5 tips to bolster engagement with your virtual assistant
Hiring a virtual assistant is the perfect next step in your business, but it can be a bit daunting with the creation of checklists, SOP's and work schedules, plus how to communicate with one another. It’s a real learning curve for both the business owner and the VA, but it can be an amazing experience too if you take the correct steps right from the start.
With my extensive experience as an executive assistant, here are my 5 tips to help bolster your engagement with your virtual assistant:
➡️ Have you hired the right person? It will come down to this key factor and it may take time to find the person that really gels with you and your business. Generally the more experienced a VA, the more aware they are of what the business owner needs and how to interact.
➡️ Create SOP’s - Having clear guidelines and instructions of how you want your operational tasks managed will help the VA be more efficient and effective in their role. This is ideal as it will also remove the need for questions from the VA on how to do certain tasks. Although the initial time to prepare the SOP’s can be time-consuming, the time it saves you, in the long run, is irreplaceable. Honestly, a game-changer if done right!
➡️ Communication - having clear and consistent instructions will help when engaging with your virtual assistant. Don’t forget that what we write in email can often come across in a tone of voice that we did not intend, especially if your VA has English as their second language - things can easily be misinterpreted. I highly recommend you record a video of just you giving instructions (or also share your screen if you need to show them a ‘step by step’ how to) and this way nothing will get lost in translation. I use Loom which is really great for sharing my screen and giving instructions. That way they can refer back to the video without having to ask you more questions. Such a great way to help with communication
➡️ Set expectations from the beginning - A GAME CHANGER - clearly set what you want from your VA from the very beginning. Write out a plan of what you want them to do every day - set out how much time the tasks should take them to complete. For example: 5 hours a week (here is an example of work they can do and general guidelines) Monday 30 minutes social media engagement 30 minutes of content research/curating for social media and newsletters 30 minutes direct messaging your ICA to get them into your group or whatever Wednesday 30 minutes social media engagement 30 minutes of content research/curating for social media and newsletters 30 minutes direct messaging your ICA to get them into your group or whatever Friday 30 minutes social media engagement 60 mins social media scheduling and newsletter scheduling 30 mins adhoc admin activities
➡️ Be nice - Being nice to your VA can go a long way, trust me on this one. I have been an executive assistant for quite a long time before I created AirPreneur, and this is one of the best pieces of advice I can give small business owners. As a business owner and also as someone who has worked in administration, it’s super appreciated when the assistant is shown a little bit of respect (or a lot :)) and that the work they do is appreciated - PLUS you’ll also get a lot more in return from your VA if you treat them right. It doesn’t take much, - some thank you’s, great work, and glad to have you on board. Simplez!
Call to Action 🥰
Engaging with your VA is actually pretty easy if you have hired the right one. This may not happen straight away, but don’t give up - there are some great assistants out there that are waiting for someone like you. It’s super important to spend time setting them up correctly, set out expectations, and simply show them some TLC along the way. You’ve got this 😍