How to work with a virtual assistant

Feb 1, 2021 | Outsourcing, Virtual Services

A virtual assistant: is someone who provides various services to entrepreneurs or businesses from a remote location.

I have been a virtual assistant for over 11 years. There is a lot of benefits to hiring an assistant. They work on an as needed basis. You only pay for the time you use(at least that is how my team is.) You don’t pay for vacation time, benefits, equipment, office space or bathroom breaks …lol.

Something to consider when you are working with a VA(virtual assistant) is services are not on-demand. Usually fairly quickly and efficiently, but they are working for not only you but probably several other clients as well, so they have to manage their time to be a successful VA.

This to do:

Make them a part of your team if you have one. If you don’t have others who work for you, then make sure they know how valuable it is when they can take the tasks you hate doing or don’t have time to do, and get them done.
Give them a company email. Google Domains is great for this.
Set boundaries. Let them know your hours and find out when theirs are as well. Share with them their decision-making power.
Set expectations. Be VERY clear on what you expect from them. Make sure they know when you want tasks completed. If they aren’t aware of the due date, then they may put it behind other tasks on their list.
Know that the first 4-6 weeks is a learning curve on both party’s account. Everyone works differently. You have to learn how to work with each other. It is not always a smooth transition, and give everyone grace as it is moving forward.
Always be ready to answer questions. Every entrepreneur does things differently. Some just little things, some huge things. VA’s are not mind readers. But they must feel welcome to ask the questions so that they can produce quality work.
Have regular meetings. OR be open to them. Maybe you won’t need them weekly. But at LEAST once per month. This keeps everyone on track. Things are less likely to slip between the cracks when you do this. Zoom is a great way to meet and have it feel personal.
Keep the lines of communication open at all times. (We use Slack for our team and a few clients!)
Be respectful of their time. If you plan a meeting with them, they have blocked that time off. So if you cancel last minute, especially repeatedly, that is not valuing their time.
This one is VERY important….YOUR emergency is NOT your VA’s emergency, in most cases. We try to go above and beyond as often as possible, to prevent these. But again, we are not mind-readers. Urgent things come up. And we will do our best to accommodate for them. But it doesn’t ALWAYS work out that way.

What is your biggest concern when hiring a Virtual Assistant? Share in the comments! Also, join us in our Facebook group: She Grows Virtual, where we support female entrepreneurs and help them to grow online.

Increasing Productivity

Jan 12, 2021 | Outsourcing, Time management, Virtual Services

Studies show that when people think of productivity in the things that they do, this will help them a lot because they don’t only motivate themselves but also inspires others as well. When they know the concept of productivity, he or she will be able to learn or acquire the necessary skills needed to make decisions that would affect his or her life in the future.

To be able to increase one’s productivity, the first thing that needs to be done is to develop a positive outlook in life. This is very important because if one keeps an open and positive outlook towards life in general, he or she will be able to overcome the everyday struggle that would come along the way. Also, if one has a positive outlook in life, he or she will be able to turn failures into successes by seizing each opportunity that knocks on the door.

This might be simple but many people are still having difficulties in achieving this because of so many factors such as personality, upbringing, and ways of managing stress as well as failure. Experts say that for one to develop a positive outlook in life, he or she must be able to keep a positive attitude first. Once a positive attitude is set, it is easier to look at things in an orderly way.

For one to develop a positive attitude, he or she must undergo self-reassessment to find out what are his or her strengths as well as weaknesses. Once all of these have been identified, it will be easier to turn the bad ones into good ones and there would also be greater chances of making the positive ones better.

Small steps

Being productive is not an easy task. It would require so much self-assessment as well as a constant reflection over one’s self, on his or her environment, the people that surround him or her, and the overall condition of life that he or she is in.

Studies show that once each of these has been thoroughly assessed, it will be easier to pave the way for continuous productivity. The following are just some of the steps that people can do in order for them to increase their productivity on a daily basis:

– Start small. This is one of the easiest ways to start with being productive. By starting small and simple, you are not putting too much pressure on yourself about the things that you need to do and what are you supposed to accomplish in a specific period of time. By starting small, you will be able to accomplish easier tasks and you can move on to bigger challenges ahead knowing that you have gone through the entire process.

