by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jun 27, 2013 | Delegation, Small Business, Virtual Assistant
Yes! I do have one too and I am not sure how I would function without her or the rest of my team. You see, I do practice what I preach. Delegating isn’t just something I recommend for you and your business. I need to do it too.
WHY? Delegating daily tasks and projects enables me to be more productive and efficient. As a solo-preneur, there are only so many hats you can wear before you become overwhelmed and burdened with too many activities on your plate.
Scale for growth: In order to continue a path toward growth, I knew I needed to function at an optimum level. This meant outsourcing to my team enabling me to focus on core tasks that only I can do.
Two Fold Project: I wanted to expand my reach both locally and in my digital universe. In my daily content curation for my client base, I discovered a few articles about RSS feed directories and local online listings. I forwarded these to my trusted virtual assistant, including a few questions, wanting additional research, a compilation of the top sites for each and I also included the approximate time to be spent on each action step.
After a few clarifying e-mails, we had formulated a plan of action. I soon received a list of directories for both queries for approval along with some well thought out details and suggestions.
Results: I am now listed on several RSS feed directories who pull my blog posts while others require manual submission. The local directories have all been updated with my business information and links. Today, I received a spreadsheet containing all of the data, logins and submissions.
“That was easy.”
I can’t tell you how excited I was to have this time consuming project moved off my plate, giving me the time to manage other client business needs as well as other Ace projects.
Outsourcing gives me such great benefits beyond just time. I know I have a team to collaborate and brainstorm ideas. There is accountability. We meet virtually as needed and fully utilize a variety of tools to enhance communications and project management.
Feel the freedom and partner with a virtual assistant. I do.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jun 17, 2013 | Customer Service, Entrepreneur, Small Business
Sure, you have a business, but whether you sell a product or a service, you must provide SERVICE. What makes you so much different from your competitor that your prospects are knocking down your door? Or are they?
Solving problems is your real product not your widget or your services. Anyone and everyone does that. It is you, your service and your ability to meet the customer/prospect needs that will drive your business.
You already know that people buy from people. You are “people” not just your brand or your company. It is your responsibility to meet needs, solve issues and instill a level of comfort and trust with your audience. The buying decision occurs in the emotional environment.
“Too many business owners and sales people try to sell their product or service, neglecting the fact that their customer is a person. In fact, the customer is a person who has feelings, influences and a mind of their own. They want to be connected with, and to trust and believe the person from which they are buying.” Rebecca Wilson
According to their findings in a Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, Brand Keys Inc, concluded that the buying decision is 70% emotional and only 30% rational. “Emotional engagement is the pivotal key to successful marketing.” It is up to you to build an emotional, personal relationship with consumers, conveying trust, comfort and understanding.
Social media affords you the platform of being personal, getting to know your audience, their drivers and their pain points. It is up to you to create your reliable brand persona instilling trust and generating a comfort level and feeling of confidence with you and your company. Georgina El Morshdy outlines 30 Ways to Build the “Know, Like, and Trust” Factor that Grows an Audience on Copyblogger. “Your audience won’t pick up real momentum until you’ve mastered the “know, like, trust” factor.”
The relationship building approach works to consistently develop trust, loyalty and a foundation for a long term partnership. It takes time to build any genuine relationship but isn’t your customer worth it? Being in business isn’t just about the sale; it is about fulfilling needs, valuing your customer and providing impeccable service.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jun 12, 2013 | Small Business, Time Management
How many hours do you spend online checking email, reading posts, searching for information, checking sports scores, reviewing competitors, tweeting, sharing content or setting up reminders? These activities are necessary but also very time consuming and at points, a distraction away from business. What if there was a simple tool to help you automate some of this work, have it delivered to your communication channel of choice and was at no cost to you?
Launched in 2010, “If This, Then That” is FREE service that allows users to connect 62 different channels with “recipes” to help optimize your business, your life and your content. You create triggers “if this” happens “then that” which is the action, pushes the data to your desired channel.
Sample recipes:
- Push RSS feeds to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Buffer
- Receive a text message, email or phone call when a particular hashtag is posted
- Have Facebook or Instagram images sent to Dropbox
- Receive a text message if there is a forecast for rain
- Star a Gmail and have it delivered to Evernote
- Add Foursquare check-in history to Google Calendar
- Receive a text message for new Gmail notifications
- Send email attachments to Dropbox
- Send an email to IFTTT to call your phone if it is missing
- Automatically create a Twitter list of new followers to review at a later date
- Twitter keyword search to your email
- Schedule tweets using Google calendar
- Have ESPN sports scores and breaking news delivered to your inbox
As you can see, the possibilities are almost limitless. By creating your recipes, you will save time and be a little more productive and organized. It is one of my favorite tools, simplifying content curation and automating a few of my daily projects.
“Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.’” – Thomas Edison
How do you use IFTTT?
Image credit: IFTTT
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | May 30, 2013 | Organization, Small Business, Virtual Assistant
Helping to manage a client’s business requires attention to detail, thoroughness, time management and accuracy. As a virtual assistant, my client base has entrusted their business operations and daily tasks to Ace. It is vital for success and smooth processes that we utilize the best tools and software to ensure that everything is properly executed and facilitated with no errors.
One of my favorite project management platforms is Teambox. It allows for one centralized location for communications, tasks, notes, files, time tracking and accountability.
Teambox Structure
- Projects – This is what you are working on, the main objective.
- Tasks – The different pieces of a project. Assign tasks to different members of your project.
