You Never Can Tell
Mar 20, 2022
I never know where clients will come from, but I do know that the majority of them have met me in person, online, or that they know someone I know. My most successful client relationships come from referrals – but most of them are not a straight line, which makes it more fun and interesting.
Here are some stories of how I’ve connected with new clients as a Virtual Assistant:
- I was working on a project with my client’s web developer, David. I liked him, he sounded like he knew what he was talking about, and I thought he would be a good person to know. After the project was over, I suggested to David that we talk on the phone and learn more about each other’s businesses.
It turned out that most of our services overlapped too much for it to be likely for us to work together again, but as soon as one of his other clients wanted help that was outside of the services he offered, he referred me. This client quickly became my largest client, annually worth about 20% of my revenue for the last 4 years. - I was at an Ice Cream networking party and started talking to someone I had never met. We figured out that his wife and I worked together in corporate 15 years before. We didn’t work together much, but I remembered her because she was nice to me when my manager sent me to help her fix her computer.
That day at the party, her husband told me that she was now working for herself, and never mentioned that she needed help. A few weeks after the party, she got in touch with me and has been a wonderful client for years. - Before I was RocketGirl, I had an online store for about 8 years and sold baby gifts. I got to know one of my vendors during that time, and we would see each other every few years at a tradeshow in NYC. When I started RocketGirl and started sending my email newsletter, I added her to my list since we were friends.
About 5 years ago she showed up on my calendar, using my online scheduling software. I was delighted since we hadn’t talked in years. While we were talking, I found out that she had sold her business and needed my help with a new project.
We finished that project, and then just last month, she scheduled another meeting with me, and now I’m helping her with her brand-new business.
I have many, many more stories just like this one. Here are the key takeaways:
- The world is small, so be nice and do your best
- Don’t write someone off because you don’t think they’ll ever hire you
- Stay in touch with people you like
- Stop trying to get strangers to hire you
Getting new clients is easier than you think. Remember that the best place to find them is by staying open to new connections, and keeping in touch with the people you already know.
If you’re not already a member of our Facebook Group, The Virtual Assistant Connection, and would like to join, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/
