How do I communicate with my virtual assistant?

A very valid question but also a very easy one to answer. First, you must remember that your professional virtual assistant is a human being, just like you, and just like someone who may sit in the office right next to you. She has feelings, morals, standards, kids, pets, and a life - just like you.


While I can’t speak for other virtual staffing agencies, at Team Double-ClickSM, we go to great pains to be sure our clients can communicate directly and openly with their virtual assistants. This ability is vitally important to any business relationship and especially that of a businessperson and his or her assistant. Without that communication, there is no exchange of ideas and tasks.
We do monitor communication between our virtual staff and our clients, but this is simply the mechanics of our business model in motion. We monitor these communications to first be sure the communications are there and second so that we can step in if we spot a problem or see something that can be done more efficiently. However, we encourage our clients to get to know their virtual assistants on a personal level as well. As with any relationship, the better you know one another, the better you’ll be able to anticipate one another’s moves, needs, and pet peeves. Now that the “why” is out of the way, we can talk about the “how”.

Of course, there are several options for communicating tasks, assignments, and other matters to your virtual assistant:

E-Mail is a very effective mode of communication when working virtually. It allows you to quickly attach a file and send it to your virtual assistant so that she may make changes, print a letter and mail it, or keep it as a reference. Be sure to talk to our Client Services Rep Denise Schrock or your virtual administrative assistant if you need help attaching and sending files.

Using the telephone to communicate with your virtual assistant, while obvious is quite underutilized and so simple to do. Tired of looking up your virtual assistant’s phone number each time? Simply program her phone number into your office phones and cell phone’s speed dial. One-touch dialing your virtual administrative assistant is a snap and no harder than buzzing a bricks-and-mortar assistant in the next room

Instant messenger is another example of a wonderful technology, which is underutilized when it comes to communicating with virtual assistants. There are several excellent instant messaging programs and they’re so easy to use.

With an instant messaging program you can, with just a couple clicks of the mouse, type messages back and forth with colleagues and your virtual assistant - all in real time. You type, she types, and before you know it, the questions you and she had are all answered and you can move on.

Caution - time wasting opportunity: It’s easy to get hooked into “chatting” with someone on IM, which can soak up a lot of time. IM should be used for quick questions and quick answers, and then back to your tasks. IM was not meant to take the place of the telephone for giving lengthy instructions or holding very involved e-versations.

Snail mail, while very retro, it is sometimes necessary. With so many technologies at our fingertips these days, there’s very little use for snail mail except for the most formal of business communications, marketing mailings, or sending supplies to your virtual assistant.

Faxing your virtual assistant is also a popular means of communicating tasks and lists to your professional virtual assistant. However, if the items you’re intending to send via fax are in electronic (editable) format already - it’s best to send it as a file attachment. That way your virtual assistant doesn’t need to retype everything and spend unnecessary client dollars. Check out eFax at efax for the latest in electronic faxing - there’s almost no need for a land line fax anymore.
VOIM (voice over instant messenger) is my new favorite communications toy. What VOIM allows you to do is simply pull up your instant messaging program, click your virtual assistant’s name, click the call button, and voila, it rings through the computer to her. Once the connection is established (which only takes a second or two) you can talk with your virtual assistant through the computer - no phone line involved). You can then quickly delegate tasks, give instructions, or ask questions without stopping to look up her phone number, and without typing out a lengthy email. At Team Double-ClickSM, we’ve begun implementing the Yahoo! VOIM program and with wonderful results. If you’d like to give it a try, go to messenger.yahoo and download the software - it’s ridiculously easy to use and best of all, it’s free!

Just keep in mind that VOIM will only work with other people who download the newest version of the Yahoo! software and have a microphone and speakers on their computer.

There are many great ways to communicate needs, likes, dislikes, tasks, and training to your virtual assistant. It’s all a matter of personal preference and what you’re most comfortable using. Professional virtual assistants are flexible and will be happy to use whatever mode of communication you prefer. As technology advances even further, well, who knows how we’ll be communicating next year or even next month!

Are you looking for Virtaul Assistance?

Today’s topic of conversation might not resonate with everyone but it will become more and more relevant to you as your online business grows and develops. At some point you will have to consider getting help or risk being stuck overloaded with work and just UNHAPPY about your work as you were when you decided to start it in order to get away from your 9 to 5 J.O.B

Yeah, I use the 3 letter word and I apologize but the truth is - most of us start with online business to get away from that nasty word and in process of development manage to overload ourselves to the point where we forget why we started!

Today’s guest - Amy Holding will give us the details you need in order to successful simplify your life - How And Why Consider Virtual Assistant!

Questions below supplied by me while all the answers provided by Amy.

1. What exactly is Virtual Assistant?

This is a great question as the exact definition of a VA continues to be a hotly debated topic among many within the industry. In my opinion, it is normal for the term virtual assistant to mean different things to different people. The functions and tasks that a Virtual Assistant perform is very much dependent upon their professional niche as well as the industry and needs of the underlying client they choose to join in partnership with.

Traditionally a Virtual Assistant’s focus was mainly on general administrative services. But this has and continues to change as entrepreneurs and small business owners rely more and more heavily on the visibility of their internet presence.. Virtual Assistants have expanded their expertise to provide assistance with internet marketing, copywriting, teleseminars and on-line video services ( just to name a few) so that they can provide a more complete package to their clients. But with this expansion in expertise, the lines get blurry for some. As an example, a VA with expertise in copywriting does not mean they are a copywriter, it means they are an expert in assisting with copywriting functions.

2. How would someone go about locating a VA that qualifies?

There are several VA associations that contain directories of their members and corresponding qualifications. The two that come to my mind as excellent starting points are the International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA - http://www.ivaa.org/) and the VA Networking Forum (http://www.mediamage.com/va/). Both have search directories as well as the option to submit an RFP.

Another good method for finding a qualified VA is through social networks liked Linked-In, Twitter, Facebook and Ning. In my opinion, Linked-In provides a great platform for looking through a prospective VA’s work history, references, testimonials etc.

3. Why should I choose more expensive, US based VA over offers from Asia?

This is a tough question to answer as finding success with a VA is just as much about the partnership as it is the VA’s skill set. I don’t believe the country of origin has much to do with it at all, but rather the dynamics between you and the VA. I can tell you that in my experience, most US based VAs are solopreneurs and/or small business owners just like the clients they serve. They not only can be relied on as task-doers, but also as a faithful partner, sounding board and extension of your business. Being business owners themselves they understand that your success and gains ultimately result in their own success and gains.

4. Can you name some of the more instant benefits for Online Business from VA

The most instant benefit you will receive is time. Regardless of what you enlist the support of a VA for (i.e. internet marketing, analytic’s, general administration, project management etc. ) the immediate gain will always be the time you have to focus on your core business.

5. Any points you think will be beneficial to the readers of my blog in regards to the VA?

When looking for a VA, remember that you are developing a partnership. And the success of the partnership is not only dependent upon the VA’s skill set and expertise, but also on how well the two of you can work together at getting business initiatives into action and then completed. When entering into a new relationship with a VA give them sight of your big picture goals and be open to two-way straight-talk.

6. And last but not least - can you describe what do you personally offer and how we can find out more about you?