Many clients come to us because the idea of no longer having to handle all of their tasks on their own is extremely appealing. Yet, they worry that they won’t be able to handle the act of actually delegating – on top of everything else going on in their busy entrepreneurial lives.
In it’s simplest terms: in order for a virtual assistant to help you effectively, the virtual assistant needs to 1) explicitly know what you need and 2) receive feedback along the way.
Having been in business since 2008, we’ve seen this process work smoothly with the right systems, direction and processes. Your Virtual Assistant genuinely wants to help you have less work, rather than create more for yourself.
Here are a few tips to ensure that your investment in a virtual assistant produces a good ROI:
Know what you want to delegate (as well as timelines) before you hire a Virtual Assistant company:Make sure that you have clarity on exactly what you want your virtual assistant to do – and by when. “Help me market my new program,” isn’t specific enough. Rather, “write copy for a squeeze page” and “source 50 social media posts” is better.
Remember to “Train and Explain”: If you hire a professional Virtual Assistant, assume that he or she has the ability to effectively execute your tasks, but that doesn’t mean you should skimp on the training. Carefully share action steps, don’t make assumptions, provide good/bad examples and offer plenty of feedback in the initial few weeks of work.
Set communication expectations: At the outset, set expectations for communication – how often and the type of updates that you want. For example, you may want quick morning brain dumps or simply weekly emails with time reports. Be up front about what type of communication plan and mode works for you, like email or texting.
Follow these simple 3 strategies for making sure that your Virtual Assistant company investment works out.