Davis Virtual Assistants

Is it just me, or does this seem like the 4th Monday in a row? What a crazy, hectic and fun week this has been. This Director of the Future is looking forward to the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend!

Let’s get to it, shall we? This post is all about my love of poker. Over the weekend, I won 80 smackers in a poker game. My first real-life no-limit hold ‘em game and I won. Whoo hoo! I’m quite proud of myself. I played well, played strategically and hopefully didn’t give away too many “tells.” Considering I won, I think my system worked out very well. This weekend’s game was in preparation for a much bigger poker tournament in September. Yes, Sharks, I will be there, playing the game with 101 other players.

I have no illusions that I’m the next Doyle Brunson, Annie Duke or Daniel Negreanu. I may make a bad call and lose everything in the first hand. Then again, I may come home at the end of the evening, hundreds of dollars richer. I’m willing to take the risks, play the game to the best of my ability and see what goes down.

I think that, as a female, I may have the upper hand against my male opponents. Will I use my feminine charms and “work” the rock ‘n roll hair? Absolutely! (I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday, campers.) I think women are more adept at “reading” others, and sensing what others are thinking.

Who knows what will happen! All I know is I’m ready to play and put my game into action.

Wish me luck!

This post is a call to action to my fellow professional Virtual Assistants to ensure when you say you can handle a particular task, don’t lie about your capabilities. Mr. Feisty put me through the paces last night, and I now have a new client. A client which could have been yours …

Was Mr. Feisty trying to get free work out of me? No sir, he was not. In fact, he sent me a PayPal payment as a thank you. Was he trying to ensure I’ve got the goods and the services he needs, and to ensure I could handle his technical tasks? Of course! I passed the test with flying colors and signed him as DavisVA’s new client.

To all my Guppy readers out there, heed this advice:

• Be honest about what you can do for a client. BS is not allowed.

• If you haven’t handled a particular task in say 6 months and it’s a task you’d like to do again and is within your comfort zone, let the client know and estimate the amount of time it will take for you to get back up to speed.
• If the task presented to you is completely out of your skill set (and your comfort zone) and you can make a referral to someone who can handle the task, then do so. Say something like, “Lisa, I can handle all but one of the six tasks you’ve presented to me. I recommend so and so for the other task you need to outsource.” There’s no shame in your game for doing this, especially when you remember you can’t be all things to all people. In addition, don’t worry about losing this potential client if it’s determined you can’t handle everything they need to outsource. A smart and feisty business owner will take the time necessary to build her team of highly qualified professionals, and include you as part of that team.

When you say, “Yes, I can do that!” be prepared to back up your words with action.

Well, it’s Monday morning. The cats have been fed and are playing on the 1st floor, I’ve got a cold glass of orange juice and today’s vitamin at the ready and I got to work the easy way. I walked. Took me all of 30 seconds to get here. Say it with me, campers: Being Virtual is a Very Good Thing!

I’ve lived in major cities in the greatest nation in the universe, including Washington, D.C., San Francisco and New York City. While I loved living in those cities and partaking of everything each one had to offer, at the same time I hated commuting. Sitting on a train, with far too many people and not enough AC, for hours each day. Sitting next to someone who, for some unknown reason, hasn’t used a toothbrush in weeks. (Months? Years?) Sitting next to someone, either dude or dudette, who’s wearing WAY too much cologne or perfume. Sitting in a car or riding on a train or a motorcycle and dealing with the traffic. Traffic which made me late and ticked off.

Now, here’s the cool part about what I do for a living: I don’t get the Monday morning doldrums! I don’t. I love “going” to work on Monday. And you know what else? I’ve found that since I’m a home-based virtual goddess, my health has improved, I’m less tense and my headaches have almost disappeared completely. Plus, while I do work harder and longer hours at this than anything I did in Corporate Cubicle Land, truth be told I am the happiest I’ve been on my 40 years on the planet. Go figure.

Working virtually is not for everyone, and I’ll be the first to tell you whether this is a good fit for you and your family. Many folks mistakenly and foolishly believe that “being virtual” is easy work. Smack on the hand to you for thinking such nonsense! If anything, being virtual is tough and grueling, especially when you first jump into the virtual waters. You’re a fool if you think what I do for a living is a walk in the park. Yes, it is much easier NOW and yes, I am very successful NOW. But behind the “now” are many years of hard work, very late nights and very early mornings, and constantly refining my business model.

Sharks, your Monday morning doldrums are in full swing. What are you doing to do to change your situation?

