A lot of my colleagues struggle with the idea of building a team.

And I’m not going to candy-coat this, folks, it’s not always pretty.

But I’m going to give you a tip if you are ready to hire: if she isn’t able to set clear expectations with you, she probably doesn’t have them for herself. Yet {keep reading}.

As I’m building my own team, here’s what I look for. Someone who:

• knows exactly what services they can provide,
• loves to learn,
• makes decisions quickly,
• is solution-based,
• can admit mistakes – and move on,
• values her own business,
• and, has expectations of me.

Let me give you an example.

I recently spoke with a VA who has a strong, working knowledge of project management.

I was excited to get on the phone with her because I’d like someone with her skillset to join forces with me. When the time came for us to speak, and she didn’t call on time, I was disappointed. She left me a voicemail 11 minutes after our appointment time.

Truth be told, I didn’t think that I would consider giving her another opportunity – missing an appointment is like a jumping up and down with a red flag to me. I listened to her voicemail, however, and although she apologized for calling late, she didn’t offer any excuses and she didn’t beg for forgiveness. She apologized and ended the message saying that she hoped that we would still have an opportunity to try the call again in the future.

Hmmmmm.

I hadn’t thought about that because I’m use to people giving lengthy explanations and apologizing profusely if they miss a meeting.

She was no-nonsense and professional – I was able to gather that from her 30 second voicemail.

I rescheduled the appointment.

And I was thankful that I had because she’s a strong fit for our team.

She was able to tell me what she thought that she could add to my business and was taking steps to further her own career through education. We spoke about some of the issues I face when I speak with potential clients, and she quickly and concisely was able to offer me solutions. We decided on next steps – and she recapped hers and mine so she knew we were both in agreement.

Just before I let her go, I mentioned that I was happy that we were able to connect after our missed, initial, appointment. I told her that I appreciated her voicemail, and I knew by the end of it that, in this case, it wasn’t a red flag. It was just something that happened. And something that wouldn’t happen a second time.

When she thanked me for my comments – again without excuse – it sealed the deal.

She and I will work well together because I can provide her with tremendous clients who need her services. I intend to pay her according to her skillset – on time and happily. And we shared a laugh together.

I like to laugh.

That’s the basis for how I’ve been running my businesses for the last 15 years.

As a newcomer to this industry in 2013, however, I put myself in the little chair. I saw my client relationship as boss/employee instead of business owner/business owner. Because I was the one getting paid and was no longer, at that time, the one cutting the checks.

My colleague, Tina Forsyth, was an invaluable resource to me and my business during those beginning stages. After taking her OBM certification course, I got up from my little chair and took a seat at the table with my client. And it felt great. So I set more chairs around my table and before I knew it, I was dining in style with clients – plural!

If you are new to the field, or are simply stuck in a muddy rut with your existing clients, Tina is offering a free call that might just do the trick!

Are you tired of working with clients who don’t:

• value the service your provide,
• pay you on time,
• have enough work to keep you busy and
• excite you and who are fun to work with?

If you said yes to any of these, I have to ask – WHY are you still working with these kinds of clients? There are great, high-end clients ‘hiding’ right under your nose who would love to hire you, pay you generously (and on time) and who are a blast to work with. Where are they and how do you find them? That’s what Tina Forsyth is going to share on her free ‘7 Keys to Working With High-End Clients’ call that aired on September 11th – don’t worry, it was recorded!   When you join Tina for this call, you will learn what successful business owners REALLY wantso that you are an in-demand, well-paid and indispensable virtual support professional.

She’ll cover:

• how to know where to FIND high-end clients (they really are under your nose)
• what services high-end clients want to hire you for
• the one thing that every high-end client desperately wants from you, but will probably never ask you for (it’s a super simple thing that will make you stand out from the crowd!)
• what to charge for your time – that’s right, no more of the ‘time for money’ trap
• what you need to do at the START of working with a high-end client

Join Tina for this and find out where these clients are “hiding” and how you can work with them.

And I’ll say one more thing about this – yes, this is about finding high-end clients, however, if you ARE one of those high-end ladies, or if you aim to be, this call will also prove itself to be valuable. I say that because it’s important for us all to be educated about how best to work together. What makes a virtual relationship feel great.

My Juicy Glad-I-Caught-That: Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all. ~ Alexander the Great

If, as the high-end client, you have an appreciation for your team, I believe we can all take our businesses to greater heights.

I’m just sayin’ 😉

See you on the flip-side.