup, people are judging you based on all these things and more, like it or not.

Conscious, intentional business content is supposed to be divisive. It is intended to be attractive to the kind of clients you want to work with and repellent to those you simply want to go away, to put it quite bluntly. Said more delicately, it helps those who are a fit for you recognize themselves in your copy, and those who aren't, recognize that and move on to look somewhere else.

You only want to work with those you are going to enjoy working with and who have the need for what you offer (because it will have real value for them then), and vice versa. Otherwise, there is absolutely not going to be any longetivity or meaning or value to your relationship and it will be a grand waste of everyone's time

What's so hilarious, is that the folks whining and crying about being judged, turn right around and themselves make judgments on others, LOL, often based on nothing more than their own limited, ignorant, uninformed thinking.

But get this, judgment can actually be GOOD for you. Why? Because it creates standards and healthy competition. It is what pushes folks to step outside their comfort zones, to strive, to learn, to grow, to improve. It forces us to expand our thinking, understanding and knowledge. It gives us something to aspire to and build upon. It gives us purpose and drive. It helps us determine goals and find focus and clarity. It helps us determine what we love and what we don't.

So where do people get this idea that business is supposed to be equal and fair and there is to be no judgment? Of course there is judgment! And fairness exists as long as it is merited to the extent that you show up to the table first being professionally qualified, competent and skilled and are willing to put in the effort.

I run the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce in the same way. I'm not sure where some folks get the idea that everything is a democracy. And we aren't trying to attract anyone and everyone as members. From day one, our organization has been about representing and promoting only excellence, the cream of the crop in the Virtual Assistant industry and those who are serious about their businesses.

Our content is meant to clearly and precisely spell out exactly what we are and what we aren't, what we believe and what we don't AND yes, who we are looking for and who we aren't. Yup, that's judgment. But you can't stand for excellence and at the same time cater to the lowest common denominator.

Don't like that? Sorry, but that's the way it is. You can keep whining and complaining and wasting time, or you can buck up and stop being a victim.

(Side Note: And to the gal who is posting on a public Virtual Assistant forum that she registered and was invited to complete the essay portion of our membership process and then waited for weeks and never heard a thing... um, unless you registered under a completely ficticious name, you were NEVER invited to complete the essay portion of our membership and we NEVER received any essay from you in either case. So for you to pretend you were and then badmouth us because you never heard anything back regarding your completely imaginary communication with us... all I can say is "Wow! How dishonest are you?")

One Way to Feel Good About Charging Your Full Fee

Mikelann Valterra consistently puts out "good stuff." Her stuff is so good and so smart that I just have to share it. Following is a recent article from her newsletter (which you should all promptly go sign up for at WomenEarning.com)...

One Way to Feel Good About Charging Your Full Fee

An excerpt from Mikelann's new workbook entitled "Emotional Pricing."

I was talking about my toolkit on rate-setting, when a colleague said to me, "I don't know about all of that. I don't feel right charging as much money as possible--what about people who truly need help but can't afford a lot?"

First of all, I'm not saying we should all charge as much money as humanly possible. But so many women feel uncomfortable charging people for helping them that charging "a lot" really pushes their buttons. So let's look at this. If you want to make more money, you need to work with a target audience who can afford to pay you what you need. There simply isn't any other way to say it.

I am very passionate about my work. And I want to help the world as well. So I make sure I charge my full fee and make great money. Otherwise, I have no time and I feel resentful. If I didn't make enough money, I would eventually have to close my practice and take a full time position somewhere. And before I got to that point, I would experience a lot of deprivation and frustration with how little money I was earning. I doubt I would be in the best frame of mind to really do my best work. Being under financial stress is incredibly draining.

I charge my full fee. Then, to "give back," I do a certain amount of pro bono work that I feel really helps the world. I donate some of my time to causes that help women get on their feet and re-enter the workforce and other causes that help women in poverty.

