Do we need to guide our clients on how to make use of our services?
Member feature: by Lindi of VA Connect
From personal experience, we’ve determined that it is indeed necessary to educate clients on the use of a Virtual Assistant. Some might know they need one but not know how to utilize him/her to their best ability.
A little extra effort = Saving Time & Money
I don’t think clients realise that there is a huge amount of tasks they can outsource to a VA that they still insist on doing themselves. Having used a VA myself I can tell you why… For the time it takes to explain what needs to be done you could’ve already had the task done yourself. But unfortunately, that’s the price of progress. By spending a little extra time in the beginning, making sure your VA knows exactly how you want stuff done will save you time and money in the long run. Makes sense right?
As a client, I’d say start by setting down some ground rules. For example, you need a time-report every Monday morning or a Skype meeting every Friday afternoon. This way your VA knows exactly what is expected.
If explaining a task seems tedious, send an email or a voice note. It always helps when your VA can go back to the communication and re-play or re-read it if something wasn’t clear, instead of going back and forth which is exactly what you would wish to avoid.
Discussing the essentials
Two things are very important to discuss. Firstly, you need to know what your VA can and cannot do with respect to your business. It really helps to know that your VA can do graphic design for example. Secondly, you need to be clear on when and how you will be delegating tasks to your VA. Knowing this will spare you both a whole lot of frustration.
Conclusion
From a VA’s perspective, don’t be afraid to take the lead, remember you’ve worked with clients before, this might be the first time your client works with a VA. Guide them as to what the next steps are and what you are capable of if they seem unsure or frazzled. It’ll also show that you have things under control and can easily assist your client to make their lives easier.
The first month or so is usually the most uncomfortable. It is the time when you’re figuring out your client and vice versa. And Mr. Client, give it time, you’ll get the hang of asking your VA to make reservations or book flights, things you were so used to doing on your own. If you’re not sure if your VA can do a specific task, ask them. Keep the communication lines open and remember that good things take time and it’ll be worth it once you get the hang of it.
For more about Lindi and how VA Connect can help you, please do visit our members page.