10 Virtual Assistant Hacks To Implement Right Now

 

 

The role of a virtual assistant has changed over the years; they are not just there to provide personalized secretarial services or be a virtual secretary.

The modern-day virtual assistant worker can do far more than deal with phone calls, manage your calendar, filter emails, and arrange appointments. Personal assistants are far more skilled and carry out important tasks needed by the business owner.

Businesses see that virtual assistants work efficiently and prove more cost-effective to the company, but there are ways to make sure you make it an efficient relationship.

Here are our ten hacks to get the best from your virtual assistants.

My 10 Hacks For A More Efficient VA Relationship

1 – Get Your Virtual Assistant Involved In The Process

The best way of achieving a high level of productivity is to get all team members working as a team and being involved in guiding business processes.

When you involve your virtual assistant in all business processes, they feel valued, and their confidence grows, which leads to higher productivity.

The virtual assistant will gain more confidence, allowing you to give them more important tasks such as working with clients or dealing with potential clients.

As the VAs’ experience grows, you will see their communication skills develop to a level where client relations turn into future sales.

2 – Create A Partnership Relationship

An executive assistant works for themselves by providing remote assistance services. But it’s up to you to build a strong working relationship with your executive assistants to ensure they provide you with the best service.

Many executive assistants have different clients from a wide range of industries. It is up to you to make sure your partnership is valued so that they make you a priority.

If the executive assistant feels emotionally invested in your business, it will help to grow their involvement. In addition, the level of service provided often increases when a strong partnership is formed.

Try to form a clearly defined partnership where there is one common goal to strive towards.

3 – Regularly Meet With Your Virtual Assistants

Many virtual assistants have had varied experiences in the world of work.

Their experiences may give them knowledge and skills in areas that you may not be skilled in.

Therefore, it is important to interact with your virtual assistant to learn what new skills they can bring to your company.

Asking for their advice and view on how to improve areas such as time management, which will help increase productivity, could prove vital in their job.

Executive assistants often work across many different industries; they may have expert skills and knowledge directly related to your business sector. So don’t be afraid to ask about their other skills and interests.

4 – Drive Towards Continuous Process Improvement

Continuous improvement and upskilling has to be a key part of the role of your virtual assistant. Their responsibilities must continue to be updated to match their skill set.

Meeting and improving the standards of your VA and other staff is a way to drive your business forward. Business owners should always look at ways to improve the goals they set at the start of a project.

This has to be done in collaboration with team members so that they are invested in continuous process improvement.

5 – Get Your VAs To Collaborate

It is essential for your executive assistant and all your VAs to collaborate on key company objectives. The process may be to conduct weekly meetings to see how much time is spent on tasks.

Your executive assistant and VAs will perform different tasks, but all team members will have collaborated objectives.

Your VA for customer service should also spend time with the accounting assistants to see if there are any tips both departments can pass on to the other.

When each department works well together and talks about the ways to improve, it helps to forge a better working relationship and improves many tasks you are working on.

6 – Set Achievable Goals

Productivity is a vital part of setting achievable goals. For example, if a task needs time-consuming focus, it is helpful to select the correct amount of time to get the work done right.

Most people respond better when the goal is challenging but achievable. And you must be able to track the progress of each goal you set for your executive assistant and other team members.

Goal setting must be based on the skills your team possesses. This will help them stay focused on the crucial things that help your company excel.

It helps if your team loves one task that is a part of the goal you have set. And always try to set goals that are in line with member strength.

7 – Precisely Define Work And Responsibilities

Your VAs need to know precisely what their role and responsibilities are to focus on them and drive business success.

Each member of your team has different responsibilities which come together to help your company run smoothly. When a VA knows what is expected of them, you don’t have to worry about lending them additional support at the wrong time.

However, assistants and other employees will all need tips on how to get the best out of their job and decrease distractions. And one of the best ways to achieve that is by involving them in a Process Improvement System.

This system allows you to iron out any problems the VA may have or envisage happening in the future. Putting time and effort into listening to your employees’ concerns and suggestions will help you define their responsibilities moving forward.

It also allows you to monitor the performance of your VA using key performance indicators. Doing this regularly will help you follow up on any issues and keep you on top of any problems that may lay ahead.

8 – Allow Time To Learn Processes

Even the most experienced VA will need time to learn how your company runs. In addition, it will take the VA you hire time to get used to the project management software your company uses, as all project management tools are different.

It is vital to be patient when offering tips on using software that they may not be familiar with and then monitor progress.

Allow time in the working week for your VA to become more accomplished using different technology such as Google Drive, Google Calendar, G Suite, and a note-taking app.

Technology can take time to get used to and manage. This is especially the case with VAs, but the benefits far outweigh the challenges you face at the start, as it’s time well invested.

9 – Maintain Moderate Performance Expectations

Hiring a VA will save you money, but it is essential to manage your expectations. It may take the person you hire months instead of days to get to grips with the tools of your business.

Moderate tasks according to the amount of time they have been given to adjust to how your company runs.

Remember, a VA has a work-life balance to maintain, as do your other staff. If they feel happy in their work, they are more likely to perform to a higher standard.

10 – Make Your VA Feel Like Part Of The Office Team

As a business owner, you should have the ability to create the right working environment. It is up to you to make your VA feel like an integral part of the office team.

Creating strong team morale will only benefit your company in the long term. First, however, your VA should be treated as another staff member in terms of their professional approach to their job.

 

 

Get Help With Hiring And Managing Teams Of VAs

It can be very time-consuming to hire a suitable VA for your company. First, you have to search for the right person, hire them, train them and manage them. Unfortunately, all businesses search for the practically perfect VA when they don’t exist.

It is far easier to hire a VA whom you can gradually train to increase your productivity.

But this is not an easy task to take on unless you have extensive experience with hiring and managing VAs and the different cultural challenges that come with it.

If this isn’t something you have experience in, then call us today for a free consultation on how we can help you build a team of VAs. We also have a pool of highly skilled and trained VAs that could give you almost instant access to your first VA in a matter of days.

And this will be a complete hands-off approach that allows you to focus on the more important things in your business.

Call us today and find out how quickly we can have you set up.

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