Enjoy your work, work with authors and books, set your own schedule

I think one of the most difficult topics I discuss with virtual author’s assistants is marketing their businesses.  It seems some people who start virtual businesses from the get-go are extremely successful and never at a loss for clients – and others struggle.

Despite your best efforts, if this is the first time you have marketed a product or service, or if this is the first time authors have been your target clients, then you may be encountering the unexpected.

Most marketing challenges go back to three things:

1. Doing the right things – thinking and planning about the best strategy before investing time and money on any marketing effort. What you are considering may sound fun and exciting today but will it really deliver long term?
2. Doing things right – following the full process even if you are tired, bored, discouraged, distracted or impatient.  Taking short cuts or not really putting in the effort will short-circuit your marketing.
3. Giving it time – If you are doing the two things above, then keep doing them and be patient with yourself.  It is easy to expect a lot very soon, but marketing is constant.  Keep going and trust that things will happen.

With these things in mind, let me talk about the most common concerns I hear from VAA’s marketing to authors.

Q: “Everyone I talk to is someone who wants free information from me, not people who can afford my work.  Are there really authors who pay for these services?”

A: Yes!  There are many full-time author’s assistants working with from 4 to 10 authors at any time.  It sounds like you are targeting the wrong groups to networking with or talk to.  It is true that there are plenty of aspiring authors who have no idea about the publishing process and are writing as a hobby or pastime.  Your job is to get in front of the people who are most likely to have the budget to spend on what is part of their professional marketing for their business – authors who are subject matter experts like coaches, entrepreneurs, attorneys, medical professionals, psychologists, speakers and others.  Most of these individuals are writing non-fiction books and do not have the time to do the work you do.   They are out there and you must find them and get in front of them.

So Here’s a Challenge For You:  Brainstorm and write 3 new places you might network or where you might give a short talk where there are professional who are aspiring authors (Hint: find local Human Resources groups and business professional networking groups or even go to your local library or community group)

Q: “I’m getting interest and it looks like the process is going well, but after I make a proposal I don’t hear from the prospect again or he tells me that my services are too expensive.  I can’t afford to lower my prices, but is that what I’m going to have to do to get clients?”

A: Pricing may be the identified issue, but clients will use money to say “no” because they think you are less likely to argue with them or pressure them into something when they that excuse instead of saying they aren’t confidence about working with you.

Don’t decrease your prices (unless they are way out of line with the competition).  Instead, focus on increasing the perceived value of your services.  If clients have been interested enough to talk to you, they clearly need what you do.  Focus on proving that you are worth it by showing how you will solve their problems (not having the time and expertise) and building a trusting relationship.  People worry that they will be taken advantage of and they do not want to spend money foolishly.  If they believe in your expertise and your ability to get the job done (and you have selected prospects who have the budget), they will pay for the work they need.

So Here’s a Challenge For You:  Review your sales material and your web site for things that boost your value and things that might decrease your perception of value.  For instance, your professional insignia boosts your value in the eyes of your prospects. On the VAA Online Headquarters we have articles, special reports, ebooks and many other things you can use to attract authors that are completely free for you to use.  And if you have had author clients, please get testimonials from them and have links from your site to their books.   Think about what three changes you could make in your web presence or in person that would increase your value in the eyes of potential clients.

Q: “I know I need to market, but I just don’t have time. I’m too busy with the day-to-day work to do anything else.  Any ideas?”

A: Yes, call me! I’m happy to set up some time to brainstorm what you need help with on all of these challenges. But first, I want you to do your homework.  First, I want you to set aside two hours to do the things I’m listing below, and once you’ve done them, then the time we spend together will be much more valuable.  Too many people aren’t really doing any marketing because they are afraid they won’t be able to do the job if they get it.  But instead of dealing with that,  they say their marketing isn’t working or that they are too busy to market.  Do the simple and low or no cost things first and then you can advance to those more time-consuming or costly things later.

If you completed the training, then you are ready to do the job.  When you get your first client, if anything comes up you are worried you can’t handle – you’ve got back up – me!

There is no quick way to build a business, despite what you hear.  But there is a way to build a business that will work for you, that will last, and that will be very fulfilling.  Job #1 is to get clients and until you’ve done that, very little else matters.

So Here’s a Challenge For You:

1. Go back through section 4 of the Virtual Author’s Assistant Training Program.  If you took the course over a year ago, that part might not have existed then and it is chock-full of marketing tools and ideas.  Especially get out your prospecting worksheet and make sure you have connected with everyone who you know who is a potential client or might be able to refer clients.

2. Make sure your directory profiles are complete and correct so when clients are referred

3.  Make sure I know you are looking for clients, what kinds of tasks you want to do or what niche you are specializing in.  I refer authors to author’s assistants every day.

4.  You should be sending emails or making phone calls daily or every other day to potential clients or referral sources like book coaches, editors, cover designers or others.  If you need a refresher of how to approach them, many of our specialty classes (like the one in June on working with book coaches) talk about book industry professionals and how to work with them.

5.  Get out where the authors are.  I will be at Book Expo America in New York next month with a group of 6 author’s assistants and at the eWomenNetwork International Conference in Dallas in July.  There are many publishing conferences all over the country – volunteer at one if you can and you will be introduced to many potential clients.

You can do this if you decide to take a leap of faith and work at it (really put in the hours) and think hard about what to do that fits you.  There is no way to create a virtual entrepreneurial business without getting out of your comfort zone, but it is very rewarding when you do!

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