How accessible should you be to your clients?

I’m feeling a bit feisty today, so I’m going to tackle one of the hottest topics in coaching circles regarding their virtual assistants. It’s also one of the hottest topics in virtual assistant circles, but for different reasons.

From the Virtual Assistant point of view, many have a belief that coaches will take advantage of them if allowed to, and consequently set firm boundaries around the area of accessibility and project turnaround time.

They don’t answer the phone spontaneously, they don’t respond to emails immediately, and heaven forbid they use instant messaging! They complete project requests on their own schedule. This attitude is supported by many VA mentors, VA schools and training programs.

There is admittedly a very good foundation for this. The majority of VAs come from a corporate environment, where as an employee they are accustomed to being at the beck and call of their employer.

Once they leave corporate and start up their own business, many find it challenging to make the mindset shift from employee to business owner, and continue to respond to their clients as an employee would, as opposed to a business owner.

The problem with that is, you can’t make every client the boss. You can’t run a business and retain your sanity catering to clients in that way. VAs need to get that they are the CEO of their own business, and need to set policies accordingly.

So in response to this need, some VA schools and mentors have gone overboard in the other direction, instilling in their disciples a strong sense of justification for doing work in their own time and offering very limited availability to their clients.

From the coaches/client’s point of view, this often is perceived as a “snobby” attitude. Many coaches feel frustrated with what they believe is the lack of “good” VAs “out there,” and part of that frustration comes from their dislike of this attitude.

The rest of their frustration comes from the simple fact that in order for them to grow their business effectively, they need assistants who are reasonably customer service oriented and responsive.

Emphasis on the word “reasonably.” Most don’t expect the kind of “catering to” that many VAs are concerned about, but they do need something in-between.

The typical, and not altogether unreasonable, response from some VAs is that coaches need to learn to be proactive. They shouldn’t run their business in “emergency” mode, expecting their VA to take up the slack.

It’s best summed up by the old adage “Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”

Most good business owners, including coaches, would agree with this. However, a coach with a growing business also needs to be able to respond quickly at times to grab opportunities, and it can be very frustrating to have a VA that’s not “with the program.”

I know coaches that have passed VAs by because they didn’t like the attitude, and I know VAs who would say good riddance. But let’s take a bird’s eye view of this for a moment.

Is this conflict really serving anyone? Coaches want VAs they are happy with, and VAs want clients. There are parties in both camps who are frustrated and feel that the other is hard to find. Isn’t it worth the effort to find a win-win solution?

As a coach who helps VAs market to and get coaches as clients, and who has connections in both communities, this topic is front and center for me.

So I’m going to have the audacity to suggest a possible solution.

If access to their VA and quick turn-around time is of high value to a coach (and it is to many), then what do you usually do when you have something to offer that’s of high value to your market?

Think about it.

That’s right. You charge for it. Why would you give it away for free . . . and why would you withhold it? Add it into your highest retainer package and then charge accordingly!

Coaches who are on their way up and need the access and quick turnaround will find your higher package most appealing and appropriate for their needs anyway.

The only thing VAs have to lose is the attitude. And they have everything to gain. They can still set boundaries, think like a business owner, and run their business effectively.

In fact, it’s the ultimate in “CEO” thinking, vs. employee thinking. It’s the next step up.

It’s what I encourage all of my clients to do. If the idea intrigues you, and you’re wondering how you might incorporate it into your business, I’m offering a free 20 min. breakthrough session this month to anyone serious about having a breakthrough in their business.

I invite you to take advantage of it and strategize with me.

In that session we’ll take a look at your business and at what needs to happen for you to take this next step up to the CEO level. Shoot me an email:  Kellie@theVAsuccesscoach.com

And keep thinking “out of the box.” It’s what will keep your business alive and growing!