7 Tips on how to communicate effectively with your VA

In our busy lives it's easy to fall into the trap: you (the customer) want to start delegating to your new VA as quickly as possible . You have signed an agreement and are now ready to get that precious time back in order to focus on your core business. She (the VA) is also eager to start working ! So after a couple of e-mail exchanges each one of you gets back to doing what they do best. But that's where the trap lies: you have not clearly defined your expectations and before you know it little misunderstanding will arise and bring some tension to your new business relationship.

A solid communication plan is very important in a relationship with a VA. Especially because this relationship is virtual ! Both parties need to be very clear about their expectations and their communication.

By applying the following 7 suggestions and integrating them into your communication plan, you can avoid the unpleasant misinterpretations and build a successful business relationship right from the start:

1. Give specif, step by step instructions You might want to write a short manual about repetitive tasks, a FAQ document with relevant questions (and their answers), as well as some email templates.
   
   
2. For more complex tasks consider showing your VA directly on your screen with a Screencasting tool like the one available on Skype*
   
   
3. Be clear on your expectations Don't assume she knows what you are expecting. Communicate your expectations preferably in writing or over the phone.
   
   
4. Be clear on deadlines Tell her when you expect the project to be done. "Asap" is not clear !
   
   
5. Arrange weekly updates & monthly calls Once a week your VA should send you an update of her progress. And once a month you should schedule a call to discuss the goals and expectations of the current and the following month.
   
   
6. Communicate your working hours Be sure that both parties communicate their working hours. Your VA might be working part-time, so be sure to know when you can reach her. If you live in different time zones, make sure you know until what time at night it's ok to call.
   
   
7. Request regular updates on hours used If you have agreed on a retainer plan (a certain amount of hours per month) discuss with your VA how often you would like to be updated on the amount of hours used. A weekly update at the beginning is recommended.
   
   

*Screensharing on Skype: go to "Share" and then click on "Share your screen"

Effective communication lead to mutual understanding and will hopefully result in a long-term commitment and successful business relationship.

Are you a Virtual Assistant or do you work with virtual assistants? How do you make the client-assistant relationship as effective as possible? Please leave your comment.


Other posts that might interest you:
How does the remote business relationship with a VA work ?
What's the difference between a Virtual Assistant and an Employee ?
What exactly is a Virtual Assistant ?

To find out more about working with a VA click here !

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Why rocks ?

Some of you may have wondered about my reasoning when I chose my logo... This post will hopefully convince you that I didn't just randomly pick one, but actually gave it some thought :-)

1. Link to the word "Simplicity"
   When I chose my company name, I immediately thought of "Simplicity". First of all I like the sound of it, and second I think it expresses the "raison d'être" of my business: we help other companies to simplify their work day. So when it came to choosing a logo to go with my company name, I did what everybody would do: I Googled "Simplicity" and hit "images". The result is a strange mix of pictures, but the second one in that huge selection convinced me (see below). It expressed everything that subconsciously was engraved in my mind when thinking about "Simplicity": simple things in life, simple yet sophisticated, "nature made" versus "human made" etc. Do you see what I mean?
   
   
   
2. Building on something
   What I also liked about this picture, is that it's not "only" a scene of natural beauty, like a beach or a mountain, but there is obvious human involvement visible. Somebody built that rock stack with great care and concentration. And that's what we do at Simplicity Admin Solutions: we build small things, with great care and attention to detail. Our clients focus on their core business and the big picture, while we concentrate on the little things that need to be done.
   
   
3. Global notion
   Last but not least I wanted to give my logo a "global look". As a multilingual VA I work with clients from all over the world, and I wanted my logo to express that notion. So we added the circled arrow which stands for "around the world".
   

So there you have it. This was my reasoning when I created my logo. Are you convinced ? :-)

P.S. I worked with the Logo Design Team to create my logo and they were great. Very good value and excellent customer service!


"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication", Leonardo DaVinci

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How does the remote business relationship with a VA work ?

If you ever had an assistant, one who worked with you in the same office, your communication probably looked similar to this:

• you tell her to book a flight to Zurich, reserve a hotel and a rental car (she books everything and prints out confirmations for you)
  
  
• you tell her to make a Powerpoint presentation for a meeting in 2 weeks, you send her some files by e-mail to give her an idea about the content (she prepares the presentation and e-mails it to you)
  
  
• you tell her to schedule a meeting with a client for next week (she sets up the meeting and you get the confirmation on your calendar)you tell her to translate a document on your drive (she does it and lets you know where to find it)
  
  
• you tell her to write an article for your blog and post it (she writes the article and lets you know)

Now, if you worked with a Virtual Assistant, there's not really that much that would change. Instead of telling her in person, you would either send an e-mail, call her, skype her or send her an Instant Message. Instead of printing you those reservation confirmations, she would just e-mail them back to you. Since she would have access to your calendar, she could easily book that meeting and for the translation she could either remotely access your drive or you could just e-mail her the document, whatever is easier for you.

There are so many tools and applications which facilitate this kind of distance relationship. Here are a few examples:

• Skype: free calls, teleconferences, video calls, file sharing, screen sharing, instant messaging
• Sendthisfile.com: send large files (for free)
• Logmein.com: remote computer access
• Microsoft Office Workspace: free file sharing
• E-Fax.com: receive free faxes

So you see, Virtual Assistance works because of the immediacy and efficacy of electronic communications – Instant Messaging, Skype, e-mail, Internet. A successful business partnership does no longer rely on physical proximity.

Click here if you would like to find out more about working with a VA.


P.S. If you are a VA reading this article and have another favorite tool that you like to work with, please list it in the comments. Thanks!

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Learn German on Twitter - word by word

Did you ever think about learning a new language ? Why not German ?
You might have German ancestors, taken some classes in high school, have German business contacts or just simple have an interest in that language.
For me, German (Swiss German to be precise) is my mother tongue and I use it on a daily basis. In my private life when talking to my kids or for business when I translate a text for a client or communicate with a customer based in Germany or Switzerland. My husband himself is in the process of learning German (he is Canadian) and that's how I came up with the idea to use my knowledge and share it with the Twitter community.
So, starting this Sunday, Feb 7th, my followers will receive 1 German word or expression (with the English translation) per day. I will be using the hashtag #learngerman.

Since I am limited to 140 characters per post, I won't be able to give much explanation about pronunciation or phonetics. But if you have a doubt, there's an excellent website where you find an audio recording of a big selection of German words. Here's the link.

So, are you up for the challenge ? Auf geht's ! (let's do it !)

I am looking forward to seeing you on Twitter !


Sarah Santacroce



P.S. If you need a document or a website translated (German to English or English to German) please visit my website for more information about the services I offer.

P.P.S. Please RT this message on Twitter. Thank you !

P.P.P.S. If you are really serious about learning German there are other Tweeters who send out a (different) word per day. Follow for example @DoubleTranslate

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