Perspective: Expectations of a New Client

Freedom Makers is currently in its fourth year of business. I have been the primary salesperson this whole time. For the most part, the conversations with new and potential clients are the same. We discuss their business, their goals and their needs. Since Freedom Makers has settled into our business model, our pitch to the client has not changed very much. But the other week, I was on the phone with a potential client and he asked me two questions that have never come up before. They were thought provoking and made me think.

The first question was What are some tasks a new business owner should be outsourcing? My simple yet general answer to this question is any tasks outside your “zone of genius.” But to be more specific, it can be anything you do not like doing, you are not good at doing or that takes you more energy than you want. For example, this business owner lost sleep at night initially over his quarterly tax payments. He was able to figure them out, but it caused him stress and the energy he expended over those tax payments was immense. He then hired a CPA to handle those and that task was lifted from his to-do list.
Virtual assistance in small business is not always about the time you save but the energy you save. If you truly do not like a task and it takes 30 minutes, you will expend more energy in those 30 minutes than spending 30 minutes focusing on your mission or something you enjoy. My recommendation is not only look at items outside your “zone of genius” but also look at things on your to-do list that you do not like or make you exert unnecessary energy.

The second question was What do you look for in clients? He said he realizes that we will be hiring him as much as he will be hiring us. This is so true. In the hustle of small business, you can forget that not every client is a perfect fit. The two things that Freedom Makers looks for in a client is: 1) Are they systems oriented? 2) Do they have realistic expectations about what a VA can do?

It is important that a client think in systems. Then, they are more likely to create one for their virtual assistant to execute. It does not have to be complicated or fancy, but a simple system makes everyone more efficient. If they do not have systems and work on a whim, it does not mean we cannot help them. But we will have to find the right Freedom Maker who can work with that style.

The second important thing we look for in a client is their expectations. Because a virtual assistant is remote and supports multiple clients, they cannot be treated like an employee. They cannot always be available to the client. The client must decide where on the 5 Levels of Delegation they fit. What kind of feedback do they want when a task is completed? It ties into their systems with how they are communicating set tasks for their Freedom Maker. A successful client has both “Set It and Forget It” systems in place and a clear idea of their level of delegation. Systems and expectations go hand in hand for a successful virtual assistant experience.

If you are considering bringing a virtual assistant on board, I encourage you to take our Task List Audit to determine which tasks you need take off your plate.