The posting
About the Client A speaker, presenter, host and facilitator with extensive experience in professional football, broadcasting, leadership development and live events. Having spent many years working within the Premier League and the wider football industry, Samuel has built a business delivering keynote talks, hosting events, facilitating panels, and running workshops that help individuals develop their public speaking and presentation skills. His work spans several sectors, including football, education, event services, and youth and community development. As his business continues to grow, Samuel is looking for a proactive and personable Virtual Assistant to help him maintain consistent outreach, identify relevant opportunities, and build relationships with potential clients. Role Overview The Lead Generation & Outreach Virtual Assistant will support Samuel's business development activities by researching potential clients, identifying relevant decision-makers, preparing and sending outreach communications, and managing follow-ups. The primary objective is to help Samuel maintain a consistent and organised outreach process, reduce the time he spends on prospect research, and create more opportunities for conversations and potential bookings. The successful candidate will work with Samuel's existing contact database and outreach templates while recommending practical improvements to the process where appropriate. This role will initially focus exclusively on outreach and lead generation. Additional administrative or social media responsibilities may be considered in the future but are not part of the initial scope. Key Responsibilities 1. Lead Research and Prospect Identification Research organisations and potential clients aligned with Samuel's services and target markets. Identify relevant decision-makers, contacts and professional stakeholders within target organisations. Research schools, sixth forms, colleges, universities, business schools, football organisations, event agencies, youth development organisations, and community organisations. Identify appropriate contact details, prioritising professional email addresses where available. Find relevant LinkedIn profiles when direct email addresses cannot be located. Maintain an organised list of researched prospects, including organisation names, contact names, job titles, contact details and relevant notes. Assess whether prospective organisations are relevant to Samuel's speaking, presenting, hosting or workshop services. 2. Outreach and Initial Contact Execute outreach through email and LinkedIn, with Instagram considered where appropriate and agreed. Use Samuel's existing outreach templates as a starting point. Personalise messages according to the organisation, contact's role, sector and potential requirements. Adapt and suggest improvements to existing messaging templates to improve relevance and clarity. Maintain a professional, personable and authentic tone consistent with Samuel's personal brand. Keep outreach communications aligned with Samuel's approved messaging and business objectives. Obtain Samuel's approval for new messaging approaches or material changes to outreach campaigns where required. 3. Follow-Up and Lead Nurturing Track initial outreach and schedule appropriate follow-ups. Follow up with prospects who have not responded, in accordance with agreed messaging and timing. Monitor replies, connection requests, expressions of interest and potential opportunities. Identify warm leads and flag promising conversations to Samuel for personal engagement. Maintain clear records of follow-up dates, responses and agreed next actions. Avoid duplicate or unnecessary communications by checking existing records before contacting prospects. 4. Contact Database and Pipeline Management Maintain and update Samuel's existing lead-tracking spreadsheet. Record prospect names, organisations, roles, contact details, outreach dates, communication channels, and follow-up dates. Update lead statuses, including contacted, awaiting response, replied, interested, follow-up required, and meeting or booking opportunity, as appropriate. Record relevant notes and next steps for each prospect. Improve the organisation and usability of the existing spreadsheet where beneficial, subject to Samuel's approval. Provide visibility into the outreach pipeline so Samuel can easily understand which opportunities require attention. 5. Appointment and Opportunity Support Identify prospects who express interest in Samuel's services. Coordinate potential discovery calls or meetings with Samuel, where appropriate. Escalate interested prospects and relevant enquiries promptly. Provide Samuel with concise summaries of promising opportunities and their communication history. Support the transition from initial outreach to a potential booking or business conversation. The primary goal is to generate relevant conversations and potential opportunities. The VA will not be expected to independently negotiate fees, make binding commitments, or confirm bookings without Samuel's authorisation. 