VA Business Coaching Blog » Marketing Tips

Join Me – Host for our first ever IVAA Australia Coffee Chat – 5:30 PM Melbourne 10/17

Jeannine Clontz — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:56:13 +0000

Join me, Monday, October 17, at 5:30 PM Melbourne, as I host our first ever, IVAA Australia Coffee Chat. I am so looking forward to speaking with current and soon-to-be virtual assistants from Down Under as we share business challenges, resources, and have an informal chat about anything participants would like to discuss during this open forum.

We’ll also be sharing information about the International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA.org), the premier industry association representing the interests of Virtual Assistants (VAs) in Australia and worldwide.

Find out about the benefits of membership, how the Association promotes the industry and educates prospects on the value and benefits of working with VAs, as well as, their commitment to providing education and certifications to savvy VAs looking to strengthen and grow their businesses.

To register to attend this event (which will be held every Monday at 5:30 PM Melbourne) click on the link below or copy/paste it into your Internet browser. Once you register, you will receive a reminder each week to attend these free IVAA Australia Coffee Chats unless you opt-out.

Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/999467442

Remember, everyone is welcome! You do NOT have to be a member of IVAA.org to participate.

Join me, it’s going to be a fun time and a great way to get answers to those burning business questions and challenges from me, and other VAs who are more than willing to support and encourage you to keep your business growing!

Join Me – Host for our first ever IVAA Australia Coffee Chat – 5:30 PM Melbourne 10/17 is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Second Edition of Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow A Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice RELEASED at 20% off!

Jeannine Clontz — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:10:45 +0000

We are pleased to announce that the Second Edition of Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow a Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice –paperback, as well as, the Companion Workbook have been released.

“When the First Edition was released in 2005, Social Media was just beginning to come on the scene and taking shape as a viable and reasonably priced option for marketing a small business, like a VA practice, said Jeannine Clontz, Co-Author. That, plus a host of new and improved options for running a home-based business had come of age and caused us to believe the timing was right to expand the book into these important areas.”

To kick-start sales of the Second Edition, authors Clontz and Hidden are offering a 20% discount for all paperback sales of the book and companion workbook.

Get your copies here:

Entrepreneurial Freedom – Paperback - https://www.createspace.com/3614006

Discount code: J7S85URA

Entrepreneurial Freedom – Companion Workbook - https://www.createspace.com/3656289

Discount Code: mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;color:#1F497D;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">J7S85URA

COMING SOON! In the next few weeks we will be releasing an eBook and Kindle version of Entrepreneurial Freedom – stay tuned!

Business Essentials For a Virtual Assistance Practice – a 10-week in-depth training program!

If you’re just getting your business started, or frustrated with the slow growth you’re experiencing, let Entrepreneurial Freedom help grow your business in the right direction.

Our next training class utilizing the book and workbook will begin on October 19^th (to accommodate the IVAA Online Summit – then switching to Thursdays beginning October 27th) and end December 29^th (We will not meet on Thanksgiving Day) – find out more and reserve your spot at: http://vabizcoach.com/starters.html Please note, the cost of your book and workbook for the class are included in the price of the program.

Are you ready to take the plunge?
Are you ready to create the business of your dreams?
Read on…

The Business Essentials for a Virtual Assistance Practice program, is a ten-week course (60-90-minutes per week) designed to take you step-by-step through the process of starting or growing your VA practice. Utilizing the companion workbook, you’ll quickly see how it will allow you to formulate your ideas, plans, and dreams.

Beyond the scope of knowledge covered in each Chapter, you’ll also have access to the results of our VA survey, sample documents and contracts. Everything you’ll need to get your small business off the ground and growing in the right direction.

Each week we will go in-depth covering all the information in each Chapter, assist you in developing your workbooks, and there will even be two sessions completely devoted to Q&A.

