Welcome to the second interview in the ‘Talking To The Business Owners’ video series.
In this session, I had the privilege of speaking with Alicia Forest, one of my favorite biz owners of all time.
What do I love most about Alicia? She’s real, direct, and has an unbelievable ability to manage a fabulous business while also spending quality time with her young family.
In this interview Alicia openly shares what virtual support professionals must focus on when it comes to providing great value to business owners. Pay attention … she shares fantastic words of wisdom throughout.
I'm tired about a stigma we seem to have in the virtual support professional industry. Are you?
Why is it that virtual support professionals, in many cases, shy away from stepping forward into the spotlight and showcasing the incredible skills and expertise they offer?
This is an area I'd like to address, with Virtual Assistants and other virtual support professionals who are ready to stand out and implement easy, yet strong steps forward that will help them 'get out there' in a comfortable way. The benefit? Business owners will see the value you offer, you will stand out amoungst others that may offer the same support, and you're credibility will increase significantly.
Join me on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 and I'll share 3 very specific ways you can easily begin or continue the quest to building your visibility, standing out and showcasing the value you offer.
Are you with me? Enter your details below to sign up for the call.
I'd like to ask you a couple of questions ... and ask that you answer them truthfully/honestly.
Are you providing a true representation of yourself in all pieces related to the marketing and growth of your business? (i.e. your website, your networking etc.)
Have you implemented the essentials (i.e the foundation) needed to support and leverage your marketing efforts?
Are you tired of doing things the way you have been ... and ready to make a switch, to better reflect who you are, what you can really do and how you can help people?
The virtual support professional industry has an ailment to that of a cobbler. The cobbler - an expert at repairing shoes for everyone, yet has no shoes of his own is similiar to that of a virtual support professional. We support our clients in all kinds of areas - websites, eCommerce, marketing, blogging, affiliate marketing, social media etc. - yet the pieces for our own business in these areas is non-existant (or close to it).
The Marketing Bootcamp is a 6 session program where you work closely with me, Cindy Greenway, and essentially I give you a kick in the butt to get your marketing foundation and strategies implemented, developed and automated (as much as possible) for YOUR business.
If you:
don't have a target market or are confused on how to select one
can't seem to make the time to market your business
don't have a website that stands out, or you have no opt-in on your website
are uncomfortable introducing yourself to potential clients in a way that demonstrates your expertise
struggle with implementing your mindset (both business and entrepreneurial)
... then this program is a MUST.
The end of this calendar year is just around the corner. Will you take action NOW (not January) and positively impact your business??
I get asked all the time "Cindy, how do I keep clients long-term?" A key ingredient to a long-lasting client relationship is communication. I thought I'd revisit an article that was posted previously in an effort to bring this back to the surface and support you in implementing a communication plan into your client relationships.
We all know it - even subconsciously. Communication is the key to any relationship - virtual or not.
Ironically ... although we know the importance of communication, it's one of the main reasons behind a VA/Client break-up.
Why?
Because we often avoid discussing topics that we believe to be unimportant or slightly uncomfortable to discuss. Instead we literally wave our hand and say "it will all work out."
When it comes to a Client/VA relationship - it's really up to us Virtual Assistants to ensure great communication with our clients. This goes beyond a phone discussion every once in a while or emails back and forth throughout the week or instant messages throughout the day.
These forms of communication are great and convenient but when it comes to creating, building and solidifying relationships with our clients, we need more than the casual connection.
Perhaps you can relate to these scenarios:
you receive an email from your client asking you to complete a task immediately ..... you were out of the office for a few hours and it's now 'too' late
your client has expectations that are well beyond what was originally discussed..... you sense and feel frustration from the exchange of emails and feel irrate, annoyed and uneasy about the issue. How do you deal with it now?
your client is busy and possibly difficult to connect with... in an attempt to 'not bother them' you don't connect at all or perhaps send the odd email to check in yet they seem annoyed or frustrated with you.
Any of these ring a bell?
One of the practices that I firmly believe in is connecting with clients every week - even for just 20 minutes at a time. The voice-to-voice connection has proved to be invaluable.
