Finding Clients

You can demonstrate all the skills and competence in the world, have the best business cards and an articulate business plan, but without clients you have no business!

121 Temps has business networks, a recruitment service at www.vaplacements.com and online advertising that attracts clients. We have built up relationships with hundreds of clients who use our services and we protect these relationships by constantly keeping in touch and seeking feedback. We also recruit Virtual Sales Partners who refer clients to our service. Our VA Placements service is a profit-sharing system, when you refer clients to the service and they use the services of another VA you receive a commission for this.

Once you attract a client, you should then spend a lot of your energy in ensuring that you are meeting their needs. It is up to you to retain your clients, we cannot do this for you.

There are bidding websites such as www.guru.com or www.elance.com if you are interested in this type of work. To be successful in utilizing these websites, you will have to tender or quote against a listed job or task. Therefore you need to have the skills required to be able to do this.

The first step in quoting for a job is to understand exactly what is required and to estimate the amount of time that this will take you to accomplish. Given that most people are naturally positive in their assumptions, you should always quote on the worst possible scenario and add a couple of hours for unforeseen events.

Writing a Quotation or Tender:

• Read all the document available in the Project Request.
• Use the forum attached to the project to clarify and establish the potential client's needs - be as detailed as possible.
• Paraphrase the key information back to the potential client. (for example: My understanding is that you need.......)
• State what you intend to do for the client.
• Indicate what anticipated results and potential benefits the client will gain as a consequence of engaging you.
• Outline your approach, experience and/or qualifications
  
  The complexity of the quotation will depend on the size of the project and type of service that you offer. Remember that the quotation needs to include critical information but should not be too cumbersome. Try and provided a tailored quote each time you tender and avoid using a "template" for each.
   

If you are unsure of the qualities required to be an effective virtual assistant, read my article on eZine.