Years ago I heard about the rule of the "Three F's". Do your work for your Full fee, do it for fFee, or Flee. Don't discount! So one way to feel like you are giving back is to do just that--give back. Charge your full fee and decide to donate a certain percentage of your time to a cause that could benefit from your work. It is a much cleaner way of doing business.

Doing a certain amount of pro-bono work can be very satisfying. Many powerful business women become strong pillars in their respective communities because they do give back some of their time to causes and charities they feel strongly about.

Some business women give back a certain percentage of their income to charity. In my "Virtual Earn Your Worth program," I will give 5% of the gross income to a charity that focuses on women and business. I can't tell you how good I feel about this!

When you make good money, you will find ways to consciously give back to the world in many wonderful ways. But when you are feeling financially deprived, nothing good can come of this. You are worth your full fee. Don't discount. Instead, consciously give back.

Thoughtful Questions: If I were to charge my full fee, is there some way I could "give back" that would feel good to me? How can I give back and still make sure I am earning what I'm really worth?

Copyright © 2008 by Mikelann R. Valterra and the Women's Earning Institute. Empowering women to earn what they're really worth, www.womenearning.com.

Mikelann Valterra may be available to speak to your group/ organization. As a specialist in earning issues, she speaks and consults widely on how to earn at your potential and overcome self-sabotaging beliefs about money. Mikelann@womenearning.com.

Being Solo Doesn't Mean Doing It Alone

I read an article today in one of the newsletters I keep up with that talked about the myth of being a successful solopreneur by bootstrapping. This is a topic I have been intending to write on myself so it came at the right time and got me in gear.

Virtual Assistance is inherently a solo-based business model due to the close, collaborative relationship the concept is based on.

But running a solo business does NOT mean doing everything yourself. By no means at all!

Just as we advise our clients and remind the marketplace that they simply cannot do it all themselves and trying to do so will keep them from becoming successful, the same is true for Virtual Assistants.

I'm always advising Virtual Assistants, get help--the sooner the better.

Now, I'm not talking about farming out other VAs to clients... that's not Virtual Assistance, that's virtual staffing.

What I'm talking about is hiring the staff and providers in your own business to help you run behind the scenes.

Don't do your own bookkeeping--hire a bookkeeper. Have an accountant take care of your taxes. Maintain a relationship with a business attorney to answer legal questions when they arise. Hire employees and/or your own Virtual Assistant to take care of the administrative work necessary to run your business. Leave certain jobs to the right professionals (for example, having a professional web designer create a business site that will attract clients, place well in the search engines and act as an actual work partner in your business and marketing).

Having all the key players to help you run your business will leave you to focus on clients, help you grow to the next level, and give you more free time and mental space to brainstorm and just enjoy life.

Trust me, you will never make it to a six figure business unless you have the right help supporting you.

Acquiescence Is Not a Business Strategy

We were having a discussion at the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce. A member had a prospective client who was balking a bit at the terms of her agreement. In the course of the conversation, another member proposed the idea of allowing the client a PAYG (pay-as-you-go) arrangement until they felt comfortable working on a retainer basis.

Here's what I think about that...

Acquiescence is not a business strategy. It's a mentality that says "I need to take whatever I can get and my business interests are of less importance than the client's." It's settling for something less than ideal.

Let me tell you something... you DON'T have to settle for anything less than what you want for your business. You will never get what you don't ask for and expect. If you allow others to dictate what you want or need, whether in life or in business, you will be forever plodding through life at the mercy of everyone else's whims and wishes.

Set it and expect it!

If you are trying to build a business with a roster of nothing but retained clients, it doesn't serve your purposes to expend your time and energy on prospective clients who aren't ready to work with you in that way. All that does is distract you and divert your focus, energy and resources from finding those clients who are ready.

If you never assert your expectation for working only on retainer, you will be stuck piddling around with clients who won't ever make the commitment. And for every exception you make to your standards and policies, you are instilling more work, more administration and less profitability in your business.

