Occasionally, I receive emails from virtual assistants seeking advice regarding how to start their businesses. I suggest the usual; create a good website, craft a solid business plan, open up social networking accounts and have concrete business policies and contract documents in place but my main piece of advice is to join Virtual Assistant Forums (VAF) www.VirtualAssistantForums.com

And that suggestion is often met with surprise!

My reasoning is simple. When a new virtual assistant joins a community specifically designed for the virtual entrepreneur she/he will find all of the necessary answers to starting a new business. However, VAF is not only a ‘think tank’ for virtual assistants. Through participation, a new virtual assistant will receive the personal and professional support so necessary when jump-starting any new business.

As there is no ‘magic bullet’ to being a successful entrepreneur; there is certainly no reason for a new virtual assistant to go at it alone.

A winning virtual assistant business needs a strong starting point. VAF is available to all virtual assistants right out of the gate; from the sound of the starting bell to the finish line.

Most importantly, VAF is as vital to the continued success of a virtual assistant’s business even when the practice has been established. As the entity grows, an entirely new set of business situations occur. A concrete foundation is key to maintaining the momentum. So a VAF membership is beneficial long after that first client has been signed.

By nature, we are social creatures seeking out others with the same common interests.

Just by ‘being’, we are automatically part of a community called the human race. Within that structure we are part of other communities which centers around being a part of a family. As parents, we become constituents of the clubs we join such as PTA/PTO or Scouting groups. Many are members of our homeowners associations, of weight loss groups, the local gym and of chambers of commerce and hobby clubs. If we patronize stores we become members of a store’s reward and coupon programs. When we own pets we are members of pet-owner communities. It is our nature to gravitate toward each other when we find commonalities.

You may have heard that, “The whole is greater than sum of its parts.” Groups are often capable of producing higher quality work and make better decisions than an individual working entirely alone. So when a virtual assistant posts a problem or a need on VAF, often several members will offer an array of solutions.

Noted American psychologist, William Schutz introduced a theory of interpersonal relations called Firo: A three-dimensional theory of interpersonal behavior, which defined three reasons humans join groups: inclusion, control, and affection.

Without sounding terribly scientific here, a membership to VAF fulfills all three of these needs. VAs can feel included by participating in discussions. VAs feel in control when he/she offers expert advice while the need for affection is fulfilled when a member compliments another for a job well-done.

Any virtual assistant who wants to start their own business needs the support of those who have been in this business before. There are no better teachers than those who have spent nights wondering where that next client will come from. Virtual Assistant Forums is THE community where a VA can join and participate at any stage of progression.

And, we have fun on VAF. So it is not all about being so serious.

For example, Virtual Assistant Forums currently is celebrating its 3rd year in the virtual universe. Boasting more than 3000 members, several associates have joined together to form a planning committee to facilitate contests for all to enjoy. This year’s birthday theme is “Best of…” so members can nominate the ‘Best VA Business Blog’ or ‘Most Helpful Member’ or ‘Friendliest Member’. And, the prizes are phenomenal! Need an iPod Shuffle, a Genus Mouse Pen Graphic Tablet, a copy of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michalowicz, a new Facebook Fan page, a new WordPress blog? This is just a small sampling of the great prizes to be presented to the winners. During VAF Birthday Bash Week, scheduled for April 19th to 23rd, three prominent authors and speakers will join members for free chats where drawings for even more prizes abound.

Another great reason to join Virtual Assistant Forums is to market your business even when you are not online to actively promote. Potential clients have access to the forum and can read the posts the virtual assistants create. If a client is seeking a WordPress virtual assistant and you have answered a question about WordPress, a client may find you and decide to make contact.

And there are the many virtual friendships formed on VAF….

Virtual Assistant Forums is a community where friendships are made every single day. Join a group such as Florida Virtual Assistants or the VAF Mentoring Group and now you have entered a subgroup of virtual assistants with whome you can have even more in common. Many VAs schedule to meet face-to-face through these subgroups.

If you have an e-newsletter there’s a VAF thread for that. Would you like to take a class but do not know which one is best for you, there’s a VAF thread for that.

Interested in live chats from expert bloggers, authors and social media experts? Check the VAF calendar and log on for that.

The absolute easiest way to become involved is to simply sign onto Virtual Assistant Forums and introduce yourself. Tell us about your business. You will receive a warm welcome and links to some of the best ‘getting started’ threads. If you have a specialty, we would like to hear from you.

Virtual Assistant Forum members are there to share, to learn and to just be ourselves. A few minutes a day and your VA batteries will be recharged.

