Julie Lichtman from Freedom Professional Services talks about How Startups can work with a Virtual Assistant

contact Julie on her LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/julielichtman/

Virtual Assistants in Startups Discussion

In this meeting, Mary Scott from BusinessRiff and Julie Lichtman from Freedom Professional Services discussed the role of virtual assistants in startups. Julie explained that virtual assistants can handle administrative tasks such as calendaring, scheduling, email management, and customer service. She also highlighted the importance of asking potential virtual assistants about their skill set, availability, and rates. Mary emphasized the value of virtual assistants in maintaining contact with potential partners and customers, and the importance of not asking them to perform personal errands or handle hiring and firing. The discussion concluded with Julie noting that the number of hours a virtual assistant works for a company can vary from one to thirty hours per week.

Virtual Assistant Role in Startups Discussion

Mary Scott from Business Riff and Julie Lichtman from Freedom Professional Services discussed the role of a virtual assistant (VA) in startups. They highlighted the tasks a VA can handle, such as data entry, CRM management, email inbox management, and calendaring. They also emphasized the importance of finding a VA with the right skill set and ensuring they understand the company's mission and elevator pitch. Julie advised that a VA should be able to hit the ground running within 5 hours of training, and startups should consider hiring a VA if they feel overwhelmed by administrative tasks. The discussion concluded with Julie suggesting that startups meet with at least three potential VAs before making a decision.

https://danielpatrickandrews.com/

Daniel Andrews from Network In Action International talks about Networking & Strategic Partnerships for Startups

Daniel shared insights on building authentic professional relationships and strategic partnerships in business, emphasizing the importance of long-term connections and mutuality. The discussion covered effective networking strategies and the value of trust in referrals.

Building Authentic Professional Relationships

Daniel shared his personal experience of transitioning from casual networking to building authentic professional relationships. He emphasized the importance of understanding that most people encountered in networking are suspects rather than prospects. Daniel recounted his journey of becoming friends with a man named Bert, who acted as his wingman in making initial sales calls for profitable business propositions. He stressed the importance of building trust and borrowing the trust already built with others. Mary acknowledged Daniel's insights.

Strategic Partnerships and Networking in Business

Daniel and Mary discussed the importance of strategic partnerships and networking in business. Daniel emphasized the need for building long-term relationships with key referral partners, rather than just collecting business cards. He also highlighted the difference between reciprocity and mutuality in partnerships, with mutuality being a more sustainable approach. Mary agreed, noting that startups should prioritize creating and cultivating strategic partnerships for easier customer acquisition through referrals. They also discussed the importance of effective communication, trust-building, and concise content in business relationships. Daniel shared his successful method of holding regular referral pairings and the importance of trust when someone is referred by a trusted source.

Aileen Boyle from Fortro talking about Sales Mistakes & Opportunities.

https://link.eventraptor.com/widget/bookings/fortro-amplify-your-sales 30 minutes call to get to the root of your challenge and point you in the right direction

Summary

Understanding Customer Needs for Business Success

Mary and Aileen discuss the importance of understanding customer needs before launching a business. Aileen emphasizes serving customers over aggressively selling, and ensuring products solve real problems. She stresses validating ideas through customer interviews. Mary agrees idea validation is crucial before starting a business. They mention piloting new offerings. Aileen highlights active listening in sales conversations to understand customer perspectives and concerns, rather than overwhelming them with information. Mary plans to share links to Aileen's services.

Effective Information Sharing and Question Handling

Mary and Aileen discussed the effectiveness of their approach to providing information and answering questions. Aileen suggested giving people a link to her diary for easy access to ask questions, which Mary agreed to. They also discussed the importance of giving people what they expect, what they don't expect, and leaving them wanting more. Aileen emphasized the value of not leaving people with unanswered questions and the need to provide practical, tactical solutions. They ended the conversation with Aileen sharing a link to her diary for further questions and Mary mentioning another recording to be done.