Have References Handy

The best way to get clients is word of mouth – that’s because your services are getting a great reference while they’re being talked about by your happy client. But what if you don’t have clients yet?

Ask colleagues or even friends to give you a reference based on things they already know about you. Don’t have them lie about specific skills they don’t know about, just have them willing to say how amazing you are when it comes to being on time or being reliable.

Make sure you put them on your website. People want to see other people raving about you. They want to see specific raves, though. About time management, ability to think outside of the box and beyond the exact task you are given, about how fast you work or how thorough you are.

Tell people you are amazing using other people. If you have current clients, e-mail them and ask for a reference. It goes a long way.

Many people put these under a heading of testimonials…but you know what…I think putting them under references is much more familiar for people looking for the services of a virtual assistant. Even if it feels too "secretarial" for you as a business owner…it’s not about what you want to tell someone, it’s about what they want to hear.