Virtual Assistant – THE Blog About Our Industry

About the Virtual Assistant industry for VAs and for clients

Monthly Archives: September 2010

Show them you care

I wonder if you take the time to check the location of a person you are emailing?

Too often I get emails that are directed to me personally, and are not part of a bulk email, where the person says ‘have a great day’, or ‘hope you’re having a great summer’ when the reality is I live on the other side of the world to that person so it’s night not day and winter not summer.

Do you think I’m being pedantic?  I don’t believe so.  When I email someone and if I’m going to make reference to the time of day or season, I actually take the time (a few seconds is all it takes) to visit their website and check their location, if it’s not evident in their email signature block.

Taking the time to consider the person you’re emailing doesn’t require a lot of effort but it does help personalise the contact and demonstrate that you are aware of their personal locality, rather than throwing out a generic or blanket greeting.  It’s just possible it may make the difference between you building a relationship with that person or not having any further contact.

Super Saturday in Adelaide

Some readers will know that I use Send Out Cards for building client relationships and keeping contact with people on my database. Great system which is cost efficient and allows me to personalise them in a unique way. Also a great way of using my photos.

If you’re curious about Send Out Cards and live in South Australia and you would like to learn more I can arrange for you to receive tickets to attend the Super Saturday event coming up in Adelaide on October 16.

There will be a chance to listen to leaders in this business here in Australia and there will also be a small selection of food provided for lunch, a selection of SendOutCards goodies for each attendee, as well as door prizes and giveaways.

Details and bookings can be made at  http://adelaidesupersaturday.eventbrite.com but if you want a discount code to get in free and as my guest, then you’ll need to contact me direct.

How passionate are you?

We’ve been having some interesting discussions on the forums about the term ‘Virtual Assistant’ and how we describe to those we meet what it is we do.

I have a simple way of explaining it – I simply ask people if they understand how a PA (Personal Assistant) or a secretary works with their boss – they’re rarely in the same office, could be on a different floor of the same building or futher apart and that the boss may travel but the PA or secretary still work with/for them. They communicate via phone, fax email.  Generally people say ‘yes’ and I go on to say ‘well, we work the same way.  But for several clients and not one boss’.  The light usually switches on straight away. You can see it in their face.  But, of course, the next question usually is ‘well, how do they get the work to you?’ at which point I can explore what type of work are they thinking about.  I can then give examples.

However, there is another ‘ingredient’ that is very important when you’re speaking to people. And that’s your passion.  You need to be passionate about what you do.  You need to let others capture that and it can’t be forced, it must be natural.

Which brings me to a question.  Just how passionate are you about your VA business?  If you simply view it as a ‘job’ and nothing else, then I’m sorry to say, but when the going gets tough, you’ll be moving off elsewhere.

Too many people (including many VAs) refer to this role as a ‘job’ and it’s not. A VA is a business owner and they need to know why they’re in business.  The reason needs to be something that lights you up, so that others see that light shining from within.  When you speak to them about what you do they need to be caught up in your enthusiasm.

My original reason for working at/from home over 16 years ago was so I could be with my daughters.  I was sick of the rat race corporate world that was stealing time away from my family.  Your children are only young for a minute time and that time passes ever so quickly.  My need and desire to be with them was so strong that I was desperate to make anything work – as long as I could be home when they were. And I was.

Today they’re adults leading their own lives and I’m the proud grandmother of a gorgeous 9 month old grandson.  So the reasons why I work from home have changed.  It’s become a lifestyle which allows me to pursue other things: writing, photography, spending time with my married daughter and her son, and helping others to set up their own VA practices.  If I were to think about regrets one would be I hadn’t realised the importance of my role in leading others in this industry and affording them the time they needed.  That has changed and I find myself spending more and more time emailing or chatting on the phone with those who are potential VAs looking to get something of what I’ve had for many years now.

I’m still passionate about what I do and I know it shows. Why? Because people tell me.  Every new potential client I meet, or people in general all make similar comments. They can see I love what I do and they go away feeling inspired and motivated.  I guess that’s why I enjoy speaking at conferences and events so much.  That feeling of leaving people inspired to do something with their lives that they are passionate about.

So, just how passionate are you?

Address or no address?

I’ve posted this at a couple of VA forum and it’s opened quite a discussion.  So I’m posting it here too for your comments and feedback.

It seems to me that more and more people are not listing their addresses on their websites, in their signature blocks and on their business cards.

I find this rather annoying if I want to send them something in the mail – I have to ask for their address and that then spoils the surprise had I wanted to surprise them.  I go to business networking events and BNI meetings and find about 1/3 of those in attendance don’t have addresses on their business cards at all.

It is so easy to ‘hide’ when on the internet and only provide an email address and a form for people to contact you (some only have a form and nothing else).  Many include phone numbers too but neglect adding an address.

If you don’t have a postal address and don’t want to advertise your residential address then I would encourage you to get a PO box or an MBE address or something.  What address do you give out for services you need such as phonelines, delivery of stationery or printed items (or do you pick it up), domain name registrations and so on? There are so many services online when you do need to provide a postal address of some sort.

I do find it frustrating when services demand a ‘residential or place of business’ address such as Amazon, Vistaprint or similar – I want all deliveries to my post office box. That’s why I have one! But to not have an address available/visible at all just makes it all the easier for those who are not ‘genuine’ to hide because so many other people don’t provide that information.  No wonder people get scared about being scammed even when a site is genuine if there’s no other contact information on the site.

What are your thoughts?

Quick way to fail if you’re looking for VA work

This is just a small ‘beef’ but an important one.

I get many potential VAs filling out the application form on my site to join our team. That’s great and I love to help them as much as I can.  But I get some who fill out the wrong form on the website and it makes me wonder if they can actually read (English) and follow instructions.  I’m sorry, but the majority of our clients speak, read and write English, so the VA must be able to as well, even if it isn’t their native language.

I have two forms on the site – one for VA applicants to fill out, the other for clients to make a request for work to be done.  If they go to fill out the client request form it actually does say on that page that it’s the wrong form for VAs.

Are they so anxious to get work that they don’t read what’s in front of them and just fill out the first form they find?  Although they would have had to click on the link that’s for clients and not VAs.

Same goes for sending emails requesting work.  Many are sent to me badly written and gives a very bad first impression of that potential Virtual Assistant.

If you’re looking for work, it doesn’t matter how bad the need or how anxious you are, if you cannot read instructions and follow them, or take the time to write up your email (or fill out the form) to give the best possible impression of your abilities, I cannot help you.  As a member of my Virtual Assistant Network you are representing the network to clients and clients deserve to get the best possible support from those who pay attention to detail.  If you can’t impress me with your abilities then clients certainly won’t be either.

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