By coming prepared to the meeting, ready to discuss upcoming deadlines, priorities and goals, the time is well-spent and more efficient than sending countless emails (which may be interpreted differently) on the same topics.
How do you maintain regular communication with your clients? What's worked? What hasn't worked? By posting your comments (and even your questions) you will help yourself as well as others who have not yet mastered this in their client relationships.
Welcome to the first video in the'Talking With The Business Owners' series.
In this video I speak with Pam Slim of www.EscapeFromCubicleNation.com. You are likely already familiar with Pam ... if not, please do head over to her website and sign up for her stuff! She offers incredible support to people who want to break free and create their business as well as to us entrepreneurs who want to expand and make a difference.
I've been fortunate to know Pam for many years and always enjoy reading her material. She's creative, gets you moving and the best part for me - her genuine personality is obvious and she keeps it real (no fluff!)
I asked Pam to speak with me about what the virtual support community is doing really well and also what we can be doing differently to really connect with the business owners out there want and need from us.
As you watch and listen to the video, please note specific pieces that connect directly to your business. What can you be doing differently? What will you take action on, and by when? Feel free to include your comments and thoughts below ... by writing them here and sharing them with other readers, it will extend your commitment in accomplishing this step.
Note - there was a little difficulty with Skype during the recording of this video, however if you can disregard some of the video crankiness, the message Pam shares is loud and clear.
For years I've been speaking to business owners and listening to what they really want and need from the virtual support industry.
Then I've translated this information and shared it in various forms, to support virtual support professionals in finding great clients.
But why be the 'middle man'? Why not let YOU, the virtual support professional hear the exact words, from the business owners themselves?
So I reached out to a few of my trusty connections and voila ... I have interviews with hot business owners who openly and candidly shared their experiences, their advice and more. And I'm going to make them available to you.
I'm calling it the "Talking to the Business Owners" interview series. Starting tomorrow, Friday, October 21, I will release a new interview ever few days. If you'd like to be notified of when these videos are released, please simply enter your contact details below and I'll send you a quick email as they are available.
Business owners of all kinds have fears. In fact, some fears are so strong that they keep us paralyzed, not moving forward in more than one area.
What I find really interesting is that many times, we are in fear of the exact things we want to achieve.
For example, we fear we will not be successful in our business. But then fear holds us back from actively going out and finding clients, because we're afraid of potential rejection or not meeting our own expectations. Imagine if we faced the fear and connected with great clients to achieve success?
We want to become known as the 'go to' person in our field ... but then we're afraid of all the potential attention we might receive and the pressure that comes with it.
Why is it that we experience these business related fears? Because of the way we were raised? Our past employment experiences? Someone telling us we'd never make it?
However, think about the last time that you faced a fear, took action and smiled at the your achievement? Was starting your own business a little scary? If you're reading this email, you likely have a business in place or are working towards its ... you faced the unknown, took action, jumped over the hurdle and landed on the other side. You did it.
What are you in fear of? Over the last few weeks, several of my mentees have made reached a critical part of their business where they're 'must have in place' items are done and the next phase is to step out from behind their computer and connect with their target market. It's scary place for many of us. By why?
Because of this, one of the exercises I have taken each person through is to identify their fears. It's a VERY simple exercise, but it made such a significant impact in them, their confidence and business growth, that I couldn't help but want to share it with you here.
Grab a pad of paper and a pen.
Write down every single thing you are afraid of when it comes to your business.
Don't make judgment - just write everything down as it comes to your mind. Keep that pad of paper near you and for the next two days, write down anything else that comes to mind, then put it aside.
After a day or so, when you have a quiet moment, take a look at the list. Are some of these fears absolutely ridiculous? Are you afraid of some things that you've already made happen at some point in your lifetime? Do you have proven examples of how you have conquered some of those fears.
By completing this exercise, many of my mentees' fears started to minimize - enough to where they felt somewhat more at ease in taking steps forward. Note - I'm not promising that the fears will all of a sudden vanish ... but by acknowledging them in this way, it may help you stand up to the fear enough that you move forward and make progress.
