Last week I chatted about the 5 different ways you can price your VA services. One of them was VIP Days (or sometimes called VA for a Day or Day Rates). This fairly new pricing structure has been making waves lately so I wanted to cover it more in-depth in this episode. I’ll explain more about what they are, what you can offer, the benefits to you and your clients, and more.
WHAT IS A VIP DAY?
Well, it’s quite simple! It’s when you offer a service that is completed anywhere between 3-8 hours. A client books you for a day for a specific outcome.
WHAT TO OFFER FOR VIP DAYS
There are lots of options when it comes to deciding what to offer for your VIP Day. You can either offer to complete 1 type of service or complete multiple tasks. Consider choosing a service or tasks that you enjoy doing or are really good at. You could also learn a new skill if you think it would make a great VIP Day.
Here are a few ideas for you:
- Copywriting – sales pages, sales emails
- Social Media – writing posts, creating graphics, scheduling
- Website Design – a fully customized site would be hard to do in a day, but if you do simple websites where you basically plug in their info and images, it could work
- Website Page Design – set up certain pages for an existing website
- LeadPages – you could specialize in this software to build sales pages
- ClickFunnels – you could specialize in this software to build sales funnels
- Coaching/Consulting – be available for client questions as they work on a project
- Strategy – social media, sales emails, podcasts, etc.
- ConvertKit or other email service provider – migrate and set up automations
- Dubsado or HoneyBook – set up the account, add templates, emails, and automations
- Admin tasks – a variety of tasks
- Email Cleanup – clean up and organize a client’s inbox
- Systems – project management system with workflows
- Writing – blog posts, social media posts
- Transcriptions/captions – videos, podcast episodes, audio
- Tech – tackle tech issues, fix website issues
If you’re wondering WHY are VIP Days are becoming so popular, there are actually quite a few benefits for both you, the Virtual Assistant, and your client.
The BENEFITS FOR you are:
- You can charge more than your normal rate since you are dedicating your time and energy to one client.
- You have the ability to work less overall if there’s a demand for your VIP day and you’re able to book clients consistently.
- When the day is over, the project is over. No scope creep where the client wants something added and edited.
- VIP Days can help boost your income whether you solely focus on them or offer them in addition to your existing services.
- Focusing on one client and one type of task(s) is easier than bouncing around doing different tasks for multiple clients.
The BENEFITS OF VIP DAYS FOR your CLIENTS are:
- They can get one or more projects done in a short amount of time.
- They get a dedicated VA that is focused on their own project.
- It motivates them to get something done on a specific date rather than continually pushing it off.
- Perfect for clients who value speed and convenience.
If a full day of VIP treatment isn’t quite what you want to offer, you can switch things up!
For instance,
- Instead of working with a client for one day, you could offer a VIP weekend or even a VIP week. These would work better for bigger projects like a custom website or podcast launch. I worked with a podcast expert for a week and she helped me launch this podcast. I could ask her any questions I had over the Voxer app. It was SUPER helpful!!
- Another option is offering half days instead of a full day.
If VIP days sound good to you, I have a few tips for you to make the most of it:
- On your website, outline how the day will go so the client understands what to expect.
- Have the client pay when they book your service.
- Use a CRM (Client Relationship Manager) tool like HoneyBook to set up your VIP Day systems, including your schedule, invoice, automatic emails, etc. (If you’d like to try it out and get a nice discount, here’s my special affiliate link: https://desiretodone.com/honeybook)
- Make it clear that if they cancel or reschedule their appointment there will be a fee. You’re setting aside a day for them so it’s important they keep that date if possible.
- As always, boundaries are important! Tell the client you need all materials, login info, answers to your questions, and anything else you need within 72 hours before your VIP Day. And if they haven’t submitted all the info you need by then, tell them their day will need to be rescheduled.
- Depending on what you offer, you can have a call when the day starts, at the end, or offer Voxer check-ins throughout the day.
- You could offer email support for a limited time after the VIP Day is over in case your client has any questions.
- I also recommend that you Beta test your VIP Day with a practice client or two to work out the kinks. (If you don’t know what beta testing is, it’s when you offer your service for free or at a steep discount to try things out. This can be a great way to get testimonials and referrals!)
No doubt, VIP days have a lot of benefits. But, there are a few cons too.
Here are 3:
One - They can be very tiring for introverted Virtual Assistants – it’s a good idea to schedule recovery time at the end of the day so you can recharge properly. We don’t want you burning out!
Two - You will need to constantly find clients vs a retainer rate where you work with a client on an ongoing basis and can count on consistent income. If you’re not sure what retainer rates are, I covered them in last week’s episode.
Three - Not everyone can afford a VIP Day so you’ll need to get really clear on who your ideal client is for this service and go find them. (It will typically be people who have been in business for a while and have the budget for it.)
I hope you’re feeling excited about VIP days and how they can help your VA Business. They are becoming more and more popular with Virtual Assistants and business owners who use them because they have such great benefits. They can offer a nice boost in income for you and be a fun way to offer your help.
Just be really clear about what your service includes, get your systems set up beforehand, and give it a try! Once you offer VIP days to your VA clients, it might just be your new favorite way to work!
Do you need support as you create your VIP Day? Come join my membership, the Introvert VA Club! We have a super supportive community, plus tons of trainings, templates, and more.
Thanks for hanging out with me today and listening to this episode! If you’re enjoying my podcast, be sure to subscribe and leave a review! I’ll talk to you next week! Byyyye!