|
Jackie
Eastwick, IVAA CVA
You've
heard the expression, "You don't get a second
chance to make a first impression." It's the same
thing with presenting your business to the public. From
the first day you decide you're going to open a virtual
assistant practice, the marketing of your business
should always be on your mind.
Right
now, in the start-up phase, you're concerned with
setting up a legal business, assessing your skills,
likes, dislikes, figuring out what services you will
offer, who you will target as clients, etc., but in that
ever-so-remote area of gray matter that may have some
room left, always keep the topic of marketing alive.
Always think about how you're going to present your
business. No matter what is on your mind, you should be
aware of how it fits in with marketing.
Looking Good
What
are examples of marketing materials? Letterhead,
business cards, brochures, flyers, postcards,
coupons/certificates, Web sites—and all of them should
carry a common theme, color, imagery (such as your
logo), etc. This is what's called branding. You
want the reader to eventually see your marketing
materials and know they are yours before reading a word.
Start
thinking of your logo, what color scheme you want to
use, the feel of your branding and, in
particular, your Web site. Anyone who knows me will tell
you I believe strongly in a Web site being your main
marketing tool. If you're going to work virtual,
wouldn't it make sense to market yourself virtually too?
Your Web URL should be on your letterhead, business
cards, and brochures—all of your marketing materials.
Your
business identity should be unique. It should represent
you and only you. Your branding is a reflection of you,
but at the same time it should appeal to the type of
client you want to work with. When I first started, my
branding was a pure reflection of me. I used neutral
colors, nothing loud, with a simple black and
white logo. I found that I attracted a certain kind of
client—professional, conservative, subdued, etc. You
get my drift.
After a
few years, I wanted to attract a different kind of
client. I changed my business identity, my branding,
and went to purple and orange. I saw the change in those
requesting my services almost immediately. I started
getting younger clients in non-traditional professions.
The work they requested was not my typical transcription
or database/mail merge operation. They wanted Web work.
They wanted to kick around ideas and discuss innovative
ways to market their businesses...they were fun.
Now
trust me, I am most definitely not a "purple and
orange" type of person. But the kind of client I
wanted to work with was. I had to take my corporate
identity and blend both my personality and the type of
client personality I wanted to work with. I still have
the same logo, but I colorized it—to purple and
orange. I did discover a part of my personality
was purple and orange.
Recently,
I had an email discussion with Cheryl Allin, owner of
VirtuAllin, a colleague and friend of mine who is
designing my coaching logo. I asked her if she thought
it would harm me to change the coaching site colors to
something other than purple and orange. I thought maybe
I should go for a different look, yet I still wanted the
reader to know it was Allison Lane Business Solutions.
Her reply was very interesting:
I'd
have to say keep the purple and orange - it is absolute
branding, those colors are completely yours! <grin> So
much so that any VA who's been to sites and sees another
VA site in those colors will automatically think that
they were 'inspired' by you.
Those
colors are completely yours...that
is what you want to do with your business identity. This
is what you need to be thinking about 100% of the time
you spend working on your business.
As a
side note, Cheryl does wonderful logo work and is one
terrific virtual assistant. If you need graphics work,
you should visit her Web site, www.virtuallin.com.
More Than Just
Clothes...
Your
business identity is more than visual. It's also in what
and how you say things. Do you have a particular
writing style? Some of us are casual, formal, cerebral,
humorous, etc. Take a moment and write the opening
paragraph to your Web site or your brochure. Can you say
what you want in a short, unique way? Or take a minute
and try to write a tag line. Can you write something
catchy about your business in only a handful of words?
Your
personality will show through in your copy, so you want
the words to be your own and not someone else's. Please
don't borrow or use text from someone else's Web site or
marketing materials. Why would you want to use anyone
else's words? I see this all the time. It shows a lack
of original thought, lack of ethics, lack of
understanding copyright law, and, in general, laziness.
I know, I know, how many different ways can you define virtual
assistance? The answer is plenty. Sit down
with a pen, paper, and not in front of your monitor and
write what you think it is. Chances are it's not going
to be someone else's definition.
Try to
be yourself in your writing. This is where you really
get to shine. This is how the reader will get to know
you—but they will read between the lines. The way you
say something is nearly as important as what you are
saying.
Pulling it All Together
So from
day one you've been thinking about your company colors,
logo, and Web site and marketing material copy. How do
you put it together? Chances are, if you're not a
graphic artist, you'll have difficulty with your logo.
Maybe you don't have the money to get a professional
logo. Research the Internet. There are cheap (and
sometimes free) sites that will do logos—nothing
fancy, but they will work until you have some cash
stashed away. Chances are you're not going to be a Web
designer so your site will be your first. There are
places on the Internet that sell Web site templates. You
could both buy the software (FrontPage seems to be the
start-up program of choice) and a FrontPage template and
do it yourself, or you could pay someone. You may be
able to afford a minimal Web site from a designer. I've
done several sites for start-up businesses for a
reasonable price. Or you could try doing your own, but
be careful because your site will be the first
impression you leave on many people. You want it to look
really good.
Practice
writing good copy. This may well be the most daunting
task if you are not a natural writer. You should start
thinking about what you want to say and how you will say
it from day one. Have others review it. If you know
someone who is a good writer, have him or her give you
some pointers. And equally as important, have someone
else proofread it before you put it on your Web site or
print marketing materials. I can tell you from
experience, you are your own worst proofreader. You see
what you want to see and not what's really there.
You're
not going to be able to come up with your branding and
copy overnight. I don't suggest you have 1,000 brochures
commercially printed. Same with the business cards.
Start out with only a few (sites such as VistaPrint
offer 250 cards). If you have a nice printer, print your
own marketing materials early on. Don't waste money.
Your marketing materials will go through an evolutionary
period.
In
closing, it's important that your identity reflect both
yourself and the type of client you want to attract.
This is a delicate balance and may take a while until
it's refined. This is why it's so important you start
thinking about it at the beginning and keep it in your
mind all the time.
Bio:
 |
Jackie
Eastwick, owner of Allison Lane Business
Solutions, has been in business since April
1999. She is an IVAA CVA (Certified Virtual
Assistant), EthicsChecked, Certified Real Estate
Support Specialist, and former VP-Education of
the IVAA. Jackie operates a full-time Virtual
Assistance practice as well as a Virtual
Assistant Coaching Program. An introductory
Coaching Assessment Form (abbreviated version)
will be available upon request to coaching@allisonlane.com
|
|
In
1998, Jackie left her job while pregnant with
her daughter (Allison Lane Eastwick). Since she
did not return to the workforce, Jackie could
devote the countless hours necessary to starting
up a successful business support service. You
may view more about Allison Lane Business
Solutions at: http://www.allisonlane.com,
http://www.professionalvirtualassistant.com
or send an e-mail to
Jackie@allisonlane.com
|
|
|