I'm not much of a 'fluffy' kind of person, but in doing this exercise myself, and in having my 'girls' also complete it -- it has proven to create such significant impact, that it's something I'll do over and over again.
I'd like to extend the invitation for you to send me your list of fears, so you too can get them 'off your chest'.
Simply post them in the comments area below OR if you prefer to keep them private, shoot me an email. - cindy[at]hotskillsvatraining[dot]com (please note the email address is written this way so I can avoid online spiders finding me and sending junk mail.
It's one of those mysterious things in the virtual support profession: how to best respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP).
Over the last several years, myself (Cindy Greenway) and Tina Forsyth have seen our share of RFP responses VAs have sent to businesses owners. Some of these responses have been great. Others --- not so much.
The problem is two-fold really:
(1) Many Business Owners have trouble communicating the kind of help they really need (because they 'don't know what they don't know'). Some include very few details while others include WAY too much info.
and
(2) Many Virtual Assistants respond as if they were applying for a job, others include a full proposal or official contract while others include their rate, a simple line such as "I'd love to work with you, please contact me asap." and next to nothing else.
So what's the secret to responding to RFPs?
Join us on Tuesday, October 21st and we'll share:
What you should do BEFORE you even start a response to an RFP
The biggest mistake Virtual Assistants make in their response
How to make your RFP response stand out from the others
The quality you must demonstrate (and it can be tough to do so in writing)
much, much more
This class will provide you with more than the 'mistakes' of RFP responses ... join us to learn the tools to confidently respond to RFPs, get noticed from potential clients and give business owners exactly what they want and need to hear from you.
Will you join us? Here are all the details:
Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Time: 12pm Pacific / 3pm Eastern Investment: $47 (includes live call, audio recording and comprehensive notes)
P.S. Are there other topics you'd like us to cover? Let us know -- simply post your comments and suggestions below.
It's no secret ... you've heard me say it and you've heard business owners say it too:
Business owners want to make money while they sleep.
True Story: I remember a client calling me one morning. She was literally shouting with excitement when I picked up the phone.
I had recently helped her implement all kinds of technology; one being a shopping cart system so she could sell her coaching programs and two products.
I looked after everything for her - connecting the technology to her website, ensuring a secure and professional environment for her customers to go to from her website to entering their credit card details, to getting additional details via a branded webpage and finally an email with even more valuable information.
This client was beyond excited because she turned on her computer in the morning and saw an order had come in overnight. She was so appreciative of everything I had done. I felt pretty darn good about the value I had provided her.
I realized today that after all these years of talking about eCommerce, I haven't really shared exactly why it's absolutely critical for Virtual Assistants to have a strong understanding of eCommerce.
So, Cindy, I'd like to take a quick moment to uncover 3 significant, yet simple reasons as to why you need to 'get' eCommerce. Note how it's not just about money ... it's about solidifying everything related to an online business.
#1.Every business needs an online presence that supports the continuous growth of the business (vs a stale and out-of-date existence).
A VA who understands eCommerce can help business owners leverage their expertise, build a strong presence online and provide additional value to potential clients/customers.
#2. Business owners struggle with continuously and naturally keeping in touch with new contacts.
A VA with eCommerce skills will help implement a system for business owners to seamlessly connect regularly with their new and current contacts and support them in building those relationships ... all while providing value. Strong + continuous relationships = growth.
#3.Everyone wants to make more money --- including business owners of all kinds.
By leveraging the internet, business owners can literally 'make money while they sleep'.
A VA with eCommerce expertise can easily create the magical 'b-u-y now' button and create a seamless, professional and secure environment for customers to select an item, enter their contact details and then receive critical information.
eCommerce is MORE than a piece of technology. eCommerce connects to everything in an online business - to providing continuous information to prospects and subscribers, as well as providing value via other resources such as the blog, Twitter, the website and so much more, generate revenue, building credibility and so much more.
Without eCommerce, a business creates a very stale, forgettable and diminishing online existence.
So ... imagine you as the go-to person; the person that business owners trust and see as the specialist in this area, which ultimately supports them in building their business and generating more revenue?
