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Customer Service – 7 Tips for Excellent Customer Service

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. ~ Maya Angelou This quote from the amazing Maya Angelou is one of the most true statements in life and business.  I have learned that creating an amazing customer service relationship is a lot of work, but well worth the effort.  Good...

Social Media Marketing: Slow and Steady Engagement Wins the Race

I am more convinced that in this ever changing world of social media marketing, that the old saying “slow and steady wins the race” is very true.

I remember the early days of my Virtual Assistant business, and most small business owners believed that we needed to “push” our message out on various platforms. As social media exploded, those platforms were just another avenue to “post” your latest idea, blog or product for sale. The social media arena is quickly changing. So how do we do engage in the most effective way with our ideal client effectively?

Here are a few tips that I have seen work well for many of my clients. 1. Get to KNOW your fans and followers.

What do they love?
What do they LOVE about you?
Why did they choose to follow you and/or read your blog or comment on your post?
What is their ULTIMATE goal for their business?
For Example, on Facebook, be sure to learn how they came to become your fans and be sure to Welcome Them!

2. Find the common thread that you share with them.

Did they connect with you on Facebook from another platform?
Are they also followers of your blog?
How can you best serve that potential client?
Do they need your advice?
Do they need another expert who can better help them?
What is their “pain point”
One of the reasons that Pinterest has become such a hot trend in 2012 is because people can truly engage with what “connects” them. It is very interesting.

3. Engage, Engage, Engage

Virtual Assistant Tip: 5 Steps to Build Quality Relationships

I am in my third year of my Virtual Assistant Social Media business. I am convinced more than ever of the power of positive relationships.

As a Virtual Assistant, I have the pleasure of relating and engaging with MANY various types of business owners each week:

Business Owners
PR / Marketing Staff
Website Developers
Trainers
Additional Contractors related with the Client’s Business
Beginner Virtual Assistants
More!
As the economy slowly changes, the one constant I see is the power of relationships.

Here are 5 tips to consider when engaging in the relationships with your business and your client’s business support needs.

1. Less is More – Listen more than you talk when engaging with fellow business relationships (for yourself and your client). I listen to what my clients’ needs are, and when I speak with one of their vendors directly, I make sure that I listen to ensure that the vendor and my client are on the “same page”.

If someone ASKS my professional opinion, I give it, honestly.

2. Engage Authentically – Be sure to engage positively with all members of a client’s team. It is important that you are authentic when you engage with your client, their connections, vendors, etc.

If you genuinely like a post click “like” or “share”.
Stay business professional (not too much personal interaction)
Use common courtesy, say “please” and “thank you”.
Publicly say THANK YOU – on various social media sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, ComeOnInside, etc.)
3. Have Your Clients Back – Plan Ahead – Without a question, the days when I smile from ear to ear is when a client out of the blue says “thanks for having my back”. As a Virtual Assistant Social Media Manager, my job is to ensure consistency of information so that the client has the freedom to engage and relate as they do best.

4. Excellence – It is imperative that you offer excellent service to your clients (and their team members). Remember, every person you touch is a potential referral source! I get a lot of business from third party vendors I may have engaged with one time for a particular client. I do an outstanding job and go the extra mile to make sure the client’s reputation is in tact and the project is done well.

5. Become a Connector – If you are not a perfect fit for someone, be honest. If you can’t help someone, try to offer a solution that will help them. It does take a bit of time to sometimes find an alternative fit for a potential client, but I want to make sure that client is taken care of. If they took the time to reach out and call me (often after researching for a while) I want to do what I can to help them fulfill that need.

Become a Virtual Assistant: Be Your Clients Raving Fan

Becoming Your Clients Raving Fan is one of the most important things you can do to support your Virtual Assistant client. Believe In the Client’s Vision– Truly believe in the client and what their work vision is. What I mean by that is be selective in the clients you choose to work with. Have it be someone whom you truly enjoy the work they do, recognize their value, and the positive attribute they make to society.

2. Speak the Truth – Be truthful in your marketing. Make sure that you are able to be out there and share their knowledge and expertise with the world. If you do NOT believe in the qualities of your client, it will show in your work to and with that client.

3. Client’s #1 Cheerleader – Many times behind the scenes your client needs someone to tell them what a great job THEY are doing. (This is true for all of us). If they are making a positive impact on the community and the area around them, be sure to tell them! Your encouragement as a Virtual Assistant will help them.

In conclusion, connect with your client and let them know how much you support them and believe in their vision. As you and your client are on the same page with the same goals, it makes all levels of marketing, relating and communication much more effective.

Virtual Assistant Tip: Touch It Only Once

“One always has time enough, if one will apply it well.” ~ – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

One of the most important skills a Virtual Assistant, Personal Assistant or Administrative Professional will need to fully grasp is time management. Keeping yourself, your email, your calendar AND your clients organized is vital to the success of your VA business.

Without a question the process of: Touch It Only Once has been an immense time saver for me.

Here are some areas of my business where I challenge myself to “Touch It Only Once”.

1. Emails – Touch the Email Only Once (file the email, forward, delete, or use it in the future).

Ninja Tip: FollowUpThen (www.FollowUpThen.com) This program allows you to get a reminder message to do something. For example, if I promised a client I will follow up in 3 days, I can bcc: 3days@followupthen.com in the email, and I will get my original email AND a reminder in 3 days in my email inbox. This is a free tool and a HUGE time saver!

A VA’s (Virtual Assistant’s) Guide to Staying Organized

A great question was asked by one of my fans, @RachelMinihan: “How do you keep track of the projects that you’re working on?”

First of all, this is an excellent question and I am happy to share what works for me.

Organization is Key – As a Virtual Assistant, I work on various projects (large and small) for various companies (sole proprietors to large firms). The scopes of the projects can range from a small task (updating a database) to a mass marketing campaign that is deadline sensitive.