Hi, as you all know I am currently in the process of sending out my direct e-mail to prospective clients; and, unfortunately, I am having a bit of a struggle finding companies in my 3 geographical areas of south england and also in my target groups (Medical, Media, Advertising, Graphic Design). I have been looking in the local council's business directories and at the moment all I have is 16 companies saved in my database so, does anyone have any tips in finding other clients or shall I expand my search to include solicitors and estate agents, etc? (the trouble is, I am currently looking at companies with less than 25 employees, or should I increase it to companies with less than 100 employees)?

I look forward to reading your comments/suggestions.

p.s. I have looked at the thread winslowgirl posted a long time ago, but I was just quering about web search...

Julia, you know, it actually might not be bad to start with your 16 contacts. Since you're brand new to the industry you'll have a nice pool to start out with and can provide personalized, individual follow ups for each of the 16 over the next couple of weeks.
And, while you're doing that you could expand your search to areas outside your 3 local geo's and increase your mailing list database as you go.

I think, as a VA, it's less important *where* they are and more important that they fit with your skill set and interests (best to work in industries you enjoy and are familiar with).

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Tess - thanks for those tips! I will start out with those 16 or so companies & then chase them up again 2-3 days after sending out direct mail I will also look at other areas in the UK/Eire before going worldwide thanks again

Great plan Julia And remember, you've virtual, so you're not limited by location at all!

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I totally agree with Tess! Don't worry about where you are. Find out where your potential clients hang out online. Graphic design forums, medical advice websites, advertising and media forums...join there and start offering tidbits of free advice. Build some solid relationships and develop trust with members of those forums. The clients will come.

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Brianna Young, VA and Graphic Artist
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"It's not the piano that makes beautiful music. It's the person sitting AT the piano!"

I agree 100%. Start small then add more as you learn and they really don't need to be in your area. I just started local networking last week and now wonder why I didn't do it sooner but I still get most of my clients online from a distance.

I couldn't agree more about finding out where your ideal clients hang out online! Why? Because they are all pre-qualified prospects for you! This is one of the reasons it's important to narrow in on a market and you are well on your way!

The great things about being virtual is that our location does not matter, so don't limit your self to your location! I believe that it takes at least 7 touches to a prospect before they start to recognize your brand and what you do so I wouldn't recommend blasting a lot of people all at once! Start with your number and make all the necessary follow-ups. This will also provide a great measurement tool to see how effective your marketing efforts are!

Good luck!

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thanks for that - there is a radio station in my town actually (I don't know whether to e-mail them or not - either way I may get publicity!!), but I am looking for discussion forums now to join and then hopefully work from there! fingers crossed!!

I will be sending out my direct mail to the businesses I have got today so hopefully that will drum up some leads as well!

Hi,

I've been away for a bit, but I'm back!

You may also want to network with some of the local VA groups situated in the UK, and or leads groups, i.e. ToastMaters, BNI, etc. They all have members that fit in the demographics you identified -- and may even assist you in your marketing efforts.

Another way to get your message out -- via radio -- is to identify the "talk stations", which are always looking for people to interview. Find a show relating to business, or women, or whatever your niche might be -- and see if they will have you on as a guest. (Create a good pitch piece -- story angle) and submit it to the producers. During the show, offer some sort of give-away that listeners can receive by signing up for it at your web site (where you will capture their email addresses); and then you have a way to communicate directly with individuals interested in what you have to say or your product/service. By doing so, you change your leads from cold leads to warm leads -- and open doors for future communication and business development.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

Great ideas. I would never have thought about talk radio. The women in business angle is always good.