How often should you follow up?

I get new VAs asking this question periodically when they’ve responded to a client request for work to be done, but they hear nothing from the client.

When clients contact us to get work done, it’s often at the last moment, or when things have gotten crucial for them and they need it done yesterday. When they hear from more than one VA, while it gives them opportunity for choices and to find one that they would click with the best, it also can often leave them feeling overwhelmed, unsure who to choose, or they might have heard from the VA at a really hectic time and have lost the bit of paper they wrote the name and number on. They may have decided on a VA but forgot to let all the others know. They don’t always let me know either, when I post on their behalf.

Could be any number of reasons.

I encourage VA members to contact the client around 3 times. Not just by email but try the phone too. Emails can and do go astray. I know that only too well. Lost work I would have loved to do for a favourite client a few years ago but her emails to me were going astray and she just assumed I was too busy to answer. She didn’t pick up the phone and I had no idea she was trying to contact me! Works both ways I guess 🙂

At any rate, if you don’t hear from the client, follow up, send an email, make a phone call, post a letter or card. Whatever it takes so you can learn what is taking place. If after several attempts (at least 3) you get no response, then it’s safe to say it’s time to move on.

Oh, and don’t make the mistake of not applying for other roles, or turning clients away, just in case…. Too many end up with no work because of the ‘just in case…’ scenario.