Let’s face it: virtual assistants aren’t minded readers. For them to do their job effectively, they need you to give them specific instructions and details in the right format. This means that communicating with your virtual assistant efficiently is essential to keep things moving forward smoothly. While most people have no trouble speaking their native language fluently, many struggles with communicating in another person’s native tongue well enough to get their point across and understand what is being said back at them. If this sounds like a challenge you might be facing with your VAs, read on for some useful tips on how to effectively communicate with your virtual assistants so that they can do their job well and help you streamline your workflow even further.
Keep the communication lines open
When you’ve got an entire team of people working remotely, it can be easy to fall into the habit of only communicating via email. While email is a tried and true communication tool, it can also be less than ideal for a variety of reasons. First, the written word isn’t always intuitive, especially when the person on the receiving end isn’t a native speaker. Next, it’s easy to misinterpret tone and meaning with email communications, which can lead to miscommunication. Finally, it’s just as easy to send too many emails as it is too few. When you keep your communications open, you give yourself a chance to ask questions as they arise. It also gives your virtual assistants a chance to ask questions, clarify instructions, and discuss any issues they might be facing in real-time.
Use a Communicating Tool That’s Built for Business
If you’re struggling with communication issues, you may be just not using the right tools to communicate with your VAs. If you’re relying on email to communicate with your virtual assistants, you’re probably also experiencing some of the issues listed above. To avoid these issues, you need to choose communication tools that are specifically built for business. There are several different types of communication tools to choose from, each of which has its own pros and cons. You can’t simply choose the first communication tool you come across and expect it to solve all of your problems. When choosing a communication tool, it’s important to consider these factors: - Ease of use - The tool needs to be easy to implement and use for everyone involved. If the tool is too complicated to use, no one will use it. - Features - The tool needs to offer the features you need to communicate effectively and efficiently with your team members. - Security - Your business communications need to be secure. Be sure to choose a tool that has proper security measures in place. - Compatibility - Make sure your tool of choice works with the devices that you and your team members use.
Be as specific as you can be
Remember, your virtual assistants aren’t minded readers. They can’t simply read your mind and know all the details of what you need them to do. You have to give them those details (and lots of them, at that). You might be inclined to simply put a big old pile of tasks in your virtual assistant’s lap and hope for the best, but this isn’t the best way to get things done. If you want your VAs to be productive, you need to be very specific in your instructions. You also need to be clear about what you expect from them and when you want them to finish tasks. When you’re as specific as you can be in your instructions, you help your VAs know what they need to do and when they need to do it. You also help keep your VAs accountable for the work they’re doing for you.
Set expectations and follow up with your VA
One of the best ways to ensure that your virtual assistants are working effectively is to set realistic expectations for them and follow up with them when they’ve reached a certain milestone. For example, if you set a goal for your virtual assistants to handle 20 hours of administrative work each week, you can then follow up with them at the end of the week to see how many hours they’ve completed. You can also set expectations for each task that your virtual assistants handle. This will help them know what’s expected of them and what their goals are. When you set expectations and follow up with your virtual assistants, you help keep them accountable for the tasks they’re supposed to be completing. You also help them know what you expect of them and when they should have those tasks finished. This can help prevent the miscommunications and misunderstandings that plague many virtual office teams.
Wrapping up
Communicating with your virtual assistants can be challenging, especially if they’re not native English speakers. If you want to make sure they’re doing their job effectively and efficiently, you need to find ways to effectively communicate with them. Keep the communication lines open, use a communication tool that’s built for business, be as specific as you can be, and set expectations and follow-up with your VA. By following these tips, you can improve the way you communicate with your virtual assistants and make sure they’re doing their job well.