Working with a Virtual Assistant is a great way to claw back time that you can use doing the things that make you money. It can also help give your business a more professional appearance with well formatted and branded documents using correct spelling and grammar. However, the initial period can be a little testing, and it’s quite easy to get discouraged when you don’t immediately see a result. Over the past 9 years, there are a few things I’ve found are essential for making the relationship with your Virtual Assistant work well.
Know what you want
One of the most common things I find is new clients not really knowing what they want. Of course, a certain amount of my job is to find out what you want. But when you have no idea, it makes it more likely that you’ll be dissatisfied with the results If you’re really not sure what you want, tell your Virtual Assistant and they can give you some options that you can refine into something perfect. But we’re not mind readers and we will give you what you ask for. So please, know what you want and ask for it, or ask us to make some suggestions and let us know honestly what you like and dislike.
Be specific
Once you know what you want, it’s important to make sure your Virtual Assistant knows exactly what that is. For example, if you have a standard font style and size, then let your Virtual Assistant know. Otherwise they’ll either use a default or choose something that looks good in your document. If you don’t care, then that’s fine, but if it’s important to you – we need to know. And don’t just assume that we’ll notice and get it right. I understand that you may feel like you are giving too much instruction, but I always think it’s better to give too much and get the right result first time. Rather than give too little and need several revisions, or have to finish something off yourself.
Don’t be afraid to be picky
If something isn’t done exactly the way you wanted it. Please let us know. We try to do exactly the right thing, but sometimes things are lost in translation. It’s not picky if you come back to us to tell us where you’d like things changed. And not telling us will just lead to us doing it wrong all the time. After all, if you don’t say anything, we will just assume it’s what you want. So even if it seems like something small that you can easily fix yourself. Let us know too and we’ll make a note for future tasks. It’s so much easier than you having to fix something every time.
Don’t be afraid to ask for the behaviours you want
Asking your Virtual Assistant for whatever it is that will give you peace of mind and build trust is essential. Trust is a make or break matter with your Virtual Assistant. If you can’t develop trust, then you won’t be able to have a great relationship. And it’s a two way thing, as much as you need to trust your Virtual Assistant, your Virtual Assistant needs to trust you. So if you want to have a daily phone call, say that. Don’t expect it to just happen and feel upset when it doesn’t. That will just reduce the ability of either of you to have faith in each other.
Expect a settling in period
There will be a time at first when things will go wrong.When things will not happen as you want. And when things are not done as quickly as you hoped. As with any other new contractor or worker, there will be a period of time where you will both take some time to get used to each other. Don’t expect to jump straight into a perfect relationship, but be prepared to take some time to get a good flow happening. It will be worth it in the long run, but don’t get discouraged if it takes a little while. That said, it it’s been a few months and you’ve been communicating well but you’re still not happy – maybe that particular Virtual Assistant is a bad match.
Don’t give up if it doesn’t work first time
Sometimes you’ll find a Virtual Assistant is just not a good fit with your business. Whether it’s because they’re not a skills fit, or because they’re not a personality fit, it happens. When it does, don’t give up on the idea of working with a Virtual Assistant. Either talk it over and ask your Virtual Assistant if they can help you find someone more suitable – after all, they may be feeling the same way. Or, if you just can’t bring yourself to tell them you don’t think it’s a good fit. Terminate their services and try another Virtual Assistant.
You won’t find Good/Fast/Cheap all in one
I’m sure you’ve seen this Venn diagram that’s mostly used to demonstrate graphic design and website creation. Well it also applies to Virtual Assistants. You won’t find, or at best it’s incredibly rare, that you’ll find a Virtual Assistant who will do your work well, quickly and cheaply. So don’t expect to find a local quality Virtual Assistant at an offshore price. It doesn’t happen. Be prepared to spend a little more and reap the savings. When you’re thinking about cost, consider your hourly rate against your Virtual Assistants. It’s also worth noting, that as someone who is a professional, your Virtual Assistant will probably do thing a lot quicker than you do.
Go with your gut
Don’t try to force a relationship that’s not working and you don’t feel good about. There are a lot of Virtual Assistants out there and I guarantee you’ll be able to find one that delights you. So if you just don’t click with a Virtual Assistant it’s OK to look for another one. While you don’t need to be best buddies with your Virtual Assistant it makes it easier if you feel good about them. If you instinctually trust them and feel secure giving over parts of your business to them. On the other hand, if you just don’t vibe with them, you’re more likely to keep a tight rein on everything and you’ll never get the results you want. Personalities differ, so it’s always best to find the one you want.
You’re our client, not our employer
This can be difficult because sometimes the line between contractor and employee is pretty blurry. But it’s important to remember that you’re not our employer. Some of the more important stuff that it means is that we set our rates, we set our payment terms, we set the services we provide and we control our hours. We can, and I suspect most of us do, negotiate changes to some of these, but it’s not something you should expect. It also means that your Virtual Assistant should be telling you these things. Your Virtual Assistant should tell you what their conditions are, they should let you know when they don’t provide a service you need. Most of the time they’ll be able to find you someone who does provide the service.
Hopefully, these 9 things will make it easier for you to get the most out of a relationship with a Virtual Assistant. The better your relationship is, the more benefits you’ll see and the more time you’ll have to do the things that create income, or to go to the movies, read a book, go hiking or whatever else you find relaxing.
