Today’s Quote: Know where you want to go and make sure the right people know about it. — Meredith Mahoney
Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I am going to talk about networking – and how it really does come down to who you know to get great clients. I stress the words ‘great’ clients – not just any clients.
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:
If you shy away from networking, this episode is for you!
I was doing some research about networking for this episode, and I came across some advice in a whole lot of articles and blog posts … it was everywhere!
And that advice showcased exactly why a lot of the VAs and other business owners I know do. not. network.
It was brutal. Everywhere I turned there it was. Conversation starters like:
man, these events are crazy
are you enjoying the food?
what do you recommend to eat?
what brought you here today?
what are you passionate about?
what’s your story?
have you been here before?
any chance you read the news today? i missed it and I wonder if I missed anything
did you catch the game last night?
i love your necklace/dress/pants/hair
Oh. My. God.
I hate every single one of these – some more than others, but I definitely do not like any of these.
I do not suggest that you use any of these in any networking situation, ever
I think that’s what makes me different from other business coaches.
I want you to network in a way that helps you connect with people – but also that feels authentic and feels like you want to do more of it.
Because you need to network to find clients – to find GREAT clients.
And I want to teach you how to do it better.
Here we go.
First things first, you need to be networking before you need clients. The time to network is not when you need a client now. You don’t want to take any old client that comes along, and that’s what happens when you just go out to look for a client when you need one.
But if you build a network and keep in touch with it all the time, then you can not only find a client when you need one – but you can find clients even when you aren’t looking for one.
You don’t have to take whatever client comes your way. You can be choosy – and you should be choosy.
Networking is about being a business person in a business community. It’s about helping people and getting help from them.
The more business connections you have, the more clients you will have.
If you consistently are working by yourself, and only talking to VA colleagues – or worse, no one – the fewer opinions you will get, the less expertise you will have access to, the smaller your community becomes. And the smaller your business will stay.
So if you thought networking was all about those horrible conversation starters I mentioned, let’s flip that right on its side for you.
Here are some better ones:
what do you do?
have you attended this group before?
who else do you know here?
what do they do?
what kind of clients do you work with?
where do you find your clients?
how do you work with your clients?
what do you use to manage your xyz in your business?
How do those sound?
Better, I’m guessing – they are exactly what they should be – conversation starters.
They really will start a good conversation. One that the other person won’t find weird or awkward, and they will actually want to talk about.
Networking is about having conversations – with potential clients, with colleagues, and with other business owners who could potentially refer clients to you.
And you can be those people to others – you could be a client of theirs, you could be their colleague, or you could be a referral partner for them. It’s a two way relationship. You are not looking for clients and giving nothing else. You are looking to build relationships that will lead to better business for both of you.
Okay?
Let’s talk marketing message and why it’s important.
I teach what’s called a Concise Marketing Message.
It’s similar to the elevator pitch that you all know and hate, or at least have struggled through on occasion.
But it’s not a pitch at all.
The Concise Marketing Message helps you to define to YOURSELF what it is you do, so you understand it and can tell others.
So what the concise marketing message is, is simple.
I help ___ with their ___ so that they can ___ and so that they can ____ because I am/do/have ___.
When we can define who we help, and specifically what we can help them with, and we truly understand how getting help for that thing, will help them do in their business or life .. and the last part, why you are qualified to do that.
I teach VAs to do one of these for each service they offer. The reason is very simple – so they believe themselves and they can describe it to others.
And then we try to change up the CMM so that it suits different audiences. Because when you are networking, you are speaking with three different audiences.
You network with your colleagues, you network with your potential clients, and you network with people who can refer clients to you.
I’m not going to walk you through the Concise Marketing Message today, but instead to understand how to actually have conversations with these three audiences and tell them clearly who you help and how you help them.
Why is this important?
Because you will get clients from these three audiences – when people know what you do.
Getting clients really is WHO YOU KNOW – but that doesn’t mean that every person you meet is potentially a client. It doesn’t mean you need to pound the pavement looking for clients every day.
You just need to connect with people who can connect you with clients. Isn’t that different?
A speaking coach I know named Steve Lowell always says, ‘It’s not enough to tell someone what you do, they need to be able to repeat it to someone else.’
And that is the key. to getting clients.
Referrals are the key to growing your business. You network should be there to help you find clients. You shouldnt need to find every client on your own. Your network shouldn’t need to find their own clients all the time either, you should be able to pass referrals to your network too. Not as a job, but through the solid connections you are making every day.
