Tame Your Imposter Syndrome

In 2001, I became a first-time entrepreneur when I opened an online baby gift boutique named Blueberry Babies.

Afraid people wouldn’t take me seriously if they knew I was working alone, I built a façade to make my business look bigger than just me.

I created email aliases for “departments” in my business like “info,” “support,” and “returns.” While all the emails went to my inbox, doing this made me feel like I was in business for real and quieted my imposter syndrome.

Often, I let the phone go to voicemail while I was busy filling orders. But one day, I answered, “Blueberry Babies, this is Belinda,” and the woman on the other end of the phone gushed, “Oh my gosh! It’s you! I can’t believe it. I love your products. Your daughter Emily is adorable.”

It surprised me that she knew I owned the business and remembered my daughter’s name. She spoke to me like we were friends, making me wonder if I was missing an opportunity to connect with my customers and build relationships. Maybe my imposter syndrome was wrong about how people would feel about buying from a small business like mine.

I brought this valuable lesson to my Virtual Assistant business when I started RocketGirl Solutions in 2010. Instead of looking for ways to hold myself separate, I looked for ways to connect.

Over the years, I have found many ways to do this. Here are a few examples to inspire you to use this strategy in your business:

1. Voicemail. Instead of hearing a monotone computer-generated voice stating my phone number, people who reach my voicemail hear me cheerfully say in a friendly tone, “Hello! This is Belinda Sandor of RocketGirl Solutions. Please leave a message, and I’ll call you back.”
    
2. Email. My email address is [email protected], not [email protected] or [email protected], as is the usual naming convention for email addresses in the corporate world. Using your first name feels more personal, and it’s easier for others to remember.
   
   I also include contact information in the form of an email signature that includes my name, cell phone number, and a link to schedule time on my calendar. When someone wants to reach me, I want to be as accessible as possible.
    
3. Conversation. When speaking about your work to clients and prospects, use everyday language to explain and illustrate your point so that everyone will understand what you’re talking about and be on the same page. There is a tendency to use jargon to show the depth of your knowledge or familiarity with a subject. But doing this won’t help you build professional relationships, even with colleagues.

Being authentic has paid off in more ways than one. It’s helped me quiet my imposter syndrome and taught me that success as a Virtual Assistant isn’t measured by how much tech you know or how fast you can type. People want to work with people they can relate to and like because they value connection. Please show them your true self and watch your business grow.

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