Question 1

I have a call with a new client. What should I expect?

Accepted Answer

At Virtalent, we don't believe in assigning new clients to you without you having a say in the matter. Instead, new clients pass through our unique matching process. Before we recommend you to a client, you get to see their brief. This gives you the opportunity to see who the client is, what their business is and the kinds of tasks they may require of you.

You can find a full e-book about this process here.

Before Your Call

A key part of this process is for you to 'meet' the client, giving you both the opportunity to ask each other questions and make sure you 'click'. Calls are always scheduled via Zoom, unless the client prefers another approach.

Remember, it's important to take some time to review the 'brief' we have already created following our initial call with the client, so you understand exactly what their expectations are. This also helps to ensure you have time to cover off any important questions with either our Client Engagement team before the call, or with the client directly.

Please don't think about the call as an 'interview'. You are not a 'candidate' or someone to be 'assessed' by the client; you are an experienced, professional Virtual Assistant looking to provide the client with the support they require. This call is for the client to put a voice to a name and to see if you 'click' together, so they can make their final decision.

Before you make the call, make sure to jot down a few bullet points about the client from the brief and some relevant questions that you could ask to create a fantastic first impression.

Be well-prepared. Take a look at pages 16 in the ebook for a list of example questions you might want to ask they client, or they might well ask you. Be prepared for these kinds of questions before you take the call.

Take 5 minutes to research the client. Take the time to visit the client's website, social media platforms or search for recent news and events to help you understand the business and what they do. It might also be useful to research non-essential software platforms the client uses by finding a video demo for familiarity and confidence before the call, if there is something mentioned in the brief that you don't happen to have direct experience using yet. A few minutes spent doing this ahead of the call could help secure you a client you go on to work with for many years to come. First impressions count!

Pre-call checklist? Take a look at page 19 of the ebook for a handy checklist to tick off before your call.

Check your background surroundings. Take the time, ahead of the call, to put yourself in the shoes of the client by considering what they'll be able to see in the background when speaking with you. The ideal background would be a plain wall, in a clean and tidy office environment that is quiet, clear from clutter and free from any distractions.

Think about how you are dressed too - naturally, a hoodie and jogging bottoms won't convey the right impression. Remember, this is your opportunity to shine and make a great first impression to your potential client and demonstrate that you are a professional who can add value to them and their business.

During The Call

Start with you. Introduce yourself and remind them about the reason for the call.

Be confident! The client may be nervous, as you may well be. Guide the conversation and reassure them that you are the best individual they could hire to support them. Convey your confidence - you've got this!

Take Notes. Whilst you are on the call, make notes so you can ask any questions if needed towards the end of the call. These notes will also be useful as a starting point later when the client has opened an account with us and is ready to start working with you - we don't want to ask the client to repeat everything again.

Ask about them. Get a feel for them and their business and don't be afraid to ask questions or to clarify anything they say that isn't clear. See page 10 and 11 of the ebook for a handy list of useful questions and talking points.

Keep in mind what not to say. Remember, you are not their business coach, nor should you have to answer any Virtalent-specific questions such as anything to do with billing or our terms and conditions. Always refer them back to the person who had they had the consultation with, usually our Client Engagement Manager. Also avoid going into too much personal detail too - stay focused on the client's specific needs and task list, rather than over-explaining your plans for the weekend!

Don't share your contact details yet. Before a client sets up an account with us, you shouldn't be sharing your contact details with them on these calls. Instead ask the client to send anything they need to through to the perosn who set up the call (Client Engagement Manager).

You should not do any work before they sign up. Clients need to set up an account with us before you do any work for them.

After The Call

Let us know how it went. We can then follow up with the client, if you are happy to work with them.

Your time is covered. 1 hour is plenty of time for you and a client to see if you 'click'. This is therefore the maximum time we will reimburse your for - it is up to you if you would prefer to continue speaking beyond this, but we must have a reasonable cap in place. Simply add the time you spent speaking together (up to 1 hour) to your next invoice, indicating the exact length of the call and the name of the client you spoke to.

Question 2

Do I get reimbursed for the time I spend speaking to new clients?

Accepted Answer

We will reimburse you for up to 60 minutes for any initial introduction call with a potential new client, as part of the matching process.

It's up to you if you would like to continue past this time, but we have to put a sensible cap in place here. We feel an hour is plenty of time for you to check whether or not you and the client a good match for each other - this is not supposed to be a kick-off call to plan out the work you will start on, but rather a time to simply say hello.

Keep a note of the start/stop time of the call and head into My Time to log this (My Time -> Internal -> Add Time Entry).

Please explain clearly which prospective client this relates to, so that we can verify the time log is accurate on our side.

"Call with new client, Bob Smith, at ABC Company. Opportunity ID 123445".

More Info

You can find more information about this process in the e-book here.

The client will have already read a detailed profile that we have put together about your skills and professional background, and they have already had a consultation call with our Client Engagement team to go over how the service works at Virtalent.

Likewise, you will have read the client brief, which details the support they would be looking for fro you. This leaves very little detail to actually cover on the call - you already know each other to some extent!

These calls are therefore really just designed for you both to cover off any other questions that you have of each other, and to make sure you 'click', before you start working together. A typical call will last 30-40 minutes - a particularly chatty or inquisitive client may naturally take longer to talk everything through with you, but likewise some clients only want to say a quick 'hello'!

At this point the client should not be trying to train or onboard you into their team, nor is this in 'interview'. We’ve already told them how wonderful you are!

It's also up to you to lead the call, so you should aim to wrap it up before 60 minutes if you would like to do so. If the client wants to work with you, they should then be finishing the setup of their account with us and you can then arrange any calls needed (billed to the client) for training, onboarding, planning work, and any other more "intensive" discussions. The first step is actually making their final decision as to whether to work with you.

I have a call with a new client. What should I expect?

Do I get reimbursed for the time I spend speaking to new clients?

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