By Tina Hilton of Clerical Advantage
As a virtual assistant, I pay particular attention to comments, both good and bad, concerning people who have worked with a VA. And while I love the success stories I read, I also find a great deal of helpful information in the VA horror stories that surface from time to time. Stories of miscommunication, sloppy work and misrepresentation helps me distinguish my business from others who lack the professionalism required to be a success. But it doesn’t just point out the shortcomings of some virtual assistants, it also helps me see where some VA clients are falling short as well. Below are six things I’ve noticed that clients are confused about which can cause them to have a bad VA experience.
1. Do your homework. Don’t hire the first virtual assistant that answers your tweet, comments on your blog post or comes up in a search engine, unless that VA truly is a fit for you. Virtual Assistance is like anything else, there is no such thing as a one size fits all virtual assistant. A VA that is perfect for your friend or colleague might be a horrible fit for you.
2. Know what you want to delegate. Virtual assistants provide a myriad of services that can help free your valuable time, help you save money and increase profits, but if you don’t know where your needs lie, you can’t expect them to know either. That’s not to say that as your relationship with your virtual assistant grows that they won’t be able to spot ways you can improve your business, however if you have no clue how they can help you, neither will they.
3. Communicate clearly. It is your responsibility as a client to be clear and precise about what you need done. Virtual assistants are not mind readers. It’s just as frustrating for the virtual assistant when they do a task for you, only to find out they’ve wasted time due to unclear instructions. When giving directions, be specific, even if it seems like a no-brainer to you.
4. Realize that things may start out a little bumpy. This is the learning curve. You’re learning how to work with a VA and they are learning about working with you. They may not be overly familiar with your industry, so industry terminology and practices might need to be learned. If it’s a little rough at first, don’t immediately presume it’s not going to work. If after a month or so it’s not getting easier, then you might want to consider looking for a VA that fits better.
5. Respect your virtual assistant as a business professional. Always remember that they too are a business owner and treat them with the same respect that you would other professionals you work with. Too many business professionals think of a virtual assistant a subordinate when they should in fact be seeing them as a business equal.
6. Remember that your virtual assistant is not an employee. For some reason this seems to be a difficult concept for many people to understand, including new virtual assistants. According to IRS rules concerning independent contractors, you can not have what is called behavioral control. What this means is that you can not control what will be done, how it will be done nor dictate the hours that said work is to be done in. As a client you may only control and direct the result of the work, not the means and method of how that end result is accomplished. I see so many people seeking a virtual assistant who say that the VA MUST be available during certain hours, give detailed reports on just how the work was done or give strict instructions on just how the work is to be completed. These individuals are looking for the financial benefit of an independent contractor ( no taxes, benefits, etc.) while still expecting the control they would have with an employee. Not only is this not the way virtual assistance works, it can get you in big trouble with the Internal Revenue Service.
If you keep these six things in mind while searching for and working with a virtual assistant, you’ll increase your chances of forging an incredibly successful situation that will benefit both you and your business.
If you have questions concerning virtual assistance or have an interest in working with a virtual assistant you can contact Tina Hilton or visit her business website for Clerical Advantage.
Hi Tina,
Interesting points.
You say “As a client you may only control and direct the result of the work, not the means and method of how that end result is accomplished.”
I’m curious where you see the line here, for example, if a client has specific standard operating procedures. Things like incoming or outgoing phone calls, email responses, etc. come to mind. As a client, you wouldn’t just say “Handle my phone calls”, right?
Not the best example maybe, but how do you think a client should phrase a work request for the clearest communication and best results?
Hi Dave,
Great questions, thanks for asking. Any virtual assistant with an ounce of professionalism is going to desire to complete designated tasks in a manner that satisfies the client. Thus, if I were a virtual assistant who offered receptionist type services, I would naturally ask how calls should be answered, etc.. As for e-mails, again, I take a certain amount of direction from my clients. For example, when e-mailing for clients I generally sign the e-mail with my name and the designation, ‘Virtual Assistant for XYZ Co.” unless I’ve been instructed that the e-mail should be sent directly from my client.
As far as communicating clearly for the best results, be as specific as possible. Don’t assume anything, at least not until you have built a relationship with your virtual assistant. The more information you can give a VA about how their tasks for you fit into what you do in your business the better. It is like completing a jigsaw puzzle, we VA’s are providing you with puzzle pieces to complete your business picture. It’s infinitely easier to find the appropriate pieces when you have a picture of what the completed puzzle should look like.
Hello Tina,
Can u give me some example of email to attract the client towards to that they can hired me as a VA.
email means What should write in email so that they preferred me..
thanking you.
Hi Tina, I was once a client of Chinese virtual assistant. I think the most important thing is communication. I was often busy with my work, and sometimes didn’t give them some instructions about my tasks. But they usually sent me a reminder or made a call to know whether they were on the right track. I do appreciate that. So I think if there are something you feel unclear about, just go ahead to contact your clients.