And no doubt, one of the best perks of all to join is that Virtual Assistant Forums is that the membership is completely Free!

“What IS that smell?!” I exclaimed.

Lately, I have had to practice a bit more open-mindedness when using email to communicate with non-email users. These are folks who are experts in their own industries but do not use email as a major means to communicate.

In my virtual assistant-world nearly all of my communication is through email but ‘on the outside’ I know there are many who are not familiar with email protocols. And that is OK.

After receiving several ‘iffy’ emails of late, I needed to rethink my reaction to non-user correspondence and view these messages from a special perspective. In other words, I did not let a ‘knee jerk’ reaction prevail when email etiquette was not applied.

Language is a learned skill. We speak what we have been taught to articulate. Vocabulary improves and increases as we age. Understanding and using proper email etiquette is no different than learning a language. Email users learn what is correct to communicate through practice and experience. Crafting a good email, which gets a point across in a manner that is pleasant, respectful and clear is a learned skill.

Lessons Learned

1) Appreciate first that people are experts in what they do for a living. Everyone has a specialty. A business owner may not use email as their main means of communication and without practice, they might not understand email protocols.

If you receive an email from a business owner who sends the message in ALL CAPS, I say, ‘let it go’. I tend to believe that the individual most likely does not know that ALL CAPS means ‘shouting’ and should not be used in an electronic message.

I received a notice from my Home Owner’s Association the other day written in ALL CAPS. The information was a directive so I only envisioned while reading the document that the sender was standing at a podium with a megaphone screaming this message to the entire neighborhood.

I am sure that was not the message this person wanted to send but it came across that way. Unfortunately, I do not remember what the message was about but I do remember the use of CAPS. Not only is this format difficult to read and interpret but the message can be lost through the use of CAPS.

Most know that CAPS is shouting but never assume that everyone understands this very basic rule.

2) People who do not use email might not understand that body language, facial expressions, fluctuations in voice and in tone can not be sent through an email.

For example, I emailed someone in academia who is best at being a teacher. I asked her about a date for a project and expressed my concern about this date. Her reply was, “I am not concerned about that date!” When I first read the reply, I read this as a negative message. However, after careful thought, I gave the teacher the benefit-of-the-doubt. I believe she was being matter-of-fact which often is the type of message better expressed verbally than through email correspondence…

Some messages should not be sent through email and it is best to pick up the phone and have a good, old-fashioned conversation.

Unfortunately her response left doubt in my mind which is what any good communicator does not want to do.

When objecting to a point through email it is best to qualify the message, first, with a positive thought. She might have said, “I appreciate your concern for this due date being so late but such-and-such date might be a better choice to finish the project.”

3) Using the standard true type fonts such as Times New Roman and Verdana are standard for a reason. Not only are these fonts simple to read and easily interpreted by most word processing programs but they are less distracting than fonts such as Comic Sans or Scrap Kids.

I received a business email in the form of a quote from a pool dealer written in Scrap Kids. The font was changed to red which also meant that I had to strain my eyes as the color was an enormous distraction. Red means ‘alert’ or ‘hot’ but the contents of the message did not match the urgent nature of the font color.

I suspect that this business man thought that by adding color and design to his emails, I would be impressed with his creativity.

That was not the case at all and I ended up contracting with another dealer because even though his quote was competitive, I felt his presentation was unprofessional.

My Own Lesson Learned

Even with my many years of email experience, I am still learning to fine-tune my own electronic correspondences. I found that I needed to be more aware of who I was emailing before I hit send.

Several months ago, I was corresponding with an expert blogger. This individual reads many, many blogs per day and writes as many blog posts. Blogging is his livelihood. I was sending him details in an email I carefully crafted because I wanted him to know everything contained in one document. I did not want to repeat myself later.

After I sent off my detailed explanation, he replied with a nice ‘thank you’. Well, the time came for me to work with him and he sent me several emails asking questions about the information I so carefully composed in my original text.

He did not retain any of the detailed instructions I sent to him.

I realized later that this person reads emails by scanning them for keywords. He reads quickly. As a blog expert, he leaves himself no time to absorb detailed information. What I should have done was to bullet some of the major details in a scanable format. I know now to think about by whom my email will be received and adjust my message to be better served with a different reading format.

As a virtual assistant, I have to be ready to receive and send communication in ways that I least expect. I made myself more aware that non-email users do not always know the rules of email etiquette and have made behavioral adjustments accordingly.

[singlepic id=91 w=320 h=240 float=left]I am often asked for my opinion about how to do something. It is the nature of the virtual assistant business. Having worked on a variety of projects, people believe I can either answer a question or at least give them the tools to find the answer themselves. I’m OK with that. I like to help.