Okay so let’s talk about going networking:
You need to have a clear goal for whatever you are doing – who do you want to meet and why? Who is in the group or attending the event that interests you?
If you network either online or in person, with no goal, you could be wasting a lot of time. Spending tons of time networking isn’t the cost of doing business it’s time that has to be managed too. Go in with a goal, and plan to reach the goal.
Use your conversation starters to meet people and to start conversations. Not the first list I shared, but the second one! I have been guilty of using some of those crappy first ones and the networking was a waste of time. I have successfully used the second list and came away with amazing contacts – who were either potential clients, or potential referral partners.
Don’t forget with live events that first the other people in that room are all there for the same reason as you. And the host has an invested interest in the event and the people attending it be successful. So befriend the host. Tell them who you are looking for. What you are looking for. They can help!
Research some people who are in the networking group, or who are attending the event.
And when you actually get into a conversation with people, ask them questions about themselves, and their business.
Obviously you are looking for answers that are relevant to the services that you offer.
Remember you are their equal in every sense. Two business owners having a business conversation. Can you help them? Can they help you? Get to know them. Remember, getting VA clients is about you know. So get to know them. It’s okay if they aren’t your client. If they do the right kind of business networking, they might come upon your client.
And through your conversations, it’s your responsibility to make sure they know who you help and how – and for you to understand the same about them. The same goes for your VA colleagues!
All of this is done through questions. You ask them questions. You have conversations. You don’t pitch. You don’t talk about you – unless it is in the response to what they need help with, or how they can tell others what you do. Don’t hit anyone over the head with what you do to try to convince them to work with you. You’ll know if they need you. You’ll know if you need them.
Remember to make notes about everyone after your interaction, so you can remember what you talked about … and follow up with them.
Stop trying to close sales and start fixating on making relationships – the long game. Building a network. A good one. Not networking when you need a client, but networking all the time.
After you meet someone, connect with them on social media – LinkedIn – and treat every conversation you have like networking.
To start your network, tell your connections, family, friends, what you are doing. Ask if they know anyone who might be interested – and if so, then make sure they understand what you do.
I would tell my brother that I help local small business owners with marketing their business on Facebook. He will remember that when he talks to anyone. He’s a smart guy, it’s not that I need to dumb it down for him … but I know he is clear on what I do because I tell him clearly.
When you find business owners who can be good referral sources for you, expand on those relationships.
Learn to enjoy being connected to those people, and to connecting with them.
Make friends. These are your people!
Be consistent in connecting with the groups that you are networking in. Show up. Be there for them, and let them be there for you.
It’s never, Hi, here’s what I do, or
Hi, here’s what you need, or
Hi, here is why you should hire me
That’s not networking. That’s someone who is there for the wrong reasons.
Your network is essential to building your VA business.
Choose a target market and find them.
Sort out your very specific service offerings that they need, and talk to people about those. And post about it in places where your people can find you.
Attend events, join good groups. Local is a fast way to get clients. You can build trust very fast … and trust is one very important part that helps your clients take the step to working with you.
When you focus on it, and you work with it, networking becomes fun – it becomes easy. It becomes fruitful because you are in it.
Networking helps you meet who you know … and who you know is where your VA clients will come from.
I promise you, that you will find success this way. You will find clients. You will find money. You will be happy. And you will be part of an amazing, tailor-made community of your very own.
Let’s refer back to today’s quote … know where you want to go and make sure the right people know ow about it. It’s how you get clients!
Finding your community is awesome, and you need to start doing it today. Let me help!
Need Some Help?
This is exactly what I help VAs do. As a VA coach and trainer, I help you set yourself up for success, helping you fix the specific things that are going wrong in your business. When we work together either privately or in a group we talk specifically about your business and you – there is no one stop solution for everyone when it comes to service businesses like VA businesses.
I’ll help you get clarity around your issues, and cheer you on as you walk through the steps to fix them.
I’ve helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to growing their business and the lifestyle that they dream of.
I’d love to do the same for you.
You can work with me privately, or you can join The Virtual Circle, my mastermind group for Virtual Assistants. Check it out at www.YourVAMentor.com/TVC (the virtual circle) – I bet it’s exactly what you need to start running the VA business you dreamed of.
Reach out to me if you are interested.
That’s all I’ve got for you this week, see you next time!