Respecting your current and potential subscribers is important in building trust through your email marketing campaign. How you collect email addresses and what you do with them will establish the level of respect you’ll provide. Most individuals consider their email address as private so what you do with it greatly affects whether you get to build on that trust or ruin it entirely. Subscribers trust those that show the most respect for their privacy. Here are tips to help you give subscribers the highest level of respect.

Subscriber Respect Builds Trust in Email Marketing is a post from: Virtual Assistance Business Briefs

Ever have a client make a deduction from an invoice? You know the type, they always find fault with your work, can’t believe that you charge those kinds of rates, and they wonder why you’re not able to drop everything and handle their projects immediately without adding “rush charges” to the invoice. 

As I’ve gotten more experienced as an entrepreneur, I’ve found that there are several types of clients that use these tactics.

The first type is totally unethical, and no matter what you say or do, it’s always better for you to cut your losses and discontinue doing business with them.  I know this can be difficult, but it could hurt your credibility. 

The second type is the client who is always looking for something for nothing.  They will take your project quotation and rip it apart looking for hidden discounts. 

Sometimes they are just thorough, sometimes they are doing what has proven to be successful in the past.  These clients can be turned into good, ethical clients by simply taking the time to find out why they work this way.

They may have worked with unethical providers in the past, and have found that by questioning an invoice, or price, they usually will get some sort of discount, or free offer. 

Open the discussion by asking about their complaints and how you can rectify the situation.  Be a good listener. Let them vent their frustrations. Ask them for an explanation of any deductions, and try to put yourself in their shoes to see if you can get a better idea of their motivations and concerns. 

Maybe your invoices could detail more information about your charges and how you met their needs.  Let them know that you want to be more familiar with their specific needs so that you can provide better services in the future. 

Most importantly don’t take it personally.  Sometimes we are not the perfect fit for someone’s needs.  What we need to do is maintain our integrity and remember that we can’t be all things to all people. 

Do those tasks where you consider yourself to be the expert.  Encourage new clients to contact your references so they have a clear picture of who you are, what your strengths are, and how those strengths can help them achieve their goals. 

Jeannine Clontz, IVAA CVA, MVA,  EthicsChecked™, owner of Accurate Business Services is a Virtual Assistant (VA).  ABS provides ‘as needed’ marketing support and consulting to busy entrepreneurs.  Clontz is a writer, author, VA Coach, and speaker on business topics including business ethics.  For her free 10-Step Guide to Finding the Right VA, or her FREE Report, Social Media Marketing Benefits, send a request to:  service@accbizsvcs.com. For more information visit:  http://www.accbizsvcs.com, www.VAbizcoach.com  or her book website http://www.entrepreneurialfreedom.com

Getting to the Root of Client Deductions is a post from: Virtual Assistance Business Briefs

There’s no shortage of the words “ethics”, and “corporate responsibility” on all our local newscasts.  People are much more in tune with taking a closer look at who their doing business with, and whether or not they’ll be around when we need them.

I recall around the holidays seeing blogs all over the Internet warning you not to purchase gift cards from struggling retail companies who may not be around when your gift is ready to be used.  Or how to handle the changes that many companies are going through to try and stay afloat and avoid layoffs.

This has also trickled down to our clientele.  So, how do we cope with a good client gone bad?  I believe the first step is to communicate your concerns, provide information on options to consider, and help them to understand the impact on their clients, employees, and service providers.

I used to handle association management for a small organization with 180 members.  I work through their Board of Directors, and have been faced with many ethical challenges.  On numerous occasions, I have spoken the words, “using your position with the Board for personal gain”. 

A few months ago, I received a phone call from a company wanting me, as a member of this organization, to support our local school district by advertising on their sports posters.  They started the pitch off by mentioning one of the Board members as the person who suggested they call me.

By asking a series of questions, I found out that this Board member had provided our entire member contact list in exchange for a full-page ad at the half-page ad price.  I contacted the school district and was able to find out that they weren’t even the “approved” provider to the school, and no arrangements had been made to rebate them any of the funds.  Not only that, they were under contract with a supplier that prevented them from displaying anyone else’s posters. So anyone who would have purchased from this company, would NOT have their posters displayed anywhere at the school.

I contacted the Board, and reminded them that we’d put several safeguards in place to protect member’s contact information from being harvested for solicitations, and urged them to openly discuss this ethics breakdown. I asked for approval to notify the membership that this organization was misrepresenting their affiliation with the school district.  I emphasized to them that they needed to remember they serve on the Board for the betterment and support of the organization, this wasn’t about their personal, or business development.

