Why Are You Here?
If you're new to FindVirtual, or to the virtual assistant world in general, howdy! (Yeah, I really talk like that.)
Why are you here?
Sounds like a simple question: you're a VA, this is the best VA forum; seems obvious.
Dig deeper. Why are you here?
In marketing, we're taught to sell benefits, not features. In other words, folks don't need a drill, they need some holes, and selling them a drill makes that possible.
What benefit are you looking for here at FindVirtual?
If you're looking to learn from other VAs, the best in the industry, you're in the right place.
If you're looking to share what you know with other VAs, both to build community and foster B2B connections, you're in the right place.
If you're looking for customers . . . are you sure you're in the right place?
Back to the first group: the students. Post a question and you'll be flooded with answers. Different perspectives, practical advice, and just plain "go get 'em!" cheers from people who want you to succeed.
That second group, the teachers: as they say down under, good on you! Some professional people think that sharing their knowledge means they'll get a smaller piece of the pie. That's scarcity thinking. You, though, know that when you share what you know, you're making a bigger pie, and everyone can have some! (I love pie. Peach pie. Man oh man. Sorry; where was I?) That's abundance thinking, and it's going to rule business in the new century, the new millennium.
That third group. The ones looking for clients. There's where it can get tricky.
See, if you're writing blog posts here to share your expertise, and someone comes by this warehouse of VA goodness and connects with what you have to say, you just might get a client out of it. That's excellent, and it's one reason this site exists.
And if you're specifically looking for joint venture partners; folks with complimentary skillsets so you can work together in teams—again, that's great. Being one member of a team of experts is much more satisfying than trying to be all things to all people.
Here's where the slope can get slippery: when we start using FindVirtual as a forum to sell our services to other members.
Consider: these aren't clients, looking for a VA. These are your peers, people just like you, who are also looking for work. (Let's pause for a moment and allow all those VAs with far too many clients to raise their hands. Hmmm . . . looks like they're not the majority. By a long shot . . . )
Selling is vital to business. If you're not selling, you're not in business, that's a hobby. But it's critical to your business, and, frankly, to the survival of the modern economy, that selling gets done right.
That means that we define selling as "having conversations with people to determine whether they have needs we're capable of filling, and whether they choose us to fill those needs."
Spam? That's something we fry for breakfast, not something we do to our peers.
Please, be very careful (or, if you're Elmer Fudd, be vewy cawefuw) not to spend your precious FindVirtual time trying to sell your services to your peers.
Connect. Learn. Teach. Collaborate.
And if you'd like to further discuss my heretical take on how business gets done, give me a shout. Sharing what I know is my second favorite thing in the world, right after music. Um, wait; music comes right after my wife. Anyway, sharing what I know is way up on the list, that much I know.
Just ask.
Views: 1
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sue L Canfield on -
I'm here because I found this to be the friendliest community for virtual assistants. I was impressed by everyone's willingness to share their knowledge and experiences. Since we so often work alone, it's wonderful to have a community of peers to share stories with, exchange tips, get new ideas, learn about new resources.
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Permalink Reply by Nancy Calandra on -
Hi All. I don't utilize this forum quite as much as I really should. But that's because I need to find time!
And with that being said, here is a question to start a discussion.
How do other VA's schedule their day? If you have more than one client, do you schedule yourself so you are working on one clients project at a time? Do you get interrupted? How do you deal with those interruptions?
Do you schedule time for yourself and building your business, such as finding time to come to these forums and read, learn and participate? What's your average work time in a day? How many of those hours are billable?
Those are my questions for today.
I might be back tomorrow (If i can find time!) with other questions such as where did you come up with material for your website? What inspired you to write whatever you may have written on your site? (i'm having writer's block!)
Thanks! -
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Permalink Reply by Sue L Canfield on
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Wow! Lots of questions. Thanks Nancy for asking because that's how we learn and help each other. Finding time is a challenge. As a mom of a five year old that we homeschool, it can be very challenging. I just wrote a post about this in the VA Mom group on this forum.
I've found it very helpful to let clients know up front what to expect regarding my availability - days, times, when I return emails and phone calls. Working on one project at a time is essential. To reduce interruptions when working on a project, let the phone go to voicemail and don't check your email. If you've set client expectations so that they know you'll return their call or email within a certain amount of time, then they won't expect an immediate reply but do know you'll return to them in a timely manner.
Yes, schedule time for these forums and for learning. I try to focus my time during the day to work on billable client time. I have time before I start my day and again at the end of the day to work on my business and participate in forums, do reading, etc. I also set one day a week aside to work on my business and clients know I'm not available that day.
I look forward to seeing you post more questions. Sue -
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Permalink Reply by Joel D Canfield on -
Howdy, Nancy!
I love writing, and I think it's in part because I love reading so much. They go together well.
I'll answer the question about writing at your website. First I'll answer what you asked, then I'll guess what you may have meant ;)
The content at your website should all, in one way or another, make prospects comfortable about hiring you. It should clearly explain what benefits you'll provide, and create enough trust for them to take the next step in the relationship, which is to contact you to talk by email or phone.
It should also answer the most obvious questions: who you are, what's your training and areas of expertise, your RATES (yes, please oh please post rates) and all the things which you know will come up in your first phone call. Cover 'em even before that, on your website.
That being said, if what you're asking is what to write in a blog, that grinding ongoing day to day panic-inducing implement of torture? (Honest, I love writing, but I know some folks don't.)
The magic secret to avoiding blog-writer's block is an idea warehouse; a list of thoughts which you can, with a little thought, turn into two or three paragraphs.
The magic secret to the idea warehouse is a nearly flawless idea-capture device. For some, it's a Jott.com or Reqall.com account, and their cell phone. For others, it's a stack of 3x5 note cards and a really nice pen. For some of us, it's being married to the best VA in the industry, and knowing that if I just adjust the tone of my voice, she'll take notes, and if I adjust the tone like this instead of like that, she'll take notes verbatim. (This last is the best option, but can be hard to arrange ;)
Make sure all your ideas are in a single place. The idea capture device above is so that when you're bathing the kids or driving to a meeting or waking up in the middle of the night and a good question or great solution pops into your head, you capture it. Then, you need to transfer those, first thing every day, into the final repository, whether that's a document on your computer or a document in a notebook.
Often, when you read through the ideas wondering "what shall I write about today?" one will seem easier, or more relevant. Do it! Sometimes, though, nothing jumps out at you. Pick one, whether you use dice or darts or alphabetical order, and just put the words together. It may not be Shakespeare, but if it shares even one useful point, it's worth writing.
I hope I've come close to answering your question, Nancy, but if not, shout and I'll try again. -
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Permalink Reply by Nancy Calandra on
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Wow! Thank you both Sue and Joel.
Great answers. Great ideas!
And Joel, you answered everything that was running through my head and thanks for some great tips and advice.
Now back to coordinating my day!
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