BUT THERE’S MORE!
Here’s what I Promise You This WILL Be

This is a hands-on, no-pitch, “Get ‘er Done” Program

This is going to be a very different kind of program than you may be accustomed to. It’s going to be “all Jeannine, all the time.” There will NOT be a parade of people trying to sell you piles of stuff. This is NOT a case where the program is a ‘come on’ so you’ll buy something else. It’s going to be high-content, focused content, where you’ll get everything you need to get your business going and get out of your own way in getting there.

This program is geared ONLY toward entrepreneurs and solopreneurs working together, laughing together and growing together. I will help you create breakthroughs and teach you how to setup and grow a profitable VA practice while you will create amazing relationships and networking opportunities that will help build your confidence and build a business where you can make more money and have more time off to enjoy it all.

Because isn’t that what this is all about? Isn’t that WHY you want to be, or are in business for yourself? If you don’t see a way to have money, time and freedom right now, you may as well go back and get a corporate job.

Find out more and sign-up TODAY! http://vabizcoach.com/starters.html

Second Edition of Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow A Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice RELEASED at 20% off! is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Virtual Assistant (VA) Trends – Packages

Jeannine Clontz — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 15:12:42 +0000

As the virtual assistant industry has continued to evolve I have seen some trends that have helped improve our ability to promote our services while helping prospects and clients understand the value and benefit of working with virtual professionals.

One of them is the transition away from quoting hourly rates to creating packages that identify for the client what can be accomplished in what period of time and at what cost.

As my business has grown, so have my rates. It’s a natural transition as I gain additional knowledge, purchase additional software and hardware and provide additional services to current and potential VA clients.

One of the most challenging things during the initial contact with a prospect is helping to establish my value when we get to the ‘what’s your rate’ segment. It’s difficult for prospects to understand what a VA can accomplish in an hour, and the scope of knowledge, expertise, and partnership we bring to the table; so quoting them an hourly rate simply confuses the issue and may tend to turn the prospect off, or create a price shopper where one may not have existed.

Instead, when the rate question arises I try to get more information about the prospect’s need and create a package based on that need, which gives them the total cost, per month, or per project, to accomplish their goals.

I have found that my ability to ‘close the sale’ has far exceeded what I was able to close simply quoting an hourly rate. My close ratio has increased by about 65%.

So how do you handle the rate question when speaking with a prospect for the first time? Are you embracing packages, staying with a retainer model and selling a block of hours, or quoting an hourly rate establishing to the prospect’s satisfaction what can be accomplished in an hour to attain their ultimate goal?

I have found it much easier to establish my value to the prospect using the package option and still maintain the higher caliber clientele and ideal client that fits my practice best.

Have you transitioned to packages? Are you using retainers or quoting by the hour? I value your input and comments on this topic, please share them below!

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Virtual Assistant (VA) Trends – Packages is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

5 Strategies to Achieve Your Goals (Part Two)

Jeannine Clontz — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:00:47 +0000

Last week we talked about getting a friend to keep us accountable; making sure we stay positive about achieving our goal, and to make it public to keep us on track.

We close out this week with our final two strategies to realize our goals.

Chart your goal’s progress.

I’ve already shared with you the importance of measuring your progress. A great motivation is to create a visual graphic to represent your progress towards your goal. Think of those thermometers that elementary schools place outside on a busy road, measuring how close they are to achieving their fund-raising goal for the new community pool or library. A similar, physical chart that you can update with progress will do wonders to keep your attention focused.

When you’re doing this step, think outside the box. If you’re trying to spend more time at the gym, why not post a map of the US on your wall, and draw an inch from one coast to the other for each hour you spend on the treadmill? If you’re increasing your income, place a penny in a jar on your desk for each $10 or $100 you earn. These visual reminders are fun ways to keep your goals in the forefront of your mind.

Get expert advice.

We often think we need to do everything on our own. Nothing could be further from the truth! Alcoholics Anonymous has sponsors, Michael Phelps has a coach, and Jack Welch had an advisory board. No one has to be alone in their goal-setting efforts. Trying to eat healthier? Nutritionists will help you fine-tune your diet. Working out to get fit? Trainers will help you find the most effective exercises to achieve your physical goals.

