A VA's Perspective on Coaching Sites
6/7/2006
by Kenn Schroder
I met an interesting individual - Kristen Beireis, Virtual Assistant (www.VirtualHelper4U.com).
She is interesting because she specializes in helping Coaches!
Let's see what she has to say about what works on Coaching web sites.
Kenn:
Tell me about what you do.
Kristen:
As a Virtual Assistant, I help Coaches by taking care of their administrative
duties. I find great pleasure in marketing (newsletters, articles, flyers etc.)
and taking care of business so my clients have more time to Coach.
I get butterflies when I work on a project that allows a client to branch out!
The most amazing part of being a VA is the partnerships that are created by
working with Coaches.
Kenn:
How did you decide to become a VA?
Kristen:
I was looking on the internet for potential new careers and found a web site
about Virtual Assistants. I was immediately drawn to it because it combined my
experience with running an online business, marketing myself as an actor and doing
administrative work. Not to mention that I could work from home! Then I met
another Coach online who happened to be looking for a VA.
I mentioned that I wanted to do some VA work, and he hired me. The word soon
spread, so here I am working with Coaches and loving it!!
Kenn:
You could be a VA for any number of professionals. Why, specifically, do you
work with Coaches?
Kristen:
I hired a Coach last year and became a huge fan of Coaching. Coaches help
people get what they want out of life. It brings me great joy knowing that I get
to support them in that goal. It's important for me to believe in the work I do,
and I truly believe in the value of Coaching.
Kenn:
What do you see as a big challenge for Coaches who are growing their practices?
Kristen:
The biggest challenge I hear about is marketing.
Coaches want to spend their time with clients. However, to continue growing
their business they have to consistently get their names in front of as many
prospective clients as possible.
There are e-mail campaigns and flyers to produce, web sites to update,
newsletters to write and so on. It's a lot of work to keep up with all of that.
Kenn:
So when it comes to "doing" the items you mentioned (e-mail, web sites,
newsletters), what do you notice about Coaches who are successful, and Coaches who
are struggling?
Would you say that successful Coaches hire VAs?
Kristen:
I notice that Coaches who have a full load of clients definitely have someone
else doing these things for them, and they've created a system that provides for
multiple streams of income.
They have many products to offer and are continually coming up with new ones
which are (of course) put together by someone else.
There comes a point when a Coach has a choice- either continue to do it all
alone and struggle with balance, or hand off some of it to a person they trust to
do it for them.
That's where the VA comes in.
It all comes down to time management, balance and releasing control. The best
way to move forward is to look at your goals and focus on what you want. What are
you tolerating? What are you willing to STOP tolerating? Which pieces are you
willing to hand off to a partner?
Hmm...sounds familiar, huh? LOL!
Kenn:
When it comes to Coaches and their web sites, what do you notice IS and ISN'T
working?
Kristen:
One thing I hear a lot about is the quality of a web site. It's easy to tell
when a web site has just been thrown together. Potential clients can tell the
difference. A Coaching web site doesn't just sell a service or product. It sells a
personality. A web site where the client feels like they KNOW the Coach will
increase business.
Not to mention the fact that driving traffic is important. If a web site isn't
optimized for the search engines, then it's really hard to find. It doesn't have
to be fancy or even have a lot of bells and whistles. I do believe that a
professional touch with some smart design strategies will provide more leads than
a site that is just thrown together.
Kenn:
How can a Coach get started with a VA?
Kristen:
First, decide what you are willing to have someone else help you with. Then
prioritize that list. Know what your business goals are for the next month, six
months and year. Be clear about what you want to accomplish and the course of
action you'd like to take to get there. As things change, your VA will change with
you, but it's good to have a clear starting point for both of you.
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