4 Sure Ways to Get More Clients

Virtual Assistant, do you know

-the average small business owner spends up to 40% of their time on routine administrative tasks

What an excellent opportunity to build your virtual assistant business and clientele.   Go and Google ‘small business directory’ and search for small business owners that fit your niche.  I was amazed to find a directory with 196 small businesses listed in the Vaal Triangle on one of the 5+ business directories for our area. 

-potential clients don’t know where to find you

I read a blog post the other day where a guy raved about his virtual assistant.  He surely did a good job  because one of the comments was:  “Sounds like a great idea. How do you go about finding a good one?”  His answer was:  “Look on virtual assistant directories.”  So … is your business listed on virtual assistant directories?  Make sure potential clients find you … list your business here

-there are more than 1.7 million South Africans on Facebook  … and that was a year ago

Do you have a Facebook business/fan page?  With a significant 40% plus of Facebook users over age 35 (CheckFaceBook) the idea that Facebook is just for college kids was put to rest long ago.  Get involved in social media and start to build relationships.  Get yourself on Facebook and start mingling with others because if you don’t have a “facebook footprint” you are losing out.   Oh, and while we are on the subject, become a fan of Be-VA-Wise and receive valuable updates about the virtual assistant industry.

-more and more CEOs will use social media in future

Two recent posts by Mashable highlighted how ‘up to date’ CEOs use social media for business exposure and that “business leaders of tomorrow will be versed in social media”.  Another excellent opportunity often overlooked because we tend to think virtual assistants only do normal admin tasks. If you’re interested in social media and have the necessary experience and knowledge, this might be an excellent niche to consider.  The business leaders of tomorrow might not have enough time at hand to spend on social media and a virtual assistant might be their answer to social media involvement.

The virtual assistant industry is surely gaining momentum in South Africa … ensure you are on the forefront to pick the best of the crop when small business owners are looking for virtual assistants.

Is Your Question on the List?

Do you have daily frustrations in your virtual assistant business that’s becoming the thorn in your flesh?

Or have you had moments where frustration sets in and you caught yourself yelling at the computer?  Pssst … the sad thing about yelling at the computer is that it has no ears and it couldn’t care less.

We are busy with a Q & A series to assist Virtual Assistants in times when they are “running on empty” and frustration clicks in.  While we are working through the results of our survey there is still time for you to tell us what your questions and frustrations are …

so, pop over and complete the survey here http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QFLVCND  to just get if off your chest.

And to show that you’re not alone, I am going to let the monkey out of the bag and mention a few questions already asked.

• I am new to this and am really interested but where do I start?
• What exactly will you do if you are a VA?
• What type of VA training is available?
• How do clients know about me?
• Where and how does one do advertising?
• What ways/channels can I use for overseas payments?
• Is SA business environment ready for VAs?
• How do I keep up with technology?
• Do I need to change my tax status at SARS when I become a VA?
• So many people don’t understand what virtual assistance is, how do I educate my clients?

If your question is not on the list, pop over to our 2 question survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QFLVCND

 and tell us what your biggest frustrations and questions are in running your virtual assistant business.

Oh, and by the way … if you’re not a virtual assistant but is also experiencing frustration in running a business, click the link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QFLVCND and get rid of it by completing our survey.  The best cure for any frustration is to get it off your chest as soon as possible.

Looking forward to your response.

Getting Clients is Easy

“Getting clients is easy if you are willing to build relationships with your prospects” – Marietjie Steyn

Yet, most virtual assistant business owners find ‘getting clients’ one of their biggest headaches and for many years I had the same situation until I’ve discovered that “you have to put relationships before your agenda and value those relationships above the transaction” to change the situation.

That’s right.  People will only do business with you when they trust you and that’s not all.  When they trust you they will refer their friends to you.

Want more clients?  -  Build Relationships … 

Most people think contacting a prospect once, is enough to make them line up in front of your office door begging for your “service”

but

the fact of the matter is that you have to make contact with a prospect at least 18 – 24 times per year to build a sound relationship.

Wow, 24 times a year? 

Yes and if you commit yourself to contact your prospects on a structured, well set out plan and keep track of it for at least 12 to 24 months you will have more clients than you can handle on your own.

A couple of thoughts

1. Build a database of 100 prospects (the average person knows 285 people according a Gallup poll)
2. Send your prospects an item of value each month
3. Call your prospects every second month
4. Send them a handwritten note six times a year
5.  Remember to ask for work or referrals

And remember …

Not all of them will become clients but they might refer friends and colleagues to you.

Let’s talk numbers

If only 10% of your prospects (100) become loyal clients and only 10% of your prospects (100) refer one person to you over a period of two years and of these referrals only 5 become your clients you will have 15 loyal clients in 24 months.

Wow!!