I opened up my email Inbox today and found seven emails from people looking for an answer about how to do something. It took about an hour to get through all the responses and I was pleased to have answers to everything asked.

Of the seven, two responded with a ‘Thank You’.

Was I looking for a ‘Thank You’? Well, yes. It would have been nice. It would have been a validation of my efforts. Given the low response to the favor, a ‘Thank You’ from anyone actually would have helped that person to stand out from the crowd. This small gesture might have helped them receive future favors from me on a priority-status. That’s not to say I will dismiss their future requests but I might put the favor on a ‘low flame’ given the limited hours in my workday.

So why did only two people take the time to type two simple words and hit the ‘send’ button?

5 Reasons Why People Do Not Send a Thank You

1) They simply do not have good manners.
2) They take my good will for granted. They got what they wanted and as far as they are concerned, the query has ended.
3) They can not find the time to thank me.
4) They do not realize the value in a Thank You.
5) They forgot or they do not care, or both.

5 Reasons Why People Should Say Thank You

1) A Thank You shows appreciation for the time I took to handle their question. Very simple and very obvious.
2) They have good manners and their mother taught them well. A Thank You is automatic; without a second thought as it should be.
3) A Thank You is remembered by people who, in turn, are more likely to help them out in the future.
4) Finalizing an email with a note of thanks is indeed the proper way to actually end an email. It is a way to leave an appropriate ending to a piece of correspondence. A favor which is not ‘settled’ with a Thank You is the same as telling a story and not having a final solution or an ending to the tale.
5) The absence of a Thank You can mean that the efforts were not appreciated. You may have appreciated the favor but no one will ever know.

However, the bonus reason why people should should say ‘Thank You’ (drum roll, please!) is that performing this simple gesture is nearly FREE to accomplish which could reap benefits that might become profitable in the future.

The next time I open my Inbox and find several inquiries, I will respond to them but tucked in the back of my head will be the names of those who took a moment to appreciate my time. I might not spend an inordinate amount of time answering their questions because my time is valuable. I might steer them in the direction where they can find their own answers or I might wait to respond and do so only when my work hours are light.

Those who thanked me though, may get a faster response.

It’s human nature.

When an RFP (request for proposal) is submitted by a potential client (PC) for the services of a virtual assistant, understand that the PC has many, many replies to weed through. Having your reply stand out above the rest is key to securing the interview.

I came across an interesting post, “Get More Clients For Your Home-Based Business by Avoiding These Five Deadly Mistakes” written from a client’s perspective who was terribly disappointed with a majority of the 20 or so replies she received for an RFP. The gist of her post was simply that the replies did not offer an answer to the all-important question…’What can I do for you?’

The author wrote:

“My needs were clearly listed – web maintenance, shopping cart and autoresponder administration. One of the offers I received listed typing, transcription, scheduling appointments and making travel arrangements as the services provided.

No mention of providing the technical skills I required.

If you’re submitting a quotation to provide a product or service, make sure you understand what the prospect needs, then tell that prospect how you can meet those needs.

If you merely provide a list of what you offer with no reference to what the prospect is looking for, she will think you either a) don’t pay heed to what you’re reading, or b) just don’t care – and either one of them will put your proposal into the round file.”

This client/author fielded replies which simply responded to “WHAT I am or WHAT I have done in the past” but never really addressing the client’s specific requirements. This was a constant theme through the author’s post.

I addition to the author’s suggestions, I have listed 10 Tips to help virtual assistants respond correctly and efficiently to a potential client’s RFP. If you follow these tips closely, you will have the best reply to an RFP ever!

1) Follow the RFP directions – As simple as this sounds, read the RFP thoroughly and gather the information the potential client is asking for. If they want samples of your work, attach a link to a portfolio or a link to your work as featured on someone’s site or your own site. If they want three references, provide the name, phone number, title, email address and a link to your reference sites; make sure you include the required number three. If they ask a question such as ‘why do you want to be a part of my team’ be sure to answer that question completely…however…

2) Although your reply can offer an explanation about your company and your specialty, answer the question (#1) in terms of ‘what you can do to benefit the client’. So don’t answer, “I want to be a part of your team because I need a job” or “I want to be a part of your team because I am good at what I do”. A better response would be, “I want to be a part of your team because my marketing skills have increased my clients’ email subscriber list from 100 to over 200 in one month’s time. I can do the same for you.”