If you think you’ve got the right stuff to work virtually, and if you’re considering setting up shop at home, contact me today and let’s chat. I offer all new VA coaching clients a complimentary 30-minute consultation, to help you determine if “being virtual” is really in your best interests. A free 30-minute phone chat with one of the most successful professional Virtual Assistants you’ll meet. I’d call that a bargain and time well-spent.

The choice is yours, my friend. Either continue to deal with too-much-perfume-and-not-enough-toothpaste on the train, or start today to lay the foundation for your Virtual Assistance practice.

What’s it going to be?

August 2006 is quickly drawing to a close, your tax deductions are going back to school, family vacations are over and all serious web marketers are preparing for their seasonal specials. To help you get the leg up on your competition, you absolutely must be using craigslist. If you’re not, you’re missing out on YOUR share of three-billion-plus page views per month. (You read that correctly: Craig’s List receives more than 3 billion page views per month.)

I’ve used Craig’s List for many years to promote my companies and products, and I do the same for Davis Virtual Assistants clients. I also make a signficant amount of money each month posting ads for our clients. My years of posting experience have helped make DavisVA.com the success it is today, and I can show you how to effectively and efficiently post to craigslist.

In addition, all web marketers need to know the basics of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Sure, you look to your web goddess or web master to implement major changes to your website, and that’s all well and good. But if you want to enhance some text, create an e-mail link or change the font color of a particular section of text at 3:00 AM in the morning, you should know how to implement these changes on your own.

DavisVA.com offers both craigslist and HTML coding training via on-line, live and interactive Webinars. You CAN learn to code and you CAN learn how to work Craig’s List for all it’s worth. Our Webinars are unique, timely and most important, effective.

The holiday selling season is just around the corner, Sharks, and the time is now to enhance your marketing activities.

Your call to action for today is to read about and register for DavisVA’s HTML coding and our craig’s list Webinars.

I’ll “see” you … on-line!

I’m working on a tight deadline for a client and helping him locate an admin who’s available to work with him on-site in New York City. I reached out to my extended network of colleagues, to my Wild Women Entrepreneurs team and to my favorite website, Craig’s list.

Now, here’s what kills me and this is a heads up to everyone who trolls craigslist looking for a gig:

READ the ad. Completely. Don’t just skim over it.

The craigslist ad we posted yesterday is very specific and fully details what we need. At last count, I received 400+ e-mail responses to this ad, and the sad part is that at least 85-90% respondents did not read my ad! An incredible waste of time and energy, especially for me.

Here are my not-so-gentle reminders to anyone responding to on-line adverts for jobs:

1. Read the ad once and print it out.

2. Go through each bullet point of the ad to ensure you fully qualify for the job. If you don’t meet all of the job requirements, DO NOT respond. When I tell you I need someone with a laptop (as I did in yesterday’s ad), you MUST have a laptop to qualify for the gig.
3. Prepare your e-mail response, then walk away from the computer.
4. Come back to your computer and proofread your work. Typographical errors and misspelling my name are hits against you. Do not expect me to respond …
5. In the body of your e-mail message to me, FULLY explain how you qualify for this position and do not give me your standard cover letter. If I list 10 bullet points in my ad, tell me briefly how you can fulfill or qualify for each bullet point.
6. Walk away from your computer one more time and rest your eyes.
7. Come back to your computer, proofread your work one more time and then send me your e-mail response.

Am I asking for the world to find someone who is professional and knows how to respond to an on-line advert? Apparently I am. Out of the 400+ (and counting) responses, I estimate only 5-10 folks are qualified for this gig next week AND understand what we need. That’s a sad statement.

I’m tired of hearing the “Oh, I didn’t read that part of your ad” excuses. That says a lot about you and your professionalism. If you’re unable to follow simple instructions in an ad I post, tell me why I should consider referring you to my client. The answer is you can’t …

If you’re serious about working with me and my clients, it’s time for you to get serious about doing so. Stop wasting my time.

Isn’t it lovely when someone you respect and admire says something nice about you? My client, certified professional coach Hallie Crawford, did just that and via a public forum.

Thanks again, Hallie, for your kind words!

To all DavisVA blog visitors and subscribers in the midst of career change, I recommend you sign-up for Hallie’s monthly newsletter and her next Career Seekers teleclass.

I don’t like repeating myself. It makes me angry, and you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry. (Trying to put forth my best David Bannister pre-Hulk voice.)

Cool it with the overabundance of exclamation points in your e-mail messages, your blog, etc.

