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As a virtual assistant, I am often asked, “What DO you DO?”

With about 5 seconds to capture the asker’s interest before succumbing to the ‘glazed over-deer-in-the-headlights-look’ with my traditional, boring response, I decided to shake things up a bit…and respond with a question instead.

Now I know this goes against what my mother taught me, “Don’t answer a question with a question” but she’ll forgive me for breaking the rules!

You see, as a virtual assistant…these are two words which do not really mean much at all to folks outside of the coaching, speaker, author or real estate professional industries, which tend to utilize my services more often for administrative and website work.

Explaining to folks what is I do through running off a list of services I offer rarely works either. And, when individuals learn my office is based out of my home that is the trigger that maybe I do not have a ‘real job’.

Even my best elevator speech does not seem to get my point across.

I have an identity problem.

So confusion sets in and I still have not really explained what it is I do for a living.

So when I am asked, “What DO you DO?” I answer instead with, “Have you ever?”

So, Janine, “What is it that you do?”
Have you ever sat down to create a blog using Wordpress and realized you did know how to upload the theme to your website?

Answer: Well, I create blogs for customers who want to promote their services online to a broad audience. I also write blog posts, offer up ideas for those who wish to write their own posts and edit those who send me their posts to upload.

So, Janine, “What is it that you do?”
Have you ever looked at stacks of business cards and wondered who within those cards is waiting for a sales call?

Answer: I can take those cards, update your client database so we can collaborate and send out email messages, ezines and events notices to your clients via autoresponder programs.

So, Janine, “What is it that you do?”
Have you ever written articles and wondered what else could be done with them?

Answer: Well, I can post your articles to varying ezine sites. I can repurpose your articles for blog posts and archive those articles on your website for your visitors to download.

Using Have you ever to explain what a virtual assistant does is so much easier when the services are broken down in small bites. Rather than explain what a VA does, I explain what it is I have done and what I can do for them through examples. Clients see more value in this type of explanation…and no one has, thus far corrected my manners.

One of the services I offer as a virtual assistant is blogging and article marketing. It is a valuable resource that is in great demand in our virtual industry as more clients understand the potential for good SEO.  As article marketing increases online presence it also helps to classify the client as industry experts.  Additionally, articles can reap a ‘better bang for the buck’ as they can be repurposed into blog entries, newsletters and press releases.  Strategically placed, one article can have many lives.
 

I recently had a very intuitive consultation call with a potential client who is interested in blogging and article marketing. The client asked an interesting question, “How do you create topics for articles [when the virtual assistant is not familiar with the client’s industry]?”

I have been asked this question on previous occasions by other virtual assistants as well, so I created a client questionnaire for VAs, which is available for download here . (Click on the star logo). 

Ideally, a virtual assistant partners with a client on an ongoing basis to develop a relationship where communication between the parties is regularly maintained.  If the opportunity for a good partnership develops, the best way to write thought-provoking articles for a client is to be privy to their business happenings. This occurs only through good, two-way communication.  It is not unusual for a client to ask a question or share a piece of information with me, which can easily be turned into an article. Consequently, I’ll often reply with, “This can become a good blogging topic”. 

Another means to develop good article topics is to ask the client to check his Sent Box. What kind of questions is the client answering to his own customers?  Whatever information the client’s customers are asking certainly makes for great article topics.  Give the readers what they want to know… write about what your client’s customers are asking.

VAs, ask the client to send you urls to the online newsletters which are relative to your client’s business.  I often subscribe to the same blogs, newsletters and ezines my clients read. This is another means to find great ideas for articles and blogs. One long-term client regularly sends me real estate articles from which I have been able to construct good articles.  Keep them in a folder in your favorites entitled, ‘Blogging Topics’.

I often find subject matter on other people’s blogs which I send to my clients requesting that he respond with a brief reply.  Sometimes the answers are a few lines which I can expand upon, while others are complete responses which I can post in varying blogs or article marketing sites.

