3 Major Ways for Virtual Assistants to Demonstrate Value


Do you know where your client is most often?
In the past, I found clients on Upwork, in FB groups, in membership groups and largely via word of mouth referrals. Recently, I've found VAs on Instagram and Upwork, and have given referrals and recommendations to colleagues, in person and in FB groups.


Now truth be told, while on IG, I was not looking for a virtual assistant on Instagram. Honestly, I had put out a few direct feelers on Instagram to Virtual Assistants offering what I needed and the responses I received did not encourage me to pursue the conversation. So at this point, I was just there engaging with potential clients for my Virtual Assistant Training business
  • engaging with potential clients
  • offering suggestions and feedback
  • asking and answering questions
and she was there, responding to my post with questions or just thoughtful comments
and I saw her engaging on the posts I was engaging on
and that is what got my attention 
and I thought she was a rockstar.

So I sure did send her a DM to inquire if she was even offering the services I needed.

My point is... when looking for potential clients

know where they are going to look for clients

but also

where they are going to work

and

to hang out

and let them see you there. 

You don’t have to scream I’m a Virtual Assistant all over the place. 

Ask questions. 
Share information on your process, your experiences.

And learn how to show and tell.

Well done trumps well said, any day of the week.
How are you showing your clients what you can do?

Here are the 3 major ways to demonstrate your value:

1. Engage

I can’t overstate the importance of engaging in the conversation. You know how you love to read the comments… well it’s not just you that enjoys that. Lots of people enjoy reading the comments. And guess what.. I’m willing to be your potential client does too.

I’m not suggesting that you make it your life’s mission to comment on each and every post you come across (nobody has time for that).

But, if and when you come across a post, a question or a comment that you can speak to… speak on it.

Share your opinion, your experience, and your expertise. 

And now it’s out there. 

And that’s how it [your business] goes and grows.

2. Create Case Studies

Case studies will provide a snapshot of your value to a potential client. They don't need to be pages long, they don't need to be fancy. It can simply include:
  • The Need: An overview of the problems/obstacles your client faced
  • The Strategy: The plan of action you implemented to solve the problem
  • The Results: The results of your collaboration

You may want to have a range of clients or stick to one particular industry. The point is, you can give your potential client evidence that you have a solution to their problem.

I’ve used them in my cold email campaigns, RFPs and with referrals. 

3. Portfolio

Your portfolio should always part of my communication plan. 

It can be as long or as short as you need it to be. A Virtual Assistant portfolio usually contains:
  • Bio
  • Services
  • Client testimonials
  • Examples of your work
  • Case studies
  • Way(s) to contact or communicate with you
  • and possibly your rates (that's up to you of course)

Of course, you can always refer a potential client to your website, but you can also just attach a portfolio to an email and same them the extra steps.

The bottom line:

You need to know where your potential client is...
  • Facebook groups 
  • LinkedIn groups
  • RFPs
  • Instagram engagement
  • Pinterest
  • Blogging (yours, guest posts)
  • Podcasts/Interviews
  • Email
  • Virtual Assistant Memberships/Clubs

Show up there and show them who you are and what you can do.

For more tips and tools, join us in The Write Academy.

The Write Academy image

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Business Name Branding

Image
Choosing the right business name is super important. The message your business name conveys is a key take away for a potential client. If nothing else, it's the one thing that we want them to remember. Your business name should set the tone for establishing your brand identity. There are three points of importance when it comes to choosing your business name - authenticity, availability and brandability.
Read more

Who are you looking for and why is that important?

Image
To watch the video about this topic, click here . Who is your ideal client? If your answer is "every client is an ideal client" or "I don't know," you are probably wasting a lot of time trying to find a good client. We need to know with some manner of precision who we are looking for as we go about looking for clients. Not only does this minimize the actual time we will spend on clients that are not a good fit, but it will also influence everything from the platform we choose to the materials we present to the skills we highlight. See, if we really learn about our ideal client, we can start to speak to them more directly.
Read more

The 5 Step Client Intake Process

Image
Have you documented your client intake process? As an online business manager I know there are tons and tons of processes but I want to start you guys at the beginning - your client intake process. The Client Intake Process Defined My Client intake process includes the series of steps I take before the onboard process. The intake process consists of all of the steps taken to get in front of a client through having them sign your contract and pay that initial invoice. Those are the steps we will be covering in our client intake process.
Read more