Converting Virtual Assistant Prospects to Clients

It drives me crazy. The prospect gives some lame excuse why they really don’t need the services of a Virtual Assistant when in reality; it is exactly why they do need a VA.
Have you ever heard one (or all) of these?

• I really need someone in my office.
• No one can do it the way I can.
• When I need stuff done, I need it right away.
• I just can’t see how we would get anything done.
• We won’t be able to communicate.
• How will I know if I am being charged fairly?

In any sales situation (yes, you are a salesperson so get over it!) there are objections. What separates the successful VA from the wannabe is how they handle these objections.

Do you just say sweetly, “oh, ok, I understand, well, if I can ever be of service, please let me know”?

Or do you educate your prospect on the benefits of having a VA and reassure them that you can help them with the how?

Let’s break these down:

• I really need someone in my office.

What if you asked them to explain their concerns, to explain why they feel they need someone in-house? This helps you get down to the real objections so you can answer them. You might hear something like, “I want to be sure that they are getting work done.” You can answer that with a little education on systems and procedures but more importantly, you can speak to the benefits of not having someone in your office. You can let them know that with a Virtual Assistant you only pay for actual work time, not time spent chitchatting with co-workers.

• No one can do it the way I can.

Ask them what these tasks are. Some of them are tasks no one else can do. These are the things they got into business to do. But I’m willing to bet that on this list are some things that they really want done well, such as customer support, and they are afraid that someone else will not do it with the care that they will. Then they will lose customers and credibility. Are they right? Or will you treat their customers as your own? Will you take a team view and reassure your prospect that you will be successful together?

• When I need stuff done, I need it right away.

OK, this is one where I want to scream. I really need to take a deep breath before jumping in on this. Nothing needs to be done right now. Let’s face it, if it isn’t done right now, will the Earth stop spinning on its axis? No, I don’t think so.

What this is really about is that they want to know they will be heard, their business will be taken care of, they will be taken care of, and their clients will be taken care of. This is about setting expectations and boundaries. You need to explore with them what those immediate tasks are and suggest systems to ensure that they are handled in an appropriate manner. When the client says they need something done “right away”, what does right away mean?

• I just can’t see how we would get anything done.

Well how does anything get done? A task needs to be done, the instructions are communicated to the VA, the task is completed, and the results communicated to the client. Nothing new under the sun – except maybe the technology to communicate. Are you going to have a phone appointment? Will the information be emailed? Maybe you will use Google Docs to collaborate on a project?

• We won’t be able to communicate.

Huh? I hear this one all of the time. Ask them how they want to communicate. If they say, I need to see my assistant. Ok, what do they need to see? Would a Web Conference suffice? Maybe they just need to see a face with your name. Or are they saying they just need to know that they gave instructions for a task and it’s being handled.

• How will I know if the work is being done?

This one drive me nuts too. Um, well you will see the results of the work. It’s not like a VA does work and they never know it. If you are tasked to send out a monthly newsletter, won’t the client see it?

This is, more often than not, more about will they be charged fairly. If they have never done the work, then they might not have a realistic idea of what is involved. This is about communication – letting them know the process and the time involved. You don’t need to explain every detail, but you do need to hit the bullet points.

If the work is something a client has done, they often don’t realize just how long it actually takes. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard, “I need you to do X and it only takes me 20 minutes to do it.” Yea, right. In what Time-Space Continuum? Here is where diplomacy goes a long way. When I really think something can’t be done that quickly, then I ask my client either to walk me through what they do or to write up the procedures they use. Often this will show them that it really is an hour-long job and I’m not trying to pad my bill.

Reality Check
The truth is that all of these objections are saying the same thing: The prospect isn’t used to working with a Virtual Assistant. They are used to working with an employee. They need you to help them wrap their brain around this new way of working. And change is hard. Change is risky. And moving out of their comfort zone is hard.

It’s your responsibility to remove the risk by educating them on the benefits of working with you. You need to let them know that the logistics will be handled easily and efficiently. When you do this, you will convert that prospect into a client. When you do this, you won’t have an employer/employee relationship, you will foster a partnership. When you do this, you will be a Professional Virtual Assistant.

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