Marketing guru to share practical ways to avoid being viewed as offering a commodity service for Virtual Assistants and other independent professionals

Tacoma, WA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/14/2007 -- Especially for Virtual Assistants and other professional service providers, pressure to reduce the price of services is tremendous to attract and retain customers. There is little more frustrating than offering a high-value service that is measured as a commodity--a service offered by many and compared by price.

That's the scenario Jim Logan begins with in his upcoming teleseminar sponsored by the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce, a professional association of Virtual Assistants worldwide dedicated to helping Virtual Assistants and their clients grow smarter businesses.

"How to Insulate Yourself from Your Competition, Protect the Price of Your Services, and Avoid Becoming a Commodity" is an approach to marketing for Virtual Assistants and independent professionals that changes the way professionals market their services to attract clients to their business and minimize the prssures to discount pricing.

"Newcomers and offshore companies add to the frustration of competition with discounted offers and low-cost operations. The temptation to lower your prices is gerat. Some days it feels like discounting your service is the only thing you can do to protect your business," says Logan.

"In reality, you have lots of options to discounting your service. You don't have to tbe a low-cost provider to attract new clients or protect your customer-base. That's a fool's game you can't win."

Teleseminar participants will learn how to protect their position in their market, insulate themselves from common competitive pressures, avoid the pressure to compete on price and discounted services, and how to attract their ideal client. Jim Logan will discuss how to avoid being viewed as a commodity and stand out from the crowd, resulting in higher margins, better clients and greater satisfaction in your work.

Several items planned for discussion include:

The three things prospective clients consciously or subconsciously think about when deciding whether or not to purchase your services;
The most important thing to highlight when describing your service;
Why the least valuable thing you have to offer your customer is your time;
How to increase your hourly rate without billing by the hour; and
How to differentiate your service from your competition and attract your ideal client.
Calendar Listing

What: "How to Insulate Yourself from Your Competition, Protect the Price of Your Services and Avoid Becoming a Commodity"

Speaker: Jim Logan, Marketing Consultant

Date: Thursday, May 17, 2007

Time: 5pm PST / 6pm MST / 7pm CST / 8pm EST

Length: 60 minutes

Cost: FREE!

To Register: http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/teleclass-registration.htm

ABOUT THE VACOC: The Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce is a professional association of Virtual Assistants worldwide dedicated to helping Virtual Assistants run smarter, more successful businesses, and providing business owners with free tools and resources to connect with qualified Virtual Assistant professionals. Anyone interested in learning more about Virtual Assistance and its professional providers is encouraged to visit the VACOC at http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com