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7 Things to Know About me Before you Hire me as Your Virtual Assistant

When I respond to a request for proposal for a virtual assistant (VA) role, I like to share more than my skill set. I also like to share who I am personally because I’ve learned while working for different entrepreneurs who is a good fit for me…and who may not be a fit.

Here are my thoughts, in no particular order. Read them and see what you think. 

1. My clients are passionate, and they work hard. I want to work with you if you work hard and are passionate about your work. If you’re new to your business, may I suggest that you think through what tasks you need done by a VA? Evaluate if you’re really ready to work with a virtual assistant. Can you hand off tasks? Might you micromanage? I don’t want to waste your resources by working on a task that won’t help your business.

2. I will say no to you before I say yes. What? I know that sounds surprising, but I will not say that I can get a task or project done by a certain deadline unless I know I can finish it on time. I’m not a last-minute person in any way, so I only say yes to a task if I know for sure I’ll get it done.

3. A big fault of mine is that I often respond too fast, which is great for you but not always a healthy way to do business. I’m still working on business balance. Related: when my business life is full and I don’t respond as quickly to your email, it doesn’t mean you’re not important to me.

4. Life happens, so I realize I may not hear from you for a while. It’s totally understandable. But please don’t ask for a quick 24-hr turnaround time the next time you give me a task.

5. I will take on your business as if it were mine, for example by thinking about ways we can streamline tasks and how can we upsell another product. But I’ll always defer to your wishes. I might suggest how I’ve seen some of the top business coaches do things, but I will always go with what you want.

6. I love most everything about my VA business because I’m always learning new things, learning how to use new apps and new software, and I also work with pretty cool people. I’m enrolled in a blogging course (hence this blog post) and a social media course, both of which will definitely help my future clients.

7. Finally, one of my favorite tasks is working in the customer support role of your business. I want your customers to feel heard and well taken care of. I know your current clients are extremely valuable to your business and you want and need for them to be treated as the valuable people that they are.

Now it’s your turn. Respond in the comments to tell me what you want YOUR potential clients to know about you?

 

As a Business Owner, Are You Doing it All?

Does this sound familiar?

You’ve started a coaching business that is beginning to take up speed, and you’re gaining clients. You successfully coach your various clients throughout the week, and as you’re finishing up with one client on a Tuesday morning, you get a desperate text from another client.

She can’t find the needed materials that you said you sent her. You finish up with the original client, send off the materials and take a quick coffee break…and as you sit down with a hot cup of coffee in your hands, you open up your inbox and cringe at various emails that are yelling for your attention.

Your breathing is becoming short and shallow.

There is an email request for you to speak at a business convention that you’d love to be part of but the response deadline is coming up super soon. You have to write up a solid proposal in 3 days.

3 days.

You see 2 failed payments from a client and a double-booked client that needs your attention. You also have a potential client ask about a broken link in your email…that you thought you fixed and you have a series of 5 emails that you have to write, create them and send it out in a drip campaign.

You don’t fully understand how to use all the features in Infusionsoft and you’re kicking yourself for investing in it which you haven’t really used yet. Hmmm…with the conference coming up, it would be awesome to sign up some affiliates at the conference…but does Infusionsoft have an affiliate system? And how do affiliate links work?

The coffee has become cold, and your anxiety is back. People and tasks are falling through the cracks. You’re losing business and your mind.

And it’s not even noon.

You are stressed.

I get it.

Here’s where I come in… As an Infusionsoft virtual assistant I work side by side (virtually) with my clients to get the admin tasks done. From my experience, most entrepreneurs are idea people. Their gifts are creating programs and services on a grand scale. Business owners shouldn’t be handling the small admin tasks but often do. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Let’s revisit the scenario: You complete your coaching call and don’t even have another client text you because the information was already sent out. As a Virtual Assistant, I can send a quick, friendly letter informing a client that there was a missed payment and get new credit card information through a secure web form.

Easy peasy.

You send off the written email copy to me where I can create the emails, put them into a nurture campaign and schedule the emails to go out every 2 days. I manage your customer support inbox so you don’t see the various easy emails that I handle unless I bring them to your attention in our weekly meeting. You hand off necessary tasks that relieves you to nurture your business clients like you wanted to do all along. Coaching is your passion.

We set up an affiliate program so when you attend the conference, you can find fellow coaches that will receive a 50% commission fee on a premium coaching program that their clients buy from you. And you might even pick up 1 or 2 clients at the event.

In a few months, as you’re looking out the window of the plane bound for the San Diego business coaches’ convention, you exhale a slow, steady breath, and click through the coming sessions at the conference in your mind. You know that people and tasks are well taken care of while you’re gone, that I will send you only necessary emails and you can now review your opening speech with a hot cup of coffee in your hand.

Success.

You Have a Limited Supply

You as a business owner are a creative who dreams, creates, and sees the possibilities.

You went into business as a sole entrepreneur because you knew you could make a difference. You’re passionate to help people find their utmost dreams.

You could be a business or life coach, a social media maven or tech guru with the latest time-saving app.

But reality set in after 12 months on this hard road. Maybe it has set in even earlier like at 6 months.

You even hired a business coach who has given you a blueprint to success.

Now you have become exhausted, weary, overwhelmed, so tired to make one-more-decision because not only are you producing products, creating programs, or coaching people, you are often handling the day-to-day details of your business. (your email list,  customer service questions, follow-up phone calls, updating your website, or even setting up your membership program – page by page). 

Realistically you only have so much time in a day and you know…you know that tasks ALWAYS take longer than you expected.

Always.

You have less energy for your business and you definitely have less time.

And let’s face it. Details just aren’t your thing.

You’d rather be up on stage or talking one-on-one with your next potential client. Your high is coaching a client through a mental block; not chasing after a client who’s credit card payment failed.

Potential clients are slipping through the cracks. No follow up.

Quit doing what you’re not good at and leave it to the person whose expertise is details and who thrives on organizing, follow up and resourcefulness.

A Virtual Assistant can create your marketing funnel, manage your affiliate program, update your event app, and so much more. She’s just as passionate to help your business succeed as you are. The right VA can be a valuable team member to your business because they thrive on the details, are constantly learning, and are useful problem solvers.

Working with a dedicated VA as your admin support gives you more time each day.

More time.

A professional VA also brings along her experience working with various clients that can provide relief for you and your business. She can offer her suggestions and provide business advice along the way.

Free yourself up by hiring a VA so you can do what you are meant to do.