From the Desk of Janet Barclay

It’s certainly been an exciting month, between attending the 3rd Annual Online International Virtual Assistants Convention, and getting involved with the Virtual Assistant Mastermind Speaker Series and the Virtual Assistant and Home Business Blog Carnival! I’m looking forward to many more exciting developments in the coming weeks.

Here’s what I’ve been writing about on my other blogs:

OnlineOrganizing.com - Technology as an Organizing Tool:

• Scheduling Appointments Online
• Using Facebook to Stay Organized
• Maximize Your Time by Optimizing Your Hard Drive
• Desktop Shortcuts for Outlook Functions

Introvert Retreat:

• Earl must be an introvert
• Successful Networking for Introverts - Three Proven Strategies
• Business Networking - Extroverted Web Weaving for the Introvert
• The IntrovertzCoach

I’ve also written a new article called Is Your Schedule Out of Balance?, which you can read over at OrganizedArticles.com.

Be sure to come back later this week to read more results from my recent Online Marketing and Networking Survey!

The last seminar I attended was Enjoy Promoting Your Website with Web 2.0, which was presented by Suzanne Falter-Barns, Chris Muccio, and Peggy Murrah. If you’re not familiar with the term, Web 2.0 refers to a site that allows some kind of interaction with the user, rather than a traditional static website. Of course, I already "enjoy" blogging, and establishing and building relationships on social networking sites, but I wanted to learn from the experts how to make the most of my activities.

As I learned in the two previous seminars, the key is to effectively communicate how you differ from others in your industry, or your personal brand. It’s also important to be aware of the various sites that are out there for social networking, content sharing, social bookmarking, and so on, so you can determine which are most suitable for your purposes. You then need to decide which sites you will use, and how often. Then, as with any marketing strategy, you need to have a measurement system in place to evaluate how you are doing.

I found it most interesting to hear that 79% of all media now find their expert sources through blogs. That in itself is a reason to make sure that your blog really shows your expertise and your passion for what you do! It’s also given me an extra bit of motivation to move forward with the exciting new changes I have in store for my own blog!

Today is International Virtual Assistants Day, and OIVAC is in full swing!

I’m not attending as many seminars as I did last year, as I decided to make the most of my time by choosing topics I’m already focusing on. I find I get more out of any learning situation, and I’m much more likely to act on what I’ve learned, if I have an immediate use for it.

The first session I attended was Designing a Compelling 30 Second Intro, presented by fellow Canadian Cristina Favreau. I thought I knew a lot about this subject already, since I’ve attended so many networking events since starting my business, but I’m a big fan of Cristina’s blog, and was sure she’d have some great ideas to share. I wasn’t the least bit disappointed!

Cristina mentioned that a potential client needs to hear our message at least nine times in order for it to influence his or her buying decisions, and because of that, it’s important to be consistent. This was a real eye-opener, as I had thought I needed to change what I say when I introduce myself at networking events, so I wouldn’t bore people who had already heard my introduction. Just being aware of that is enough to motivate me to make sure that my introduction is powerful and memorable.

She also suggested completing the StrengthsFinder assessment as a way of identifying what makes us different from other professionals in our industry, which sounds like a great idea. I understand that a lot of people are surprised to discover what strengths they really have – and it’s always beneficial to learn more about ourselves!

I can’t tell you everything Cristina said, but conference recordings will be available for purchase at a later date from the Alliance for Virtual Businesses.

Over the next few days, I’ll share a few tips from Anita Bruton’s session on Creating a Personal and Company Profile that Attracts Clients and Enjoy Promoting Your Website with Web 2.0, which was presented by Suzanne Falter-Barns, Chris Muccio, and Peggy Murrah.

If you ever wonder about the value of online networking, here’s something you really should read.

Earlier this year I posted one of our GHVA events on VA Visionaries - Savvy Virtual Assistants from Around the World, one of the Facebook groups I belong to. I received a reply from Shari Sultana, who had been unaware of our get-togethers, since she didn’t use any of the VA forums where I normally post the invitations. She then invited me to check out Virtual Assistant Forums, which I have since joined.

While browsing the forums yesterday, I learned that member Amanda Moore is starting a Virtual Assistant Blog Carnival, and I’m going to take part! I had heard of blog carnivals before, but this will be the first time I have participated in one. Anyone with a blog related to WAHM, Virtual Assistant, Entrepreneur, Small Business, Solo Business, or related topics is welcome to participate, so maybe you’d also like to get involved. Or maybe you’d just like to check it out, so you can read some of the best postings from bloggers all over the world, all in one place.

I’m sharing this information here on my blog, which feeds into my Facebook profile. So if you are learning about this on Facebook, we have gone full circle!

April was a pretty busy month, between wrapping up the GHVA website and preparing for my teleseminars, not to mention my regular client work! However, I’ve still managed to post to my other blogs:

OnlineOrganizing.com - Technology as an Organizing Tool:

• Organize Your Email - Part 3
• Google Docs
• RSS Really Is Simple
• Your Very Own Personal Assistant
  

Introvert Retreat:

• Ponderings of an Introvert
• Tips from a Professional Networker
• Virtual Assistance and Introversion
• Let ‘em come to you!

I’ve also written a new article on Going Green in the Office, which you can read over at OrganizedArticles.com.

Enjoy!