successful relationship with va

6 Tips for a Successful Relationship With Your Virtual Assistant

Carl Taylor | October 4, 2016

Often, the only thing that’s stopping the growth of your business is you. There are only so many available hours in a day, so working more isn’t always an option.

If you’ve hit this wall, then you’ve probably considered getting some help.

Obviously the first place we recommend you check is what we can do for you here on our Concierge Service when it comes to Graphic Design, WordPress and Automation tools and Sales funnels, however when it comes to your day to day admin and project management you’ve probably looked at outsourcing some of the work to a virtual assistant.

Unfortunately, a lot of business owners aren’t quite sure what feats a VA is capable of.

Instead of adding more stress to your life, we’ve decided to help you out. Below we dive into how you can get the most out of your relationship with your VA and how to avoid the most common mistakes. Plus, how your VA can work with Automation Agency to get even better results far cheaper.

WANT A SNEAK PEEK AT WHAT AUTOMATION AGENCY CAN DO? HERE ARE 35 TASKS WE CAN HELP YOU WITH!

Why Hire a Virtual Assistant?

No matter how much you like to think you can get done on your own, we’re all limited by the amount of time we have every single day. If you spend too much time on mundane tasks, your business won’t grow.

It’s as simple as that.

1. Free Up Your Workday

You probably already know what high-level tasks you need to be doing to help your business excel. Instead of putting these off and using the age-old excuse, “There’s not enough time,” you can let a virtual assistant help free up your workday.

As the VA market continues to explode, it’s only becoming easier to find the perfect assistant for your needs.

2. Stay in Your Zone of Genius

We all have certain qualities and skills we love to spend most of our time doing. Chances are, you started a business so you could utilize these qualities more often.

But running a business means you have to wear multiple hats, sometimes dozens. A VA can help to take those tasks off your hands, so you have more time to focus on the areas of your business that mean the most to you.

Common VA Mistakes

Hiring a VA isn’t all rainbows and puppies. If you have the wrong expectations or VA relationship, it might end up being a bigger headache than it’s worth.

VAs are not superheroes.

But, if you can swiftly avoid the most common VA relationship mistakes, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the net positive effect a VA can have on your business.

1. Failing to Acknowledge Them as a Person

Your VA is a person, not a service, or piece of computer software. In our digital age it can be easy to forget this, especially because you’ll rarely meet face to face.

Get to know your VA. Treat them with respect, just as you would any other employee.

When they feel valued by you and connected to your company, you’ll find they bring more passion and purpose to their work.

2. Not Training Properly

Your VA can’t read your mind. If you want to make a seamless transition from doing everything yourself to hiring a VA, it’s a good idea to document the process they’re going to take over.

That will help to clear up any confusion, and immediately give them a system to work with and improve upon.

A good VA doesn’t just do whatever you tell them. They’ll combine their skills to come up with creative and more effective solutions to the problems you present them with.

3. Forgetting to Regularly Communicate

Keep your communication doors open. Think of your VA relationship as a partnership. They’re working to support you, and you’re doing everything in your power to enable them to work more effectively.

It’s easy for things to get misinterpreted when dealing with emails, texts, and instant messaging. Be as clear as possible and over-communicate when needed. Make sure your VA feels comfortable asking for clarification.

How to Successfully Manage Your Relationship

Hiring a VA isn’t something you set and forget. It’s not an automation tool to help grow your business – they’re living, breathing people with needs, just like you.

1. Human Beings Need Support

Hopefully, we’ve hammered this point home, but it’s very important to keep in mind. Treat your VAs with respect, and they’ll feel more connected to you and their work.

Help them understand their role in the company and feel part of something bigger than themselves. Your VA isn’t just there to help with business growth, but to free up time in your life so you can focus on what’s truly important.

Make sure you work to communicate just how valuable their work is to you, even if the tasks might seem mundane.

2. Back Up Your VA With AA

Afraid of overwhelming or overworking your VA? Remember, they’re people too. Automation Agency can be a great backup to your existing VA.

If you have some technical or design tasks you’d hate to add to your VA’s plate, then let our team help tackle those with ease.

3. Couple With AA to Enhance Effectiveness

It can be very difficult, maybe even impossible, to find a VA who is a graphic designer and can handle all your technical tasks, along with other support and admin requests.

Instead of trying to bridge the gap and find a superstar (and more expensive) VA with design, tech and support skills, you can let Automation Agency simplify the process for you.

Chances are you’ll need someone to help with your website, automation, and design, on occasion. Our team can fully support those tasks, and you can let your current VA handle the rest.

Many of our clients have their VA act as a project manager and interface with our team as their resources to get more done.

WANT A SNEAK PEEK AT WHAT AUTOMATION AGENCY CAN DO? HERE ARE 35 TASKS WE CAN HELP YOU WITH!

In Summary

A virtual assistant can be a great ally or nothing more than another employee to manage. We hope these will help you unlock the potential of your VA.

Automation Agency can be a great addition to your VA, allowing them focus on your day to day admin tasks, calendar management and project management, and having them tap into the Automation Agency team of expert Graphic Designers, WordPress Developers and Automation Experts when you need them.

About the author 

Carl Taylor

Carl Taylor is the Founder & CEO of Automation Agency. For the past 10 years Carl has been building businesses and marketing them online through the use of Sales Funnels, Email Marketing Automation, Landing Pages, and Wordpress Websites. Carl is also a #1 author and highly sought after speaker and consultant whose work has impacted thousands of businesses across various industries worldwide.

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