The beauty of this is that having this expectation doesn't involve long, convoluted discussions. You don't have to explain yourself or make excuses for your policies. All you have to do when you are having your consultations and explaining how things work in your practice is simply say, "This is how I work with clients to help them achieve the best results in their business... "

Let those who don't fit weed themselves out. Save your energy for those who are a fit. You will be much happier. And your business will be much more successful and profitable because of it.

Inside Secrets to Having Friends as Clients

[Nina Kaufman is an attorney and business expert who is always spot-on with insightful advice. Virtual Assistants seem to encounter the hazards of working with friends over and over so I thought this article was well-worth sharing... --Danielle ]

Inside Secrets to Having Friends as Clients
By Nina L. Kaufman, Esq.

When we're growing our businesses, friends can serve as a great source of referrals. They know us well, trust us, and have no hesitation about recommending us to others.

But what happens when a friend makes a referral... and the referral is the friend herself? The dynamics of your friendship can change radically, and often not for the better. (I know--I've "been there, done that," and got the tatters of a couple of friendships to show for it.) Here are some inside secrets to making sure that both your business and your personal relationship with this friend stays happy and healthy:

1. Set business expectations. One of the reasons that having friends as clients becomes a disaster is that friends may expect you to handle their work the same way as you handle their friendship. Let's say that "Janine" is used to your dropping everything to help her in a crisis. She may get upset when you don't handle her web design project with the same urgency (even if it's really not urgent). Before you take her on as a client, have a good long talk about your company's standard procedure for working with its clients. Let Janine decide whether your S.O.P meets her needs, rather than convoluting your company's policies to meet hers.
2. Be clear about what you'll charge. You're not doing a friend a favor by not charging him (or deeply discounting) the products or services you provide, and ending up in an unprofitable situation you later resent. Natalie ran into a situation where she agreed to help Michael, a friend from church, with IT services. She had agreed to install and configure a particular computer program for Michael--she'd only charge the out-of-pocket expenses for the program itself. She bought the computer program at her preferred partner rate (so Michael got the benefit of her discount). The company sent the wrong program, so Natalie had to spend valuable time straightening that out. It then turned out that Michael had misunderstood his computer capacity, so when Natalie tried to install the program, all sorts of other programs wouldn't work with it. Ultimately, Natalie spent many more hours than she had intended, earned no money on the deal, and Michael was upset with the whole process taking as long as it did, so never referred any further business to Natalie. A lose-lose situation all around.
3. Get it in writing. David had this very issue with Gary, a college buddy. Gary needed help with PR services, and David agreed to help his long-time friend with a particular project... on a handshake. But Gary kept expanding the scope of what he wanted David to do, and once embroiled in the middle of it, David couldn't easily pull out. Had David had a written agreement, he could have set out the scope of his services more clearly so that Gary would better understand when David needed to charge additional fees.
4. Have someone else say "no." You know from the moment you pick up the phone and hear from the friend on the other end that he has a need whether this could become a problem situation for your business. I feel a knot in the pit of my stomach. Other people feel their chest tighten. Still others get a headache. Don't disregard those warning signs. If you know you really can't meet your friend's needs, but don't have the heart to deny them personally, find a "bad cop" to bring to your client meeting. Your "bad cop" could be a business partner, division manager, or other work associate who will be the one to deliver the hard news about what the company charges, when payment is expected, and whether any exceptions will be made. It's not the best of all worlds, but gives everyone a way to save face--and to save the friendship.

Doing business with friends becomes awkward because it inverts your natural rules of relating. Business needs to come first, not the friendship. That's a hard boundary to set. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for a friend is to refer her to someone else to meet her needs. That way, you can help your friend while still keeping the friendship intact.

*****

© Copyright 2008 Wise Counsel Press LLC. Nina L. Kaufman, Esq., is a small business attorney and the founder of Wise Counsel Press LLC, which offers easy-to-understand legal strategies and information products that protect small businesses and save them money...wisely. To learn more, and to sign up for their FREE how-to articles and FREE audio class, visit www.WiseCounselPress.com.