Mathew Dickerson : Establishing and keeping a relationship really comes down to caring - really caring - and communicating.

Mathew Dickerson : If you care about the success of your clients - which I am sure you do - and let them know that you care you have the makings of a relationship.

Mathew Dickerson : Then you need to communicate with the client regularly - at least once every 90 days - so they remember you care.

Mathew Dickerson : Getting new clients is more difficult - but utilise the relationship you already have

Mathew Dickerson : One of the best ways is to ask existing clients whom you have a good relationship with to refer you to other clients.

Mathew Dickerson : Cold calling, email, mailbox drops - these all just work on the numbers game and will return results with a lot of effort and a lot of attempts.

ladydianab : It is amazing what a handwritten card can do for a business relationship.

Tess : I couldn't agree more - referals have made up 90% of all of my new business for the past four years

Mathew Dickerson : I think there are smarter ways to gain new clients and the referral system - not offering payment but just asking a good client - will grow a business quickly.

Marian : That's true. I'm picking up a new client right now who seems to have a LOT of trust in me because another client referred her and told her I was *the* best. That's great to hear, but a bit duanting, too... she likely has high expectations.

Mathew Dickerson : Great comments. I am conscious of the time and the interactivity is great so I will forge on with another rule.

Mathew Dickerson : The next rule relates to deadlines. I am sure you have lots of deadlines that people expect you to meet and expectation management would be a major part of your job. Some people like the idea of deadlines as they make a nice noise as you go whistling past those deadlines...

Mathew Dickerson : My next rule is Set Black And White Parameters.

Mathew Dickerson : Even before getting married, humans tend to have selective hearing. It is human nature to hear a conversation in a way that delivers the most favourable outcome for you.

Mathew Dickerson : When you give a cost, a time, an estimation, or any information to a client, if you use a range, if you use the word about, each party will hear the conversation in a way that is most favourable to them.

Mathew Dickerson : If you tell a client the cost will be about $80 or $90, the client hears $80 and you hear $90. If you tell a client something will be ready in about three or four hours, the client hears three and you hear four.

Mathew Dickerson : The simplest way to overcome this problem is to ensure that every time you are quoting time, dollars, or outcomes, you mention a definite, indisputable number. If everyone is completely clear on what has been promised, it is easy for everyone to agree if delivery has been achieved to expectations.

Mathew Dickerson : If we promise a client an item will be ready by about Tuesday or Wednesday, the client will expect the item on Tuesday morning. When the item is ready on Wednesday afternoon, we may think we have delivered good service, so we would therefore be confused when the client is unhappy.

Mathew Dickerson : Picture a better scenario. “Your item will be ready by 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, sir.” There is a definite time, and everyone is clear on the promise. If that deadline can’t be achieved, make sure the client is informed of the revised deadline as early as possible. A phone call at midday on Tuesday might go like this: “Sorry, sir, I won’t have your item ready at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. I will have it ready by noon.” Unambiguous is the key.

Mathew Dickerson : If you finish by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, tell the client the good news. Clients rarely complain when you call and tell them you are ahead of schedule! This is particularly relevant for tradespeople—can you imagine a tradesperson who booked a time and either turned up on time or called before the appointed time to say he was running late? He would rule the world!

Mathew Dickerson : We transformed our IT business – in terms of profitability and customer satisfaction – by changing our charging model about 5 years ago. We went from a normal hourly rate to doing every job for a fixed price.

Mathew Dickerson : Sometimes you get the price wrong BUT the saving in administrative tasks and misunderstandings at the end of a job more than make up for some incorrect quotes. It is a much nicer feeling when everyone knows exactly where they stand in relation to a job that is being completed. And you will win work based on this concept alone.

Mathew Dickerson : Any comments on black and white parameters and how they relate to your industry?

Action Jackson VA : I agree and learned that particular step within my first month of working as a VA. But, it is always nice to be reminded.

Mathew Dickerson : Do you sometimes have a 'discussion' with a client about a 'misunderstood' deadline?

GladysS : I much prefer clients to tell me they need something by a certain day and time, rather than within a week, before the weekend, etc. Helps me plan my time.

harrisro : I definitely agree with the parameters. I always give a date or time that is a little past what I know I am going to get the project done in and every time I get such great results from the client on how pleased they are that I am always early...I'll never tell them my secret!

Bernice : Again, back to effective communication. Harrisro, you've got it.

Mathew Dickerson : I am onto you harrisro - I am going to expose your secret to the world

harrisro : It is also important when speaking with a client to give a specific time, such as "please respond by close of business today" instead of please contact me..

Mathew Dickerson : One of my other rules (which I won't go into today) is to Promise X but deliver X+1. That is exactly what harrisro is doing.

Tess : Yes, it works both ways - I build client deliverable deadlines into my proposals and it makes a huge difference in how quickly the things I need to do my job get to me

Mathew Dickerson : I don't want to be critical harrisro, but even be careful with this. Some people understand COB to be 5pm - others understand it to be 6pm or even 7pm. I would tend to go for a straight number.

Mathew Dickerson : I like the idea Tess. Keep the client on deadlines as well.