There are business mentors and coaches who can help you figure out social media, launch a new information product, or streamline your finances. You can also find tons of books, videos, and websites to help you reach your goal, no matter what your goal happens to be. Don’t go it alone. Someone else has already invented that wheel and is ready to help you use it!

Now that your motivation is revved up, share some of your goal setting successes, or challenges by leaving a comment below.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

5 Strategies to Achieve Your Goals (Part Two) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

What I Learned About Marketing From Sea Turtles!

Jeannine Clontz — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:01:56 +0000

I recently watched the plight of newly hatched sea turtles, slowly and methodically making their way to the ocean. They faced all sorts of outside forces that turned hundreds of hatchlings into a mere 30-40 living specimens who actually made it to the ocean.

Once there, they quickly learn how to manage life around their sea-based predators and are even now believed to stay on course and return to their original nesting grounds 30-50 years later, with the use of magnetic fields.

It’s really fascinating to consider that this creature is able to survive such slim odds of making it to the ocean, and then finds itself traveling thousands of miles in a lifetime, based on magnetic maps in their heads.

I’ve found that in marketing my coaching business, or even when I’m helping one of my coaching clients market their own, taking things slowly and methodically is really the most beneficial way of establishing the long-term relationship that leads to good qualified leads and ideal clients for all of us.

While there may be hundreds of other competitors navigating the same marketing waters, what I believe differentiates us, is the consistency and completely mapped out marketing plan that is focused on the right target market for our specific business; a plan that builds rapport, establishes our expertise, and provides prospects and clients with viable, trackable, and profitable solutions to grow their businesses on multiple levels.

I’ve been pleased to see that people are finally realizing that they need to get back on track with their marketing; but still somewhat befuddled that they do it without a marketing plan in place. This makes it extremely difficult to be held accountable to implementing the plan, whether it’s you personally doing the implementation, in-house staff, or virtual professionals.

It’s difficult for you to track your results if you don’t have a clear picture of your marketing initiatives, when they’re being implemented and having something in place to track their results. Even something as simple as asking a prospect, ‘how did you hear about us’, would be helpful, but is usually not consistently requested of a new client.

So I encourage you to be one of those living specimens that makes it through the sea of competitors by creating a simple marketing plan using the latest technologies to improve your consistency and productivity while gaining ideal clients who will be best served by what you have to offer.

Times are tough, the economy is starting to rebound, making now the best time for you to re-invent your approach to marketing your business.

If you would be interested in discussing how we might be able to assist you please feel free to contact us for a complimentary consultation to discover what options are available to bring more qualified leads to your business.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

What I Learned About Marketing From Sea Turtles! is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Podcasting Tips for Businesses With a Female Audience

Jeannine Clontz — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:02:34 +0000

Generally, women are multi-taskers. Whether they are career-driven individuals or not, women rarely focus on one thing at a time. That makes podcasts very appealing to them. With podcasts, they are able to take in information that they’re interested in without having to take precious time out of their busy schedules.

If you own a business that targets female audiences, creating a podcast would be the perfect way to generate interest in your niche or whatever it is you have to offer. While podcasts are effective communication platforms for both genders, targeting a purely female audience requires a very specific communication strategy.

To generate interest among women, it’s important to keep them engaged, and actually have the ability to turn your listeners into customers. Here are my top podcasting tips:

1) Tell Stories

Women find it easy to make connections through stories. Communicate your messages through narratives and anecdotes that place your brand or your offerings in the context of your listeners’ lives. Doing so will allow them to easily take in and absorb what you are communicating. Your messages will become more memorable and easy to share with others.

