How a South African Virtual Assistant can land international clients
Landing an international client was always high on our “achievement” board and when we finally hit that goal we were over the moon - who wouldn’t be right?
We know that many virtual assistants, when starting out, struggle to find clients in general, let alone international ones so where do you even begin?
As always we’re here to share our personal journey and experience with you so go grab yourself a cup of rooibos tea and let’s get started.
One of the first things we did when we were starting out was to join a virtual assistant association, we joined a local South African association because we’re South African and proudly so.
South African virtual assistants can be a great fit for an international business because:
We are in a “central time zone” which allows us to deal with clients from all over the world.
We’re really hard working, there’s just something about our South African work culture (that can be to our detriment too).
We speak English very well and lots of other languages too - they don’t call us the rainbow nation for nothing.
We are well educated.
Because of the weakening Rand we can be more affordable too.
Often international clients are looking specifically for South African Virtual Assistants and finding one through an association is a great (and easy) place for them to start.
We landed two international clients through being a part of the VAASA community and we’re very grateful for their existence.
How do you stand out from the competition you may ask? This will be a topic for another day!
Don’t neglect your online presence, your website and the social media platforms you’ve decided to show up on. Remember we don’t have beautiful storefronts for new customers to walk through. All we have is an online presence and ensuring yours is great and up-to-date is a must! Landing clients through social media platforms is possible. We've done it!
Starting a new business will require some form of investment not only time wise but financially too. We invested in Google Ads to help us increase our exposure and lead generation and ultimately assist us with landing more international clients.
Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth-marketing. Many additional international clients have been referred to us through our existing international client relationships but we understand that you need to get there first. This is just a reminder that when you do, ensure you’re dang good at what you do!
Remember, the world is eager to experience the South African touch. Embrace your strengths, approach each opportunity with enthusiasm, and let your professionalism shine through. With dedication and a touch of South African charm, you'll soon be working with clients from every corner of the globe.