
3 Ways To Gain Confidence As A Virtual Assistant
Being a business owner is a lot like dating. I like to use dating as a metaphor because it is about attracting and building relationships with the right people and getting rid of the duds. STAT! It paints a mental picture you can’t ignore as well.
The problem was when I became a VA I hadn’t done much dating because most of my life I was married. I was making bad dating and client decisions simply because I didn’t know better. The “help” of my married friends and family didn’t help at all.
Whether or not you’re in the same boat, I think it’s something we can all relate to through personal stories, family and friends, or television. We’ve all seen someone go about it all wrong. Finally, I did get the hang of it and now I’m going to share my tips with you.
- Believe in what you’re selling.
When dating you’re trying to show the other person through your actions what a great catch you are. If the entire date you go about sharing all of your flaws, or worse, you share what others thought your flaws were the person probably isn’t going to ask you out again. The same is true in business. If you start out by saying you haven’t been doing this for very long, you hope things work out, you share your bad client stories, and tell me you aren’t very busy I’m not likely to call again either. People want to date and do business with people who are in demand. Period.
2. Believe in your value.
If someone asks you out on a date and they pull up to McDonald’s how much do you think they value you? If you agree to eat there how much do you value yourself? No one is going to treat you better than you will treat yourself. The same is true with your clients. Some clients will try to pay you pennies for your work. Run as fast as you can from them! You don’t want them or their friends. Don’t engage in a conversation or even try to explain why you charge more. They are a waste of your breath. Build your confidence by remembering this client wants to date you at McDonald’s. It helps put things into perspective. Not everyone can afford your services and that is fine. You’re still valuable. The goal is to find the clients who can afford you and to provide so much value the one’s who can’t yet have a goal to be able to work with you in the future!
3. Believe in your most attractive quality.
The Law of Attraction is real. We attract the people who are like us. If you keep on attracting the wrong person or client think about what signals you are sending out. If they don’t want to pay your fees are you somehow implying your services are cheap? Do your website or social media profiles scream bargain basement? Are you trying to attract filet mignon at Burger King? If your clients are too demanding and crossing boundaries have you positioned yourself to be their partner in business or do you portray yourself as some secretary from Mad Men? Your ideal client is drawn to you because you get them. Attract them by speaking their language in a way that only you can.
It can be rough in the beginning and, yes, you might have to go through some bad dates and clients, but your ideal is out there!
Because you can’t do it all yourself….Melissa Smith, The PVA is the bestselling author of Hire the Right Virtual Assistant and host of the Admin to VA Summit. To learn more about working with a Virtual Assistant contact Melissa here.

