Running a successful business takes patience, time and hard work.
You have heaps of industry experience and knowledge. In fact, you're an expert in your field. Yet your hard work and years of experience mean nothing if you don't manage your time and assert your expertise. Maybe one of the main reasons people question your abilities is your lack of assertive communication.
Perhaps you spend most of your time playing catch-up and then apologising for late replies and missed deadlines. As a business owner, putting your hands up and saying sorry when you've made a mistake shows accountability, but it can be pretty detrimental to your business when overused. Why you might ask? OK, let me give you an example: Your customer Sophie believes in you. She bought into your brand and she ultimately needs your expertise. It's 9 am on Monday morning and Sophie sends you an email asking for your help. At first sight, you don't know the answer. You become distracted then reply to Sophie's email Wednesday afternoon with the following: "I'm sorry for the late reply but I'm unable to help with this. Apologies for any inconvenience caused" How do YOU think your reply has made Sophie feel? I'm guessing frustrated. Yet again you're apologising for the late reply and not finding the time to research a solution. Now imagine if you had someone who could take care of your emails, new enquiries, research and all the other things that come with running a successful business in a prompt, assertive and efficient manner.
And Sophie received the following reply... "Thank you for your email, Sophie. I'm afraid I can't support you with this, however, I've researched an alternative and found a great solution for you..." See how this change of language and assertive reply shows confidence and ultimately builds trust. Ok, are you ready to up your game and change this cycle?
Well, guess what...
A Virtual Assistant like me can make this a reality for YOU!!
Even if you think you can do everything yourself, imagine how much time you could save if you were able to focus solely on your core business and leave the detail to a Virtual Assistant.
If you want to stay on top, and remain assertive and focused in your business then drop me an email Lorraine@lorrainefreelancepa.com to chat through how I can support you.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Lorraine Owolabi
Lorraine AKA Mrs Organised is a Virtual Assistant and Founder of Lorraine Freelance PA. Lorraine helps Business Owners and Start-ups remove overwhelm so they can focus on the important stuff. She specializes in Virtual PA Support and Social Media Management.