The most common question I hear from new and established Virtual Assistants is “How do I find clients?” Definitely, a legitimate question because no clients mean no money! That’s why I gathered a few tips to help you out. FYI, each VA I know has found their clients in different ways, so the best thing to do is to see which ways feel good to you and start there.
10 IDEAS FOR FINDING VIRTUAL ASSISTANT CLIENTS
1. Beta test your new services.
If you’re a new VA or if you want to try out a new service, you’ll want to consider beta testing. A beta test is when you give a sample of your service for low or no cost in return for feedback you can use to improve your services or add more value. But feedback is not the only benefit of testing out your services. There are many more, like building confidence in your services and getting testimonials.
Related: How to Beta Test Your Virtual Assistant Services to Attract Clients
2. Shout it from the rooftops!
The quickest way to find clients is to tell everyone you know about your business. This isn’t the time to be shy! When you tell them about your exciting new business, ask them to help spread the word for you. Tell people in person, send people an email, call them, text them, send them a letter, announce it on Facebook…you get the point! Think of everyone you can. You never know who needs your help or knows someone who could use your help.
Related: 6 Tips for Overcoming Fear and Putting Yourself Out There
3. Email people that you want to work with.
An effective way of getting clients is to directly reach out to people and ask if they need help. This may sound scary and perhaps pushy, but it’s really not! Promoting your business isn’t something that should feel “slimy” or “salesy”; it should feel like you’re helping your ideal client find you. They’re out there looking for you!
Related: Get More Virtual Assistant Clients- How to Write a Cold Pitch Email
4. Be of service and offer a review or consult.
A great way to get your foot in the door is to offer your ideal client a free review or consultation. Your advice will be appreciated and may inspire her to hire you to make the changes for her. This tactic works well for web designers, copywriters, and social media managers. You can share your review in a video, email, or over the phone/Zoom. Offer this service as a freebie in Facebook groups and through email.
Related: What an Ideal Client is and How to Figure Out Yours
5. Reach out to other virtual assistants.
Find virtual assistants that offer similar services and let them know that you have space available for new clients. They might be fully booked, looking for someone to refer clients to, or have clients that aren’t the right fit for them anymore. Connect with virtual assistants that offer different services. Introduce yourself and tell them who you help and what you do. Then ask if they’ll refer you if they come across anyone looking for your services and offer to do the same. I have bloggers and business owners asking me for VA referrals all the time!
Connect with other VAs in the Introvert VA Club.
6. Connect with freelancers who have the same ideal client.
Get to know other freelancers who work with people you want to work with. For example, if you offer blog formatting services, you could connect with graphic designers and let them know you’re available to help any of their clients that are struggling to format and publish their weekly blog posts.
7. Get social! Hang out where your ideal client does.
If your ideal client/target audience is executive/CEO material, LinkedIn is a good place to have a profile. If your ideal client is a mommy blogger, find out which Facebook groups she hangs out in and introduce yourself. The idea is to get in front of more people but in a non-pushy way. Joining Facebook groups geared towards other VAs is another way to get in front of more people. Some of them can be great resources for finding more work.
8. Join the Introvert VA Club
We have a job opps area inside the Introvert VA Club community where we share job requests from professionals who fill out our Hire a VA form. IVC also includes courses and training to help you succeed as a VA.
9. Try “Hire My Mom”
Hire My Mom requires a membership but offers a free trial if you want to check them out first. The good thing about this job board is that they are well vetted. That means the jobs and the businesses posting the jobs are good quality and legitimate. Related: How to Protect Your Virtual Assistant Business From Scams
10. Reach out to past clients
If you’ve been doing VA work for a while, I’m sure you have a few past clients who would be happy to hear from you! Let them know that you currently have some space available for them if they need help with anything. You can also ask them to spread the word or refer you! Now you have lots of ideas to try! Choose one and try it out. Then move on to the next one. You might just find yourself booked out in no time!
Want more marketing tips? I have 30+ strategies inside the Introvert VA Club, PLUS a Get Clients Fast Challenge! Learn more here!
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