Today’s Quote: It’s simple … go the extra mile and you will stand out from the crowd. – Robin Crow
Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today we are going to talk about communicating well to stand out from the crowd.
Click the play button above to tune in, or choose your favourite podcast player below:
Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
A lot of people don’t understand the importance of good communication – especially in the Virtual Assistant industry.
With most of our clients, we work virtually – so written communication is something that must be exceptional, in order to be efficient but also to save back and forth time, misunderstandings and everything in between.
Articulating what you need well – and helping your clients do the same, makes for good communication.
Excellent communicators easily boost their own reputation and success.
You also need to be aware that communication is two way. You not only need to make sure you are saying things in the right way, but you need to learn to be a great listener too.
Listen to understand what the other person is saying. Don’t listen to respond.
I got called out on this once by an HR director. She told me that when she listened to me have conversations with some of the staff, that she could tell that I was formulating my response as they were talking, which was rude. That even if I knew how I was going to reply, that I should take a beat after they finished their thought and then speak. I thought she was crazy, but I’ll tell you – when I started doing what she said, I noticed a huge improvement in many things – my level of understanding of what the other person was actually saying, my comprehension of the conversation, my ability to change my response on occasion, the reaction and anxiety of the other person feeling heard, it just all made more sense. I still pay very close attention to my speed and listening abilities – something that has become a very big part of my conversations as a coach, that’s for sure!
Pay attention to the other person. Be respectful and honour their opinions too. Too often we judge someone else before they even speak. Think of those clients whose emails you dread seeing in your inbox – and the attitude you bring to their emails as a result.
Always remember that listening is half of communicating. If you can take just one tip from this episode today, I’ll bet it’s the listening tip. I know for me it changed my communication style completely.
In terms of communicating well yourself, I’ll always give you the same advice:
Keep it brief – humans can only digest so much, so be clear. I suggest one subject per email with an appropriate subject line. Short sentences. Factual content. Don’t be an explainer or a justifier – when we do this in conversation it’s more obvious that we are doing it. Don’t get lost in email by droning on and on about anything. Get your message across, make your point clearly, and move on. If you need to explain something, perhaps suggest a phone call to clarify the problem. That’s standing out – showing the client the difference when necessary.
Be confident – if you don’t believe what you are saying, no one else will either. Sometimes we ramble on when we are trying to convince someone of something – like a conversation about rates with clients, that often can be difficult. Whatever you are communicating, make sure you can back it up and be confident that you are conveying the information properly. When you get to talking money with clients, use the word budget – ask them what theirs is, and tell them what you can do within it. Don’t try to convince people of anything – it never works.
Smile! Always approach conversations in a positive way. If you come across some conflict, look for the positive spin. If someone made a mistake on something, whether it was you or someone else, focus on the immediate fix, and the future fix to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Practice conversations – and edit writing. When you write anything – even just a simple response – read it over and edit. You can always make things more concise. When you are speaking, think about it first, and then speak when the other person has finished.
Of course, there are times that you will have to change a subject or cut someone short. This happens to me on discovery calls sometimes. The person on the other end is busy explaining and justifying something (like why they don’t have any clients, but why their tactics are still working for them), and I will have to stop them. I wait, I am respectful to a point, but when they go off on a tangent and don’t look like they are coming back, I stop them with the same words all the time – so how can I help you today?
And you might say well Tracey cutting people off is not communicating well, but yes it is – when necessary. A conversation is two way – remember! And when one person is controlling the dialogue it’s no longer a conversation. Communicating well means preserving that.
Be authentic in your communication – written or verbal. Don’t try to use big words, you just need to be you. Be professional. Use the right words. Language matters, and it’s doesn’t take word of the day toilet paper to make you sound smart.
Read every day – I am a voracious reader – not of books, but of articles, news, posts, comments, everything I can get my hands on. Read the news, stay up on trends in your clients’ industry – in the VA industry. Watch the weather in your clients’ neck of the woods. These are every day things that bring interesting perspectives to everything you do. You will develop a better command over language.
Ask questions – questions are great to help gain clarity but they are also good to get information, and to share the burden of the conversation.
Choose timing well – there is often a good time for conversations – especially difficult ones. timing is important. For instance, if you are talking about raising rates with clients, there is a good way to do this and there are many bad ways to do it. Other times to choose your timing well – during a super busy period of time/work, if you make a mistake, if you have a celebration, when a client is away. All different scenarios, and all require different timing. Jus because something is on your mind now doesn’t mean it’s the best time to address it.
And finally, responding is as important as initiating conversation:
How you respond to people can also make you stand out from the crowd:
A couple of examples –
I asked two people to DM me about setting up a private call this week.
One of them messaged me and says ‘Hey Tracey’. and that’s all, nothing else.
One of them messaged me and says ‘Thanks for getting in touch with me in x group. I’d love to tell you more about xyz. Here is my calendar link to book a call at your convenience. I look forward to speaking with you!’
Which one is the better communicator?
It’s not always that obvious but when you recognize the difference between the two, you understand what I mean.
The first one makes me work harder to help them. She talked about the issues she was having, and I told her she could PM me to discuss solutions. So the better response would have been ‘Hey Tracey thanks so much for connecting with me about x. I’m interested in discussing this further. Let me know next steps!’ or something like that.
It’s like the people that connect with you on LinkedIn and then immediately send you a long message with all of their links expecting you to do the work to learn about whether you can use their services. Just don’t do it. Create a relationship from your connections. Nurture it. And communicate well.
Whether we are looking to make better connections, build relationships with potential clients, get a client to take a sales conversation, or ask someone for help with something – your communication is everything. It makes a first impression that lasts. And good habits every day help you stand out for sure.
Communicating well is a skill that must be learned – and practiced – and everyone can learn to do it just a little better.
Take the time to identify how you can improve your communication skills and you will stand out from the VA crowd!
Need Some Help?
If you need some help perfecting your communication skills, reach out to me at tracey@yourvamentor.com. I’ve helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing. I’d love to do the same for you. I do private coaching, and registration for my new mastermind group The Virtual Circle is open now. Maybe one of those is right for you!
That’s all I’ve got for you this week, thanks for tuning in to learn to become a ridiculously good Virtual Assistant.