The Next Level

Note from the Editor

Welcome to the latest issue of The Next Level - I'm glad you're here!

You may have noticed that we missed last month's edition, but with good cause. TJ has been incredibly busy in the past month and a half, and I have all of you to thank for that! I look forward to being on a regular schedule again!

We've moved our blog! Check out the new Behind the Scenes - fresh from the presses! I used WordPress for this blog, and I have found it to be a very robust blogging tool. Check out www.wordpress.org for more information on wordpress and to download!

Onward and upward!

Warm Regards,
Erin Banister
TrinityJacobs - Your Personal Virtual Assistant

TrinityJacobs - Your Personal Virtual Assistant has room for three more clients! Please email us today at info@trinityjacobs.com to schedule your FREE no-obligation consultation!

Featured Resource

Easy Bake Weblogs

There's a blogging mastermind in our midst, and his name is Andy Wibbles.

If you know nothing about blogging, or if you are a seasoned pro, this is a must-have resource. I've learned so much from Easy Bake Weblogs... and Andy provided all this useful information in an easy to understand format.

I highly recommend this resource for anyone who's blogging or wants to blog! Check it out today!

Ask Erin...

Question:

What is all the excitement about article submissions, and why do I want to use it in my business?
Rick– Life Coach

Thanks for asking this question, Rick, it seems to be on the minds of many entrepreneurs this season. Posting your articles around the internet is a great FREE marketing tool, and one I highly recommend for any business.

Article submission is great for a number of things: for one, it's a great way to drive traffic to your site. Newsletter publishers & the general public often search through article banks to find fresh content for their newsletters or for more informaiton on a topic. By having your article posted on several article banks, you're ensuring that your ideas are out there in the public - just waiting for the right people to read. And, by having these sites link to yours, you drive up your search engine rankings! It's a win-win situation.

Also, article submission allows you to position yourself as an expert in your field. By writing things you are knowledgeable about, you position yourself as an expert, and people will begin coming to you for the answers - instead of just wading through the internet.

If you're ready to begin submitting your articles online, check out our Article Submission List for the most comprehensive FREE resource on article submission sites!

Now go write those articles and get your name out there!

Have a question for Erin? Send your questions to Erin about virtual assistance, business, or marketing topics, and you may be in a future issue of The Next Level!

Have you had to inform your customers of delays? You have so many things to do just running your business. It's hard to focus on one at a time. Or maybe you're a perfectionist, so none of your projects gets completed.

ShipwreckedProject.com coaches business owners to complete projects on time. Our project management techniques help you figure out what's going wrong - and how to fix it quickly. See http://www.shipwreckedproject.com for more information. Or email info@shipwreckedproject.com .

The Impossible Client

The impossible clients are lurking; we know they’re out there. I can almost see them around the corner with their impossible time-frames, unnatural expectations, and general grumpiness – just waiting to catch me off guard and into their netting.

The netting is the worst part. When you realize these people are just like yourself – just impossible for you to work with. I’m sure I’m an impossible client to somebody, but I shouldn’t have to deal with them.

We don’t have to. It’s called selectivity. Use it.

As business owners, we have the right to select whom we work with. And, we should select who our customers are – and not just let every John Smith who comes a-calling be part of our clientele. But, in order to choose who we will work with, we have to set our professional boundaries.

What are your boundaries?

When we think about those few impossible clients, what comes to mind? Were they disrespectful of your time? Did they not care about the nature of your business, just the results? Did their ethics not align with yours? Many times our impossible clients have goals that align with our own, but the relationship is just not viable.

We must have relationships with our clients, and in order to do this, we must know what qualities our ideal clients possess. I’m not talking about demographics here. I’m talking about psychographics – and they’re just as important (if not more) than demographics. These qualities aren’t something you can research; it’s something that you have to take time to learn from every potential customer. You need to screen clients’ personalities!

WAIT A MINUTE! I can’t screen people on their personalities!

Yes, you can. We all have introductory meetings where we go over goals and expectations. This is the perfect time to use your understanding of your ideal client psychographics to get the information – and you don’t have to relay that to your customer just yet. The normal ‘where do you see yourself in 5 years’ and other questions go well here, but the key to understanding your potential customer is asking them to embellish. You can get a lot out of a few words… so make sure you have everything clarified. Then, articulate your boundaries to your clients!

Articulate your Boundaries

Yes, you need to articulate your boundaries to all potential clients. You’ll be better off for doing it, and your clients will understand your business and how it relates to them. If you refuse to deal with whining, then tell them. If you can’t work with someone who doesn’t keep their end of the bargain 99% of the time, tell them. You have to let clients know what to expect from you, and what you expect of them. Whether it’s to have a list on your desk on Monday, or if it’s goal-setting and keeping, these are things your clients need to know before you ever begin a professional relationship – or the relationship won’t work.

Many times, just by following these few key steps before beginning any new client relationship, you can turn your impossible client into your ideal client – just by setting your expectations. So go out there, set your expectations, and relay them every time.

You just may be surprised at the results.

Katrina has struck - what now?

Hurricane Katrina has devastated the Gulf Coast area of the US... Biloxi, Mississippi has been obliterated, New Orleans is under 5 feet of sewage water, and millions of people have been displaced from their homes, their businesses, their lives.

This will be an ongoing effort to rebuild the home of Jazz & Marti Gras, to bring the history & life back into the area, and to help those who have suddenly been displaced from their lives.

Give to the American Red Cross. Give to Operation Blessing. Give to the Baton Rouge Area Relief Funds. Give to someone - I don't care who - just help those are in need. We did it for the Tsunami, now let's do it for America as well.

And, if you've already given, thank you.

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