Client Bumps In The VA Road
March 15, 2011
If you’re a virtual assistant reading this; no matter how long you’ve been in business you’re going to experience bumps in the road with your clients.
The bumps are particularly noticeable in the first few months as you become more familiar with the client.
Here 3 ways to ease those bumps in to mild ruts.
1. Expect it.
If you think you’re going to have clear sailing with every client who walks through your virtual door – you’re dreaming! Expecting some hiccups in the working relationship makes it easier to handle them when they arise.
2. Be prepared.
If you can expect it then you’ll be better prepared to handle it. This doesn’t mean you have to correct everything with a snap of your fingers or that you have to know it all on the spot. Taking a step back, breath and clear your mind to correct or address the issue at hand. Communication with your client regularly is a great way to solve things. And there’s no shame is stating “I don’t know – let me look into it.”
3. Get to know your client.
The more you know your client the better you can handle the issues that arise. Take the time to note details about them. What kind of schedule do they adhere to, what is important to them, what frustrates them, are they micro-managers, are they too laid back, perhaps they’re sticklers for punctuality, maybe they are frequent emailers or callers etc.
Knowing this will help you serve them better and help you deal with the situations that come about.
You may even be able to spot the situation before it pops up.
3 Essential Questions About Your Clients’ Target Market
January 3, 2011
I came across this post the other day by Mashable and even though it is humorous it states an important message.
You can see it here:
http://mashable.com/2010/12/31/social-media-costume-comic/
As a VA providing social media as a service to my clients; it’s imperative that I not only know my target market but their target market as well. The more I know about their target market the more effective I can be with my services to my clients.
Now this doesn’t mean I have to spend hours into researching them but a good basic sense of what their target market is like is sufficient.
Here are 3 questions that help with this.
1. What are the demographics?
- What age range do they fall into?
- Are they male, female or is the target market a mix of both?
- Where do they reside?
2. Where do they hang out online?
3. What are their biggest problems?
I need to know what needs the client addresses for them.
New stats on Social Media
May 13, 2010
Social Media Revolution 2 is now out and I am still surprised by the amount of people in business today that are ignoring the significant fact that they need to get an online presence and to enhance it with social media.
Check out this new video – and thanks to Erik Qualman for releasing it.
5 Tips for Successful Research Projects
February 3, 2010
Research projects take time to complete and when they’re done properly they can harvest a mountain of profitable information. Do you know what to expect if you’re the person requesting the research? What about when you’re the VA doing the research? Would you know what you need to do in order to provide your client with solid research project results? Here are 5 tips to use for successful research.
1. Make sure you understand the topic.
Even after the topic has been discussed you may need to familiarize yourself on what it is you are researching to ensure a full understanding. Sometimes you may be asked to research something that you have no prior knowledge of. It is helpful to ask the client for an outline of their research parameters.
2. Be clear on the expected format of the final report and what the research is being used for.
It’s important to know what kind of report is expected. Is it data that needs to be compiled into an Excel spreadsheet? Or perhaps the client is using it as part of their presentation and it will be publicly distributed therefore requiring a formal written report. Or maybe they just need a list of url’s where they can sift through the information. If you know ahead of time it makes your research easier as you’ll know what pieces of information you’ll need to collect along the way such as url’s, resources etc.
3. Know the best way to contact the client for key questions that may arise during research.
Good research always creates questions. You may come across a vein of information that you think could be applicable however before using billable time on it you should double check with the client first. Knowing a sure way to contact the client during your research process is important.
4. Obtain information from client that they already possess on the subject.
It’s always a good rule of thumb to obtain any information that the client may already have on the subject. There’s no point in doing the research twice!
5. Use different search terms.
Always try different search terms for the subject you’re researching. There’s usually more than one description for different subjects and it can add a whole lot more information to your research. If the sites you’re looking on have a search tool use it as well. Use terms that you come across in your research. For example there may be an acronym used to refer to the subject in an article.
Is Your Blog Effective?
September 17, 2009
Ok so you have a blog – like most other smart business owners out there, but how come some blogs seem so much more prominent than others?
When was the last time you checked your site for it’s effectiveness? How do you know whether or not it’s effective? Is there something missing from your blog that you aren’t aware of?
All of these questions probably bounce around inside your busy mind from time to time. But for some reason there are people who choose to ignore these thoughts because it seems so daunting to actually sit down to do. You’d have to research all of the criteria for the effectiveness and then apply it.
Well here’s a few things to start off quickly in your new quest and get you analyzing your blog in a new way:
- Check your page ranking whether it’s in Google or Alexa. Then check your competitors. Where does your site rank in comparison?
- Do you have a Google Analytics account? Have the stats sent monthly to you and compare it with that month’s activities (keeping a record of this on the calendar helps) to see what is working and what isn’t.
- Is your content useful/intersting/important to your target market?
- Are you using the latest plugins?
- Is your blog social media friendly?
After you’ve checked these points you’ll no doubt have some work ahead of you but isn’t your blog worth it?
