Tag: Networking
Marketing Networking Skill Development Target Market
5 Pieces To Effective Business Conversations
Have you ever had that feeling? You know what I mean.
It’s that feeling that you get when your mind is racing, your palms start to sweat and your thoughts decide that they do not want to make the faintest connection to your vocal cords. And then, you become…
SPEECHLESS!
Has that ever happened to you met a potential business associate. You exchange greetings, you learn each others’ name, and then the conversation goes deeper with the one question that makes you cringe… “So, what do you do?”
For many Virtual Assistants this is the most dreaded question because they do not know how to clearly convey the problems of their target market (if they have one), or how they solve those problems effectively.
What Are the 5 Pieces?
There are 5 critical pieces to masterfully articulating your value as a business owner and making strong connections. When you are face to face with a conversation partner keep the following conversation pieces in mind.
1 ~ Choose A Target Market
Having a target market gives great subject matter on which to have business conversations. If you tend to be on the shy side, focusing your attention on a separate group of people will give you the confidence needed to add more fuel to your conversation fire. If your target market is business coaches, you can talk about how that stresses that they experience with owning and operating their coaching practice. Then move to piece #2. Continue Reading>>
The VA Success Cafe: Episode 8
What comes to mind when you here the term “Networking”? Do you cringe at the thought of standing in a room with a bunch of people who are passing out business cards and hoping to walk away from the event with more money in their bank accounts? I hope not. That’s far from what networking is or should be. Networking is involved in almost everything that you do. Have you ever needed a baby-sitter or a really good doctor? Where did you turn in order to find someone who is reputable. Likely, you asked a trusted friend or family member. That is networking! Click play on the audio link above and learn how to be natural and comfortable with productive and authentic networking.
Get New Clients, How – Part 3
Develop the “Follow Up Habit”
Do you ever wonder when your telephone will start ringing? Are you sitting in your office waiting for prospects to call you and hire you? If so, you will need to change this mindset immediately! Please understand that if you do not take the initiative to follow up on even the smallest interest in your service, you may be stealing money from your own wallet.
How can you rob from your own wallet? This is done whenever you have an opportunity to build your business and you, well, decide NOT to! Do you have the habit of following up when you meet a new business contact? Do you follow up even if there is a tiny bit of interest in what you have to offer? Take for instance the family member who says to you, “I think I know someone who could use your help.” How do you deal with this situation? There are several action steps that you could take:
- You could wait for your relative to put you in contact with the person.
- You could ask your relative to pass on your contact information to the person.
- You could ask your relative for the contact information of the person.
Which of these action steps seems to be the MOST effective to you? If you are going to develop the follow up habit, you have to take the initiative. You want to take the best step that will put you in front of the referral. Action step number three is the best way to go. But, we can take it a step further. Why not ask your relative for the contact information. Tell her that you are going to call the referral. Additionally, ask your relative to contact the referral as well to give them a heads up that you will be calling. Are you doing this now? In order to develop the follow up habit, you ALWAYS have to take the big, bold initiative.
The same is true when you meet other people who mention that they have an interest in what you do. Or, they may mention that they know of someone else who is looking for the type of support that you provide. Do not rob money from your own wallet by not following up. If you come into contact with a new acquaintance on Monday, it would be a great idea to give them a call on Tuesday. Do you have difficulty figuring out what to say? Here is a sample conversation starter:
“Hi Sharon, my name is Wil. We met yesterday and I hope you are doing well. I’m calling because I told you that I would follow up with you to give you more information about how I help my clients to increase their revenue in less time than they have done so in the past.”
Keep in mind that the sooner you follow up, the easier your conversations will be. You want to talk to people while you are still on their mind. However, you do not want to wait until the person waits to call you. Remember, you are not in high school. You don’t want to have the attitude that ‘I’m not calling her until she calls me first’. That is best way to steal money from your own wallet.
