Virtual Assistant Forums
October 23, 2007
Forums can be a great way to meet new people, talk shop about your business and collaborate on issues you may be having. Forums also allows you to have a network of individuals who are in a similar place as you - whether it’s your work or your personal life.
Finding forums, for me, has always been a challenge. It’s easy to Google them and find where they exist but it’s hard to find the right fit. Some forums are not frequently visited and therefore posting becomes a conversation with yourself and other forums are too off-topic.
Another thing that I find happens is that you register for the forum (can’t post otherwise) but you never hear anything back. This happened to me with the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce (http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/). I registered to be a member of their forum after I received a flurry of traffic from some linkbacks within their forum but I was never accepted. Now I’m just curious as to why I received the free link love!
I have been lucky enough to stumble upon one forum - http://www.virtualassistantforums.com. It seems really good so far and the people are really friendly and helpful.
So, I ask my fellow VAs - where do you frequent? Which forums have you found to be particularly helpful? Are there any that you joined that weren’t helpful?
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, virtual assistant forum, virtual assistance forum, VA forum, VACOC
Virtual Assistant Group Coaching Program: “Build Your Virtual Assistance Business”
October 22, 2007
Have you ever thought of starting a virtual assistance business but you didn’t know where to begin or how to start?
As I mentioned in a previous post, I am offering my extensive 8-week group coaching program, ‘Build Your Virtual Assistance Business’, at an incredibly low price of $98.00.
The program begins on October 30, 2007 and runs for 8 weeks. The calls are done once a week from 8-9PM Eastern, 7-8PM Central and 5-6PM Pacific. I am also including, for the first time, many of my e-books that are for sale on my BSETC website (www.bsetc.ca), countless bonus audios given by some of the industry experts and a learning environment that allows you to make connections that will last a lifetime.
Here’s the link: http://www.thevacoach.com/home/
Check out the webpage and see if you think it would be a good fit for you. Questions - e-mail me at info@thevacoach.com.
Hope to see you there!
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, virtual assistant training, virtual assistance training, VA training, virtual assistant coaching, virtual assistance coaching, VA coaching, The VA Coach, Erin Blaskie, Business Services ETC, BSETC
Mastering the Close
October 21, 2007
If I schedule a call with a potential client regarding my services, there is a 99.5% chance that they will convert into a client. It’s a great conversion rate and as a virtual assistant who is moving more toward the virtual assistance firm model, this is exciting because it means I can bring in new business and outsource more work to my own assistants thus making everyone happy!
So, how do you master the close? It’s simple! Here are some great tips on converting a potential client into a true client.
(1) Find out where they found out about you. This is important because it gives you a starting point for conversation. If they were referred, you can spend a few moments talking about why you love working for the referrer or you can let them know that you’ll be sending the referrer a thank you card for connecting the two of you.
(2) Come into the conversation prepared. If they send you an e-mail and their website is in their signature, review it. Approach the potential client conversation somewhat like a job interview. If you know their business and can quote things from their website during your call, you’ll make a great first impression.
(3) Start by asking them what their needs are. This shows that you (a) care about what it is they are struggling with and (b) are attentive to your client’s needs. By asking them this question, you can then speak about your own experiences and services that relate directly to their needs.
(4) Speak to their needs with exactly how you can help them. This is your time to shine. If the client’s goal is to eventually sell their business, talk about how you helped a company go through a multi-million dollar company sale. If they need someone who excels in customer service, tell them how you responded to 2,500 e-mails per day. (These examples are things I’ve actually done and are things I’ve brought up in potential client conversations before.)
(5) Tell them a bit about yourself and your company. Let the client know how you are structured (individual VA, multiple VAs, etc.) and let them know about your processes. This could include the use of a project management software (I use Basecamp) or it could be the security you have in having full support in your business via other assistants. Also, let them know how you invoice and the different packages / rates you have available.
(6) Let them know how they can get started with you. Approach this like, ‘The next steps are going to be sending you out our Welcome Package and then getting you setup in Basecamp. Once that is done, I’ll send you over your login information so you can start uploading to-dos right away!’ By making it sound easy to work with you (it should be!) you’ll make them feel like their workload is lighter just by talking to you!
(7) Thank them for their time. I sometimes send a thank you card out as well which simply states, ‘Thank you for your time today. I really enjoyed speaking with you about your business needs and hope I can be of service in future.’ I also will throw in something that is more personal in nature if they’ve brought something up on the call. For example, if my potential client states that they have a dog, I might say, “Hope you and Rocky have a good day at the office!” or something of that nature.
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, mastering the close, increasing conversions, mastering conversions
Got a Question?
October 19, 2007
If you have a burning question for The VA Coach, send your question to info@thevacoach.com and Erin Blaskie will answer it live here!
Block Off Time in Your Calendar
October 19, 2007
Another productivity tip for my fellow virtual assistants.
If you want to avoid the problem of having eight phone calls a day and no time to get actual work done, block off chunks of time in your calendar and call it NO CALLS TIME. I do this and I actually block off at least three hours per day of uninterrupted, no phone calls time.
Don’t fear the stigma of being unavailable.
The thing is, no one but you knows what your calendar actually looks like. You don’t need to say, “No, sorry, that time is No Calls Time so I can’t book you in then” but instead just simply say, “I’m sorry, I’m all booked up on that day, what about Thursday?”
Your clients will appreciate the amount of work you will get done in that time and time spent off the phone is much more productive.
