Being a newbie VA – Part 2!
Hi fellow VA’s it’s been a while since my last blog, as I’m sure you will all know setting up as a VA keeps you really busy!
So what have I been busy doing?
Well apart from all the necessary tasks such as working out my terms and conditions, finishing my website and sorting out my banking and insurance etc., I’ve been busy with face to face networking.
I had never done a networking session in my life before, the idea of selling my business to people I had never met before filled me with dread. But I know that generally people like to do business with people they know, so I bit the bullet registered with a local Women inBusiness group and put myself forward for a few networking sessions.
On the way to my first one I was so tempted to turn around and go home, especially when I discovered I had forgot my business cards.
The networking far better than I could have hoped for and was not what I expected.
Everyone was really friendly and rather than pushing my business forward I found it much better to chat to everyone about their business and find out about problems they faced and what exactly they offered.
Having no business cards with me wasn’t a problem either, instead I just gathered everyone else’s and arranged to email them with my contact details.
Was the networking worth it?
Absolutely, it has brought me my first client!
Networking has worked out well for me, in fact at the minute it is the only form of marketing that I have been doing. I love building connections with other business owners plus it gets me out of the office for a while.
What has networking taught me?
– Don’t just talk about what you do, ask other people about themselves and listen to them. You might just find they have something you could help them with.
– Make sure you follow up any contacts. This is really important to build connections. Pop them over an email saying how lovely it was to meet them and tell them how you could help their business.
– Push yourself to try something new- Networking took me right out of my comfort zone but now I really enjoy it.
Do you like face to face networking and does it work for you?