Fantastic Guidelines On Handling Request A Callbacks And Phone Consultations

When creating an appointment area online to arrange a call with a potential client, you have 2 options which you can offer:

The First Option: Consultation

Now a full consultation can be a very comprehensive process, and when I have a potential client book a consultation, I will send them an email which covers a series of questions, or actions I would like them to take or think about before the call. These questions are often more formal and I stay in the driving seat when I am going through them on the call.

What I am trying to say is that, in my experience, consultations often take place where people have come across the concept of virtual assistant services, or might have an idea of what they are and how they can help, but are not entirely sure and therefore a process of discovery is necessary before I can work out how they can be helped. This is definitely a learning experience for the client and also opens him up to other services as well, leaving the door wide open for their suggestions.

On consultation calls I only ever give standard rates out on the phone, everything else from bitty project work to packages I always confirm on email with an estimate. This way when they come back several weeks later (and some do) you have an official estimate on a document with an expiry date on it – this way you can reference back your quote and it keeps things nice and clear.

The Second Option: Request a Callback

This option is for people who know what they want specifically, and will ask you about it. I’m going to show you how this all pans out during a Live Video Recording, but remember that it’s very raw and in tune with what VA –LIVE is about — keeping it real! These calls are very informal and give you a chance to quickly engage with the potential client on the phone, and also I really like them because a majority of the time the client knows what they are looking for and simply wants to know the rates you charge, so at this point you can deliver the information over the phone, and then follow up with an email.

I cover how to handle both of these scenarios, from start to finish in-depth in my up coming training course.

For now, I would like to share with you a few tips about these 2 methods of meeting (virtually) your potential client.

Get Out Of The Conversation What You Need To From The Potential Client.

Make sure if there is anything that springs to mind about what they are asking for and how they want it done – Ask. It’s quite possible that you would be the perfect fit together, but you never know and you need to find out as much as you can at this stage to find out how you feel about working with them.

Sometimes the Biggest Clients Come from the Smallest Origins.

One of the first clients I ever took on wanted 4 hours admin a week. He was nice to talk to on the phone and of course, I took the job. He is still with me now and the 4 hours has expanded into part time hours, which continues to increase. We are also exploring other possibilities of working together. So never turn anything down unless you feel that you really are not a good fit for that person, or you just get a bad feeling about them.

Sometimes, you will get a gut instinct and in these cases you should turn a client away. Whenever I didn’t listen to myself, I became pretty miserable working for them, and ended up getting out of the situation anyway – I wish I had saved myself the hassle. Never ever stay with a client that makes you unhappy; it will have a negative effect on your entire business – trust me!

Make Sure That the “Request a Callback” Is Very Straightforward.

Whenever somebody requests a callback about something specific relating to a virtual assistant service, keep it straightforward. Don’t try too much upsell on the call, just provide a good solution to their problem, and then follow up later. Suggesting too many options at this point or a variety of services that they are not aware of, could lead to them becoming overwhelmed. I do often drop in other services which may compliment what they are asking about, or if I know they will need an additional service in order for us to provide support for what they are asking for then I will tell them. But If someone wants diary management, I don’t go into web design – only if it’s a full consultation and we are reviewing what’s available.

Be focused, stay on the subject, keep it simple, informal and friendly, and watch your virtual assistant business literally “skyrocket!”