Do you think this is worth a try?   Especially in our industry?

I did exactly that and secured more deals than ever before.  And that’s not all!!  I’m  still getting referrals from my database without even asking!

Do You Have The Nimbleness to Be Successful?

Starting your own virtual assistant business nowadays is actually easy.  Yeah it is!  With the help of the internet and all the free information available, all you have to do is Google “starting a virtual assistant business” and “wallah” you have 526 000 results in 0.26 seconds.

Or is it really that simple?

Well, maybe if you only want to start a business.  But if you want to run a successful VA business you have to dig a little bit deeper into the qualities and characteristics needed to help you put bread and butter on the table.

Now if you thought 526 000 results in 0.26 seconds was good, when you Google “characteristics of an entrepreneur” you’ll get 1 570 000 results in 0.12 seconds. Wow!

Ok, enough of the statistics.  In my eyes there are 5 essential qualities or characteristics that stand out above the rest and I am convinced that if you possess these qualities you have what it takes to make a success of your Virtual Assistant business and career.

1.    Self-motivation

As a Virtual Assistant and independent business owner, you are the boss and should be able to motivate yourself.  You determine your pace, motivate yourself and know that if you don’t work you don’t earn an income, and the “no money no honey” phrase is your motivation to be in the office on time, schedule your work in advance and make sure your mental strength is fed on a daily basis with a positive attitude.

2.    Confidence and the Ability to Organize

 Virtual Assistants normally work with several clients and need to keep their workspace and projects well organised and has to have confidence in what they are doing. Although this seems to go without saying, it does take a lot of effort and planning to stay on top of matters and procrastination, tardiness and delay can be fatal to your success.

3.    Initiative and Resourcefulness

Resourcefulness, initiative and pro-activeness are excellent qualities of top Virtual Assistants.  Various clients mean different tasks and sometimes you will have to put your ‘problem solver’s’ hat on and come up with the answer that is baffling your client.  You should be able to take initiative, dig around, do research and become their vast resource of information. 

4.    Intelligence and Good Communication Skills

 Intelligence does not mean you should be a Harvard Scholar but it means that you should be Virtual Assistant Wise.  You should be a quick thinker, know what you do and how to do it.  If you add to it the ability to communicate with clients in a positive, understanding, clear and to the point manner you will definitely set yourself apart from your competitors. 

5.    Professionalism

Professionalism is perhaps the most important quality of all and can best be described as a mixture of courtesy, integrity, class and excellence.  Professionalism is paramount and will distinct your business from just a ”work from home” job to a successful virtual assistant business.

Do you posses these qualities?  Excellent!! 

Our e-book “Jumpstart Your Virtual Assistant Business” is an excellent source and addresses the above and much, much more.  For more information about this fantastic business guideline, visit http://www.be-virtual-assistant-wise.com/jumpstart-virtual-assistant-business-ebook.html

The Most Important Question

(and answer) to grow your virtual assistant business

I believe more and more Virtual Assistants are trying to “make it out there”, but are they REALLY growing their businesses into viable, profitable enterprises?

The most important Question you have to ask yourself as a virtual assistant business owner is …

Do I have a website?

The word virtual says it all.  The synonyms for virtual are:  practical, fundamental, near, effective and essential.

To be a virtual assistant means that you are not physically present in your client’s location, but you are virtually present which imply that you are almost present, effectively reachable and nearby.

In my eyes “virtually present” means that you are “present on line” and to be present on line you NEED to have a website!  Full stop. 

And if I may be particular, not only “just a website” but a professional looking one.  With a professional website, your business is open to the World 24/7, 365 days a year. 

A website is your online brochure where you are going to establish client confidence and rapport and to a great extent improve your overall business image.

When internet savvy clients are looking for virtual assistants in a VA-directory, odds are that they will be looking for website links and if you don’t have one, they will nine out of ten times move to your opposition’s listing, click on their link and never even return to yours.

Having a website means that you are not that local little business anymore.  It means that you have crossed all geographical borders and are an internationally recognized virtual assistant business.

 Can you really afford not to have a website of your own?

 And the answer is ….

…  NO!

The biggest event ever…

… on South African Soil. 

Yes, I am talking about the FIFA 2010 soccer world cup that kicks off in less than 70 hours in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It almost feels unreal to realize that it IS going to happen.  The announcement on 15 May 2004, that South Africa is to host the next World Cup in 2010, made me so proud but also filled me with fear that we are not going to be up to it. 

BUT  for Danny Jordaan there was no fear in the announcement.  His journey began 10 years prior to the announcement when he started working on SA’s first bid for the 2006 World Cup.  Although we’ve lost that bid in 2000 to Germany by one vote, he did not give up and started again only to taste the reward of his beliefs and hard work in 2004.

