Working with a virtual assistant
The modern solution to administrative support has come a long way in recent times. There are many options to choose from and lots of things to consider before you take the plunge. After all, this person may well be representing your business to customers and suppliers so you want to get it right the first time.
Having successfully worked with a virtual assistant for over 5 years, there are a number of tips I can offer to help you get the most from your investment.
Why?
Being clear on why you want an assistant is a vital first step. If you do it for the wrong reasons, or without considering the possible downsides then you could waste both time and money. Consider the relative importance of the following pros and cons when making your decision:
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What
Before beginning your search, write a realistic list of all the tasks you would like your assistant to perform. Keep in mind that a good administrator does not always make a good marketer. You may actually need two different suppliers to perform those roles. The hourly rate you are prepared to pay will also dictate what you can expect in terms of skills and output. Also consider starting out with only a few, essential tasks and adding other duties as your turnover increases and your relationship with the virtual assistant develops.
Who
Once you know why you want an assistant and what you want them to do, the next step is deciding who. Just like any job vacancy, you need to think carefully about who the right person for the job might be. Having worked in Human Resource Management for most of my career, there are a few tips I can offer here. For example:
- Don’t just look at technical skills, consider whether the person is a good personality match with you and your business
- Interview them in person as you might not see them very often
- Be clear on what tasks the candidates can do, want to do and are good at doing
- Networking and referrals are the best sources of potential candidates
- Start your search well before you desperately need someone to avoid saying yes to an unsuitable person.
When
Think about when you need them to be available . . . do you require them to be on call for evening or weekend work, or can most of their tasks be completed during business hours? Keep in mind that most assistants will have other clients and personal commitments they will need to work around. If you are a disorganised workaholic who makes last minute requests requiring them to work all weekend to meet a deadline, you may run into trouble if you didn’t warn them about your work patterns in advance.
You may need to set a limit on how many hours your assistant works so you don’t get a surprise when you receive their invoice at the end of the month. Being proactive is obviously a good quality in an assistant but “inventing” tasks to bump up their cash flow would not be.
How
Every business has its own way of doing things. No matter how professional and experienced your virtual assistant is, you will need to set guidelines on the way you like things done. This could include the type of language used in correspondence, turn-around times on requests from clients and even document layouts.
If you don’t already have written procedures then perhaps that can be their first task. Procedures that are all in your head or that change constantly can make you look unprofessional and lose you clients. Asking an assistant to “make a document look better” can also result in miscommunication and wasted effort.
A word of warning . . . if you’ve hired a virtual assistant because administration is not your strong point, make sure you take their professional advice on suggested changes to your systems. This is where learning to let go of control is important to the success of your relationship.
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