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Recently, I have ‘been on’ a few back-to-back consultations with potential clients. Each conversation had to be fine-tuned on the spot depending upon the clients’ expertise with working with a VA and in regard to his/her use of the internet. Since consults are not ‘one size fits all’ this post can help VAs to customize the conversation to achieve maximum results.

*note RFP used herein is a Request for Proposal. This is the form that potential clients complete with information regarding their virtual assistant needs.
*Letter of Intent is the reply letter a VA writes in response to the RFP.

1) Research, Research And More Research – If there is any tidbit of information you will take away from this post this will be it: Research the client’s website and business as much as possible before dialing the phone. I suggest going one step further and research as much as possible before hitting the send button to reply to the initial RFP itself. Although each Letter of Intent should be customized to the client’s requirements, take more time than usual to know the client because you may not have much time to do the research between the time you hit send and the time the client replies back to your customized letter of intent. I have been in close-timing situations and have had mere minutes to vamp-up my research before I called the client back. Being prepared ahead of time will thwart being caught off-guard because you may need to book an immediate consult. It happens.

2) Be Careful How You Phrase Your Opinions – Before making the consult call (and creating the Letter of Intent), make a list of what you think can be improved on the website or blog but do not come forward right away with a critique while on the phone with the potential client. Wait until the client asks for your opinion and phrase your critique as such, “If your website heading is decreased in size you can offer more information about your business above the page fold” or “If you add your social marketing badges to your home page, you can increase your membership”. Making suggestions as opposed to saying, “The header is too big” or “The web page is messy” may make for bad vibes during the consult. Diplomacy is key.

3) If the client indicates that they do not know how to do something while you explain what services you can provide, offer to show them how to do it. You may think that offering to train a client, for example how to post a blog will take away work from you; I actually believe that this leads to more work, which is what we all really want as virtual assistants. I believe in offering to share my knowledge with a client for three reasons: First, you will get paid for training; Second, once you spend more time teaching the client a task, this helps to build a relationship and solidifies you as the expert and, Three, these tasks lead to more work because then you can make suggestions as to how the task can be fine-tuned. The latter is much easier to do when you have built a rapport with the client.

4) During the consultation call, be keen and listen to the client as they speak. Clues to how much expertise they have will be apparent just by listening. It can be embarrassing for the VA to review services the client is already familiar with. In fact it is a waste of time. Some clients know what ftp might be, while others have no idea. Do not assume a client knows the entire internet ‘lingo’ so it pays to be clear during conversation without being too ‘techie’. It is easier to consult with client who has already worked with a VA so be sure you know this information in advance.

5) If the client is seeking to replace their VA, it pays to know why but never be intrusive by asking outright. Most clients will say if they are replacing their VA upfront. Use that information to your advantage. For example, if the client states, “My VA does not know how to post a blog”, that would be your cue to indicate this is a service you offer (if you do, of course). But do not ask why the VA is being replaced. Only use the information if offered to indicate what you can offer to fill that hole.

Finally, evaluate each consultation call immediately after hanging up. What could you have done better? What did you do well that you can use for the next call? Consultations calls can improve over time.

Too often than not, when someone is trying to start out with ecommerce, they will go it alone. While this can be beneficial as it requires the individual to learn quickly about what they are getting into, it can also be detrimental. One of the main reasons is that someone who has never been involved with ecommerce will undoubtedly make mistakes relating to how they conduct ecommerce business. They will commit errors because they will not have the experience they need to avoid those mistakes. This is why many get help with ecommerce in the form of an ecommerce consultant.

An ecommerce consultant is someone who comes to you and helps you manage your business successfully. There are several advantages to having an ecommerce consultant:

1. They have the experience to help you avoid the mistakes you would have made if you went it alone.
2. They know how to make your ecommerce site successful because they have helped others become successful. Therefore, they know what it takes to be successful.
3. They will be able to help you navigate the tricky waters of being an ecommerce site owner.
4. They will know how to market your ecommerce site to drive in traffic so that you can bring in a profit almost immediately.
5. They will know what you need to do to save time and make your business the most successful through efficiency.

An ecommerce consultant will cost you money, and that is what deters many ecommerce site owners. They do not want to spend that extra money because they worry they will get little from it. This is the wrong way to look at things. You have to spend money to make money and you can make money by getting an ecommerce consultant. An ecommerce consultant will save you time because they can help you avoid the mistakes that new ecommerce site owners always seem to make. That saved time leaves more room for profit and that helps you make money simply by spending a bit extra to get an ecommerce consultant.

You can usually find an ecommerce consultant on the internet, where there are many firms that offer ecommerce consulting to new ecommerce owners. The price you pay for an ecommerce consultant is also going to differ. Those with more experience are going to cost more than those with less experience. Which one you get depends on how much you can afford but generally you want to get someone who has a lot of experience.

For more information on starting up an online store, you can visit Startanonlinestore.com, where there are plenty of tips and tricks to help you get going with your store.

Oftentimes, one of the hardest tasks for a pharmaceutical or life sciences firm to achieve is not necessarily starting a successful business, but maintaining a successful business. This is mainly because the life sciences market is extremely competitive, and so much depends on the efficient use of resources, as well as staying current with the newest technologies and methods of production. For a smaller pharmaceutical company, this task can be even more daunting, as budget and staff constraints are often limited, affecting everything from timing, to regulation compliance.

