How to get Virtual Assistant Clients

How I Got My First Virtual Assistant Clients

In my panic to find virtual assistant clients, I did a lot of courses. Not everything worked because a lot of strategies didn’t fit my energy as an introvert. Cold calling (yes, I started when that was still a thing) or going to network events… Those strategies are the same as reading a book with a cliffhanger and having to wait a year for the new book. 

Anyway, I got my first client after I sent an email to 3 people I knew had businesses in my network. 

So, one of them wrote back to me that she was thinking about creating an online course for her clients. Mind you, this was not a service I offered back then. I didn’t mention this at all in the email, and I thought I had no business doing that.

But it sounded very interesting. I told her that I’d never done that before, but she still hired me even though I had no experience at all.

My first recurring client came to me via a post in a Facebook Group that someone else shared. She was asking for someone who could substitute during her vacation. But it turned out to be something else entirely. 

She didn’t mention that in her post. But she was pivoting her business to coaching instead of VA work. She still wanted to offer that to her clients, and that’s where I came in. 

Because it worked for me, I have a room in the WolfPack Membership where you can share jobs with each other.

5 Ways To Get Clients as a Virtual Assistant (so you can go full-time!)

How to get clients as an introverted virtual assistant is finding your own strategy and not copying other VAs. It’s something I dealt with a lot in the beginning. If I were just a bit more extroverted than all the clients would come running to me. 

But that’s not how it works, You need to be yourself to attract your dream clients. 

Business owners want to work with real people. As introverts, we have soooo many superpowers that entrepreneurs need.

Option 1: Reach out to your network

Like I wrote before, my first virtual assistant client came from my own network. 

I really had to learn that my network was way more than my LinkedIn connections from my old jobs. 

It’s also the dietitian who helped me eat healthier, or the man I met on my backpacking trip through Australia, or my cousin.

So, think about all the people who are in your network. They don’t even have to have businesses. It can be your next-door neighbour whose sister is just looking for support for her business. 

In the WolfPack Membership, my membership for new and existing virtual assistants, I added a template that you can use for your emails to people who live further away than your next-door neighbor.

Option 2: Reach out locally

You don’t have to only look in your own network when you ask yourself: How do I find virtual assistant clients? You can also go to local businesses. 

Now, I know that just talking to a complete stranger is not really your thing. So start with business owners you know.

Maybe your local bookstore, where you browse for new, amazing books, is looking for support from you. You’ve seen them before, and maybe you’ve talked to them already.

Or the local coffee shop or bakery you often visit. Maybe that’s even a spot where you work sometimes.

Start with people you know and work yourself up to strangers.

But make sure they are people and businesses that you WANT to work with.

Option 3: Join groups

My first recurring client came from a post in a Facebook group. It was a Dutch group, so I can’t link it here, but someone shared a post from a virtual assistant, and because I didn’t go on vacation, I responded. 

There are so many Facebook Groups you can join. When you type in business or women business into the search bar, so many pop up. Choose larger ones and check if they still get comments posted weekly.

I joined https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenbizowners/, and there was a post about collaborating with other business owners. I jumped on that. Not only because I could practice and got testimonials out of it. But also because it increased the people in my network. One of the women I collaborated with hired me, and she also referred some women from her network to me.

That’s why I also added this possibility to The WolfPack Membership because I believe that we are stronger together. 

Another place you can check is Reddit

Option 4: Social media

As an introvert, social media can be a lot. So, choose 1 platform to focus on. Make sure that the platform is what you love to do. If you only want to write and don’t want that many pictures of yourself online, go for Threads. 

Social media is not only for sending out your messages but also to be social, so don’t forget to engage.

At the beginning of my business, I was on multiple platforms. I had an Instagram account, I posted on LinkedIn, and I did Pinterest. And it’s not like I created different posts for each platform. I repurposed a lot. But still, it was just too much. I went from posting 3 times a week on Instagram and LinkedIn to not posting at all. It took me a while to start again.

Also, because I had no idea what to post about. That all changed for me when I changed my mindset.

Option 5: Referrals

Now, most of my virtual assistant clients come from referrals. I told you about the first recurring client I had. We worked together for about half a year before it ended. And it didn’t end because one of us did something wrong. She felt like she was responsible for finding virtual assistant clients for me. She had sleepless nights because of that, so it was in her best interest to dissolve our relationship.

One of her clients came with me because she was looking for a tech VA. She’s still my biggest client, although we had some breaks over the years we worked together.

A lot of my newer clients came via her. I helped them with their online course, and they asked me for other things. And those clients also referred me to their business friends. All because I’m freaking amazing at what I do.

I also want to say, be discerning when it comes to signing new clients. They have to be your people. If you feel in your gut that this is not someone you want to work with. Say no. The best way to find that out is to have a free discovery call on your website. This really helps me sign virtual assistant clients.

The best way to build confidence?

Take one small step today.

The WolfPack Membership is for new and existing VAs to become tech and operations specialists, so they can charge 4 figures per client per month, have clients who want to work with them for years,  and live the quiet life they crave.

And if I’m honest with myself, I would’ve loved having this kind of thing when I pivoted my business. It would have saved me so much time!

Join the waitlist for founding member pricing and a 1:1 bonus only available for people on the waitlist! Doors open this fall…

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