This as-told-to essay is predicated on a dialog with Hannah Dixon, a 35-year-old founding father of the virtual-assistant coaching useful resource Digital Nomad Package, primarily based in Guanajuato, Mexico, about her recommendation for turning into a six-figure digital assistant. It has been edited for size and readability.

For the final 15 years, I have been touring the world full time as a digital nomad — 58 international locations and counting. I first began as a digital assistant; now I am a virtual-assistant coach and recruiter and I’ve supplied coaching to 27,000 learners throughout 170 international locations.

Incomes six figures a yr does not require working with 20 purchasers concurrently or perhaps a diploma. You simply want to search out purchasers who will pay the charges you need. How do you discover the best-paying purchasers? Listed here are a few of my high ideas.

1. Cease in search of alternatives and begin creating them

After I began as a digital assistant, I initially turned to gig websites to search out work, but it surely was short-lived. Gigs had been few and much between, and the charges weren’t sufficient to keep up my nomadic life-style. I pivoted to a extra proactive mindset the place I prioritized creating alternatives over in search of them.

This requires actively investing time and power to construct a robust private model and make your presence identified. In the event you intend to work on-line, it’s a must to be on-line. Whether or not it is weblog posts protecting the newest trade developments or YouTube tutorials demonstrating your abilities, these efforts set up you as an authority and assist potential purchasers search you out reasonably than the opposite method round.

That is your private model, so make it private. Convey your character middle stage.

2. Place your presence primarily based on the sorts of purchasers you need to entice

As an example you are a digital assistant providing podcast-management providers. One thing easy, like “Podcast VA Providers” in your LinkedIn or web site headline might suffice — however you do not need to simply suffice, you need to excel. 

Six-figure pricing requires a six-figure service, and this VIP service ought to begin earlier than you land the consumer. Your objective is to thrill and dazzle your consumer at each alternative. 

Use language that demonstrates the VIP nature of the expertise you present. For instance, when you work with ladies on a mission, a headline may be “Podcasting with Energy: Elevating the Voices of Ladies on a Mission” or “Premium Podcast Providers for Visionaries.” 

3. Accumulate and publish glowing referrals

A word-of-mouth advice from a glad high-value consumer to their community carries vital weight — greater than most anything on this enterprise.

However referrals do not have to return out of your purchasers alone. Your quick circle — your loved ones, good friend teams, and colleagues — generally is a strong referral community as properly. 

Family and friends could not have the ability to totally articulate every part you are able to do, however they’ll share a weblog publish or your YouTube channel, and refer you confidently in their very own circles.

4. Meet high-paying purchasers the place they’re at

Ninety % of the time, high-paying purchasers aren’t on gig websites, that are infamous for emphasizing bottom-of-the-barrel charges and pitting freelancers towards one another. In the event you’re already crystal clear on who you function a digital assistant, you’ll be able to deliberately spend time in locations your purchasers usually tend to be. 

I am not simply speaking when it comes to attending niche-specific occasions the place your purchasers are spending time — it additionally means assembly your supreme purchasers the place they’re at mentally. 

Display that you simply’re accustomed to their struggles by tailoring your providers and expressing your worth proposition in a language that resonates with them. 

Lengthen this technique to easy conversations. Maybe you are on a name with a possible consumer who tells you they’re exhausted and seeking to discover the sunshine on the finish of the tunnel. You possibly can replicate this again to them when presenting your answer: 

“What I am listening to is that by having peace of thoughts that your inbox is dealt with with care, you’ll regain some power and begin seeing that gentle on the finish of the tunnel you talked about — that is what we’ll work towards collectively.”

5. Use signposting

While you’re exhibiting up the place your supreme purchasers are coming collectively, you’ll be able to implement one tremendous simple, can’t-believe-you-haven’t-been-doing-it-already technique, which I’ve coined “signposting.” 

You possibly can’t have a profitable enterprise when no person is aware of that you simply’re open for enterprise — so posting a variation of one of many beneath in your social profiles the place you are networking can work wonders:

• “I am out there to take purchasers for XYZ service subsequent month. DM me.” 
• “I’ve availability for a brand new consumer beginning on X date. These are the providers that I can assist you in.”

Signposting does not must be particularly about purchasers, both. For instance, I made a decision I needed to get on extra podcasts earlier this yr. I made a signpost on my Fb profile saying, “I am out there to be a visitor, and this is what I can discuss to your viewers about.” I had 10 podcasts booked by the tip of the day. 

Be conscious of pink flags that may sign when a job or consumer could not swimsuit you

Some pink flags are ultra-bold, like scams the place a potential consumer asks to your private data — delete and do not look again.

Different pink flags will be sneaky and delicate. You do not at all times see these coming. Do not let the lure of a fats paycheck lead your interior compass astray. 

Faucet into that intestine feeling you get once you’re conversing with a consumer, who oversteps your boundaries or undervalues your experience, or the consumer who’s in search of you to execute the workload of a 10-person crew. 

Provide low-commitment trial packages 

I at all times advocate my college students provide low-commitment trial packages. It means that you can half methods rapidly and cleanly in case your intestine is sounding the alarm.

One frequent pitfall that digital assistants fall into is accepting the unacceptable as a result of it comes with a pleasant payout. That is not sustainable. Even a month with purchasers like these can result in huge burnout and resentment. In worst-case situations, it negatively impacts your work and relationships with different present purchasers.

Do not forget that your well being and success come earlier than any amount of cash.  Work with individuals who worth you and who you’re feeling comfy to develop with — a clearer, simpler path to six-figure success.