Fortunately, for smaller pharmaceutical companies, the appearance of more and more life sciences consulting firms has made it possible for smaller firms to improve their competitive advantages, as well as give larger companies clearer strategies to follow for success. These firms can help your business to not only stay competitive, and stay in the market, but also give your company its best chance to succeed and grow.

Each life sciences consulting firm is different and can offer your company different services. The first step is to clearly determine what you feel your company’s needs are, and where your company needs improvement and expertise. Through this assessment you will be able to determine what consulting services your company needs, and form a basis from which to work from. There are a number of consulting services your company may not even be aware of which can drastically improve your business. Here are a few examples of what a life sciences consulting firm can do for your business.

A life sciences consulting firm can save your company time and money by helping to speed up the rate it takes to conduct clinical trials, monitoring, research, as well as any other application process. They can also provide you with a specialized staff that may have expertise in areas in which your company is lacking. They can also find experts in almost any field of biotechnology, to share their knowledge and experience with your company. Most importantly, they can teach the staff you already have in place, to do things better, faster, and more efficiently, not to mention, familiarize your company with the newest methods and technologies, to help you keep a competitive advantage.

A top-notch life sciences consulting firm will help give your pharmaceutical company the flexibility it needs to adapt to current trends and changes taking place within the industry, as well as save your company time and money in the process. They will help your company to better understand all the procedures and regulations, and give your firm clear answers to help guide you along your process development.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention smartconsultinggrp.com as the original source.)

What an image consultant can do for you is vast and varied. The very word image has a lot to contribute to the way a business or an individual is portrayed to the world. Because people usually form an impression within the first few minutes it is critical to seize that moment and be viewed in the right light. People have so much information to process and so your first impression in these few minutes is often your only opportunity. If you do pass on a sub-optimal image you will have to do considerable damage control to rectify your impression.

Questions like how do I create a professional image, how can I improve my presentation skills, how can I handle my staff, how can I create a corporate identity are well within the capabilities of an image consultant. Image consultants are well trained to identify problems and provide practical solutions according to each situation. They can be responsible in creating the right image with your business, staff, dress codes, staff empowerment etc.

Your focus may be to feel more in control over how you present yourself in general. Many of us don’t feel confident about our image. We would like to know what kind of insight an image consultant can provide in selecting the best colors that complement us, types of clothing for our body type, appropriate makeup, as well as etiquette tips and awareness of body language.

No celebrity takes decisions by themselves with regard to their appearance and body language. It is critical to present the right image when meeting their fans and the media. Although you may not need an image consultant by your side as frequently as a celebrity might, a few consultations can give you some wonderful insights and tools to make those key changes that will have far reaching implications.

An image consultant has a wide range of clients from pharmaceutical companies, property management groups, insurance groups, financial consultants, accounting firms, retail stores, oil companies, software companies and the general public too.

At a time when opportunities are limited, getting noticed in a positive way couldn’t be more important.

When a man seeks out the services of a fashion image consultant he begins a journey of self discovery.

“A man’s elegance stems from his knowledge of clothes, of how to wear, buy and care for them. It is this awareness that others notice about him: he is no self-aggrandising dandy but a man whose confidence is perfectly balanced by the beauty and suitability of the clothing he wears. We step back and admire the eloquent nonchalance of one who knows the rules and has successfully and joyfully mastered them.” Richard Martin,Curator of the Costume Institute, Metropoliatan Museum of Art.
This journey will alter the way he thinks about himself and how he looks at clothes well into the future. The expert advice of a trained professional will make shopping easier and dressing for any occasion more successful. Many men are initially stunned by how much they don’t know and how much they have to learn because good grooming goes way beyond choosing a tie and buying a suit.

A fashion image consultation for men should include many things:

· Body Analysis. This allows a man to develop an awareness of his silhouette, vertical proportions and positive or negative features. This information determines the styles and lengths of garments that enhance and flatter him.

· Line, Design and Colour Principles. This is the theory that underpins so much of the art of good dressing. Few people are trained in these principles and consequently make poor choices regularly when shopping for clothes. If they have an instinctive notion that what they have bought isn’t flattering, they rarely know why and so consistently repeat the mistake.

· Garment Selection. Using the information gleaned from the body analysis, he should receive a comprehensive list of clothing styles that will help him look his best on any occasion.

· Accessory Knowledge. This is an invaluable element of the consultation because accessorising appropriately is very important to a man’s visual image. It is this aspect of a man’s wardrobe that enables him to express his individuality and style personality.

· Wardrobe Organisation. This part of the consultation trains the male in the art of pulling many disparate elements together to create a winning outfit. It is an essential skill for minimising duplication and maximising cost effectiveness.

· Style Personality. Every man has one, and it comes from his life’s experiences, vocation, education, life style, interests and physical attributes.

Many men may think that seeking the services of a fashion image consultant is an exercise in vanity and self aggrandisement. And perhaps for a few it is. Clothes and personal grooming is only one facet of a man’s life, knowing how to maintain perspective and balance is essential. However, there is plenty to learn and much to be gained by investing in the services of a fashion image consultant. After all, when a man knows that he looks good it raises his self esteem and self confidence. He will attract positive attention and positive people. He will dramatically increase his visual credibility and create opportunities in all areas of his life.