Did 2009 Pass You By?

Has the year passed you by without you achieving your organization's goals? With a new year comes insight on what changes can and should be made to facilitate a productive year for your organization. A few of the questions you may be asking are: How could my resources be spent more wisely? Where can I find a professional that will partner with me to help me maintain and grow my business? A Virtual Assistant is a professional who provides administrative, technical, or creative assistance to organizations like yours.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant would allow you to focus your energies on other aspects of your business. A virtual assistant can:

• Manage your Social Media sites (i.e., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)
• Create a database of your clients
• Send out birthday or other special occasion cards to your contacts and associates
• Design and print your marketing materials
• Set up and maintain your financial records
• Manage your organizations email accounts
• Set up and maintain auto responders
• Compose and send correspondence on your behalf
• Edit and design your Ebooks
• Plan your organizations events
• Research marketing data
  

This list is just a sample of services offered. Hiring a Virtual Assistant will free up valuable time without losing productivity. Do not let another year pass you by. Contact a Virtual Assistant today.

6 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR CLIENTS FEEL LIKE THEY ARE #1

Offer your clients a free consultation.

These consultations should be schedule on a semi-yearly or yearly basis. If you have had a client for 5 years and have not contacted them once in those 5 years now is the time to do so.

Send them cards for special events, ie birthday cards, holiday cards, miss you cards.

Make sure you keep track of your clients birthdays or other special days. If in the midst of a conversation with your client, your client states they have a new job, send them a card. Any easy way to keep track of your clients and their special information is to use a web based CRM or contact management software.

Make sure every contact you have with them is professional and courteous.

Remember your clients can refer other potential clients to you. Every communication with your client should be professional and courteous. When answering the phone always answer as if it is your first phone call of the day. Your voice should sound fresh and energetic. Your client should not be able to tell by the sound of your voice that you are stressed out or just had a bad meeting.

Under promise but over deliver.

When your client makes a request deliver beyond their wildest dreams. For example, if you client needs paperwork faxed by next Friday, you state that you will have it there by their deadline, but you actually fax it a couple of days before.

Answer emails promptly.

Let your customers know that their emails will be answered within a 24 hour period. If you do not work on Sundays or are away from your office you should place an out of office reply in your email and when they can expect a response from you. PLEASE REMEMBER TO TURN OFF YOUR OUT OF OFFICE REPLY WHEN YOU RETURN TO THE OFFICE.

When they have a complaint, listen to the problem provide a solution.

When your customer has a complaint, listen. Make sure you understand the problem before you give the customer a solution. If the problem is your fault take accountability and offer a solution.

The Art of Marketing

As I watched the movie Hero starring Jet Li, I was mesmerized by the attention to detail in this film. The movie to me symbolizes the art of a powerful marketing plan. Some business owners do not see the advantage of having a marketing plan for their business. In order to have a sustainable business a marketing plan has to be at the foundation. When it comes to marketing we often do not have a clear picture what we need to be successful.

Effective marketing is like an art form. Just like a movie, marketing has several components that work together in order to be effective. A successful marketing plan should:

• Be Measurable
  

A marketing plan should have measurable goals. You should have specific goals that are to be reached. The goals have to be measurable in order to be effective. Yours goals also have to be realistic; if they are not realistic it will be difficult to honestly critique your plan.

• Have different components
  

Your marketing plan should be composed of different marketing techniques. Online media is an important marketing technique, because it allows you to meet new people all over the world on a limited budget. The connections that you make online are invaluable. You should also make sure that you network in your local area. You can volunteer to give a presentation about your expertise or you can host networking events for local business owners.

• Be flexible
  

If you are not receiving the results that you are looking for with your marketing plan, it's time to make a change. As your business needs change, your marketing plan should also change. Do not be afraid to change or reevaluate your marketing plan. Successful business owners are able to adapt to changes in their business.

Your marketing plan can become a masterpiece if you allow all of the components to work together and always keep the big picture in mind.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

I am often asked what exactly is a virtual assistant?  A virtual assistant is an independent contractor who provides various business support services including but not limited to, word processing, marketing, and desktop publishing.  Virtual Assistants understand the plight of business owners, because we are business owners.  We understand the importance of providing superior service and quality products to our clients.

Whatever you need a Virtual Assistant can make it happen.  A virtual assistant has an expansive knowledge base and an extensive network of other independent professionals.  If you want your business to thrive in the 21st Century, it’s time you contacted Gateway Virtual Solutions.