MI: Jennifer,
you are one of the first to graduate from the
Military Spouse Virtual Assistant (MSVA)
program. What was your background before this
and how has it helped you with your services as
a VA?
JT: When I was
informed of the VA program, I was working on my
last two classes to complete my BS in Business
Administration with emphasis in Accounting and
Management Information Systems. The MIS portion
of my degree has been a great asset while
working with my clients. Programming and systems
understanding seem to benefit both my clients
and me. Finally, my childhood background of my
parents' print shop instilled the work ethic and
business principles that are necessary when
building your own business and working with
other entrepreneurs.
MI: You are also
part of the first wave of MSVAs to complete
REALTOR.com's comprehensive VA training program
(congratulations!). Please share with the
readers what that training consisted of and how
it will help you serve the real estate
professional…
JT: Thank you,
Michael! I was thrilled to be allowed to
participate in these exceptional training
programs. My Realtor.com training truly defined
my business. Realtor.com put together, with your
assistance as I understand it, a program to
train us spouses in the technical and systems
side of real estate marketing. The training
focused on the attributes of Realtor.com;
spanning from first-time web site set-up, to
Showcase pages and custom ad copy, to Featured
Homes and Xlerator. This comprehensive training
allowed us to enter the industry with an asset
that is in great demand for the real estate
community.
MI: You have
been working with several sales associates now
for a few months, specifically on helping them
realize more business from their presence on
REALTOR.com. Can you give an example of how you
help your clients standout on REALTOR.com, what
you did to accomplish that, and what the results
were?
JT: By utilizing all
of the Realtor.com features, I help my clients
to find the value of the Realtor.com community.
Through the use of these features and the
specialized web coding I offer, my clients have
watched their sites peak in performance. When
the Realtor.com listings gain attention, the
client’s site experiences the aftershock. I
believe that the marketing available through
Realtor.com places my clients at the forefront
of their industry and places their name and
website at the top of the consumer’s list.
MI: I know you
are planning on specializing in the support of
real estate professionals and have recently
joined REVA Network. In addition to helping
boost sales off of REALTOR.com, in what other
areas of REALTOR support do you plan on
focusing?
JT: I would love to
center my business on the real estate
professional. While marketing is rewarding and
necessary, so are the financial transactions of
real estate. I am looking forward to learning
the ins and outs of the industry and offering my
clients financial transaction and closing
services. By joining these two main portions of
realtors’ needs, I can assist my clients in the
greatest manner possible, and grow my business
into a rewarding and fulfilling business for the
future.
MI: When a real
estate professional comes to you inquiring about
help, how do you evaluate whether you want to
work with them or not?
JT: Once I review
their request for services and feel they are
looking, primarily, for online services and
marketing, I review the prospect's website. This
gives me a feel for the type of marketing they
are looking to implement. I am business-like and
conservative with my marketing skills.
Therefore, I look for clients who share my
overall style of marketing. Next, I contact them
to determine our client/VA compatibility. Do we
phrase things similarly? Do I feel I can finish
their sentences? This way I know communication
will not hinder our partnership.
MI: How
important is it for the real estate professional
to be clear on what they want you to do?
JT: Most of my
inquiries are agents unsure of the possibilities
of the web. As long as they can express their
want to work with the web and the resources
available, I can help them determine their wants
for this domain. So while the agent doesn’t need
to know step by step what they are requesting,
it is helpful when they know the general
direction or area of the work they would like.
MI: Last
question - What words of advice do you have for
REALTORS who are considering using a VA but
never have before?
JT: My advice is to
ask questions and get a feel for how the VA
works —compatibility is a necessity. Ask for
samples of past work. Also keep in mind, as with
anything, negotiations are valuable but true
quality will cost you a fair price. So if the
rate seems awesome, watch out for quality and
quantity. You may be better off to work with a
slightly higher paid VA who has more experience.
MI: Jennifer,
congratulations again on being part of so many
"firsts," and sharing your insights with our
readers!
JT: Thank you,
Michael, for all your encouragement and
assistance. These opportunities have had a great
influence on my career and my family. I had
always wanted to work in the industry and really put
my skills to work; now I can! And I don’t have
to give up my family in the process. I am truly
grateful and look forward to helping other
military spouses to achieve a rewarding career,
while supporting their spouses in the daunting
task of protecting our nation’s security.
Lastly, I would like to thank the real estate
industry for employing msva’s and supporting our
nation’s military.
If Jennifer is an example of the quality that
is coming out of the MSVA program, then our
industry can count itself as being very fortunate
indeed!
You can learn more about Jennifer and her VA
services by contacting her via e-mail at
jtruette@truettemsva.com or by phone at
505-749-2203. Always remember to do a thorough
due-diligence before hiring any kind of assistant.
This interview is part of an ongoing series of VA
profiles designed to help you find that perfect VA
that will launch you to the top quicker and with
less effort than you ever thought possible!