6. Reporting and Communication Provide regular updates on completed research, outreach activity, responses and outstanding follow-ups. Maintain an accurate record of outreach activity and lead progress. Flag obstacles, missing information or opportunities requiring Samuel's input. Communicate proactively when clarification or approval is needed. Suggest practical improvements to outreach workflows and tracking processes. Target Markets The VA will initially focus on the following sectors: Football and sports: Football clubs, football organisations, academies and relevant industry stakeholders. Education: Schools, sixth forms, colleges, universities and business schools. Event services: Event management companies, event agencies and organisations seeking hosts, presenters, emcees or panel facilitators. Youth and community development: Youth development organisations, community organisations and groups supporting young people. Prospecting priorities may change as Samuel identifies the most promising sectors and opportunities. Outreach Channels The anticipated channels are: Email: Preferred when a suitable professional email address is available. LinkedIn: Used to identify relevant contacts, connect with prospects and send professional messages. Instagram: May be used selectively where appropriate and agreed. Telephone outreach is not currently a confirmed core responsibility. Any calling requirements should be discussed and agreed separately. Existing Resources and Tools Samuel currently has: An existing spreadsheet-based lead database. Outreach templates tailored to different types of organisations. Existing professional relationships and referral networks. Active LinkedIn and Instagram accounts that contribute to lead generation. The VA should be comfortable working with spreadsheets and online research tools. Familiarity with AI tools for research assistance, drafting and workflow efficiency is desirable, provided all outputs are verified and reviewed appropriately. No specific CRM or project management platform has been confirmed. Expected Workload and Initial Targets Minimum commitment: 10 hours per week. Initial outreach benchmark: Approximately 20 outreach messages per week, or around 80 per month, based on Samuel's current activity target. Primary focus: Relevant prospect research, personalised outreach, follow-ups and accurate lead tracking. The existing benchmark is a starting point for discussion rather than a guaranteed output. The actual number of contacts that can be researched and approached will depend on prospect complexity, contact availability, personalisation requirements and follow-up workload. A clear weekly plan should be agreed during onboarding, with priorities and output expectations reviewed once the VA becomes familiar with the process. Required Skills and Qualifications Experience in lead generation, prospect research, outreach or appointment-setting support. Strong written English and professional business communication skills. Excellent online research and information-verification skills. Confidence identifying relevant organisations and decision-makers. Experience using LinkedIn for professional research and outreach. Ability to draft and personalise professional email messages. Strong organisational skills and attention to detail. Proficiency with spreadsheets and maintaining accurate records. Ability to manage follow-ups, deadlines and recurring tasks consistently. Good judgement when handling prospect information and prioritising opportunities. Ability to work independently while knowing when to ask questions or seek approval. Preferred Personal Qualities Samuel is looking for someone who is: Personable and approachable: Comfortable communicating professionally and building rapport. Proactive: Able to identify opportunities and suggest improvements rather than simply waiting for instructions. Curious and willing to ask questions: Comfortable checking in with Samuel when clarification is needed. Organised and dependable: Consistent with outreach, follow-ups and record keeping. Adaptable: Able to work across different sectors and adjust messaging to different audiences. Detail-oriented: Careful with names, contact information, personalisation and communication history. Easy to work with: Collaborative, communicative and comfortable in a developing business environment. Working Arrangements Remote working arrangement. Minimum of 10 hours per week. Flexible scheduling is acceptable. Working during UK business hours is preferred but not mandatory. Email and WhatsApp are the preferred communication channels. Regular check-ins and progress updates are expected. The VA should be comfortable working with an entrepreneur whose business and processes are continuing to develop. Initial Priorities for the First Month During onboarding, the VA should aim to: Understand Samuel's services, ideal prospects, outreach objectives and target sectors. Review the existing lead spreadsheet and outreach templates. Establish a clear and repeatable process for prospect research and contact verification. Agree on the outreach workflow, personalisation standards and follow-up schedule. Begin consistent outreach and maintain accurate pipeline records. Provide regular progress updates and identify opportunities to improve the process. The first month should establish an effective working relationship, clarify expectations and provide a basis for reviewing performance. Performance Indicators Performance should be evaluated using a combination of activity, quality and progress measures, including: Number of relevant prospects researched and verified. Number of personalised outreach messages sent. Consistency of follow-ups completed on schedule. Accuracy and completeness of lead records. Quality and relevance of prospect selection. Responses and positive engagement generated. Qualified conversations, meeting opportunities and potential bookings supported. Reliability, communication and adherence to the agreed workflow. The objective is to build a sustainable and targeted outreach process, rather than maximise message volume at the expense of relevance or quality. Scope Exclusions and Future Possibilities The initial role is focused on outreach and lead generation. The following are not included in the initial scope unless separately agreed: General administration and invoice preparation. Chasing outstanding client payments. Social media content creation, graphic design or video editing. Full social media account management. Independent sales negotiations or commitments on Samuel's behalf. Telephone cold calling. Additional responsibilities may be considered as the business grows and the initial working arrangement develops.