2) Be Entertaining

No matter how serious or technical your messages are, you should be able to communicate them to your listeners in a fresh and entertaining manner. Try to imagine that your listeners depend on your podcast to get information that would be too boring or unentertaining. A new and fun approach to something serious but relevant will surely keep your listeners tuned in.

3) Speak on a Personal Level

Many podcast hosts speak as if they’re simply reading from a script or going through their notes. Add personality to your own podcast by speaking as if you’re conversing with your listeners. That will make your female audiences feel like they’re simply listening to a trusted friend over brunch and they are more likely to pay attention. You may even want to consider getting a co-host to turn your podcasts into actual conversations.

4) Keep it Light

Keep in mind that your podcasts can be accessed through various mobile devices. Being multi-taskers, your female listeners are likely tuning in while they’re on-the-go or working on something else. If your podcast requires your listeners to take down notes, you’re definitely going about it the wrong way. Keep your discussion light and avoid talking about things in a manner that requires your listeners’ complete attention.

Female listeners are generally easy to please. The best thing about having that type of audience is, if they like your podcast, they are likely to encourage their friends and relatives to tune in as well. Follow the tips above and you will find it easy to engage your audience and keep them tuned in. In no time, your listeners will not only be your brand’s advocates but its endorsers as well.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Podcasting Tips for Businesses With a Female Audience is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Top Ten Marketing Mistakes to Avoid (Part Two)

Jeannine Clontz — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:56:53 +0000

Last time we discussed the top five mistakes to avoid when marketing your business, here are the final five!

6. Your message isn’t clear. Always test it out on current clients, peers, or family/friends to be sure it’s not confusing or misses the point you’re trying to make.

7. Untimely message. If you’re looking to build some business during the holiday season, make sure you’re giving prospects enough time to respond. Don’t release your holiday special two weeks before the holiday, start building momentum at least two months in advance.

8. No call to action. If you’re not giving the prospect a reason to contact you, you’re missing the mark. Create a sense of urgency with a deadline, or something extra if they respond by this date; anything that engages them and asks them to do something more.

9. Not marketing to your current clients. We sometimes forget that our current clients may not know about new services or products we have available, or, perhaps they have someone to refer. Don’t leave them out of your regular marketing efforts.

10. Not managing/collecting results. How can you know if something you’re using is yielding a return on investment? You need to ask every single prospect how they found you; or build in something in your call to action that will tell you exactly how you connected. Keep track on a simple spreadsheet and check in periodically to get the biggest ROI for your marketing dollars.

So how many of my ten mistakes resonated with you? Two, four, none? Take steps now to correct these mistakes and you’ll start seeing more, better qualified, leads, connecting to your business.

Have a few challenges I missed – share them by leaving a comment below!

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Top Ten Marketing Mistakes to Avoid (Part Two) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Top Ten Marketing Mistakes to Avoid (Part One)

Jeannine Clontz — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:30:56 +0000

Without marketing your business could stagnate, or even worse, close. Identifying and correcting some basic marketing mistakes will help you to promote and grow your business.

Here are my Top Ten Marketing Mistakes

1. Your message is too general. While some of you may think that EVERYONE could use your product or service, if you take a step back, you’ll probably notice some common thread to many of the clients you currently serve. Maybe they’re in the same industry, or have a similar problem you’re able to solve. Whatever it is, establishing a target market will help you focus your message on those most likely to respond favorably.

2. Using only one medium. If you’re only marketing on the Internet, you may be missing an entire segment of prospect. Consider all your marketing options and mix it up to see if you get better results.

3. Changing something that IS working. Sometimes we get bored with our marketing and decide it’s just time for a change. If you have something that is yielding good returns, don’t change it – instead add something new.

4. Being inconsistent. Nothing says unreliable faster than sending out a ‘monthly’ newsletter in January and then not publishing the next issue until May. Be prepared and plan to be consistent with your marketing. Don’t set yourself up to fail.

5. Spammy message. Don’t come across like a snake oil salesman, make sure your message speaks to your prospect’s pain, but don’t overdo it.

