Onboarding your First Virtual Assistant Client

Congratulations on landing that first client! Now what do you do with her? Good question. It is smart for a virtual assistant to have a systematic approach to how he or she handles clients. Make sure you have everything set up in a way you feel comfortable and can explain the process to a new client who may be working with a virtual assistant for the first time.

Get to know your client. I have a profile sheet that I have all my clients fill out. It helps me get to know what they like, how they communicate, and all the details I need to do my job. I need to really know their business. This profile sheet helps me get to know clients business, how to access their account (passwords and login info sheet)

Assess the client’s assets. One of the most critical parts of your onboarding process is assessing your new clients existing campaigns. You’ll be able to get a good understating of what they do and do not have in place. The more prospects you work with, the more you’ll realize every client is different. Despite if they are in the same area of work, each one is at a different point in their maturity continuum, and they each have a wide range of assets to work with. You will want to make sure you have ALL access necessary to review their assets. This gives you a great chance to test those passwords and access. Organization is going to be key, but making a list of everything you find, both positive and negative will lead to opportunities for improvement (think upsells in the future). When you are able to review your findings, look for opportunities to position yourself as an expert.

Schedule a kick-off call. This could be a great platform for you to give a good first impression. It is important for you and your team to come across as experts and confident. You want your clients do feel confident not only with you but with the team as well. This call is a great time to review whatever package or service they have purchased now that you have had a chance to really dive in to their assets. Make sure you have any clarifying questions answered and information available. Tell the client what to expect from you and what you expect from her.

Get to work. Usually now is when you can really start to dive in and show your client how awesome you are. Here is where I will remind you to under promise and over deliver. Do not over extend yourself, and deliver on what you promise.

Check in call. Working remotely can make a relationship a little harder to develop. This just means you have to put effort in to making sure the client is happy and loving what you do. This call is designed to be a one-on-one conversation between you as the VA and the primary decision maker. You want to make sure you are able to talk too and are comfortable and have established with the person who is cutting the checks. Schedule this call with the purpose to gather feedback on the engagement and relationship thus far. Make sure you stay connected.

Business is human. People want to do business with people. Having a system in place will give you confidence, knowing you have a strong foundation supporting you; this will help put your clients at ease and make them more comfortable. Remember, by setting aside time to work on your business and create documented systems and processes, you are not only improving your business, but you are growing and importing as a service provider.