Important Points for Potential Clients - Page 2 - Virtual Assistant Forums

#16 (**permalink**) 01-13-2009

I have to agree with Robyn. Interview? Generally someone calls me, asks me what I charge and how I work. I tell them, they send me the work, we sign a work order and the relationship is started. If they like my work they give me more. If I like the work, I continue to help them. Interviewing has it's place, but do you interview Walmart before you buy something from them?

Eyreka · #17 (**permalink**) 02-09-2009

Wow Robin! You summed up exactly what I was thinking about the "interview" process. Thanks so much for posting that.

And Lee, I appreciate your frankness with this newb! Sometimes it's hard to remember that everyone goes through this process and it's a long haul and then some...

Missbookkeeping · #18 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009

Well said Robin. I feel the same way. We are Small Business Owners and not employees.

Protege Business Solutions · #19 (**permalink**) 03-12-2009

This is great information. Thanks for sharing.

mommiemayhem · #20 (**permalink**) 04-10-2009

Originally Posted by Robin_Holstein

Maybe I'm gagging at gnats here, but when I see someone use the word "interview" in conjunction with a VA business, I kinda go .."WHAT?"

We are small business owners.

Consider this ...

Joe owns a small auto repair shop. He want's to establish a web presence but realizes he doesn't have the skill, time, or desire to build and maintain one. So, he begins searching for a company of good reputation and price.

He'll ask his buddies, read local publications, notice ads, maybe check the Yellowpages. He'll call and ask about pricing. He might have lunch or grab a beer with a rep from a company and discuss what he needs and what they can offer. He will never "interview" that company or the rep.

Now, you may say having lunch or a beer is the same as the "interview", I say it is not. An interview is something you do before hiring an employee. Joe isn't looking for an employee, he's looking for a business partner. He's looking for someone that will help him reach his goal.

See, I am a hard & fast believer that we must change our mental paradigms. We must, must, must move from the "employee" mentality to the business owner mentality. As long as we consider ourselves "employees" we'll worry about offending someone when we need to increase our rates, charge for a specialized training, not accept a project, and more. That doesn't mean you have to be a Scrooge, you can still be all warm & fuzzy, butterflies and rainbows, but as a business professional.

When was the last time you interviewed a plumber or received an apology for him raising his rates? [Do you know how much they get per hour and what the average education level of a plumber is?]

So, my contribution to this thread is to treat a potential client as a potential business partner, not a potential employer.

I 100 % agree with you on this !This is definitely the way to think of it !

Protege Business Solutions · #21 (**permalink**) 04-10-2009

You are so right on. Thanks for the note. This is exactly how we should view ourselves. We can't expert the outside world to think of us this way if we don't present ourselves as such. It starts with each of us.