There is a myth out there that in order to grow your business, your services have to be cheaper than your competitors. If you want out from under the pressure of this untruth, read on.
I was talking just the other day to a prospect. He said he was very impressed during our initial consultation but that he was also considering another VA whom he had been speaking with whose rates were lower than mine. He said he’d let me know in the next few days whom he had chosen.
When I had first gone into business years ago, hearing this would have prompted me to immediately try to beat her rates. Instead, I followed up with an email thanking him for the opportunity to discuss his administrative support needs. I acknowledged that I am not the cheapest VA out there but that my focus is on providing exemplary quality and service to my clients. I take a personal stake in their success and if he chose me to provide VA services, he would receive that same treatment. I attached a copy of my contract for his consideration and two days later, he returned it to me signed.
I am not saying that it’s always wrong to compete on your rates. But the sooner you realize that there will ALWAYS be someone who is cheaper than you are, the better off you and your business will be. So if there will always be someone who is willing to do what you do for less, you can’t compete on that level unless you are looking to become an administrative support charity instead of a business. And what would the point be then?
What you must do is compete on a different level- one that should matter to your client even more than price. Quality and value. Start selling your prospects on that notion and you’ll become an indispensable part of their businesses. Instead of providing cut rate services, you will be offering your clients a true partner in their success — someone they can depend on to get the job done correctly and on time every time.
The services of a competent Virtual Assistant will often pay for themselves in terms of increased opportunities created for their clients by allowing them to effectively leverage their time and focus on growing their businesses. Believe me, once they experience working with a professional VA who can make their administrative headaches a thing of the past, they’ll be happy that they decided to pay a little more to get an experienced Virtual Assistant.
Set your rates honestly and stick to them. If you have a prospect who seems disproportionately focused on price, chances are they will become a Pandora’s Box of constant complaints, issues and conflict as a client.
