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One of the great things about working with a Virtual Assistant is that her (or his) interest is in supporting your business as a whole, the idea being that in understanding how your business runs, what your goals and objectives are, she/he can get work done with the bigger picture of your business in mind. Why is that helpful to you? Because ongoing work and projects can then be completed so that they fit just a bit better, make more sense, make workflows more seamless, systems more streamlined and efficient, or afford greater service and communication with your own clients and customers.
When big picture kind of support is what you’re looking for in a Virtual Assistant, regularity becomes a very necessary ingredient in building upon the relationship and creating continuity. It’s the difference between “Intermittent/transactional” support and “ongoing/systemic” support. Here are some of the conditions needed in order to set the stage:
1. Work with a Virtual Assistant on retainer rather than task by task. When you make a commitment to work together in a continuous, rather than sporadic, basis, it allows your Virtual Assistant to gain the perspective and understanding needed to focus on your overall objectives, rather than merely the task at hand.
2. Think “big picture” rather than “transaction.” When you just hand off a task here and there transactionally, your Virtual Assistant can only get done what’s immediately before her. But when you’re working together in an ongoing way, she/he begins to understand why certain tasks are done, where they fit into the overall scheme of things, how they affect other tasks or processes and how they might be done better or differently to fit in with what you are ultimately trying to accomplish.
3. Meet regularly. A great Virtual Assistant is going to have her or his own processes for working with clients that faciliate relationship-building. One of the ways Virtual Assistants do this is by “meeting” with clients over the phone on a regular basis. Make yourself open to scheduling this into your routine as it is a critical component in getting to know each other.
RESOURCE: Learn more about how Virtual Assistants support your whole business by reading our “Client’s Guide to Virtual Assistgants.”
About the Author: Danielle Keister is a business advisor and innovator in the Virtual Assistance profession. An administrative professional of 20+ years and veteran Virtual Assistant of 12+ years, her logical, no-nonsense approach to business development has gained her recognition as one of the leaders in the field. She loves what she does and is passionate about sharing her knowledge and know-how with the world. She’s all about inspiring others to reach for their highest excellence. When not taking care of clients in her own Virtual Assistant practice, she is busy leading the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce and helping Virtual Assistants create six figure businesses.
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