by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Mar 6, 2014 | Business Values, Communication
You believe yourself to be a professional but are you professional? There is a difference.
You may be deemed a professional because you operate a business but being professional is an action. It is a choice. In business and life, there are plain and simple human courtesies that should be extended to everyone. It shouldn’t matter who initiated the contact but when you choose to no longer engage or ignore any form of correspondence, you are no longer “being” professional.
What has happened to the Golden Rule in this age of technology? Does it allow or justify actions that would not be normally accepted in an in-person venue? If you were at a networking event, engaging in a conversation would you suddenly decide to turn your back and walk away without notice or a word? I think not. That would be extremely rude and thoughtless.
Can you imagine calling someone of interest, exchanging a few words and then they hang up without forewarning? What would you think? How would you feel?
For some it may present a challenge to be completely forthright and honest with feedback and responses but if you expect the same from your network, then give back what you want in return. Everyone deserves an answer. Communicating is the foundation of every single relationship, whether business or personal, online or off.
What message are you sending to your audience, your potential buyers if you aren’t responding to social comments or posts? Your brand and reputation may suffer. As you know, word spreads fast and if you aren’t satisfying the human need for a reply to a query, you may be opening yourself up to negative reactions. Make the time to respond.
“If you’re not engaging customers during the entire product life cycle through social media, you’re missing out. Because someone else will.” –Dennis Stoutenburgh
If you ignore emails because you don’t know how to respond or are apprehensive about expressing your opinion about a product or service, don’t expect to retain a follower or gain a brand ambassador. People can deal with rejection and feedback; extend thoughtfulness with a reply.
“We’ve seen an increase in the nonresponse rather than just politely declining. You delete it and hope it goes away, just like if someone comes to your door and you pretend you’re not home.” Adam Boettiger, digital marketing consultant.
You are online, participating in your social networks, building your brand, credibility, community and network. Is it truly worthwhile or beneficial to disregard the voice of others? Deliberate silence is a poor communication strategy demonstrating a lack of respect and interest and also has the capabilities of reinforcing potential miscommunications.
Your active choice NOT respond is a very loud statement. With all of the techie gadgets sitting on your desk or in your lap, click a few keys. There is always time and a tool.
“Mobile communications and pervasive computing technologies, together with social contracts that were never possible before, are already beginning to change the way people meet, mate, work, war, buy, sell, govern and create.” Howard Rheingold
Simply put: BE Professional
- Be kind.
- Be courteous.
- Be responsive.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Mar 5, 2014 | Marketing, Social Media
Your social media marketing efforts are the architectural structure, the blueprint toward creating communities, a positive customer experience, brand image, a following, online reputation and a strong digital footprint for a return on investment. It goes far beyond simply a few posts on various channels; it is a two-way conversation. Interaction. Collaboration. Education. Communication. Community.
Building and maintaining your online relationships will eventually turn into revenue, but it does take time and effort.
It is paramount that your digital footprint, in each platform remain consistent and representative of your goals and mission. Even your content must clearly define and support your company and brand. Everything in life has plan, an outline with action steps.
The Forbes’ article, “7 P’s Of Social Media Marketing That Drive Results” helps to define and outline some of the basic etiquette and how to’s to build your brand and your digital landscape.
Social media is a powerful brand building tool that can drive long-term, organic growth which is sustainable through any micro- or macro-environmental threat.
Developing the value of your brand should always be a top strategic priority. Brand value has saved more than one company or product from going under in recent years. Playboy and Twinkie are just two brands that survived another day thanks to the value of their brand names.
Click to read more: forbes.com
Image courtesy of forbes.com
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Mar 4, 2014 | Delegation, Virtual Assistant
The Virtual Assistant Industry is a vast network of professional entrepreneurs engaged in helping your business meet its goals for growth, increased revenue, online branding, image and exposure. We are your long term vested partners who are truly part of your team, your daily business operations and your second pair of hands and eyes to ensure everything is successfully managed to your satisfaction.
When you are looking for a vested partner, your goal should be someone with an entrepreneurial mindset who understands what it takes to not only get up and running, but who knows how to thrive in business and in the digital marketplace. While you can certainly choose an offshore call center to help manage day to day tasks, you will be missing out on the bigger part of your business success, a trusted like-minded entrepreneur.
My personal network is comprised of amazing women, dedicated virtual assistants, who are so willing to help one another, answer questions, provide assistance, referrals or even brainstorm. There aren’t too many industries with such a tight group of people who don’t fear competition or sharing of information. The client/virtual assistant relationship is based upon many different factors for each individual partnership and there must be a resonance along with the skill set to make them a cohesive productive team. Speaking from experience, my clients and I all work well together – communication, feedback and accountability are key components for success. Being in business since 2002, I have been very fortunate to engage with some amazing entrepreneurs. I think I learn as much from them, as they do from me. I hope so anyway.
