What info is on your business cards? - Virtual Assistant Forums

VagabondetteVA · #1 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Tess, I think you only take new clients by referral now, but I assume you still have business cards that you use. Do you have your number on your card? I mentioned to a friend that I wasn't going to put one on there and he thought I was nuts. But he also doesn't understand the industry. And when I explained that my goal is to leave the US so tying myself to a US number doesn't really work for me he kind of got it, but not really.

If you (or anyone) don't have your number on your card, do people comment? If so, how do you respond?

Tess · #2 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Hi Amanda - I moved your question out from under the other thread as it's a good question in and of itself....

As a rule we do take new clients only on referral and I don't actually have business cards. It's worked really well for us not having that out there. When clients or potential clients would like to talk we set up a time to call them.

No one's ever asked about why we don't have a business line, come to think of it.

eve_k0802 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Amanda,

I do have my phone number on my business cards, along with my website and email address. I do not have an actual physical address on my card though (since I work from home and don't want to hand out my address to everyone I meet), and I think that helps to stress that I'm a virtual assistant. I understand what you're saying about wanting to leave and not being tied to a phone number, but from a potential client's perspective, don't you think it might look odd that you don't have a phone number, or seem like you're not a real business? Of course, that's not what I think, but people who are just learning about our industry will expect to be able to contact you via phone if they need to, and it may be giving the wrong impression of your business. First impressions are everything, and if you are at a networking event or meeting, giving out an actual business card, I think it should have your phone number on it. Now, if it was an e-card at an online event or forum, I think it's perfectly fine to not include your phone number. Just my two cents!

Yvone

VagabondetteVA · #4 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

heh. When I got the email alert for your response my thought was "am I smoking something that's making me lose my memory because I don't remember posting to a thread like that!" lol

I really think it's only going to be the following on my business card:

Amanda Moore
Virtual Assistant
Giving you more free time
Email
Website

no phone and certainly no address.

Do you put anything on the back? I was thinking of putting "Ask me how you can earn $50" to promote my referral program.

eve_k0802 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

I wanted to add that when a prospect becomes a client, you can let it be known to them that you want to be contacted via email and that's the best way to reach you and give a time frame that they can expect a reply from you. You may event want to utilize an auto-responder.

Believe it or not, I have actually met with people who are still unsure of using email and don't know how to attach documents or download attachments. I've spent some time on the phone with those folks explaining how things work and how our relationship would have to work.

I also wanted to mention that I don't have a separate fax line either. I have a combination printer/fax/scanner/copier that I could use if needed, but I've used WinFax and similar programs when necessary. The only time it's been an issue is when someone's needed my signature, then I had to use an actual fax.

Yvone

VagabondetteVA · #6 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Yeah, but I don't want people calling me. Once I start working with them I'll give them a way to contact me via phone, but I don't really want to put a number out there because what happens in 8 months when I leave the country? I don't want to be branded with a US phone number when I'm traveling around the world and still networking. But I also don't want to have to keep re-printing business cards.

It really comes down to the fact that I HATE phones and intend to spend as little time on them as humanly possible. So I don't want to let people get used to contacting me that way.

VagabondetteVA · #7 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Yvone, about your signature, I have a .jpg of my signature that I can drop on a sig line on a form, save as PDF and then email/fax back. You may consider doing that.

Tess · #8 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

LOL....

There's a thread here somewhere about what people put on the back of their bizcards....let me see if I can find it....

I think it's this one (it's four pages of replies....):
VA definition on business cards

But here are a few more you might find useful as well:
Ideas to put on the back of bizcards

Totally cool bizcard ideas

Print your own business cards

VagabondetteVA · #9 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Also, as far as it looking odd to not have a phone, I'll be honest and say I've never actually looked at or used a phone number from someone's business card. I *always* email. And really, I don't think I'd work well with someone who wasn't comfortable using technology. Certainly there's a learning curve for new technologies, but I'd expect my clients to know the basics.

I don't have, nor do I want to acquire, a printer so I wouldn't want to work with someone who is used to using printed documents a lot. I will not have a full home office so that will limit me somewhat in the services I offer, particularly after I start traveling.

Tess · #10 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

I agree with Yvone on some level about the need to be available via phone to potential clients especially if you're not on a referral only basis but since it doesn't work into your particular plan, give it a shot your way. If you find it isn't working you can always set up a SkypeIn number local to NYC or somewhere and just maintain that as your stateside number....it comes with voicemail too so you can ask people to leave an email address for you.