I can’t take it anymore! What does a professional Virtual Assistant with rock ‘n roll hair have to do to make you Guppies understand this? Do I have to take you outside and smack you in public? Do I have to cut the wires between you and the Internet and the web? Do I have to post your copy on my blog and call you out by name? Tell me what I must do to stop this nonsense, and I will do it.

What’s the point you’re attempting to convey with 12 exclamation points? Do you think that someone who’s reading this:

Crazy Lori is Having a Sale This Weekend!

will be more interested in your products if you write this instead:

Crazy Lori is Having a Sale This Weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The answer is NO. Instead, it makes me think that you’re either insane or that because you really have nothing to say, you’re adding on some extra punctuation to make it seem as though you do.

Please. I beg you. Resist the urge to press the Shift-1 keys more than once. My 40-year-old brain can no longer handle the insanity.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.

As we were nearing the end of the consultation she asked, “Do you find that you now have more freedom in your every day life?” I wanted to break out in song when she asked me that question! The answer was a resounding YES! If I want to take a two hour lunch or take the day off or start to work later in the day, I do so, at will. No talking to my supervisor for his/her permission and authorization. No filling out of forms 6 weeks prior to the start of a vacation, or when I really need a break and need to take a mental holiday. The beautiful freedom I enjoy as a professional Virtual Assistant is something I will never give up. As I’ve stated previously, I am never going back to Cubicle Land.

What was the enlightening part of our conversation? When P.L. told me it was time to end the call. Her employer docks her for every minute she’s late from returning from lunch. Enlightening and sad.

If you want what I’ve got, that being a thriving and successful Virtual Assistance practice, it’s time to take action. Mind you, I won’t give you what I’ve got. Instead, I will partner with you, share the secrets of my success and show you how a real VA works. View DavisVA’s coaching programs for Virtual Assistants, then call or e-mail and let’s talk.

The choice is yours, Sharks: 30-second commute or being docked for returning late from lunch …

Photoshop’d or not, this one makes me giggle out loud:

lori davis
Page 1, number 5
Excellent, especially considering the scores of women who share my all-too-common name.

craigslist training
Page 1, top 5 slots
Hubba hubba. All my hard work has paid off!

craigslist virtual assistant
Page 1, top slot … for now
Need to improve my marketing so it links back to my training page

virtual assistant and virtual assistants
Page 6 and 5, respectively
Hmmmm … how does this Director of the Future get to page 1 for both of these search terms?

va coaching
Page 1, slot 3
Whoof — that was fast!

coaching for virtual assistants
Page 1, slot 3
Again, very fast rise on the rankings. I am very pleased!

What say you, Sharks? What are your ego search results for today?

Are you a VA wannabe or a VA who’s been in practice for a few years and need guidance in moving your practice to the next level? Checkout my VA coaching programs, and then call me to discuss if my coaching programs and my style are a good fit for you.

Speculator, NY (what a great name) is about an hour north of our home in upstate New York and is located in the gorgeous Adirondack Park. We drove through miles and miles (and more miles) of the most beautiful trees I’ve seen on the east coast. The air was clean and crisp and the sky seemed close enough to touch. I can fully imagine how the night sky must appear, full of stars and no light pollution.

Along the way, we saw boaters on the great Sacandaga Lake, scores of Harley riders and big trucks and SUVs with their boats trailing on the back end. Full bloom trees for miles and miles soothed my mind, after a long Monday at work.

Our spontaneous road trip took us through various upstate hamlets and villages, past historic churches, boat launches and general stores. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a “general store” sign post. Very cool. What also amazed me is that in these hamlets and villages most of the homeowners have either sign posts or some large placards with their name. That’s something you’d never see in the “big city.”

If you’re in the mood for a road trip, do visit Speculator, NY. Also, stop by Swifty’s for lunch or dinner, and have the pulled pork sandwich. Yum!

How To Create and Maintain a Six-Figure Practice Utilizing the Law of Attraction Plus Inspired Action

Date: Tuesday, August 29, 2006, from 1:00 - 2:00 PM (Eastern)
Tuition: F*r*e*e

Led by Stacey Mayo aka “The Dream Queen”

This class is so popular it consistently sells out. This program is for all entrepreneurs/practitioners, from those just starting out to those who have been practicing for a while but would like to take their business to new heights. You will learn how to use the Law of Attraction to create a thriving practice with ease, as well as practical steps you can put into place immediately following the class. If you love what you do but dislike certain aspects of marketing, this class is for you. Learn how to market your business in a way that works for you. The process of growing your business can be just as much fun as coaching/consulting or whatever your specialty is.

To register and for more information: click here http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=1554460