Choosing to delegate is not always an easy step because you feel you are giving up control, but when you partner with an established virtual entrepreneur, you are choosing someone who is in business for themselves and know what it takes to succeed. The 365/24/7 mentality of a driven business owner will have a greater impact on your success, than an offshore call center who has one off task managers. Give careful consideration to your long term needs, your goals and what you expect from your delegatee. Established virtual assistants go above and beyond the request. We are always “on” in terms of your business. A task manager does that one task and nothing more. You may be asking about price and cost effectiveness. Just remember the old adage, “You get what you pay for.” Value, effort, dedication and commitment are priceless.
When I chose to build my team, I had several criteria that I would not compromise because my name goes behind every project, every task. I needed dedicated, focused entrepreneurs that I knew I could trust on many levels. Be patient and invest the time to build your team of like-minded experienced business owners to help you scale your company to the next level.
Tips to help you find a virtual assistant
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are just three of the online platforms to help you find the perfect virtual assistant for you and your company. Due diligence is very important and shouldn’t be a shortcut to save time because in the long run, it will cost you.
- Ask questions about their business, history, why and when they got started.
- Review their website/blogs.
- Look for social proof.
- Ask for references.
- Request writing and portfolio samples.
- Follow and engage with them.
- Watch their writing style and shared content
- Are their emails professionally written?
- What software and tools do they use, both online and off?
- Do they respond to your email inquiries in a timely manner?’
- How do you perceive their online brand image?
- Are their social profiles sending cohesive messages?
- What are their greatest proficiencies?
- What are their hours and availability?
- Do they have off hours to meet your needs?
- Schedule a call or two.
- Did you feel a connection on the call?
- Were they engaging?
- Were all of your questions answered to your satisfaction?
- Did you get a feeling of authenticity?
- What are their strengths/weaknesses?
- Do they have an entrepreneurial mindset?
What attributes helped you choose your virtual assistant?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Feb 27, 2014 | Entrepreneur, Small Business
Being an entrepreneur is no easy endeavor. It requires a 24/7/365 days a year drive, dedication and commitment to growing your business. It isn’t a hobby – it’s a lifestyle and you need to be prepared for the ups and downs. Times of scarcity and prosperity but you dive in and do what needs to be done.
The digital environment gives you a broad scope to share your message and your mission. You have a voice but you must have ears to listen and offer solutions. Communicate quality rich content and engage every day, building your communities and your networks no matter how you feel. No matter what is going on in your personal life. You have a business to operate.
“When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.” Mary Kay Ash
It was once suggested to be personable, not personal. There can be a fine line depending on your social platform but sometimes a mix of both gives your audience a peek into your life and who you are. You have the opportunity to share a glimpse of yourself, your passions, your dreams and your pains. Keep it real.
“People relate to stories. Tell yours in a way that allows others to connect with you in a real and authentic way.” Rebekah Radice
In this reality of online relationships, your option to share a piece of yourself will also help to build trust and loyalty, showing the person (s) behind the brand.
You are human and not just a logo or a company pushing a widget.
You are as human as your audience; don’t treat them like machines.
Social media is not a conveyor belt to sling blah content to the masses.
Companies come and go every day; it is a sad fact. Many entrepreneurs and start-ups put their “blood, sweat and tears” into growing their business, and sometimes it falls apart. It could be the market, the niche, the financial climate, but it happens. When or if it does, it doesn’t represent failure, but a time to redirect and navigate the changes.
Innovate and review your industry, methods, systems and processes.
- Take a step back.
- Breathe.
- Remove your filters and blinders.
- Change your viewpoint.
- Think about what may be missing.
- Where do your customers live online?
- What do they want?
- Eliminate your emotional ties and think strategy.
- Overlook your struggle.
- See this setback as a challenge to overcome.
- Don’t go down without a fight.
- What can you learn from your present situation?
- Scream “WTF” if you must but keep moving.
- Know that your dream is closer than you think.
What challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur? What measures have you taken to overcome the challenges toward success?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Feb 26, 2014 | Blogging, Content Marketing, Entrepreneur
Marketing has drastically changed over the past several decades in terms of the delivery methods but no matter how you look it, it is still content driven and always will be. Remarkable content is written for your buyers and their needs; providing solutions to their questions and problems. You have the opportunity to attract your audience with compelling content and images through your blog posts, website, e-newsletters and online discussions.
Organizations are pumping up their online efforts to write compelling content and devour a piece of the market share, the hungry consumer. If you are not part of this bandwidth, churning out and feeding the insatiable, then you miss the train. It is a strong leader in your social media channels.
Adam Connell of the Blogging Wizard wrote this dynamic post full of marketing tools to help you find, organize, post and promote your content.
Content is one of the most powerful ways to get more traffic to your blog and sell more products. To put things into perspective, $43.9 billion was spent on the production and distribution of content in 2013. That’s a crazy amount of money but illustrates the extent to which companies are investing in content right now, and that figure is set to increase. And the beauty of it is that over 60% of that is outsourced putting the power back into the hands of bloggers, freelance writers and professional copywriters.
Click to read more: bloggingwizard.com
Image courtesy of bloggingwizard.com @adamjayc