Mathew Dickerson : We only have 5 minutes to go (an hour goes so quickly) so I will give you one last rule.

Mathew Dickerson : My last rule is directed at everyone on this forum.

Mathew Dickerson : Thank More People More Often.

Mathew Dickerson : Thank you for taking the time to hear some of my thoughts and ideas on ways to improve your business. I don’t confess to being an expert on your profession but I have learnt over the years that business principles are typically business principles.

Mathew Dickerson : Thanks! What a magical word. Imagine you only have one minute left to live. What do you do? Some people conjure up images of jumping off the Empire State Building and enjoying the ride down (you would want to be sure you calculated your trip down to finish after the minute).

Bernice : Thank you Mathew

Mathew Dickerson : Me? I have had almost an opposite experience of one minute to live. My dad died on 20 November 2000 at the age of 82. I visited him in the hospital and knew instinctively that he was not coming home. They were flying him to Sydney for further treatment, but I felt that Dad’s time was nigh.

Mathew Dickerson : With the concept of Dad not having many hours left, I went home and wrote a letter to my dad. I thanked Dad. I put into words how much he meant to me and how much he influenced me. I recounted examples when I felt that Dad was really there for me. I said that I still thought he could push a shopping trolley faster than any other Dad.

Mathew Dickerson : The overall experience was both sad and uplifting for me. I shed many tears writing the letter, and even now, it still brings a tear to my eye.

Mathew Dickerson : I gave it to my dad as he lay in hospital, but I didn’t watch him read it—I asked him to wait until I had left before he read it. Mum told me it gave him a great amount of joy as he read it over and over in the hospital and again on the plane. When Dad did die, I felt much better knowing that he died with the knowledge that he had been appreciated.

Mathew Dickerson : With one minute left, my best advice would be to try to thank all of those people who have helped you. If that is good advice for one minute left to live, why wait until then? As life goes on, you start to realise just how much work it takes from lots of people to make things “just happen.” Find those people—and thank them.

harrisro : Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us

Your Virtual Wizard : Tess, you state in your proposal when a project will be completed? (If you can) That's very interesting to me and rather clever. Something unique to offer the client.

Mathew Dickerson : Lots of people care about you, and they genuinely want you to be happy and successful. So my last rule is the most serious rule. It is also the easiest to implement. You don’t have to look very hard to find people you can thank.

Mathew Dickerson : With that message fresh in our minds, thank you for your time and now to give out the free copy of ‘Small Business Ru!es – The 52 Essential Rules to be Successful in Small Business’.

Mathew Dickerson : The best question/comment/piece of feedback for the day was received by...

Mathew Dickerson : Drum roll please...

Tess : Great reminder - sincere gratitude goes a long way

Mathew Dickerson : Any last questions or comments before I hand out the prize?

Action Jackson VA : Thank you for talking and visiting with us Mathew. You have given us all valuable rules and ideas.

Marian : Thank, You Mathew!

Mathew Dickerson : Sincerity is the key - and if you can fake that, you have it made! Boom, Boom!

GladysS : Thank you, Matthew, for your time and wisdom!

harrisro : fake it till you make it!

Tess :

Mathew Dickerson : Final drum roll...

ladydianab : This has been fantastic! Can you come back again with more rules to follow? Wow

Mathew Dickerson : The winner today is...

Mathew Dickerson : harrisro

Mathew Dickerson : Congratulations!

Mathew Dickerson : If you have any more questions for me or have some rules of your own that you want to send to me, don’t hesitate to send me an e-mail at md@mathewdickerson.com.

harrisro : woo hoo

Tess : Congrats harrisro!

harrisro : thanks everyone

Bernice : Congrats harrisro!!

GladysS : Congrats harrisro!

ladydianab : Congratulations, harrisro!

Tess : And you should check out Marian's review of Mathew's book http://www.virtualassistantforums.co...ickerson-14503 as well - I just wrapped up reading the book myself and it is awesome -

Action Jackson VA : Congrats

Mathew Dickerson : And that brings our hour to an end. Any final questions before we sign off? I am sure we could take questions past the hour mark if I ask Jo nicely.

JoCarole : congrats harrisro

Your Virtual Wizard : Congratulations harrisro!

D_Victoria_Virtual_Assistance : Congrats harrisro and thank you Mathew!

harrisro : thank you! thank you! all in a days work...lol

Marian : Yes, Mathew.... can you please explain what a stock and station agent is please?

Marian : That's something he references in his book, and I still can't figure it out.

Tess : Mathew your information was really refreshing - thanks again!

Mathew Dickerson : A stock and station agent is like a real estate agent but they sell stock (cattle, sheep) and stations (farms).

Seaboard Consulting : Thank you Mathew

Your Virtual Wizard : Great concepts, Mathew.! Thank you!

Marian : Oh, okay. Thanks! That one got me.

Mathew Dickerson : Not the type of business you see in downtown New York.

JoCarole : Thank you Mathew, wonderful Chat!

Mathew Dickerson : It looks like that wraps it up - have a great evening everyone. Over and out.


[Read our review of Mathew's Book 'Small Business Rules' here]

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