– Stay in good company. To attain continuous productivity, it is very important for one to veer away from people who have negative vibes. It is a must for somebody to find a good company of people who are all enthusiastic, encouraging, and have a positive outlook in life so he or she would somehow feel a positive aura.

3 Ways To Build A Profitable Email List

Jan 5, 2021 | Email Marketing, Outsourcing, Virtual Services

Here are some words of wisdom about email lists. Its great advice and building an email list is extremely important. Your list is where the money is!

You finally realize that you need a good opt-in list. After reading countless articles and sought expert advices and have read many success stories of people creating a small fortune with opt-in lists you finally decide to have one of your own. Then it happens, you think you have known everything there is to know about opt-in lists and have followed their advices to the T and you still weren’t able to make a profit.

In fact, you may be losing money. You maybe hiring writers to help you out, or there are some expenses incurred, even if you have a big list, but only a very small percentage actually buys from you, your still losing profit. You’ll realize that after a few months when you see your statistics and sales figures.

So what could have gone wrong? Why have others succeeded where you have failed? The most common mistake is that you dived straight right in. You chose a topic where you think could be quite popular and would earn you money. This just not the case. Just because you wrote people from the list doesn’t mean they are going to buy instantly.

Here I will offer more advice, for those who have started an opt-in list and have failed, you can rejuvenate your failed venture. For those who are starting, here are three quick and easy ways to build a profitable opt-in list.

1) Get your customers to trust you and your products first. Just launching your opt-in list would not make you an expert and a believable seller. Put many articles first before you start an opt-in list. Write about the topic you know and have started and used for your site. Try to put forums first to gain knowledge about your customers about their wants and needs and target those wants and needs.

Join forums from other sites as well. Provide expert advices and recommendations. When you feel that people trust you already, you will be able to start your own opt-in list. You can build a base as well with other forum users. You can ask them to join your list. Friends are always good customers. Put up a link to your site so that they may be able to see what you’re business is all about.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

The certain truth is, the money will only come in when the consumers and subscribers believe and trust in you. They want a product or service that could be a good exchange for their money. People are not going to buy something out of your recommendation if they don’t know you.

2) Find a product or service that people want and need. Although it may not be your forte, if you provide a service and product that you have researched and learned about well, you can carry it on forward. Invest your time, effort and money that you could sell as well as the buyers or subscribers of your opt-in list can use.

While it is true that it is best to sell something that you have interest in, there are not many people who have the same interest as you if you decide to sell something that is not entirely popular or profitable. Do your research well and you would see the profits come in. Also provide your subscribers with promotional material that they could actually use and spread around.

3) Make friends with other opt-in list users. This is basically beneficial especially if it is someone who has already launched a successful opt-in list. These are people that have the experience in this venture and experience is still the best teacher. While there are many articles available for you in the internet to use, there is nothing like getting a first hand account from someone you trust.

Experienced opt-in list users will be able to tell you what to do and what not to do because they have gone through it. While different situations occur for different people, the general concept can still be very helpful. There are many things to avoid and these people will be able to tell you which ones.

Building a profitable opt-in list don’t just happen overnight. There are many preparations and effort to do. Opt-in lists are built from scratch, as your list grows, you should also maintain the quality of your list. Keep it organized and manageable. Get or hire help if need be, just make sure that your subscribers are happy and satisfied and they will be willing to buy from you.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in opt-in list. Contact me if you need help with building your list!

5 Reasons Coaches Need a Support Team

Dec 29, 2020 | Outsourcing, Virtual Services

Are you overwhelmed thinking it’s time to scale your business in 2021?

You hear this advice all the time…OUTSOURCE. Hire a team. Hire an assistant. Hire hire hire! But I am sure you are thinking, HOW on earth will my business run smoothly when I’m not in control of the day to day tasks??

This is not a new concept. It has been going on for a LONG time. Myself, I have been a virtual assistant for over a decade!

Now, I am in the process of going from a solo entrepreneur to an agency model. And it is sooooo exciting!