Be flexible with your new schedule (to a degree).
If a client or potential client is in a different timezone, feel free to be flexible in your No Calls Time. Simply move that block of time to another section in that day and schedule the person into the time slot they need. Don’t be afraid of moving the blocks around - if you use a service like Outlook, it’s really easy to drag and drop your calendar appointments.
However, don’t book clients into your No Calls Time and then wonder why you don’t have any free time left. Only do that when there are major exceptions to be made. Otherwise, stick to your schedule and learn to love the free, uninterrupted time.
Technorati Tags: Productivity, time management, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA
Upcoming Products - Pre-Sales Available…
October 19, 2007
In the next few months (before Christmas), I’ll be finishing off a few new info-products. I’m very excited about these developments and want to start offering a special pre-sale on the products so that you can (a) get first dibs on the products and (b) so I can stay motivated and on target to writing these products!
Here they are… a sneak peek!
1 - Passive Income Profit Generator: Turn Your Virtual Assistance Business Into a Money-Making Machine
What this book will teach you:
- How to create passive income (money you don’t work for!)
- The best affiliate programs for your virtual assistance business
- Ways you can create extra money every single day - easily!
- How to wake up to purchase receipts in your inbox!
Special pre-sale price $37. After pre-sale, this e-book will go up to $57. This e-book will be ready by December 1, 2007.
Purchase Today
2 - Audio Program on Social Networking (no final title yet)
What this audio program will teach you:
- What social networking is
- Where to start in the world of social networking
- Step-by-step instructions for each of the top sites
- How to use the sites to generate business and network with like-minded individuals
Special pre-sale price is $27. After pre-sale, this product will go to $37. The audio program will be ready by November 1, 2007.
Technorati Tags: Social networking, social networking audio program, social networking help, what is social networking, passive income, passive income generation, generate passive income, how do I generate passive income, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, Erin Blaskie, BSETC, info-products, pre-sale
A Tip for Virtual Assistants: Batch Your Work
October 18, 2007
The question I am asked most often in my practice is, “How do you manage 45 clients?” The answer is a really easy one for me to answer: I batch my work.
In Tim Ferriss’ book, “The 4-Hour Work Week“, he actually talks about this very work tactic. I’ve been doing this for ages so when I picked up his book, it was nice to have that affirmation that what I was doing worked for others too.
Here’s the lowdown - each day when you set out to do your work, don’t get frenzied and spastic. Don’t do work for client A, then client D, then client B, then client A, etc. Instead, look at your to-do lists and work your way through them, one client at a time.
Now, if I have important deadlines, I certainly take care of those first but once that is done, I work my way through, batching one client at a time.
Why does this work so well? If you think about it, we’re bouncing from one company to another all day. It’s exhausting if you don’t do it systematically. By batching your work, you can think about one client at one time and not get overwhelmed by everything you need to do. Overwhelm = work paralysis. I’ll talk about work paralysis at another time.
So, try it. See if it works well for you. Batch your work and stay focused on one client until you feel you’ve accomplished enough to move on to the next. Let me know if it works for you!
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, batching work, time management, focus, work paralysis
Shopping Cart Training for Virtual Assistants
October 7, 2007
Hello fellow virtual assistants, web entrepreneurs and business owners alike!
My good friend, Amber Miller of Smart to Finish, is offering a new shopping cart training program alongside Practice Pay Solutions. If you’ve ever wondered about shopping cart software, check this out!
I’m pleased to announce that the next generation of the Practice Pay Solutions Shopping Cart Certification program is back… and BETTER than ever
I am thrilled to have joined the Practice Pay Solutions Team and will be leading the training sessions. The training will provide in-depth training and step-by-step guidance. Students will learn by detailed assignments and graded homework - not by just listening to a teleclass or staring at a computer screen. By the end of the Basic Program, participants will be proficient in implementing the cart’s basic features to automate a wide variety of business and marketing tasks.
Early bird pricing is available until October 12th - hurry! Don’t wait! Learn more or sign up here: http://www.practicepaysolutions.com/vatraining/index101507.php
Technorati Tags: Practice Pay Solutions, PPS, shopping cart, shopping cart tutorials, shopping cart training, PPS training, Amber Miller, Smart to Finish, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, virtual assistant training, virtual assistance training, VA training
Group Coaching Program Only $98… I’m Insane!
October 4, 2007
Have you ever thought of starting a virtual assistance business but you didn’t know where to begin or how to start?
I am offering my extensive 8-week group coaching program, ‘Build Your Virtual Assistance Business’, at an incredibly low price of $98.00 (personally, I think I am crazy!)
The program begins on October 30, 2007 and runs for 8 weeks virtually. The calls are done once a week from 8-9PM Eastern, 7-8PM Central and 5-6PM Pacific. I am also including, for the first time, many of my e-books that are for sale on my BSETC website (www.bsetc.ca), countless bonus audios given by some of the industry experts and a learning environment that allows you to make connections that will last a lifetime.
I am only allowing 30 people into the program so you better sign up soon.
Here’s the link: http://www.thevacoach.com/home/
Check out the webpage and see if you think it would be a good fit for you. Questions - e-mail me at info@thevacoach.com.
Hope to see you there!
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, virtual assistant training, virtual assistance training, VA training, virtual assistant coaching, virtual assistance coaching, VA coaching, The VA Coach, Erin Blaskie, Business Services ETC, BSETC