At this time, take out all of the business cards that you have gathered over the previous weeks and start making phone calls. You are in the business of building your business. Getting into the follow up habit is one of the cheapest methods of marketing your business. Put the money in your wallet and don’t leave it on the table!
Marketing Networking Target Market
Get New Clients, How? – Part 2
Clearly Talk About What You Do
A clear message always leads to better understanding. Have you ever been in an airport and a heard a voice come over the PA system? Sometimes, the message that the announcer dispenses is very unclear. You cannot determine if the airplane that you plan to catch has begun the boarding process or if the doors have already been locked. In a situation like this, hopefully you are in full view of what is going on at the gate where you plan to take off. How frustrating! Now, think about when you are telling someone about your profession. Does the person who is listening to you have a clear picture of how you serve your clients? Can they determine that you are a service professional? Continue Reading>>
Marketing Networking Virtual Assistant
Successful Marketing Part IV – Networking to Build Your Business
“Do you know a good…?” That simple question is the beginning of networking! How often do we look to others for a solid resource that will improve our lives? This is at least a weekly if not a daily occurrence. “Do you know a good Vegan restaurant… a good hairstylist… a good mystery novel… a good dentist? The list is infinite! Either we ourselves or someone we know is looking for a reputable something or someone. Think about it, if that recommendation is followed through, someone just gained a new client. When situation is appropriate, that someone could be you! Continue Reading>>
Marketing Networking Virtual Assistant
Successful Marketing – Part I
At EA to VA we have conducted several surveys over the past several years. The most popular question that we receive is, “How do I get clients and run a successful business?” This is a very important question. If you belong to the EA to VA community, you know that there are many resources available to you that will teach you how to run a solid Virtual Assistance business. We encourage you to keep following the blog and post comments and questions when they arise. Also, take advantage of the many resources within the weekly ezine. Continue Reading>>
Your Unique Story is Compelling – Use it in Your Marketing Materials
Creating compelling marketing materials is an exercise you cannot afford to skip or rush through. Your marketing materials are critical to your overall marketing strategy and brand. One of the important components in your marketing materials is "your story".
Your story, of how you decided to become a Virtual Assistant is a great way to educate your target audience about you, your expertise and your passion. Your "why" is just as important as your expertise because it makes you relatable. Marketing your business should be authentic and real. You don’t want to come across as sales-y or pushy. No one likes the used car salesman approach. So make your marketing materials stand out with your story.
How do you include your story in your marketing materials?
Writing a heartfelt message to your website visitors on your "About Me" page is one way to convey your story. Many people look at the "About" tab first to see who they are visiting. Who does this website belong to? Why did they start their business? What is their passion? And most importantly, they are looking for a connection with you. Why should they hire you?
While you want to be honest about your story and your journey to becoming a Virtual Assistant, you don’t want to share private information. No one really wants to hear the sordid details of your divorce. As much of a hardship as this is, that’s a little too real for a first time visitor.
Instead, focus on your main "why", really drill down as to what motivated you to start your own business and work so hard. While divorce is an unfortunate event in your life, the real motivator was that you had to find a flexible career that allowed you to take care of your children. Almost anyone can relate to you wanting to provide for your children and raise them on your own. By giving your website visitors a compelling "About Me" page, you are giving them a reason to find out more about you, your services and your expertise.
Another way to use your story in your marketing materials is to relate to your target audience based on the solutions you provide. For example, you could add something like this to your services page:
"Taking care of your family, your house and a successful business isn’t easy. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to take care of everything and everyone else…let alone yourself. I know exactly how you feel, and I want to help you. I can help you get back some precious time in your day by taking care of tasks like…"
By using an example like the one above, you are speaking directly to their problems, identifying with them as someone who knows what it feels like to be overwhelmed, and then offering them a solution.
These are just a few ways you can incorporate your story into your marketing materials. But, including them is part of the key to your success by identifying with your target audience. What other ways have you used your story in your marketing materials? Share your thoughts with me by posting a comment!