Next week we’ll share the final five mistakes to avoid – meanwhile, check these out and make sure you change your system to avoid these pitfalls.

Have a few I may have missed – share your marketing challenges by leaving a comment below!

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Top Ten Marketing Mistakes to Avoid (Part One) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Six Mistakes We Make When Setting Goals (Part Two)

Jeannine Clontz — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:45:01 +0000

Last time we addressed three of my Six Mistakes – not being realistic, challenging or specific enough. Here are the final three mistakes to avoid when setting your goals.

Not under your control.

Several years ago, I set a goal to publish a book with a major New York publisher. I wrote the manuscript, edited it, submitted it to an agent, and got rejected by that and 20 additional agents I submitted it to I felt like a complete failure because I hadn’t met my goal of publishing a book.

The problem with this goal was that it was outside my control. I could set a goal about finishing, editing and submitting a book, but I couldn’t count on an agent picking up my book, or a publisher publishing it. It was totally outside of my control! A better goal would have been “submit a complete manuscript to 20 agents this year.” THAT I could control and enjoy a sense of accomplishment.

Not measurable.

Just like goals that aren’t specific enough, goals that aren’t measurable are impossible to meet. Let’s say that your goal is to become a famous blogger. Great dream, but how will you measure that? You need an objective standard by which to measure your progress, so you can tell when you’ve achieved your goal. If your goal isn’t measurable, it isn’t a good goal.

Not what you really wanted.

Let’s say you set a specific goal that is measurable. You invest a lot of time and energy in your goal, and you do it!

But instead of feeling like a million bucks, you find you’re disappointed. You said you wanted to create an affiliate program for your new product, and you did it – but why don’t you feel like you’ve accomplished something? Perhaps you set the wrong goal.

Like a college grad who ends up in law school because her dad told her it was a good idea. She didn’t have another goal or plan in mind, and finds herself falling into a plan she didn’t want. Sometimes we fall into goals and hold onto them to the bitter end.

Before you set a goal and dedicate resources towards its completion, make sure you’ve chosen the RIGHT goal. .

You’re now aware of the biggest mistakes in goal-setting and how to avoid them. Next week we’ll discuss how to measure your progress.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Six Mistakes We Make When Setting Goals (Part Two) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Six Misakes We Make When Setting Goals (Part One)

Jeannine Clontz — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:49:09 +0000

In my experience, these are the main mistakes we make when setting goals.

Not realistic.

Sometimes, you set goals that are perfectly reasonable – until you set a timeline on them. For instance, losing 20 pounds. is great. Doing so by next Friday? Probably not very realistic.

I’ve found especially with new entrepreneurs, that they tend to overestimate the amount they can accomplish in a short period of time. Learning curves – particularly online – can be steep, and unexpected obstacles arise. Then, these setbacks cause you to get discouraged and abandon the whole project because your original estimates weren’t met.

Let me say this: things rarely go as planned – in business or in life. When setting your goals, build in some wiggle room that will allow you to handle unanticipated delays. In other words, expect the unexpected and plan for it.

Not challenging enough.

The converse of the unrealistic goal is setting goals that aren’t enough of a stretch. It may seem smart to set very low expectations, but in actuality it can undermine your motivation. What’s so great about running half a mile when you know you could easily run 10 times that much? It’s hard to be proud of your accomplishments when you know you could have done much better.

Not specific.

If your goal is not specific enough, you’re going to have trouble meeting it and being motivated by it. If your goal is a vague statement such as “lose weight,” you could lose half a pound and call it a day.

Is that satisfactory? Or, you could lose 20 pounds and feel disappointed. How do you know if you’ve achieved a goal if the goal is as vague as “lose weight?” If you’re not feeling motivated by your goal, try making your goal more specific.

Next week our final three mistakes. Meanwhile, share your thoughts and ideas about your goals by leaving a comment below.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Six Misakes We Make When Setting Goals (Part One) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog