Ep. 002: 5 Simple Strategies That Fast-Tracked My Success as a Virtual Assistant

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Now, I’m not claiming that this is a foolproof plan, but I will say that I believe that by employing these strategies right away as a V.A., I never had to struggle to find clients.

Within just a month of getting started, I had more clients I could ask for! So without further ado, here they are...

1. Upwork -

Okay, I’m aware that this one might be a little bit controversial. Freelancing sites like Upwork definitely have their downsides. A lot of clients tend to go for the lowest bidder and the FEES are atrocious, but it allowed me to really gain momentum when I was first getting started. Here’s what I loved about Upwork: First of all, there were COUNTLESS clients and jobs on the site, many of which required very little experience. Sure, I had to take some lower paying jobs at first, but those jobs allowed me to build my portfolio and most importantly, my confidence. I’ll be sharing tips about how I landed those Upwork gigs in the rest of the episode. 

 2. Defining a niche -

This was the BIG one for me. When I first started as a virtual assistant, I was marketing myself as a VA that could do anything for anyone! I just wanted clients so badly! But while it might seem like a smart idea to cast a wide net when you’re first getting started, I found that defining my niche made me 1000 times more desirable to my clients. This is how it happened for me - I landed a gig as the customer service and marketing V.A. for an amazing life coach. Working with her, I realized that my skills, interests, and demeanor were perfect as a supporting role for women life coaches! From then on, I marketed myself strictly as a V.A. for life coaches, and the clients came rolling in. They wanted someone who understood their industry, knew all of the best practices, and could really bring a level of expertise to their business. Why would they hire a general, all-purpose V.A. when they could have me, THE best virtual assistant for life coaches. Okay, so I may sound like I’m being pretty egotistical right now, but seriously, if you market yourself this way, you will be so desirable to your ideal client.

3. Offering Trial Tasks -

When I was first getting started as a virtual assistant and didn’t have any references or much of a portfolio to speak of, I showed my clients that I was capable of the job by offering to complete trial tasks for them. I would ask them to send me an example of a task that they would have me complete regularly for them, and then I would do it! This showed them that not only was a capable of doing the work, but that I was capable of doing it EXACTLY the way they needed it done. Because sure, we can talk about our skills and abilities all day, but how powerful is it to actually demonstrate those skills in a tangible way?

4. Showing My Personality -

I see so many of my virtual assistant babes hiding behind their beautiful logos, gorgeous graphics, and perfectly designed IG feeds. Here’s the problem with that, boss babes: your future clients want to see YOU. They want to know your personality. They want to see what you’re all about! Now, don’t go crazy and start sharing every detail of your life in your emails and social media posts, but also don’t be afraid to go on video every now and then or share a picture of yourself. In this world of online marketing, a little authenticity and personality will go a LONG way. And trust me, I know how scary it can be to go on video or share yourself. You just have to do it, girl. I believe in you. In fact, I challenge you, as soon as this podcast is over to go on IG and share a video of yourself in your IG story. Make sure to tag @the.support.squad so that I can see you and celebrate you, sister!

5. Creating a Portfolio while Working on My Own Marketing -

When you’re just getting started as a virtual assistant, you probably don’t have a large portfolio of work to share with potential clients. This can really stand in your way! Even at the very beginning of your career as a V.A. you should have samples of your work. A great way to build you portfolio AND work on marketing your growing business is to create graphics, blogs, logos, and so on for your own business. The more writing, designing, and organizing you can do for yourself, the more confident you’ll feel and the more work you’ll have to show to your future clients. 

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