So, what can we offer you? Well, sis, let me tell ya! You can grab an amazing list here!

Now, for just a FEW reasons you NEED a support team:

You are only ONE person. You only have soooo many hours in your day. Ask yourself…..how much of the work you LOVE could you do if only you didn’t have to do the day-to-day admin tasks? I’m going to guess hours!
The word “technology” gives you a sick stomach. Every time you learn something, they change it up. They update it with “new” features and the old features you were just getting used to are gone.
Social Media. Who on earth has time to do ALL the admin stuff as well as ALL the social media. You know as well as I do, social media is a time suck. (and if I were to be honest, an energy suck some days!) Hiring someone to do this for you, who knows what they are doing as well as love it, is a win-win. Because maintaining your online presence in this day and age is extremely important!
Streamline your business operations. You need systems in place. This makes everything run smoothly even when you are unavailable.
Your clients need YOU. Not a distracted you, YOU. If you are unable to run your business smoothly, how are you supposed to help them with theirs?

Are you ready to stop your road to burnout? Are you ready to increase your value to your coaching clients? It can be scary. We understand that here. That being said, though, if you are ready to at least discuss it in a free 30-minute consultation, I will walk you through how we can help you. We will discuss your plan for the year, create action steps, talk about what systems and tools you have already established in your business, and more.

Book a time with me here. I’m excited to help you and your business grow!

5 Phases to Email Marketing

Dec 28, 2020 | Email Marketing, Outsourcing

When using email marketing to sell a product or service you can’t just start selling to your readers in the first email. The reason is the odds of the reader knowing who you are or what you are all about are pretty low, even if they subscribed to your newsletter from a form on your website. People do not purchase from those they do not know, like, and trust. So the key to a successful email marketing campaign is “warming up” your readers to the sell.

The “warming up” process can be broken down into five distinct phases. It’s a good idea to keep these in mind as you work to warm up your lists.

Phase 1 — “Cold Readers”

These are folks who have just filled out the form on your website, or whose details you have received via co-registration.

You know nothing about them, and they know nothing about you, so at this phase, your primary job is to introduce yourself, and begin to establish yourself as a source of credible and useful *free* information.

I emphasized the word *free* in that, because “cold” leads are very unlikely to buy anything from you, no matter what you do.

PHASE 2 — “Curious Readers”

At this phase, people may have opened one or two of your emails and have at least decided to stay on your list long enough to find out what you’re about, and what they can gain by reading your emails.

Another way of thinking of this group is that they are the ones who are actually opening and reading your emails, whether they open the first or the tenth that you send them.

Your job with this group remains essentially the same as was true at Phase 1 … you are still in the process of “warming them up” to the idea that you are credible and trustworthy.

Again, not a time to be trying to sell them things, because few of them will buy, anyway.

PHASE 3 — “Interested Readers”

These are the folks who have opened and read several of your emails, and now continue to read them. Perhaps they have “moved” themselves from your “cold” list by opting-in to one or your newsletters or free mini-courses.

By doing so, they have “told” you that they are interested in what you have to say, willing to read more of your emails, and may, in due time, buy something on the basis of your suggestion.
One way to know who your “interested” prospects are is to offer a free ebook or mini-course, and make them “register” for it by opting in to a second autoresponder.

Another is to run a survey form on your site, invite them to participate, and capture their contact information when they do so.

The point is they have taken some *action* based upon your previous emails, and have told you by that action that they are interested in what you have to say, and willing to read what you write to them.

PHASE 4 — “Excited Readers”

These are folks who are almost ready to buy. They may have written to you asking for more information, or visited your sales page several times. Maybe they are thinking about joining your business opportunity, but for some reason not quite ready to sign up and pay their money. They need some sort of “push” or “nudge” to get them to take action.

Maybe they need a “special offer” of some kind, or simply a personal follow-up email or phone call from you. Whatever it is, these are your *HOT* prospects.

PHASE 5 — “Customer”

The final phase is, of course, obvious. These are the folks who have bought your product, joined your opportunity, or bought something that you promote as an affiliate. In the long run, these are the folks who will make you the most money, because it will become easier and easier for them to act on your recommendations, as long as you don’t betray their trust by endorsing poor quality products or programs.