- Members – These are the people that are involved in the project.
- Notes – A shared workspace for you and your team. Share notes from meetings, whiteboard ideas and collaborate.
- Conversations – Communicate in real-time about specific tasks or the project as a whole.
- Files – Share files that are relevant to your project with members of your team. You can also share specific files with people who aren’t members of the project.
The dashboard is very user friendly and simplified, displaying your projects and each feature mentioned above in real time. You can click on “recent activity” for an overview of each project or click on each project separately. One of the features that is most useful are the notifications which are delivered to my email and I can respond from there or login directly to TB.
Teambox is also integrated with Dropbox, Google, Github, RSS Readers and mobile apps. It makes it easy to access from anywhere, keeping you on task, connected and up to date.
My clients each have their own login, enabling them to upload files, create notes and assign tasks. Along with the conversations, keeping all of the project details in one location ensures efficiency and successful project management.
As a collaborative tool, Teambox also offers group chats with your team where you can even share files, videos and stay in direct contact as the project moves forward. The syncing opportunities have produced numerous options and capabilities to cross share content, stay in touch and manage the task calendars within the application in addition to any that you have synced.
If you are working with a team, you may only want specific people to view a task or conversation. Setting up privacy rules is fast and simple by choosing who the “watchers” are of the specific task or conversation. It remains private with only the people you choose.
Project management is a necessary component of every business, large or small and if you don’t have some type of system or program in place, data can get lost, tasks forgotten or missteps may occur. Find and test drive a platform that works for you and one that you will commit to using.
Image credit: Lifehacker
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | May 28, 2013 | Entrepreneur, Organization, Small Business
Really simple syndication or RSS Feeds are a mainstay for content curation and digital consumption. I need the news not just as an educational factor or to stay up to date on current events, but it is necessary component of the virtual assistant industry and for any business. Pushing RSS feeds to a news aggregator saves time from endless hours of revisiting websites, clicking, and research as it will populate desired content into one central location. It is all automatic. How simple is that?
Most websites do have RSS Feeds on their site to help share their content at a click of a button. This social share is very important with your audience helping them to freely distribute your information. Personally, I don’t care to provide my email address to overflow my inbox with newsletters and daily feed digests. I prefer Feedly or other aggregators to maintain and update my interests. It is meticulously organized by category and client, enabling me to sift through thousands of targeted articles, choose what I need and schedule social media content for my client base.
When I find a site that only offers the option of inputting my email, they have lost my attention. I receive enough digital dessert that there is always someone else I can find if you don’t have a feed.
Why should you have an RSS Feed on your site?
- Convenience
- Ease of distribution
- More returning visitors
- No barrier to subscribing
I love RSS Feeds as they simplify my life, content curation and digital candy to the central location of my choice. You can even create your own feeds for Twitter users or hashtags as well as almost any other searchable web content. Bruno Gebarski provides clear instructions on generating your own feeds for a variety of content and it is very easy to set up.
Make sure you have an RSS Feed on your blog or website to ensure your audience is able to be a part of your marketing channel. Is it visible? Easily found on your pages? Don’t miss out on opportunities by only offering an email opt-in to receive your updates. While building your email list is important, you also don’t want to alienate those who don’t want to provide their email address. Be available. Be accessible.
Feed your readers a healthy diet of your content at their convenience and comfort level.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | May 14, 2013 | Customer Service, Entrepreneur, Small Business
I love to read! One day I was sitting on the floor of a local bookstore, in the business of course, and picked up “Little Teal Book of Trust” by Jeffrey Gitomer. What a dynamic book about becoming a trusted advisor in business and life. Building and earning trust is a key foundation for any relationship. In operating a business, you want to be “THE ONE” customers and prospects call for assistance, products and services. Your customer wants to know he is valued, respected and you have his best interests at heart.
WHAT A CUSTOMER WANTS FROM YOU by Jeffrey Gitomer
Instead of simply telling you how important the elements that will make relationships happen are (because you AND the rest of the world already know that), here, for YOUR benefit, are the actual elements:
- Relate to me. Know my needs and issues. Engage me by showing me other customers who are benefiting from doing business with you.
- Prepare for me. Show me that you have done your homework about my situation, not just yours.
- Don’t waste my time. Don’t ask me what you could have found out on your own.
- Tell me the truth. Truth leads to trust. I need to trust you in order to have a relationship with you.
- Tell me how I can use your product or service to build my business. I want to know how I can produce in my environment.
- Tell me how I can profit from the relationship. I want to know how I can profit from buying. And I want to know that you know.
- Show me the value, not just how it works. What are the elements of value attached to your product or service that relate to me?
- Make it easy for me to do business with you.
- Make service available when I need it.
- Be friendly to me. If I’m going to establish a relationship with you, I want it to be a friendly one.
- Respond quickly. If I call you, it’s because I need you, and I need a response now.
- Deliver on time. When you tell me it’s going to be there, I expect it. And it helps reinforce my feeling that you can meet my expectations.
- Have answers for me when I need them. I have questions about how your product works.
- Stay in touch with me. Keep me informed on a proactive basis. Make your messages more about me than you.
- Let me know when things or technologies change. Keep me informed about how I can stay ahead, even if it means buying more.
- Keep your promises. If you tell me something will happen, make it happen.
- Be a partner, not a vendor. Tell me how we will work together. And then prove it by your deeds.
- Serve me. I need to feel that service after the sale is more important than the emotion leading up to the order.
Do you know your customer?