A long forgotten source for good article topics is the local public library.  I will often visit the library and sit down with several magazines and publications related to my client’s businesses. I jot down the publication name and look it up online when I return to my office.  Ask the librarian for other sources such as newsletters and flyers which are not available online. The librarian is another valuable tool to good research…and, the librarian’s services are free!

If a virtual assistant is not familiar with a client’s industry, there are numerous means to learn about his business. Asking questions, creating Google Alerts with keyword relative to the client’s business and keeping abreast of the client’s products and services are other important options to good article marketing as a virtual assistant.  Download the Questionnaire for Virtual Assistants to Ask Their Clients Regarding Article Writing and Blog Ideas for more options.

 Janine Gregor

Recently, I have ‘been on’ a few back-to-back consultations with potential clients. Each conversation had to be fine-tuned on the spot depending upon the clients’ expertise with working with a VA and in regard to his/her use of the internet.  Since consults are not ‘one size fits all’ this post can help VAs to customize the conversation to achieve maximum results.

*note RFP used herein is a Request for Proposal. This is the form that potential clients complete with information regarding their virtual assistant needs.
*Letter of Intent is the reply letter a VA writes in response to the RFP.

1)      Research, Research And More Research – If there is any tidbit of information you will take away from this post this will be it:  Research the client’s website and business as much as possible before dialing the phone. I suggest going one step further and research as much as possible before hitting the send button to reply to the initial RFP itself.  Although each Letter of Intent should be customized to the client’s requirements, take more time than usual to know the client because you may not have much time to do the research between the time you hit send and the time the client replies back to your customized letter of intent.  I have been in close-timing situations and have had mere minutes to vamp-up my research before I called the client back. Being prepared ahead of time will thwart being caught off-guard because you may need to book an immediate consult. It happens.

2)      Be Careful How You Phrase Your Opinions – Before making the consult call (and creating the Letter of Intent), make a list of what you think can be improved on the website or blog but do not come forward right away with a critique while on the phone with the potential client. Wait until the client asks for your opinion and phrase your critique as such, “If your website heading is decreased in size you can offer more information about your business above the page fold” or “If you add your social marketing badges to your home page, you can increase your membership”.  Making suggestions as opposed to saying, “The header is too big” or “The web page is messy” may make for bad vibes during the consult. Diplomacy is key.

3)      If the client indicates that they do not know how to do something while you explain what services you can provide, offer to show them how to do it. You may think that offering to train a client, for example how to post a blog will take away work from you; I actually believe that this leads to more work, which is what we all really want as virtual assistants.  I believe in offering to share my knowledge with a client for three reasons:  First, you will get paid for training; Second, once you spend more time teaching the client a task, this helps to build a relationship and solidifies you as the expert and, Three, these tasks lead to more work because then you can make suggestions as to how the task can be fine-tuned. The latter is much easier to do when you have built a rapport with the client.

4)      During the consultation call, be keen and listen to the client as they speak. Clues to how much expertise they have will be apparent just by listening. It can be embarrassing for the VA to review services the client is already familiar with.  In fact it is a waste of time.  Some clients know what ftp might be, while others have no idea.  Do not assume a client knows the entire internet ‘lingo’ so it pays to be clear during conversation without being too ‘techie’. It is easier to consult with client who has already worked with a VA so be sure you know this information in advance. 

5) If the client is seeking to replace their VA, it pays to know why but never be intrusive by asking outright. Most clients will say if they are replacing their VA upfront.  Use that information to your advantage.  For example, if the client states, “My VA does not know how to post a blog”, that would be your cue to indicate this is a service you offer (if you do, of course). But do not ask why the VA is being replaced. Only use the information if offered to indicate what you can offer to fill that hole.

Finally, evaluate each consultation call immediately after hanging up.  What could you have done better? What did you do well that you can use for the next call?  Consultations calls can improve over time.

Janine Gregor