Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today, we’re going to talk about why focusing on just one strategy can be the game-changer you need.
Today’s Quote: Focus on being productive instead of busy. – Tim Ferriss
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Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
One of the biggest mistakes I see VAs make is trying to do everything at once. Social media posts, cold emails, joining every networking group, tweaking their website… sound familiar?
You’re not alone – I do the same thing!
While those are all great strategies in the long term, they can dilute your energy and results when you’re looking for a VA client quickly.
The key is choosing one strategy and going all in. Why? Because focus brings clarity, and clarity brings results.
By narrowing your efforts, you can:
- Give your strategy the attention it deserves.
- Track your results effectively.
- Avoid feeling overwhelmed.
So, what strategy should you choose? That’s up to you and your strengths, but I’ll guide you through an example here to help you decide and take action.
Step 1: Pick Your Strategy
First, let’s choose the strategy that resonates most with you.
Here are three popular ones:
- Networking: Tapping into your existing network or attending events.
- Social Media Outreach: Connecting with potential clients on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
- Cold Outreach: Sending personalized emails to businesses or entrepreneurs who fit your ideal client profile.
Pick one. If you’re naturally chatty and love building relationships, networking might be your best bet.
If you’re great at creating messages and finding opportunities online, social media outreach could be your focus. And if you’re confident in presenting your value directly, cold outreach can work wonders.
Truthfully I don’t usually teach cold outreach or even advise it, but I do know VAs that it has worked for so I still put it on this list!
But for sure, networking and social media outreach are my top ways to get clients quickly.
When you double down on connecting with people in one place, you increase the chances of getting a new clients because you are present, you are consistent, and you are putting in the time where they are.
Step 2: Define Your Goal
Once you’ve chosen your strategy, define your specific goal for the week. Your goal should be SMART:
- Specific: “Connect with 10 potential clients on LinkedIn.”
- Measurable: You can track your progress daily.
- Achievable: Can you realistically accomplish this in a week?
- Relevant: Does it align with your business goals?
- Time-bound: You have one week to make it happen.
Write this down and keep it visible throughout the week. This is s crucial step, don’t leave it out.
Post it by your work station – when you see it there all day, every day, it stays top of mind.
Setting goals is important – it gives you something to reference with everything you do.
Ask yourself – is what I am doing right now leading me to my goal that I have set?
If it isn’t, then why are you doing it?
If it is, that’s great! Pat yourself on the back.
Do this simple check in with every single thing you do – when you do more of what is leading you to your goals, you will reach your goals much faster.
Step 3: Plan Your Execution
Here’s where the magic happens. Break your strategy into daily tasks. Let’s take the example of social media outreach:
- Day 1: Identify 20 potential clients and research them.
- Day 2: Draft personalized messages for 10 of them.
- Day 3: Send the messages.
- Day 4: Follow up with the first 5.
- Day 5: Follow up with the next 5 and send another 10 messages.
- Day 6: Engage with potential clients on their posts or stories.
- Day 7: Reflect on your progress and finalize any follow-ups.
Feel free to adjust this framework to fit your chosen strategy. The key is to commit to these tasks daily.
The idea is to have something in your calendar every single day that doesn’t take you a lot of time, but that moves you forward.
Step 4: Craft Your Messaging
Whether it’s a networking conversation, a LinkedIn connection request, or a cold email, your messaging needs to be:
- Personalized: Show that you’ve done your homework. Reference their business, recent achievements, or challenges they might face. The more you know about them personally (about their business), the more you can tailor your messaging to them – you will get noticed when you have done your homework.
- Value-Driven: Focus on how you can help them, not on what you’re selling. For example, instead of saying, “I’m a VA,” say, “I help business owners streamline their operations and free up 10 hours a week.” Clients don’t care about the fact that you work from home or that you love being a VA, they want to know how you can help them. That’s what makes them stop and pay attention.
