So following up to my most recent post, I’ve been deeply immersed in finding and interviewing a new member for my team. I’ve interviewed local assistants and virtual assistants. It’s funny- now that I’ve decided to work with someone, I really, really, really want to find him or her. I’m leaning towards working with at least a couple different people, as it’s been tough to find all the skills I want in just one person. That’s what happens, I guess, when you have multiple different needs and want to hire out for as many as possible- all at the same time. 🙂
Anyway, as my AQ (assistant quest) continues, I wanted to share a few observations and insights from my experiences over the past week or so. First: just because someone says they have "exceptional communication skills" doesn’t mean they really do. I had placed inquiries with a few people who emailed or called me back, and sounded really irritated to be bothered.
I was like, "uhmm…. I was calling to give you money!" but, they sounded annoyed to hear from me- even though their advertisements had said things like, "Email me for a consultation or Call this number to learn more." Talk about the words not lining up with the behavior!
And, of course, it’s not just me I’m hiring for- I don’t like being treated that way, and I don’t expect my clients would like it much either. I remember when I first started out in business, I used to feel really stressed when people called or asked about my services. I felt like I need to "sell" them and like I had to be someone I wasn’t.
I’ve since learned that it’s always better to just be yourself, and try to be confident, relaxed, and cheerful about gaining new business. I wondered if some of the people I contacted were struggling with some of the same anxiety I used to feel. Anyway, it just reminded me that we should all, periodically, test out how we are communicating. We want to make sure we sound like we want to talk with the prospects who call us, and we want to create a welcoming place for new clients to come to us.
I do believe that we attract what we radiate. If your recent interactions haven’t gone as well as you’d like, it may be time to evaluate what your communication style is saying about you.
This goes for all members of your team, too. If you have others answering your phones or communicating with customers, be sure to check up on them every now and then, too. Have a friend call into your office and make notes about the call was handled. Be certain that your employees are sending exactly the message you want your business to convey.
On that note, I’ll end here for now and dive right back into the AQ (assistant-quest). More soon.