Today, 2216 days after the announcement Jordaan’s dream is finally coming to fruition as we are looking forward to the kick off on Friday the 11^th. 

Are you also proud?  Did everything that goes with the preparations etcetera also surpass your wildest expectations?

Yes?

But you know what.  It did not happen overnight.  It took years of pre-planning to get the bid and it took more than 6 years of planning, dedication and hard work after the bid for this majestic dream to come true.

 Starting your own virtual assistant business works the same.  You might not reap results overnight, but if you have a dream you’re halfway there.   The secret is to belief in your dream, to do everything in you power (pre-planning) to make your dream come true (founding your business) and then act on the planning to reap the rewards of the Biggest Event Ever you’ve dreamed about.

When Danny Jordaan was asked in 2004 how excited he was about the World Cup he said:  “Excitement is something that lasts for 90 minutes in football.  This is an engagement that lasts five years.”    Use these words to build your business and surpass your wildest expectations.

Be Virtual Assistant Wise is a proud supporter of …Enjoy the World Cup!

Experience a Powerful Client Connection

Working virtually means that you might never see eye to eye with you clients and it is up to you to make sure you understand your clients’ message and know exactly what their needs and expectations are. 

Virtual communication is in my eyes a bit different from eye to eye communication because you cannot see or interpret the body language of your clients. That’s why virtual assistants should not only communicate with their clients, they should connect with them.

I don’t know  if  you still remember those black, roundish sweets called nickerballs.  They consisted of several layers and were so hard you could not just bite them; you had to suck through the hard black liquorice shell and the different coloured layers to eventually reach the core of the nickerball.

Communication is like a nickerball.  You have to figuratively suck through the hard shell and the different coloured layers to eventually reach the core essentials of what is needed to connect with your clients.

But …

You cannot connect with your clients if you do not listen to them.  Active listening is the most important ingredient of effective communication and an essential part of the virtual assistance puzzle.  Make it your motto to:

1.      Listen with concentration

 Listening is the key ingredient of effective communication and it is imperative to improve this skill.  When your clients talk to you, listen and concentrate to make sure you hear what they are saying.  Good listeners are not passive and they do not drift away with thoughts of their own, they concentrate on what is being said.

2.      Listen without interruption

 The purpose of listening is to understand the message.  Although you might think you know and understand what your clients want to say, avoid the urge to interrupt or finish their sentences.  Be polite, listen carefully and always “put your brain into gear before you put your mouth into motion”.

3.     Listen with the mindset to discuss

 Effective listening is not a one way street.  Make notes of what is being said, ask questions and discuss the facts with your clients to make sure you leave no room for misunderstandings.   The secret weapon to effective communication is to ask the right questions.

Remember, communication is like a nickerball … you cannot just bite through it to reach the centre; you have to suck through the layers in order to reach the core. 

Don’t just communicate with your clients, connect with them.   Listen actively and carefully, don’t interrupt when they are talking, make notes and ask the right questions in order to reach the core of their message, their needs and their expectations.

Choose The Right Companion

What is your reaction when your alarm goes off in the morning?  Is it …  “Oh no!!  Not now!!  I don’t want to get up.  It’s going to be another horrible day.”

or

What comes to your mind when you have to meet with a new client?  Is it … “What are the odds of me getting this job?”

or

What is your reaction when you have to do marketing?  Is it … “Why am I wasting my time it never pays off?”

Well, there is a reason why it’s going to be a horrible day, or why you are not getting the job and why marketing never pays off   and that reason is your companion!!  Read more »

Imagine this …

Imagine if you had a chance to build a business without spending ALOT of money on recourses.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful?

Well …

why don’t you do just that?

It’s no secret that forums are one of the most powerful business-building tools on the planet, yet we refrain from using it.

Why?  Are we scared?  Don’t we have the confidence?  Don’t we have the time?  Or are we just plain uninformed?

Building a virtual assistant business is never easy.  There are numerous things to take into consideration and sometimes money fly without being noticed.  You have to pay for this, that and the other in order to build a successful business and valuable information doesn’t come cheap.  And that is not enough you sometimes feel all on your own with nobody to talk to, to ask questions to or to share your experience with.

Put your hand up if you have ever experienced the above?   Tough isn’t it?

Well, believe it or not, you are not alone in the virtual world.  There IS a place where you can get support for FREE!! Read more »

Network Like the “King of Rock and Roll”

33 Years after his death, Elvis Presley is still alive.

Although he lives only in our hearts and for those old enough to have been part of his “era” in our memories, Elvis will always be the Icon of Rock and Roll!

Apart from his pure love for music Elvis was also a bibliophile.   He had always been truthful, warm and interactive with his friends and admirers and he  had the characteristics of an excellent networker.

In order to make sure you reap the full benefits of networking events, you should be able to network like the  King of Rock and Roll.

Read more »