- Clear: End with a simple, direct call-to-action. For example, “I’d love to discuss how I can support you. Are you available for a quick call this week?” Always tell people what to do next. One choice. It’s called a call to action – you are telling them what action to take next.
I used to lead conversations by telling people I am a Virtual Assistant, and then go on to tell them who I helped and how I helped them.
If you have ever gotten that glazed over eyes look back from someone, you will know what I mean when I say they zoned out while I talked.
Although elevator pitches have their place, they do not in conversations – they aren’t conversational. They are a pitch.
So if you are looking to converse with someone you have to change it up.
When I began making it a conversation – What do you do, Tracey. I’m a VA, what do you do?
And then letting them answer before deciding what I would say next – the conversations came SO much easier.
The important part is not getting out all the information about YOU, but seeing if you can genuinely help that person, and responding to what they say with things that indicate that you can help them.
In my case, they would say I’m a business coach. And then I would say, oh how do you work with your clients – group programs or one on one?
And they would say groups – oh, how do you do your intake?
And they would say events – and then I could chat with them about their events and how they do them and how I help my clients with that.
See how it’s so much more natural? That’s what you’re striving for!
Step 5: Follow Up
Follow-up is where many people miss out.
They say the fortune is in the follow up and it really is true.
Studies show that most sales happen after 5-7 touchpoints – sometimes even more than that. So don’t hesitate to follow up respectfully.
If you ask a seasoned VA how long to follow up, they will tell you – until someone tells you not to follow up anymore.
When you do it respectfully, you can continue to build that relationship until that client needs help.
Here’s a sample follow-up message: “Hi [Client], I just wanted to follow up on my previous message. I’m really excited about the possibility of helping you with [XYZ task that you mentioned]. Let me know if you’d like to hop on a quick call to explore this further!”
Sometimes the quick call part scares people off – remember no one wants to be sold to. But you get the idea.
You want to let them know you are available to help them with what they are stuck on, or don’t have time to do.
Step 6: Evaluate and Adjust
At the end of the week, take some time to evaluate your efforts:
- Did you reach your goal? Why or why not?
- Which part of the process felt most effective?
- What would you do differently next time?
Even if you didn’t land a client this week, you’ve built momentum, made connections, and gained clarity on what works for you.
But of course the key is to work that tactic until you get a client.
If you spend 2 hours writing a blog post for your website, and if you spend 2 hours making conversation with someone who you know needs your help, which one do you think is going to get you a client faster?
I’m going to leave it here for this week but let’s circle back to today’s quote:
Focus on being productive instead of busy. – Tim Ferriss
When you focus, you get really clear on what you are working on, and where you intend to go with it.
If you are networking, what is your goal for that event or group? You can’t just go network somewhere and hope to get a client. How many people do you want to connect with? What kind of people are they? Who knows them already and can connect you? Knowing what your goal is helps you network better.
If you are connecting on social media, which group are you going to focus on? What can you bring to the group in terms of connections and advice that will showcase your expertise? What is your strategy in the group that will help increase your visibility to the people that you know you can help?
Focus is so important. And being productive is the key. You don’t want to fill your days with networking if it’s not effective. You want it to work for you. You want it to help you move towards your goal every single day.
I hope this framework gives you the focus and confidence to find your next client. Remember, it’s all about taking consistent, intentional action. You’ve got this!
You CAN get a client in a week.
When it’s your main focus and you do the right things, it’s easier than you think.
If you want to get really focused and move your VA business forward in just a week, you should join me for my 5 Day challenge From Consults to Clients that starts next week! Register at yourvamentor.com/5day!
Thanks so much for being here this week, I’ll see you next time!
Do You Need Help?
I hope you’re feeling inspired and ready to take action. If you need extra support, book a call with me to talk about how I can help you grow your VA business.
I’m going to leave it here for this week, but I do hope to hear from you.
I’m Tracey D’Aviero, Confidence Coach for VAs and I’ll see you next time!