You have to remember we did things backwards - we were already abroad when we started our company so it was never a question about how people would reach us.

Either way, there is certainly ample room to experiment with not having a number out there.

VagabondetteVA · #11 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Thanks for the links, I'll check them out. From the research I've done, it seems that giving either useful info that they'll need and hang on to or giving money/discounts is the best way to make an impact with the back of your card. It's also a conversation starter.

On the back of my Finance Coach cards I had the FICO scoring system on one style and the 5 steps to retirement savings on the other. People *loved* them. Almost every person commented about what a great idea and what great info it was.

Since I don't really have anything like that for VA stuff I figured I'd go the money route.

Tess · #12 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Amanda, I think it's very cool that you have this plan to travel, etc. but would suggest that you remain open to the needs of admin clients (in terms of printing, faxing, etc.) just keep in mind that they have fax machines and the like as far afoot as remote villages in Borneo...
You don't need to limit yourself or your client's expectations just because you're going to be traveling.
We handled everything we needed to without owning more than our two laptops, but there were times I needed to go to the local fax shop to get something sent (because we didn't have a scanner...who wants to travel with a scanner...LOL)

And, while I'm giving you both of my two cents here

Part of what you will need to do as a VA is train your clients to understand how to work virtually. It's all well and good to want to work with people at a certain level of understanding but you will do your practice a world of good just adopting the perspective of teacher. Even if it means helping a client here or there set up an email account or learn to attach a document.

I have clients with PhDs who have needed instruction in that area. We have one client who has a Masters in Business and was a top exec at a MAJOR search engine before he went solo - we had to teach him things I could not believe he didn't know. But you know that client pays 50% of our total income each month and he's loyal because we took the time to educate him

Empower your clients and they're yours for life. No matter what corner of the world you're typing from.

VagabondetteVA · #13 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Yeah, I've thought about setting up a skypein number. I do actually have a local portland number through yahoo that I got when I decided to move out here. I may just end up using that. I funded it with $10 over a year ago and it still has over $6 left in it. My pay-as-you-go cell plan was funded with $100 3 months ago and still has $40 and that includes a $25 phone call to USair trying to figure out flights.

So, you can see that I'm not big on phones.

VagabondetteVA · #14 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Oh, I know that I'll still need to use a fax/printer/whatever occasionally. I have no problem with that and I know that I can do that from anywhere. But I also know of people who are so tech averse that they won't use anything other than that and those are the people I wouldn't be able to work with.

For example, I know someone who was doing some bookkeeping for a guy. He put everything into excel but refused to learn Quicken and wanted to pay someone to take his data from excel and put it into Quicken. But, he REFUSED to email the excel spreadsheets because he was worried about security so he faxed the info to my friend for her to enter manually. He didn't care that it took 10 times longer. This is not a person I could successfully work with.

I anticipate some level of education for most clients and I don't have a problem with that but I've gone through training techphobes before and I *really, Really, REALLY* don't like it and I'm not good at it. I'd rather not have a client than have one that requires a lot of hand holding tech wise. I've been down that path and it makes me very frustrated and unhappy.

eve_k0802 · #15 (**permalink**) 05-20-2008

Tess, that's what I was trying to find - Skype! That would be a good alternative.

LOL about hating the phone! Me too! I hate the phone, I hate hearing it ring, I hate talking on it. Most of the time I have my ringer turned off on my phone because I can't stand the sound of it! I leave it sit beside me and can see when it lights up that someone is calling. I utilize text messaging so much more than the actual phone, and now that I have a BlackJack (AT&T's version of the Blackberry) I get all my emails right on my phone as well. Lately I've been really into Twitter too.

I guess maybe it's because of my background and the types of businesses I worked for, or maybe my generation or something, but I would always put a phone number on a business card. I prefer to work with people who know how to utilize the technology that I do, but I'll also teach people how to use it if they want to work with me and take the phone calls if I have to until he or she is ready to go completely virtual. I even taught my mom how to get on the internet and send email, and now she's texting too! I'm not sure where you stand in your business, if you're just starting up or already established, but I would hate for you to lose out on business just because of someone's perception of the business. Just my opinion, after working in the corporate world. Plus I'm from Pittsburgh and this city tends to be behind the times in just about everything. Like Tess said, give it a try and see how it goes. I have a totally paperless office, too. I rarely print anything here. If a client has a big print job, I use the online services of FedEx Kinkos or Office Max and they even deliver the job to the client, too.

I just talked to someone about creating a sig file today. I've done them for others, just never for myself. Maybe it's time.