I did win this particular battle, and was able to alert the membership, receiving praise for our research and follow-through, but I don’t win them all.  I can only hope to educate them to consider ethical options, and to think of the consequences of their actions, as we all should.

Sometimes I’ve had to stop doing business with clients because of their unethical practices – and you can, too.  You can choose to do, or not do, business with anyone you like, for whatever reason you like.  We are a reflection of the client’s we represent, and that can have a positive or negative impact on our credibility and reputation.  I hope you take the time to consider your ethical options and make an effort to help educate others on good business practices.  It’s in all our best interests.

Jeannine Clontz, IVAA CVA, MVA, CRESS, PREVA, EthicsChecked™, CRVA, owner of Accurate Business Services is a Past-president of the IVAA (International Virtual Assistants Association), and is an author, VA Coach, and speaker on business topics including business ethics.  For her free 10-Step Guide to Finding the Right VA, send a request to:  service@accbizsvcs.com. For more information visit:  http://www.accbizsvcs.com, www.VAbizcoach.com  or her book website http://www.entrepreneurialfreedom.com

Winning an Ethical Battle is a post from: Virtual Assistance Business Briefs

I recently received an E-mail from an associate, an elected official in a nearby community, offering me a $20 Applebee’s gift certificate if I forwarded this official, signed by the owner of Applebee’s, E-mail to nine of my friends and family.  It said that Applebee’s was looking to increase awareness in rural areas, so I immediately wondered how anyone would know I was in a rural area by my e-mail address.

I headed for my favorite hoax site, and forwarded information to the more than 80 E-mail addresses detailed in the message, that this was indeed a hoax and not to send it to anyone.

In response, the originator told me that he knew it was a hoax when he sent it.   Hoping to discourage him in the future, I asked him why he would knowingly perpetuate a hoax that could put the E-mail addresses of his friends and family in jeopardy of being harvested for spam, not to mention the reflection on him as an elected official who represents people on important issues.

I got an almost immediate response detailing that it had nothing to do with his being an alderman, and that this is how he prefers to communicate with friends and family on a regular basis.  We obviously have different ideas of communicating with friends and family.  In my mind, this is a reflection on his reputation, which I would think is important to the people he represents. My mistake!  

He didn’t take the time to consider what harm it would do to them (friends and family), or consider his reputation.  That’s what ethics are all about.  Thinking beyond the scope of your business, and making sure that what you’re doing is legal, fair to everyone (will it favor one party over another), and that you do no harm (How will it make me feel about myself?).

Sure is funny the way some people think.

Wishing you continued success and the wisdom to consider ethical decisions.

©Copyright Accurate Business Services 2009

Both a Hoax and Hokey! is a post from: Virtual Assistance Business Briefs

At a recent speaking engagement on business ethics, one of the 100 or so participants voiced a differing opinion to my discussion revolving around whether or not you would tell a client, or prospect, that you had heard something negative about a competitor who was being asked to bid on the same project you were.

There was absolutely no way that they would not find a way to tell the client or prospect that they’d heard something bad about their competitor, all under the guise that they were looking to protect THEM.

While this could have been completely true, that’s not how someone would or could look at it, from the other side.  Although I’d gone through the process with them, mentioned a number of reasons why it’s not wise, and even gave them a response that wouldn’t be considered a ‘lie’ on their part, it was all to no avail.  They were looking too closely from an emotional position instead of trying to see someone else’s side, even how they might look to the client or prospect.

Not long after returning from the conference, I was speaking to one of the event organizers who called to let me know that she had just mailed me copies of the 70+ evaluations they’d received in response to my presentation.

When I received the evaluations I wasn’t at all surprised to see one that was negative.  I looked at their evaluation objectively to see if I could in any way improve my presentation, or the delivery, to better communicate the most positive and ethical response in any situation.

We shouldn’t expect that everyone is willing or able to act as ethically as possible, or will always understand both sides of a situation. It’s something we really have to work at, all the time.  It also doesn’t mean this person is unethical, just unknowledgeable and perhaps too emotional. For all we know they may never have faced this type of situation.

We do things for our physical well-being all the time.  We eat right, get plenty of sleep and exercise, or we at least know to try.  However, most of us don’t think to do anything regularly for our moral well-being. 

I look at ethics in this way; it takes constant reflection, being open to alternatives, removing any emotions from the equation, and doing what’s right, not easiest, in order to make the most ethical decision.  I hope you’ll incorporate some time into making better decisions to ethical situations as they arise.  It’s a great investment in your business.

Remove Emotion from Ethical Decisions is a post from: Virtual Assistance Business Briefs