3) Do your homework! The best means to offer a clear, concise reply to an RFP is to become educated about the PC’s business. Most potential clients will offer up a website address. Check out the site and familiarize yourself with their business. If the PC is a coach, personalize the RFP reply with something about their coaching business and what you have done for other coaches to help them with their work.

Do not critique their site in the reply RFP.

If the RFP does not provide a website address, check the domain for the email address and see if that garners some online clue about the client. If not, Google the potential client’s name and/or business name; read any articles he/she may have written and check Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to see if you can familiarize yourself with the client’s work. If you get the interview, you are already ahead of the game when discussion of the client’s business presents itself.

4) Have ALL of Your Ducks (Ready!) in a Row – Do not send a reply to an RPF if your website and social networking sites including your blog are not ready for the potential client’s review. If you have a PC’s attention from your written reply, chances are they too will do their own research about you before they make contact so having the best possible website and ‘store front’ available will be key to securing that consultation.

5) Include all of your contact information in the reply in an easy-to-read format. Make links clickable and check those links before you hit ‘send’. Be sure that you have full testimonials in place.

The author wrote:

“One bid provided a link to a web site where I could read testimonials. The testimonials were one and two liners followed by clients’ labels instead of their names, locations, or businesses.

For example, “Betty does good work. – Accountant”, “Betty always has her work to me on time. – Chiropractor.”

If your services are worthy of receiving testimonials, there is no reason why the providers shouldn’t approve the use of their name, business and town to validate the testimonials as authentic. Adding a picture creates even greater validation.”

(Although I personally felt that a photo was not necessary and often difficult to obtain.)

6) Read the RFP Carefully for Keywords – If an RFP uses words like ‘team’ or ‘dedicated’ or ‘looking for enthusiasm’, include these words in your reply and explain what you have done to be a part of a team AND how that effort paid off. If the PC is looking for a ‘dedicated’ person, give examples of client relationships which have had endurance AND how that attribute can be beneficial to the PC. If someone is looking for someone with enthusiasm, then write the reply with enthusiasm! Other keywords to look out for are ‘expert’ or any level of experience such as ‘intermediate’ experience. If a PC is looking for someone with specific experience, never say, ‘I am a quick learner’ or ‘I always wanted to learn XXX but if you show me how, I can do the job’.

The author wrote:

“One bid listed web maintenance and design as a service offered, however, the bidder didn’t have a site of her own or offer any references or testimonials for sites she ‘allegedly’ maintains.

If you offer a particular service that can be verified, provide testimonials, references and samples in your original bid so the potential client can corroborate them.

People are busy and if you don’t give them what they want on first contact, they aren’t going to take the time to contact you for more information when five, ten or fifty other proposals are giving them what they need.”

7) Proofread, Edit and Reread, Again! – Once you finish your reply to an RFP have someone proofread it for you. Spelling and grammatical errors stand out like sore thumb and distract from the content. Further, you are the example you set in your reply so if it is sloppy, you can be that the PC will believe your work is sloppy as well. Make sure that you are answering the question, “What is it that I can offer to the PC?” Does your reply answer that question?

8 This is not your biography.

The author writes:

Don’t make it all about you.

“I received two offers that demonstrated no real interest in how they could meet my needs. The first went as follows …

“I love working with coaches! I’ve been running my own business for “x” years. I have a degree in “x”. I worked as a nurse’s assistant for ‘x’ years, then decided to pursue my love of organizing, and I have …” – there was no mention of skills that would meet my needs.”

I reiterate again, make sure the reply is answering the question, “What is it that I can do for the potential client to meet their needs?”

9) Follow up to your replies within one week. Ask if you can offer any additional references or if the PC has any questions. Show a continued interest in the position. Be prepared for not receiving any reply at all! I would say that 95 percent of the replies to RFPs I send out never receive the courtesy of a return reply. Once I received a phone call back where the PC thanked me for my time and on occasion, I will receive a nice email with ‘thanks but we’ve filled the position’. However, I mention following up because one time I received a response to a follow-up indicating that the VA they hired was not working out so I was able to secure the account in that manner. Tip: Ask if you can add the PC’s email address to your own e-newsletter subscriber list. You never know if they may call on you later!

10) Customize each reply! Each reply should be custom to the RFP itself. If you use one cookie-cutter form to send out to every RFP, the lack of customization will be apparent. PCs want to know that you find their RFP to be important.

It takes time to craft a good reply to an RFP. Consider it a part of the virtual assistant’s job. Not only do we work on client work but we continually market our own businesses. I consider replies to RFPs part of my marketing plan. Sure, it can be laborious and the rejection factor can be high but well worth effort if you secure that client who appreciates the time and effort put into that RFP reply!