It’s a saying we know all too well: “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”. Whether you’re a student, a worker, or you’re retired, first impressions are an extremely important part of finding success, creating relationships, and moving into new phases of life.
First impressions are also a key part of displaying professionalism and motivation. For anyone who has their own business, such as independent support workers on the Mable platform, professionalism is what can help them to stand out from the crowd.
Throughout each stage of connecting to clients on the Mable platform – from receiving your first message from a client to providing them support – your professionalism will help you to expand your business. And, your client’s first impression of you may impact their decision whether you are the right support worker for them.
Creating a lasting impression via Mable
Via the Mable platform, you’ll connect with potential clients by either:
- responding to their job post,
- or receiving a message from them.
To ensure you display professionalism at your very first point of contact with your client, you should reply to them via the Mable platform as soon as possible. To help you respond as quickly as possible, our platform will send you an email or push notification if you have the Mable Mobile App installed to notify you of your new message.
When responding to a client via Mable, you should keep your messages as clear, grammatically correct, and legible as possible. This will help prevent any miscommunications between you and your client.
Responding as quickly as possible will also improve your reply rate. Your reply rate is displayed to any clients who visit your profile on Mable. Clients can also see roughly how long it takes for you to reply to a client via Mable.
Making a call
Some clients find it easier to learn more about an independent support worker by giving them a phone call. If your client requests to speak to you, you should organize a time that suits you both. You may also want to prepare to discuss the following topics:
- your qualifications, skills, and experience providing aged care, short-term support or disability support,
- your interests, hobbies, and personality,
- your work ethic or habits,
- or any further details about information on your Mable profile.
To make a lasting impression on your potential client, you might offer to call them, rather than them calling you. Or, you might ask them a couple of questions about their interests, hobbies, and support preferences to show that you are willing to provide support and learn more about them.
Remember, you should make sure you’re in a quiet environment to speak to your potential client – and have a pen and paper ready to take any notes.
Meeting your client
Many clients also choose to organize a ‘meet and greet’ which potential independent support workers. You should consider these meet and greets as important as a job interview or a meeting with a boss.
A meet and greet is perhaps the most important part of creating and upholding a positive, lasting impression with a client on Mable. Some clients consider these interviews as a key part of their search for the right support option. Your potential client may even be interviewing others to help them decide which support worker is right for them, so it helps to be prepared and punctual.
A meet and greet is also an opportunity for your client to see evidence of your qualifications, skills and become familiar with you. Some things your client might request for you to bring are:
- copies of qualification certificates,
- copies of your Police Check or Working with Children Check,
- contact details of any personal or professional references,
- and written details of your availability and weekly schedule.
You should be sure to bring along any documents that your client requests.
Providing the first support session
Once your client has expressed that they want to receive support from you, you should return to the Mable platform and ‘send an offer’ to your client. You can only provide support to a client after they have accepted your offer on Mable. If your client doesn’t accept your agreement on Mable, you won’t be covered by the suite of insurance policies arranged on behalf of you.
During your first support session with a new client, you may wish to spend some time asking them about the support they require and further questions about their interests, goals, family, or hobbies.
A strong relationship is often built upon a great first impression, common interests, and of course – support. Your first support session is the final opportunity for you to consolidate your impression on a client and it’s also a time for them to decide whether you are the right support worker for them.
Here are some other ways you can make your first support session successful:
- arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled session start time,
- introduce yourself to any present family members or friends,
- maintain a strong focus on your client throughout the session,
- remember to ask your client what they would like to do during the session,
- ensure your client is comfortable doing particular tasks,
- suggest ideas or activities that are in line with their hobbies and interests.
For more advice on how to become a better support worker in 2019, take a look at the Mable Team’s tips.
Want to begin building a career in helping others? With Mable, you can create a professional profile and directly connect to clients in your local area. Learn more at Mable.
