Virtual Assistance – Playing Favorites

How do you prioritize?

Do you do the most important things first, or do you do the things for what you consider your most important client first?

Are there clients you like more than others, and if so, do you let that determine who gets your best work and who gets the leftovers?

When asked those questions, most people respond with something along the lines of, “I don’t play favorites!� or, “All of my clients are equally important to me.�

Pshaw.

As human beings, we naturally have our inborn, ingrained prejudices toward others. I’m not talking about color here (although that may play a part for you). I’m talking about who’s most friendly, who you connect with the most and ultimately, who you want to make happy. If you still feel that you don’t fall into this category, you’re either an exceptionally businesslike person and I commend you…or you are lying to yourself.

It’s not bad to have favorites, it’s bad to play favorites. If you’re not sure how to proceed you can ask yourself a few key questions to get a better handle on where you stand in relation to playing favorites:

- If you were forced to give up a client, which one would it be?
- If you had to pick one client you’d never give up, who would it be and why?

The most important information you’re going to get is not from the names you write down, but in the “why�. I’m not saying you should actually let anyone go, but you need to know what makes a good client for you and what characteristics a client may have that will make you more or less likely to dub them a favorite.

Once you focus on your why’s – you can expand on other characteristics you like to have in your clients, and then pursue that type of client. In this way you can make sure that you know before the ink is dry on your contract that you’re making a great decision for your practice, not just your pocketbook.