Clearly Explain What You Do

Whether you’re just starting out as a Virtual Assistant or have been in business for a while, you need to clearly describe the work you do – in a concise way – so that people will remember.

Few people give thought to this simple, frequently asked question: “What do you do?”

Until someone asks them, that is, at which point they typically blurt out whatever comes to mind. Instead, you need to prepare, ahead of time.

Here’s what I say:

“I’m a Virtual Assistant. I work with solo professionals and small business owners. I specialize in helping them with all the back-end pieces of their businesses, like email newsletters, website updates, and calendar management.

And then I stop talking. If I keep going, I’m only going to overwhelm them.

Of course, I have a large list of services that I offer listed on my website, but I don’t need to mention them all right now in this initial conversation.

I recommend following this format:

“I’m a Virtual Assistant, I work with _______________________. I specialize in X, Y and Z.

Please avoid trying to make this sound like a marketing statement or complicated elevator speech. The key is to make it simple and easy to remember.

I’ve heard people describe VA work like this: I am your virtual partner; I help busy creative women entrepreneurs get back to the work they love.

I have no idea what that means, and I’m a Virtual Assistant. This description of your work is not a place to be clever and use catchy phrases. Unless you have another specific title that is crystal clear (like a social media manager), please use the descriptor Virtual Assistant when talking about your work.

You may be concerned that if you call yourself a Virtual Assistant, you are putting a ceiling on the amount that you can charge for your work. This is simply not true. Your confidence, skills, and good work are what determine that.

Now that you have one or two sentences that describe your work, you need to memorize and practice it so that it rolls smoothly off your tongue without a thought.

I like to walk outside every day, so when I was just starting out as a VA, I would practice saying my VA description over and over and over, out loud. Out loud is critical so your mouth can get used to saying the words without thinking.

Remember, when you tell someone what you do, you’re not necessarily trying to get hired by the person you’re talking to. You’re hoping they spread the word on your behalf. And if they need services like the ones you offer, it plants a seed that you might be able to help them as well.

Keep doing that and before you know it, you’ll have a steady stream of clients!

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A business workflow and productivity expert with 25 years of experience, RocketGirl Solutions Founder Belinda Wasser is hired by small businesses on a contract basis to act as their part-time, “business manager.”

In addition, she is the Founder of the VA Connection, a professional online community with the goal of educating and connecting independent virtual assistants around the world. Join her free online classroom here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevaconnection/