| |
ISSN 1939-2834
Vol. 2, No. 6 | February 11, 2008
Don't forget to add "newsletter@virtualassistantnetworking.com"
to your email friends list so you won't miss future issues!
In This Issue:
From the Editor
There is a single culprit that most all problems and failures in
business can be traced to. Can you guess what it is? Yup, it's
poor communication. Yours truly is here this week to share more on a topic
(and sensibility) that never goes out of style.
To your success!
Danielle Keister
Founder & CVO
Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce
The Importance of Excellent
Communication Follow-Through
Excellent communication — not merely good or okay
— is so vitally important in your business relationships, even more
so when your mode of doing business is entirely virtual.
One aspect of beyond-excellent communication is consistently following
through in your responses to emails and voicemails. I'm not talking about
the occasional message or response that falls through the cracks; that
happens to the best of us.
What I'm talking about is establishing consciously devised standards
and policies for handling correspondence in your business. This includes
being in the habit of making sure those who correspond with you know that
their message was received. There is nothing more frustrating than sending
someone a message, and then hearing nothing but crickets in response.
If you've ever been on the receiving end, you know what I'm talking about.
You're left wondering whether the recipient is taking whatever action
might have been required, or if they even got the message at all. This
kind of poor communication creates extra work for those folks trying to
correspond and work with you. It doesn't put you in a good light and definitely
doesn't engender any confidence in your follow-through abilities.
Don't do that to your clients and customers — or yourself, for
that matter.
Establish a timeliness standard in your business and then be disciplined
about sticking with it. If you have a 24-48 hour turnaround, make sure
you demonstrate a pattern of consistently responding to all messages within
that timeframe. Also devise processes and procedures that allow you to
keep track of messages and follow-up appropriately and efficiently.
Even if you don't have to do anything, you should still acknowledge receipt
of the message. This can be accomplished with a simple "got it"
or "thank you." Those two little words can mean all the difference
for the person at the other end. And proper email acknowledgement is going
to work wonders on keeping your clients happy and apprised of where things
are at.
RESOURCE: Poor communication
and follow-through is the number one business killer across all lines.
For a more indepth look at this topic, read Dr. Tracey Peterson Turner's
article, "Conquering
the Number One Problem In Business--Poor Communication."
 About
the Author: As principal of The
Relief Virtual Assistance, Danielle Keister has been providing expert
administrative support to the professional community since 1997. Working
with solo professionals in the legal, consulting and public relations
fields, she helps clients gain time, increase efficiency and make more
money by taking on their administrative burdens and helping instill strong
administrative foundations in their businesses. Visit her website at http://www.TheRelief.com
to sign up for her complimentary 10-week e-course, "Ramp Up Your
Billable Hours: 10 Easy Fixes You Can Make Right Now!"
FREE
Teleseminar on February 21, 2008: 10 Ways to Communicate Confidence and
Boost Your Credibility
 If
there were 10 simple behaviors that could make you more self-assured,
and help you know for certain that you could tackle any challenge that
came your way, wouldn’t you want to know what they were? Join us
on Thursday, February 21, for this entertaining
and informative session with Canada’s Civility in the Workplace
expert, Lew Bayer, as she provides insight and practical tools that, with
practice, will ensure increased self-assurance, confidence, and productivity.
RESERVE
YOUR SPOT TODAY >>
- A D V E R T I S E M E N T -
Overwhelmed by too many emails? ClientSpot
helps you collaborate more easily with clients and associates online without
creating a mountain of emails. It's friendly Web-based interface is a
snap to use, and your basic account is free for life if you register by
March 1st. Click
to learn more...
See
Your Ad Here!
Find a Qualified Virtual Assistant Today!
 You
don't have to live in overwhelm. You CAN get just the help you
need without having to hire in-house staff. Find yourself a great Virtual
Assistant today, and go from struggling by yourself to getting things
done and thriving on the road to success.
See
Your Ad Here!
|
|
See
Your Ad Here!
|
Gritty Business Buzz is a weekly newsletter of
the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce published each Monday.
It is produced by Virtual Assistants especially for the gritty,
resourceful, fiercely determined small business owners and independent
professionals they serve--YOU!
EDITOR: Danielle
Keister, The
Relief Virtual Assistance
MANAGING EDITOR, BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT: Karen Del'Marmol, Karen
Del'Marmol
MANAGING EDITOR, MARKETING
& NETWORKING: Laura Lee Sparks, The
Simple Solution
MANAGING EDITOR, VIRTUAL ASSISTANCE
OUTSOURCING: Joy Slaughter, A
Capital Solution
MANAGING EDITOR, STRESS BUSTERS:
LaTanya Robinson, LaRobe
Business Solutions
MANAGING EDITOR, TECHNOLOGY:
Sandi Johnson, Virtually
Yours LLC
Contact us here.
We protect your privacy. Your name,
email and personal information will NEVER be given out, period.
Miss
an issue? Read the archives here >> |
|
