Let’s face it: a virtual assistant isn’t going to magically know what you want them to do. You need to communicate effectively so that they understand exactly what you need them to do. Virtual assistants can help make your life easier, but only if you communicate well with them. There are several things you should consider when communicating effectively with your virtual assistant. Here are 7 tips to communicate effectively with your virtual assistant and get the most out of their services.
Define the tasks you want your assistant to complete beforehand.
First and foremost, you need to clearly define the tasks you want your virtual assistant to complete. Do you want them to research and write blog posts? Do you want them to schedule social media posts? Do you want them to research and book travel plans for your business? Whatever tasks you want your assistant to complete, you need to clearly define them beforehand so that your assistant knows what needs to be done.
Use a platform that enables effective communication
There are many different platforms that you can use to hire a virtual assistant, but you want to be sure that the platform enables you to communicate effectively with your assistant. You’ll want to be able to send instructions and provide feedback easily so that you can ensure your instructions are understood and your feedback is constructive. You also want to be able to easily send and receive files and have access to your virtual assistant consistently. You don’t want to have to jump through hoops to be able to communicate with your assistant.
Be specific in your instructions
You don’t want your virtual assistant to think that one task is another task. So if you want your assistant to write a blog post and you want them to research topics, you don’t want to just tell them to “write a blog post”. You want to say, “I want you to write a blog post about the benefits of yoga”. Being specific in your instructions ensures that your virtual assistant understands exactly what you want them to do.
Don’t micromanage - train your assistant to do what you want
You don’t want to micromanage your virtual assistant, but you do want to train them to do what you want them to do. If you’re hiring a writer to write content for your blog, you don’t want to direct them on how to write their blog posts. However, you want to train your virtual assistant on the style and tone of your blog, SEO best practices for blog posts, and other elements that are part of blogging for your website. By training your assistant to do what you want them to do, you’ll get better content and more consistent quality.
Communicate deadlines and be patient
You want to communicate deadlines to your virtual assistant, but you don’t want to be overly strict about them. For example, if you want a blog article written by next Tuesday, you don’t want to say that it has to be done by next Tuesday at 12 pm. Instead, say that it has to be done by next Tuesday. Being overly strict and demanding about deadlines won’t help you and will make your virtual assistant less productive. Instead, be patient and respectful of your assistant’s time.
Establish rules for communications and behavior
You want to establish rules for how your virtual assistant communicates with you. You also want to establish rules for how your assistant behaves while working for you. You don’t have to have a long, drawn-out contract about this, but you do want to make sure that you and your assistant understand the basics of how you’ll communicate with each other and how your assistant will conduct themselves. For example, you might want to establish that you communicate via email and that your assistant responds within a certain timeframe. You might also want to establish that your assistant can work from home during certain hours and that they use certain tools to do their work. Establishing rules for communication and behavior will help your virtual assistant work effectively and help you to manage your time better.
Ask for feedback regularly
While you’re working with your virtual assistant, you should regularly ask them for feedback. Ask them how they’re doing, how you’re doing as the person they’re working for, what they think they’re doing well and what they think they can improve on. Asking for feedback is a good way to show your virtual assistant that you’re interested in them as a person and as someone who is helping you. Feedback is also a great way to learn how you can improve your work and make your virtual assistant’s job easier and more effective.
Wrapping up
Communication is key when it comes to working with a virtual assistant and getting the most out of their services. If you want your virtual assistant to understand your needs and do a good job for you, you need to effectively communicate with them. First, you need to define the tasks you want your assistant to complete. Then, you need to find a platform that enables effective communication. You also need to be specific in your instructions and not micromanage your assistant. You also need to establish rules for communications and behavior. Finally, you need to ask for feedback regularly from your virtual assistant so that you can improve your work and make your assistant’s job easier.