You need to think of these folks as *friends* because that is what they really are. They have now given you permission to send them follow-up offers and program endorsements. Even though they may represent only a tiny percentage of the entire population of your list, these people are your long term gold mine group.

Treat them with respect, they have warmed up to you and what you have to offer. Maintain a high level of integrity and they will continue to follow you for years to come.

If you need help with any of this, please let us know by reaching out.

How Important are Autoresponders?

Dec 20, 2020 | Email Marketing, Outsourcing, Virtual Services

Autoresponders – The More You Know, The More Effective They Are

If you have signed up with an autoresponder service, like Aweber, Constant Contact or Mailchimp, you need to either take the time to learn how to use it or hire someone who does. Not knowing how to use the service will lead to many mistakes, and your customers and potential customers will most likely see every mistake you make!

As soon as you have complete the sign up process, load one email address into the autoresponders mailing list – yours. Your Virtual Assistant will know how to use all of the features of the autoresponder.

Work with it, sending messages to your own address, until you know your autoresponder service inside and out! This may take a little time, but after a few hours or so, you should know all that there is to know, and you will be able to set your autoresponders up much more effectively in the future. Taking the time to learn it or hiring someone who already knows, will not only save time in the future, it may also help you tweak and tune your autoresponder messages and tracking in a way that increases your responses!

How Important are Autoresponders to Internet Marketing?

Internet Marketing and autoresponders essentially go hand-in-hand. In today’s online business world, you simply cannot succeed at Internet marketing without the use of autoresponders. Autoresponders are used to achieve many of the marketing tasks that are essential to a successful online business.

Internet marketing can be very time consuming. Whether you do affiliate marketing or market your own products, an autoresponder is a big part of your marketing arsenal. Autoresponders are used to keepin contact with your past customers, and to develop a relationship with potential customers.

An autoresponder can be used to deliver sales messages to your opt-in customer list. It can be used to deliver email courses, to send reminders, and even to help you build an opt-in list if you don’t already have one. There are many creative ways you can use your autoresponder to make more sales and to build customer relations.

Any successful marketer will tell you that there are two tools that are vital to any type of online marketing – an opt-in list and an autoresponder. In fact, most marketers will agree that you could take away all of their other marketing tools, but they would fight to the death to keep the list and the autoresponder!

Build Interest With Autoresponder Messages

If you are using your autoresponder to sell a product or service, you must be very careful as to how you approach your potential customer. Few people like a hard sale, and marketers have known for years that in most cases, a prospect must hear your message an average of seven times before they will make a purchase. How do you accomplish this with autoresponders?

It’s really quite simple, and in fact, the autoresponders make getting the message to your potential customers those seven times possible. On the Internet, without the use of autoresponders, you probably could not achieve that. Too often, marketers make the mistake of literally slamming the potential customer with a hard sales pitch with the first autoresponder message – this won’t work.

You build interest slowly. Start with an informative message – a message that educates the reader in some way on the topic that your product or service is related to. At the bottom of the message, include a link to the sales page for your product. Use that first message to focus on the problem that your product or service can solve, with just a hint of the solution.

Build up from there, moving into how your product or service can solve a problem, and then with the next message, ease into the benefits of your product – giving the reader more actual information with each and every message. Your final message should be the sale pitch – not your first one! With each message, make sure that you are giving the customer information pertaining to the topic – free information! This is what will keep them interested in what you have to say.

This type of marketing is an art. It may take time to get it exactly right. Use the examples that other marketers have set for you. Pay attention to the messages that you receive from other marketers. Start a ‘swap’ file, and keep those messages. Use some of the better sales copy for your own autoresponder messages – just make sure that yours doesn’t turn out to be an exact copy of someone else’s sales message!

Remember not to start with a hard sale. Build your potential customers interest. Keep building on what the problem is, and how your product or service can solve that problem or fill that need. If you are doing this right, by the time the potential customer reads the last message in that series, they will be convinced enough to make a purchase!

Please share any tips you have from your own marketing journey or if you have any questions! Also, you can join our Facebook group here and ask!

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