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A little bit of professionalism goes a long way!!!!

A little bit of professionalism goes a long way!

I have noticed in these changing times that the act of professionalism is slipping. I try to act as professional as possible when dealing with clients, leads & clients client's. But lately I am noticing my clients and leads are acting less and less professional.

I will give you one example I have a client lets call her Sally Client for the purposes of anonymity, Sally has asked me to build a website for her and to process leads for her.

But yet Sally is late on payment (I bill twice a month and per contract payment is due 5 days from bill date, I don't charge a retainer fee or down payment prior to work being done). But yet Sally is 30 plus days out. I also have requested some items from her so that I may move forward with her work I have called several times to her home and office and have left several voice mail messages for her. I have sent several emails to her asking for this information from her but have not had any response.

The point I am getting at is should we allow our clients to be this unprofessional? When you run a business and have clients or assistants don't you expect them to treat your business with professionalism? Shouldn't you be expected to do the same? I know funds are tight for everyone right now and if my clients are having trouble paying their invoices all they have to do is talk to me and let me know what is going on. I will most likely work with them (and have on several occasions). All of my clients know this, I am pretty easy to work with. But when you treat your vendors this way and not return a phone call or email (and mind you all I was asking for was the information for the work not payment) than I think there is something that is wrong here.

I as a Virtual Assistant am seeing this more and more lately clients want work done but when it comes time to pay then there is an issue. I don't charge retainer fees as I feel they become a pain in the, you know what. But I may have to start as I am seeing a trend of doing work and not getting paid.

Please remember when hiring a Virtual Assistant that we are a business just like you, we have overhead just like you, we have assistants (when needed) just like you and just like you expect to be paid by your clients.

The definition for professional standards is this:

1. professional standards: the skill, competence, or character expected of a member of a highly trained profession

I feel that you as a Realtor are a highly trained professional and expect to be treated with professionalism so please, please treat your vendors the same way. A Virtual Assistant should be seen as a highly important part of your team and we work hard to be seen that way as well as take a personal interest in your success and future as a Realtor. But if you treat your assistant in this manner it makes it hard to treat you this way and I can assure you, you will go through several assistant's as most professionals will not put up with being treated this way.

Skye Hawk

REPA (Certified Real Estate Professional Assistant)
Phone: 800-403-2430 ext 101
Fax: 866-635-7456
E-mail: Skyeh@atyourservice-va.com
Web: www.atyourservice-va.com
At Your Service!
Virtual Assistant Specialists
"Offering exceptional off-site administrative support for the busy business professional"

Posted by Skye Hawk, NAR Cert. REPA (Virtual Assistant) on 11/12/2008 10:38 AM

Comments (8)

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8 Comments on A little bit of professionalism goes a long way!!!!

NOV

Well stated Skye! I have been guilty from time to time of acting this way.....I'm sometimes so busy chasing down clients that I let some of the business aspect slide. A great reminder for me to stay on my toes!!

Thanks Mandi- You know we all get busy and I can understand when you are busy for a few days But when this drags on for weeks on end and soon you are at a month of not returning calls or emails there is something wrong there. Do unto others as you would have done to you!!

Hi Skye, we live in tough times and I am not defending the ones that do not pay, just saying that they may be waiting for commissions to come thru, etc. It makes it difficult for you, you do the work and need to get paid for your services.

NOV

Skye, we've all been there. This is why I have retainer only clients and they are "automatically" charged monthly through Paypal's Subscription Service, I don't deal with any of that hassle anymore! Oh - and if you find out that your clients are having money troubles, you could set it up so that you are paid through Escrow each time, I have heard of another VA doing that, but I'm sure it was a pain. Chasing down the money is frustrating, but there is nothing more frustrating to me than when clients do not answer my emails / phone calls so that I cannot get any work done and am stuck in a holding pattern! Good luck with it all!

Skye, so true in all apsects. I do expect upfront payment for my retainers as well. It does mean there has to be a good deal of trust between both parties, and professionalism. I really never went any other way, when I started I bought a startup system from VAnetworking ( the VBSS is a great tool! (http://virtualbusinessstartups.com/ ) and it came with tons of tremplates/contracts all ready to personalize for your own business but it also had tons of hints on how to start out successfully - it's a great 30 day how to guide. I've never had issues with client's paying but maybe because up front has always been my option.

Christine O- You know I am a business owner and I know things happen and for most right now funds are tight now which I totally understand. The part that really upsets me is the fact that I have emailed and called for several weeks without a call back or email back. I wasn't calling and leaving message about payment I was calling to follow up on the work with no call back or email back. That is the part the really irritates me the payment is like icing on the cake. - Thank you for your comment.

Christine W- I do have this clients credit card that I bill automatically through Paypal but it keeps coming back declined. I have heard of VA's doing that with the transaction management and in may times you are 30-90 days out because you are waiting on the deal to close. With this client she had me building her a website and processing leads to to be paid out a deal at escrow really wouldn't work for this type of work. -- But thanks for the suggestion.

Kathy- I have been doing this for about 6 years now and I really have not had any issues up until this point I know it is the economy causing issues (my husband and I own 3 businesses) with everyone especially Realtors. I may have to re-modify my contract with this particular client to her purchasing blocks of time. I think that will solve both of my problems. 1. I get paid for the work I do and 2. I wont be stuck in a holding pattern as since she has paid for the time up front she is going to be more ampt to getting me the items I need to continue her work. I think this will keep my sanity!!!-- Thanks for the tip on the VBSS I did look at it when it first came out but I had already had all of these items set up and things were running smoothly.

Skye,

I can SO relate to this post! I have just finished with a client that did the same thing, called wanted something done NOW and then wouldn't answer emails or calls - after the first invoice went 30 days late and 3 different stories about the "check being in the mail" - and a short conversation I decided to give him one more chance......that was a mistake! Another project and I figured I was spending more time chasing him down than I was working for him and it was taking away from my good clients. Sent an email with details about why I was "firing" him! 14 days before I got a response and it was the longest email I had ever seen from him - but not very nice and blaming me for not being professional! It was 2 months before I saw payment! I hope I never go down that road again! One of my good clients told me this "Life is too short to do business with someone you wouldn't invite over for a glass of wine!" I remember that each time I talk to a new client now!

By the way, I require a deposit before work begins, bill once a month and payment is due within 14 days, a late notice goes out and work stops on day 15 and I only communicate about payment until payment is received! Like you I can be very understanding, talk to me and I will bend over backwards for you - don't call or email me and forget it!

Thanks for a great post!

NOV

Debbi- I am sorry to hear that another VA has gone through this. I am sure it happens all of the time. I have had to fire 1 client in my 6 years of running my business. This was another Realtor about 4 months ago. Same type of thing blew me off when I asked for her end of the work to get to me. Did not pay and then got mad at me for not getting things done in a timely manner. I finally had to fire that client. This client you know I am trying to work with when I get ahold of her I am going to tell her the only way I will work with her in the future is to redo our contract and have her purchase blocks of time in advance. That way I think it will motivate her to keep her work going in a progression that is good for her and her leads and I am ensured to get paid. --- Thanks for your comment!

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